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Needing a little organic help

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bullmark69
  • Start date Start date Aug 22, 2025
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Needing a little organic help

Bullmark69 Aug 22, 2025 13 Replies 1,424 Views
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Bullmark69

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#1
Hello, I’m growing 3 clones in BAS 3.0.
2 of the 3 are doing great.
But the 3rd has recently began showing what looks like a K deficiency…….but I’m unsure.
Strain is GMO.
She’s in a 10gal fabric pot…..she spent about 2 weeks vegging in this pot before being flipped to 12/12, which was 28 days ago.
The only things I added to the BAS was about 1cup/gal of EWC and some rice hulls.
From the start her leaves were darker green which made me think there was a bit too much N.
B/c of this I gave only RO water with about 2ml/gal of cal mag…..up until a week ago when I gave a light top dress of Gaia Green 2-8-4.
She’s still a very dark green but her leaves have not been clawing or showing any other signs of issues.
I picked up some Roots Organic HPK…..which is a liquid bloom booster w/ a content of 0-4-3.
I was hoping an experienced organic grower might be able to give me some guidance.
Again, this problem is only showing on the very bottom oldest leaves.
 
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TrampDunkAllstar

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#2
This is what happens when they use dolomite instead of calcite.

Send your leaves off after harvest. They will test way too much magnesium. Don't listen to what anyone here on the cock gobbling paradsocial boof network tells you, unless they have tissue and sap tests to back it up.


All the Jack's 321 plants look the same. Nothing but bad info on these boof cult forums.
 
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LoveGrowingIt

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#3
Bullmark69 said:
The only things I added to the BAS was about 1cup/gal of EWC and some rice hulls.
From the start her leaves were darker green which made me think there was a bit too much N.
B/c of this I gave only RO water with about 2ml/gal of cal mag…..up until a week ago when I gave a light top dress of Gaia Green 2-8-4.
She’s still a very dark green but her leaves have not been clawing or showing any other signs of issues.
I picked up some Roots Organic HPK…..which is a liquid bloom booster w/ a content of 0-4-3.
Click to expand...
I'm not familiar with those nutrients. I don't see a mention of dolomite lime as @TrampDunkAllstar contributed, but it's true that excess magnesium can cause dark green leaves. That doesn't seem to be the problem here, though. I'd agree that the plant could be pulling K from the lower leaves. A soil pH test would be helpful, because pH can affect nutrient availability when it's out of range. I've seen that problem before, but my brain isn't working at full speed yet. So... My best suggestion now is to stop making changes and just give it plain water while the good folks here can have a chance to give it some thought.
 
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LoveGrowingIt

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#4
Knowing the pH of the soil can help diagnose a problem. I'm not suggesting pH is the problem. I'm only saying it's good to know what it is, if only to rule out pH as a problem.

Lime, either calcitic or dolomite, can help raise pH. The main difference between the two is the presence of magnesium in dolomite lime. Plants grown under LED lights usually need more Mg, and dolomite lime is a source of it. Epsom salt is also a source and can lower pH slightly, if needed. Decomposition of organic matter can also lower pH.

A pH above 7.0 can reduce availability of macronutrients (N, P, & K). So, a too high pH can look like a nutrient deficiency. A slurry test is a common method of testing soil pH. All that's needed is some distilled water and a colorimetric test kit that usually costs under $15. Digital pH testers are more costly but much more convenient to use.
 
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Bullmark69

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#5
LoveGrowingIt said:
Knowing the pH of the soil can help diagnose a problem. I'm not suggesting pH is the problem. I'm only saying it's good to know what it is, if only to rule out pH as a problem.

Lime, either calcitic or dolomite, can help raise pH. The main difference between the two is the presence of magnesium in dolomite lime. Plants grown under LED lights usually need more Mg, and dolomite lime is a source of it. Epsom salt is also a source and can lower pH slightly, if needed. Decomposition of organic matter can also lower pH.

A pH above 7.0 can reduce availability of macronutrients (N, P, & K). So, a too high pH can look like a nutrient deficiency. A slurry test is a common method of testing soil pH. All that's needed is some distilled water and a colorimetric test kit that usually costs under $15. Digital pH testers are more costly but much more convenient to use.
Click to expand...
So I don’t have any distilled water at the moment but I do have this cheap 3- way soil meter.
I would never rely on it entirely, but when I used it the plant in question read almost 7.5. I then tested one of the others and it was significantly lower, like 6.5.
I’ve been PH’ing all inputs to between 6.3 and 6.8.
Anyway, do u suggest I give her water only the couple of waterings?? I use RO water by the way. U think I should PH it down to below 6??
 
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Week4Bytch

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#6
Bullmark69 said:
So I don’t have any distilled water at the moment but I do have this cheap 3- way soil meter.
I would never rely on it entirely, but when I used it the plant in question read almost 7.5. I then tested one of the others and it was significantly lower, like 6.5.
I’ve been PH’ing all inputs to between 6.3 and 6.8.
Anyway, do u suggest I give her water only the couple of waterings?? I use RO water by the way. U think I should PH it down to below 6??
Click to expand...
With organic grows it's more important to concentrate on the pH of the soil than that of the water. Id just do what's already suggested and just water that plant (don't add anything else) with maybe one or two compost teas in-between.

Your ladies are looking awesome by the way.
 
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GNick55

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#7
TrampDunkAllstar said:
This is what happens when they use dolomite instead of calcite.

Send your leaves off after harvest. They will test way too much magnesium. Don't listen to what anyone here on the cock gobbling paradsocial boof network tells you, unless they have tissue and sap tests to back it up.


All the Jack's 321 plants look the same. Nothing but bad info on these boof cult forums.
Click to expand...
you don’t plan
on staying around long do ya?
 
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BeefyBully

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#8
Week4Bytch said:
With organic grows it's more important to concentrate on the pH of the soil than that of the water. Id just do what's already suggested and just water that plant (don't add anything else) with maybe one or two compost teas in-between.

Your ladies are looking awesome by the way.
Click to expand...
yes, they do look great...but there's a lot to be said here as a whole. Like my guy @TrampDunkAllstar said, you will only find out if you send off for test 100%. However, the delivery of that message does not help.

let's get back on track together (No Homo)

* You said you are using the build a soil 3.0, the ingredients are listed in the illustration.
- how did you come to using this recipe?
- did you research the ingredients individually as to what each provide?
- as the plant is a heavy feeder did you tax the recipe to the point it needs nutrition?
- are you tracking the feeder roots are at the top? if they at the top will temp and lack of nutrition affect them?

someone said here to only water and monitor the good and bad....yes. With that don't over water. At the end of day if your soil needs water wait till the morning to do that, if microbes need moistened then just spray the first 1-2 inches.
you didn't mention the BuildAbloom for flowering plants, are you using that? what are you using for microbes?
did you check out build a flower?


* Let me share my experience with you, when I went to the local garden supply I specifically asked for a specific product, was looking for the build a soil and fox farm happy frog system of organic growing.

Products that were recommended was terp tea grow and bloom, said it's all you need for success.
well, that was true, but my failure was dry and cure. Well, when I asked about Cal-mag the guy said I should have that on hand regardless.

well, with the BuildaSoil way, it is said to let the microbes' enzymes and fungi (MEF) bring the soil to the required PH.
with RO there is no nutritional value in that water. I use tap water at 8.0, it has nutritional value..declorinate and use.
I don't PH my water, I don't use Cal-mag, strictly organic inputs and root wise system to break it all down for the plant to use.

how does this apply to the concern you are having.
- if I'm new to growing and that dude sold me the Cal-mag would I have used it?
- if its water only why add Cal Mag?
- limestone PH adjuster, what breaks that down? enzymes? is it in powder form or stone?
- what MEF are you using?

truth is when I switched to organic from DWC there were some nutes left over and probably degraded. I stopped using them and looked to organic inputs. There I learned that the plant cannot take them up unless biology breaks it down. There was a significant increase in growth. Not growth as in tall and bushy but growth meaning branch sites everywhere uncontrollable popping out everywhere thru out the plant. Now that leads to being bushy...
what I'm currently using is from build a soil:
- Craft Blend
- Build a Flower Top Dress
- Neem cake for pests (picked that up here from one of the guys) works great.
- stopped using coconut with cuttings and 1/4 on the craft blend to see reaction (first feeding)
- top dress as needed

- build a bloom is readily available for plant uptake. before going into flower and during


haven't seen any burns and its pedal to the metal

if this helps
 
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Bullmark69

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#9
That’s a lot of info in one post.
For the record, I use ReCharge as a microbial agent.
I have a number of things on hand that I could feed. Including:
-Terp Tea from Roots Organic….bloom
-Build a Bloom from BAS
-Gaia Green- both 4-4-4 and 2-8-4
-Kelp meal
I’m just not sure what the next move should be and she needs watering today or tomorrow at the latest.
 
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BeefyBully

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#10
the terp tea and the build a bloom by itself would have done the trick. the Gaia Green-444 sounds like an all-purpose and the -284 looks like a flower amendment. and the kelp meal is already in the amendments.

when I stacked for the first time with organics my tips burned, and I freaked out...lol
yea just back off and consider all organic and a regimen of (MEF) microbe enzyme fungi

not sure what to do next?
- plants look good just need to keep them healthy before going into flower
- improve
- read
- help others
 
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Bullmark69

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#11
BeefyBully said:
the terp tea and the build a bloom by itself would have done the trick. the Gaia Green-444 sounds like an all-purpose and the -284 looks like a flower amendment. and the kelp meal is already in the amendments.

when I stacked for the first time with organics my tips burned, and I freaked out...lol
yea just back off and consider all organic and a regimen of (MEF) microbe enzyme fungi

not sure what to do next?
- plants look good just need to keep them healthy before going into flower
- improve
- read
- help others
Click to expand...
Two of the three plants are humming right along, but the third plant has some serious yellowing and burning on the bottom oldest fans.
It looks like a K deficiency but I’m unsure of the root cause.
 
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Hossgrows

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#12
Here's something to look at.
 

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Week4Bytch

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#13
Bullmark69 said:
That’s a lot of info in one post.
For the record, I use ReCharge as a microbial agent.
I have a number of things on hand that I could feed. Including:
-Terp Tea from Roots Organic….bloom
-Build a Bloom from BAS
-Gaia Green- both 4-4-4 and 2-8-4
-Kelp meal
I’m just not sure what the next move should be and she needs watering today or tomorrow at the latest.
Click to expand...
Recharge is good, compost is better. Compost comes with a much larger library of microbe biology than what any bag can get ya.
 
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LoveGrowingIt

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#14
Bullmark69 said:
Anyway, do u suggest I give her water only the couple of waterings??
Click to expand...
Making multiple changes can make it hard to figure out what each change did. Use of plain water for a while can stabilize the situation and thus make it easier to diagnose any problems that might exist. The plants are adaptable, as well, so sometimes they'll grow out of a problem if we let them.

Bullmark69 said:
I use RO water by the way.
Click to expand...
I don't. I use tap water that has a pH of 7.6. Usually, it's not the water, but what's in the soil that has the most effect on the pH of the soil.

Bullmark69 said:
U think I should PH it down to below 6??
Click to expand...
Not for organic growing in soil. Most recommendations I've seen are in the 6.3 to 7.0 range. The factors involved include the solubility of nutrients and the health of the fungi in the soil. (Other growing methods have a lower pH range, which can be confusing.)



It looks like you're getting plenty of advice here. Good luck with your grow!
 
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Replies 13
Views 1,424
Started Aug 22, 2025
Latest post Aug 23, 2025
Starter Bullmark69
Forum Organic Soil

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