Roots are decent enough, I've had real root issues, so I know what those look like, and this is good in comparison. In fact, what you see here is a completely rebuilt system based around preventing root rot, taken from advice here. So, here's the system based on advice here. Key features being, the water level is all the way up to the bottom of the net pot, so all roots are submerged. All new quality black buckets, not blue Lowe's buckets which I found out leak a surprising amount of light. Also, you'll notice that I lowered the buckets through the floor, so the water is not inside the hot tent. My nute temps went from 76F to now 68F. Chillers are coming to keep things cool for summer.
So, the answer here to my original question is BOTH. This is both a light issue and a nutrient issue. Thanks again to advice here I learned how to calculate NPK correctly and found out my N is way low. Present, but low. But if that’s the case then why aren’t the veg tent plants displaying this?
My theory or hypothesis is this. Cannabis is all about N-P-K ratios. The ratios are the key. When something is out of balance, like a wheel, it can’t go fast very well. But it can go slow just fine. Right? So, the low light on the left is the wheel being turned slowly and everyone is reasonably happy, at least in comparison. The brighter tent is the wheel being turned at high speed and the imbalance shows its ugly head. Make sense?
Today I just reduced the light down to one 73 watt light, just to see what happens. Just standing back looking at the two tents the lush green one is almost dark in comparison. It's like light is going a long way in the big tent because so much of it is reflecting around and there's no huge leaf mass to absorb and cast shadows. Jungles aren't bright, they're dark and green. The plants are already showing signs of improvement. You can see deeper green returning to the newer leaves. Even some of the older leaves look better.
I’m amazed they can do this well with the N being so low. I did also add more N but there’s no room for what I need. I’ll be changing the nutes in a few days as soon as my order of Potassium Sulfate arrives. My prior bad math also made me use too much of this, so my K is hot, and I ran out. But this shows how much play there is and they are still alive.
