2 plant 2 dif probs?????

[smithgrown]

ok i have 2 plants that were started at the same time and are grown in the same place with the same soil, water, etc... the first one is really strong but has brown tips as you can see from the pic. the second one is smaller and has been drooping on and off for the last few weeks but has now drooped and been like this for about a week. any info would really help. thanks to all.

 

[StoneyBud]

What soil, any nutes? What lights? How often do you water and how much?

 

[smithgrown]

the soil is a blend of generic potting soil with no nutes mixed with 40% pete moss and 10% peralite. the lights are CFL's, four 42w, four 27w and two old t12's for good measure. i water every other day or when the soil feels dry about 3in down. when i do water i do it untill i get runoff and check my ph by that.

 

[smithgrown]

also if anyone cant tell me what strain these look like that would be great. indica or sativa

 

[StoneyBud]

Because of their ill health, it's difficult to say if they're more indica or sativa. After they've recovered some and get a bit larger, it'll be easier to tell what they are.

The reason I asked about the nutes is they both look like they have a slight nitrogen burn on them. The tallest especially.

Since you've given them no nutes, I'd say the most likely problem is heat stress. How warm has it gotten in the area the plants are in?

Have you let them dry out too much at least once?

Both look large enough to start a weak solution of nutrients. I'd suggest a 1/8th strength mix given with each watering. Don't stagger the nutrient delivery to alternating watering's. The plant needs a steady, uniform amount of nutrients.

What's the total lumens of the combined bulbs? They add up to about 300 watts. That's a little much for such small plants. If they're too close, that may be the problem. CFL's put out heat. They have enclosed ballasts inside the body of the unit and those ballasts do create a bit of heat that has to be dealt with if in an enclosed area. I would suggest putting the mass of bulbs at about 18 inches and see if the plants pick up. If so, then you've found your problem.

How close are the bulbs to the plant tops?

 

[smithgrown]

going from what the package says the total num of lumes is 16000. the four 42w CFLs are 2600 lumes each and the four 27w are 1400 lumes each. i wouldnt even count those old t12s. so you think i should start nutes and not alternate nutes and straight water? i have always been told not to do that. like every third watering give nutes. the temps have been kinda high like in the low 90's but i corrected that prob and for the last few days have been in the mid 80's. the lights are about 4in above my tallest plant. i will try moving the lights up some and see what happens. as far as nute burn could my soil be burning them with all the pete moss or i do think the potting soil had a bit of manure in it.

 

[StoneyBud]

going from what the package says the total num of lumes is 16000. the four 42w CFLs are 2600 lumes each and the four 27w are 1400 lumes each. i wouldnt even count those old t12s. so you think i should start nutes and not alternate nutes and straight water? i have always been told not to do that. like every third watering give nutes. the temps have been kinda high like in the low 90's but i corrected that prob and for the last few days have been in the mid 80's. the lights are about 4in above my tallest plant. i will try moving the lights up some and see what happens. as far as nute burn could my soil be burning them with all the pete moss or i do think the potting soil had a bit of manure in it.

300 watts of lights at 4 inches...there's your stress. That's just too close for that size plant.

Bingo! Move em up. The plants will recover and within a week, show new growth that is undamaged.

No, staggering waterings with nutes is crazy. Look at it this way; If it was a valid method, then you could exaggerate it and only use nutes every tenth watering and make the nutes 5 times stronger!

I promise you that if you did that, it would kill the plants on one dose.

Your nutrients should be applied in a strength that can be given with each watering. As an example; if you currently give them 4 teaspoons of nutes in one gallon of water and give that water only every other day, then divide the nutes in half and mix 2 teaspoons per/gallon and give it to the plants every day, but with less water per/watering.

Plants thrive from a steady, balanced diet of nutrients, water and oxygen. There can be no justification for alternating feedings. It literally can't happen in nature and should never happen for any plant.

You'll see it on fertilizer packages, but that's when you use it on other types of plants and fertilize once every other week or once a month when you rely on rain to slowly wash the nutrients into the soil outside.

When watering/fertilizing indoors, the nutrients are ALWAYS given in a steady dose with every watering. Be sure to divide the dose to fit the regular watering.

Start small. You can always build the dose. It's damn hard to extract it.

I always start with 1/8th of the manufacturers suggested dose. Use that for a week and see how your plants react.

 

[smithgrown]

THANKS SO MUCH STONEY!!!! i never really thought about the lights being too close. i have moved them up to about a foot above my tallest one. in your opinion should i let my plants recover before starting nutes?

 

[smithgrown]

also what type of nutes do you suggest? i hate to even admit it but i bought some MG fert call bloom booster. i was planning on putting them on 12/12 at the end of the month but now that they are kinda sick i dont know. i have limited space so a small buding plant is my plan.

 

[StoneyBud]

THANKS SO MUCH STONEY!!!! i never really thought about the lights being too close. i have moved them up to about a foot above my tallest one. in your opinion should i let my plants recover before starting nutes?

Yes, whenever a plant is stressed into illness, it's a bad time to change anything in it's routine other than the cause of the stress. Wait until the new growth has shown for about a week and see how it looks. If the new growth is a nice light green with no curling, spots, tip damage or drooping, then start your nutes.

also what type of nutes do you suggest? i hate to even admit it but i bought some MG fert call bloom booster. i was planning on putting them on 12/12 at the end of the month but now that they are kinda sick i dont know. i have limited space so a small buding plant is my plan.

The soil guys on the site would be able to give you much better suggestions for soil nutes and strength for each particular nutrient. I'm a hydroponic grower mostly. I use dirt for only my Host Plants and on them, I use a dilute mix of my hydroponic nutrients.

Are these plants in an enclosed area where heat can build? What type of reflective material are you using on the walls of your area? What type of reflective hoods are you using for your lights?

Take that MG junk and use it on your lawn or cucumbers or something...hehe

 

[gourmet]

Just a newbie here, but given the amount of peat moss to soil to perlite, and by the looks of the size of the pots, even that close to the lights, it just seems odd to me that the plants would need water every other day but then maybe the roots are not that deep yet either.

 

[smithgrown]

good catch gourmet!!! i just recenly changed my soil to the current mix and i have noticed that i go a day or 2 more between waterings now. the pete moss def holds moisture very well. thanks for the 2 cents though any info is always appreciated by me.