Deficiency? Nute Burn? Disease? Help!

[maggotworshipper]

I noticed these reddish/dark brown spots or 'blotches' on some of the leaves of my plants, including on the newer growth of my largest Ak-47 female. I tried to look up real close with a 30x magnifer and didn't notice any bugs. It also looked more like dead necrotic spots than some fungus but I could be wrong. In addition the bottom, older leaves are turning yellow and dying off (they have the same brown spots as well, and some other splotches that look like a P or K deficiency).

I am pretty careful when it comes to PH/nute dose. I only give about 1 teaspoon of GrowBig + 2 tablespoons of Big Bloom per gallon, and I usually give nothing but pure water every other feeding. I hadn't even started Tiger Bloom yet when I noticed these splotches. I use liquid PH testers and try my best to calibrate everything to 6.5 but I can't say i'm 100% positive I get it right every time.


Plants are 2 white widows and 2 ak-47, 3 of the 4 are showing these symptoms, they are the biggest, which tells me it might be a nute deficiency but I want advice before next feed. I should add my soil is FFOF and has been compacted a little bit (weird, I added plenty of perlite but I still have to break up the surface with a fork).

What could it be? What should i do ? thx

 

[TwoHighCrimes]

Hello maggotworshipper , Its been sometime since i have had a grow and its been a lil while since i have been around the forum so my input may be off track but i can offer some knowledge regarding your problem yet lets also see what the other members have to say . First up i think you have 2 problems i believe that your ph needs to be checked with a decent ph meter as i believe that the liquid test kits can be unreliable so maybe a friend or garden centre could test your run-off . 2nd im curious as to wheather your nutes contain trace elements as you may well have a cal/mag defiecency yellowing of lower fan leaves certainly indicates a mag problem yet you must ensure that your ph is in check first . Wait for others to comment as im a lil rusty but that my crack at your problem . All the best . Oh and just to add that if you are still in vege stay in vege cycle and get on top of the problem asap so when you begin your flower cycle your ladies will have no issues to compete with .

 

[maggotworshipper]

hey twohigh thx for the info... i did some more research since i posted and i guessed it was cal-mag deficiency also. i looked at the fox farm nutes and none of them had calcium. the magnesium is in grow big and tiger bloom but i haven't started tiger bloom til yesterday, and the grow big i only give 1 teaspoon or less per gallon. maybe i just haven't given enough.

i thought my tapwater had cal-mag. i let it sit out for 24hrs, could it evaporate like chlorine? i also have molasses if i need to use it. appreciate it. i will see what people keep telling me.

yea i need to get a PH tester soon these liquid thingys i no longer trust.

 

[TwoHighCrimes]

Hello again , maggotworshipper . Thanks for extra info regarding your nute schedule . Our beloved plants certainly enjoy the extra cal/mag boost indeed although one of your nute lines does contain magnesium i have found that it can be insufficient quantities i would certainly add epsom salts and one teaspoon per litre and if you also have any dolimite lime you could also add 1 teaspoon per litre/liter of nute as an extra boost for the mean time . Cal/mag is also a requirement for many growers as various strains do require more . And again yr ph should be considered as well . All the best . And tap water is not sufficient enough in cal/mag to keep yr ladies happy .

 

[Hushpuppy]

I believe you may hav the beginnings of a Phosphorus deficiency. Given the pics of the leaves and the fact that it made you think fungus or calmag issues leads me to Phosphorus def. The P def often has very similar symptoms of fungus, cal/mag, and/or PH issues. Soil compaction, PH misalignment and cold temps can all contribute as well as plant type and growth pattern. I have 3 plants in organic soil that I had the same problem occur when I switched them over to flower. I have found that once the plants get a good size in their containers that the microbes just can't keep up with the plant's needs for food. I started adding nutrient tea(compost tea) and that helped a lot.

I would suggest that you get some soil/root innoculant like "ZHO" or "Subculture" to add to the Microbe-herd. If/when you add that, also add some mollasses as that is instant food for the microbes and micro nutrients for the plants. Then up you feed regamin so that they have more nutes to pull from(your soil may be fairly depleted of easily accessed nutes by now), and it certainly wouldn't hurt to add some cal/mag building materials like dolomite lime to the soil and water it in. Once you do those things, if your water is around 6.5-6.9 you will be fine as the lime and microbes will ballance the PH to 6.8 Green mojo for the girls

 

[Budders Keeper]

I had leaves that looked just like that, and as Hushpuppy stated, it was phosphorus def.

I also agree with THC about the cal/mag. Especially with fox farm. Not that there is anything wrong with FF but in my adventures I have learned FF is light on the cal/mag.

Compost tea, IMO, is like steroids for your plant. Solves many issues fairly quickly. If you have a 5gal bucket and an air pump here is a really easy recipe that does wonders for me:

2 cups General Organics "ancient forest" in sock or cheesecloth

1/8-1/4 tsp of ZHO

20-30ml of "aquashield"

1 tsp unsulphured molasses

Hang sock in bucket over airline, add the rest of the ingrediants, andBrew for 24 hours. 1 cup per gallon of nute solution to innoculate. 30ml per gallon to maintain. I keep this stuff bubbling for a couple weeks til I use it up, and then start fresh batch. I have found that coarse bubbles (no airstone) works the best. If it starts smelling sour/swampish it's time to dump it and change.

This is "heisenbergs" recipe from another site. This tea has little nutritional value, it's primarily for the "bennies". So make sure you keep up with the nutes as well.

GL and smoke up.....BK