This always happens late in flower

[zem]

Zem....do you find as i do that most problems in hydro stem from ph?

yes and no, PH is indeed easy to mess up if you do not give it enough importance, I find it basic to not let it fluctuate suddenly and make the drifts smooth. That done, there are other factors, I have found that a sudden change in type of fertilisers had a drastic negative effect even though I had PH and EC the stable, so yes, ph is the most challenging because it needs constant maintenance, but other factors are also very important...That is my experience up till now

 

[Kraven]

I watch pH way more than EC / ppm. The plants will tell me if the mix is too hot just by the way the numbers move....pH has to remain stable and on a gentle rise. After you tweak and get dialed in the numbers are very consistent from grow to grow. Peace

 

[Lesso]

For the sake of anyone wondering. The flush and re freshing my nute tank seems to have stalled the necrotic spots. Before i dumped my res i had a ph of 5.4...too low. I figured out the finisher that i was using dumped my ph by .5 at the recommended volume. I have countered this by using silica blast bringing the ph back up to 6.0. Ss1 was always the most sensitive to ph which makes sense as to why it showed earlier and has the worst damage. I havent seen any more spots on the leaves. Also my ppms were way too high....brought them down to 1200 yesterday and today they are looking fresh and reaching for the light.

 

[zem]

yeah changing the res many times solves it. i dont let ph above 5.8 at that stage, usually 5.5-5.6 but with much higher ppm. good luck

 

[Kraven]

That would be it lesso....btw I use SB in place of pH up myself...since I'm in R/O its a bit helpful and I use far less to get my pH to move.

 

[Lesso]

Thanks guys. That is why i come to this forum and i am glad to be in this community. Growers helping growers.

 

[400watter]

Good to see things bank on track Lesso. I flushed my cssh yesterday and she is looking happy now. Back to nutrients tomorrow but at a lower ec reading.

 

[Hushpuppy]

In Hydro/non-organic, the plants live and die with pH. It is as important as light. That is because in non-organic, the plants feed according to the pH. In organics, the microbes feed the plants. pH is always in a state of slow change. That is because the different elements in the solution and/or medium are constantly changing in amounts and concentrations with each other as the plants remove elements and water from the solution. This constant change causes the pH to change. If the reservoir is big enough then the pH will change much slower. Low ec/tds can also cause the same issues as there isn't a strong enough solution to keep pH from swinging wildly as elements are removed by the plants.

 

[Lesso]

Very true hush. My res is 45 gallons but when running at high ppms the ph swings much more.

 

[Gooch]

also choose your silica carefully, if its potassium sillicate then you are also adding in extra potassium and that is what adjusted your ph, silica should not affect ppm, or ph if its pure. the best silica i have found is the raw silica

 

[Hushpuppy]

That's odd that your pH swings much more at high ppms. It will always swing and may swing farther with higher ppms but it should move slower unless your plants are large and are really sucking down the solution. The silica thing could be the culprit. A friend of mine tried the silica and had fits trying to control the pH of his stuff. He finally had to quit using it as he couldn't keep it under control.

 

[Gooch]

check out the raw silica, its silicone dioxide derived from diatomite doesnt affect ph, or ppm

 

[Hushpuppy]

What exactly does the silica provide for the plants, I used to know but can't remember :doh:

 

[Gooch]

provides it flexibility in the stems, and it also is used at the point of infection to isolate it and stop it from spreading. its part of the natural immune system

 

[Hushpuppy]

cool thanks

 

[Gooch]

here is an excellent video on biostimulants

 

[FemFlopPollenDrops]

what are your environmental factors and what is your ph when feeding because this has ph written all over it.

 

[BigJer]

That would be it lesso....btw I use SB in place of pH up myself...since I'm in R/O its a bit helpful and I use far less to get my pH to move.

Crushed coral, crushed sea shells and beach sand can do the same thing and much more safer than the blasting silica