Help! Indoor grow going bad.

[Dirtbag]

What's the reasoning for spray-watering the plants? I agree that soil looks too dry. You want to soak them when you water, let the excess drain away and then dont water again for 3-5 days, or when they start to feel light. there is no benefit to watering with a sprayer vs just pouring it in with a watering can rose or even a just a cup.

EDIT; DW I see we posted at the same time. To me overwatering means watering too frequently or with way too much runoff. Any soiless peat based grow media should really be fully saturated during irrigations with around 10-15% runoff and then allowed to dryback for several days before watering again.

For initial seed sprout though I agree on minimal water at first, but usually for no more than 3 days or so before I start fully saturating the media with each watering.

 

[dire wolf]

Hey dirtbag, do you mean we posted the same time and you were responding to me ? Or to someone else about the spray thing ?
I know, that sounds nuts....

 

[dire wolf]

Yea i agree with the soiless peat practice , im mostly talking about people who crack seeds in soil or foxfarm or something that retains water , i think a lot of people do that , so really i should emphasize that starting in soil is a bad idea , so i guess i was just catering to that group of growers , otherwise i agree with you on soiless.....

Just think a mister might slow down the rampant overwatering , i also notice thst new growers dont get the "wait a few days " to water concept...

 

[dire wolf]

Hey dirtbag, do you mean we posted the same time and you were responding to me ? Or to someone else about the spray thing ?
I know, that sounds nuts....

 

[Canadaloud]

So far what I’m getting is that I should definitely not use nutes for a damn long time cause I might have caused a nute lockout. Today I’ll water them and check the ph of the runoff. About the magnesium deficiency though, I have some ancient earth but no cal mag, I’ve heard that it’s high in micro nutrients but I’m not sure about it’s cal mag content. Should I just still stick with ph’d water? And also you guys are getting me worried about hot soil because I amended some Gaia green 4-4-4 in the fabric potted plants. Do you think this may hurt the plants?

 

[Canadaloud]

Also I water with the sprayer because I just found it easier as I had my nute solutions in there for foliar feeding so instead of changing bottles I would just water the soil with it.

 

[Dirtbag]

Hey dirtbag, do you mean we posted the same time and you were responding to me ? Or to someone else about the spray thing ?
I know, that sounds nuts....

Yeah just that we posted at the same time about the same subject. My post wasnt actually a response to you, just questioning why he was using a sprayer to water.

 

[Dirtbag]

So far what I’m getting is that I should definitely not use nutes for a damn long time cause I might have caused a nute lockout. Today I’ll water them and check the ph of the runoff. About the magnesium deficiency though, I have some ancient earth but no cal mag, I’ve heard that it’s high in micro nutrients but I’m not sure about it’s cal mag content. Should I just still stick with ph’d water? And also you guys are getting me worried about hot soil because I amended some Gaia green 4-4-4 in the fabric potted plants. Do you think this may hurt the plants?

I think you are just learning some rookie lessons. Too much food from too many sources and probably not enough water for fear of overwatering.
FFOF needs nothing but regular tap water with a ppm of <200, or RO with calmag and a ppm <150 if your tap water is too hard. Starting seedling in it, you should mix 30% coarse chunky perlite into it.

Gaia green 4-4-4 is awesome stuff for amending promix or top dress feeding mid grow, but added to FFOF will just make the media excessively nutrient dense and the plants will struggle.

Add to that feedings from bottled nutrients and letting them dry out too much, it's like stepping on their balls while they're already down.

And foliar feeding nutrients is actually counterproductive when you are trying to encourage roots to grow out. Keep the leaves dry and allow them to transpire properly. If humidity is low you need to bump it up but spraying the plants isnt really the answer.

 

[dire wolf]

Yeah just that we posted at the same time about the same subject. My post wasnt actually a response to you, just questioning why he was using a sprayer to water.

Funny....

 

[Vagician]

That soil looks really dry. The plant in the fabric pot with the very dark leaves curling down is showing possible nitrogen toxicity. Plants that small don't need anything over 250-300 total ppm.

 

[Dirtbag]

What is your starting water @Canadaloud? You shouldnt need to ph it even if it isnt really hard. The FFOF will buffer it to where it needs to be, I only ph the solution when I add nutrients to it to make sure they stay in solution. And if your water is really hard, you shouldnt really be using it without at least cutting it with RO.

 

[Canadaloud]

I think you are just learning some rookie lessons. Too much food from too many sources and probably not enough water for fear of overwatering.
FFOF needs nothing but regular tap water with a ppm of <200, or RO with calmag and a ppm <150 if your tap water is too hard. Starting seedling in it, you should mix 30% coarse chunky perlite into it.

Gaia green 4-4-4 is awesome stuff for amending promix or top dress feeding mid grow, but added to FFOF will just make the media excessively nutrient dense and the plants will struggle.

Add to that feedings from bottled nutrients and letting them dry out too much, it's like stepping on their balls while they're already down.

And foliar feeding nutrients is actually counterproductive when you are trying to encourage roots to grow out. Keep the leaves dry and allow them to transpire properly. If humidity is low you need to bump it up but spraying the plants isnt really the answer.

This is very helpful. If it changes anything I have fox farms happy frog if that makes the soil a little less hot. So would you say it’s under watered because my last grow I went a little overboard with watering and my seedling began to damp off.

 

[Canadaloud]

What is your starting water @Canadaloud? You shouldnt need to ph it even if it isnt really hard. The FFOF will buffer it to where it needs to be, I only ph the solution when I add nutrients to it to make sure they stay in solution. And if your water is really hard, you shouldnt really be using it without at least cutting it with RO.

My tap water isn’t hard I don’t think but it has a pretty high ph out the tap. A little over 7.5 I think.

 

[Dirtbag]

My tap water isn’t hard I don’t think but it has a pretty high ph out the tap. A little over 7.5 I think.

I wouldnt bother to ph that personally if the tds is below 200ppm. And yeah happy frog is a little less hot apparently, I dont have any personal experience using it though. But would still likely be overfed by amending with 4-4-4 and using bottled nutes.

 

[MIMedGrower]

Yea i agree with the soiless peat practice , im mostly talking about people who crack seeds in soil or foxfarm or something that retains water , i think a lot of people do that , so really i should emphasize that starting in soil is a bad idea , so i guess i was just catering to that group of growers , otherwise i agree with you on soiless.....

Just think a mister might slow down the rampant overwatering , i also notice thst new growers dont get the "wait a few days " to water concept...

I have saturated every cup of ocean forest to 100% runoff and planted seeds in it. Then wait a week or so to water again. And repeat. The roots have plenty of drying time to search and grow. Its tjat second and third too soon watering that causes problems. When i pick up the cup and its ready to water im like “oh shit” it picks up too easy and alarmingly light. But thats perfect timing.

And it starts again at least a week apart when i transplant up to a 1 gallon. When it gets down to 3 days or so i transplant up again.

 

[Canadaloud]

I have saturated every cup of ocean forest to 100% runoff and planted seeds in it. Then wait a week or so to water again. And repeat. The roots have plenty of drying time to search and grow. Its tjat second and third too soon watering that causes problems. When i pick up the cup and its ready to water im like “oh shit” it picks up too easy and alarmingly light. But thats perfect timing.

And it starts again at least a week apart when i transplant up to a 1 gallon. When it gets down to 3 days or so i transplant up again.

for my two In the pots I just transplanted them should I water all the soil or just a bit around the plant?

 

[Vagician]

for my two In the pots I just transplanted them should I water all the soil or just a bit around the plant?

Just a bit around the plants. If you saturate the entire pot then the plant can't use it fast enough and you'll be dealing with overwatering issues instead. That's why it is good to start in a smaller container, get good root growth and when they are about 6"-12"tall you can transplant into a 3 gallon. I usually put rooted clones into a 1 gallon and when the roots hit the edge of the pot and I can lift the plant out of the container by the trunk without the soil falling apart, then I'll transplant to a 3 gallon. 3 gallons in a tent should be plenty.

 

[Canadaloud]

Just a bit around the plants. If you saturate the entire pot then the plant can't use it fast enough and you'll be dealing with overwatering issues instead. That's why it is good to start in a smaller container, get good root growth and when they are about 6"-12"tall you can transplant into a 3 gallon. I usually put rooted clones into a 1 gallon and when the roots hit the edge of the pot and I can lift the plant out of the container by the trunk without the soil falling apart, then I'll transplant to a 3 gallon. 3 gallons in a tent should be plenty.

Thanks! I’m going to water the guys now and test the solo cups ph. The littlest guys leaves are getting kind of crusty feeling so you think he’s toast?

 

[MIMedGrower]

for my two In the pots I just transplanted them should I water all the soil or just a bit around the plant?

Only if they are in properly sized pots. When growing in larger containers the above advice about watering just around the plant a little more each time is solid.

I start seeds and clones in plastic party cups. After a couple weeks up to a 1 gallon and about 3 weeks more then a 3 gallon. I flower in the 3 gallon pots.

With ocean forest and 25% large perlite mixed in i use well water with 150 ppm mineral content and dont adjust it for ph even though it is 8.0 ph out of the tap. It takes on the ph of the buffered soil when poured in unless it is too high base ppm.

I dont need to add fertilizer until 2-3 weeks in the final pot. Usually after week 2 in flower i veg a week more to root in final pot first.

Hope this helps.

 

[Vagician]

Thanks! I’m going to water the guys now and test the solo cups ph. The littlest guys leaves are getting kind of crusty feeling so you think he’s toast?

Salt buildup does that. Those leaves are doomed but the plant will flush with new growth if properly saved and you can remove them then.