New grower in dire need of advice

[newsooonew]

First I appreciate all of the advice I have been able to lurk from the sidelines so far but now I have an issue that feels dire. Stats are:

Blue dream seeds purchased from reputable bank
Indoor grow in cellar with steady 75degree Temps and dehumidifier set to 65
400w LED full spectrum light
Fox farm soil transplanted to 10 gal pot and layered Into happy frog
Week 3 of flower after issue free veg cycle
Water around 3 day mark usually waiting for it to appear bone dry.
I had 2-3 mid section and lower leaves show small rust spots and then yellow, curl and dry up. My soil ph has stayed around a 7.2 based on testing a mix of soil and 8.5 tap water using a ph meter.
I first flushed the pot but only used about 2 gallons to do so. Over the past 3 days I have seen an acceleration of the same leaf symptoms which primarily occurs on large lower fan leaves and some mid fans but also on smaller new growth in lower and mid section.
Now the leaves have drawn in at 1/3 normal width and curl down slightly. Some new stem growth is curling in as well I gave some water and cal mag and raised my light but I'm afraid for the next few days.

I have big bloom and tiger bloom nutes but have only sparingly used big bloom as I've only been in new pot and soil a few weeks.

I appreciate any help

 

[boo]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but from what I can see, you are totally infested with mites. Look on the bottoms of the leaves, and see if you don’t see anything living under there… if it is mites and that’s the damage that I can see there’s no possible way to turn that grow around, and I would tear it down and start again, but pay attention

 

[SubmarineGirl]

Looks like you have some bug damage with those white marks. Maybe thrips? Check the underside of leaves for tiny bugs or anything tiny sticking to the leaves. Pull one of those speckled leaves off and look at it with your loupe under the light.
Have you seen any webbing? Hopefully not mites but it looks like bug damage to me. Maybe something else too. Hopefully someone else chimes in

 

[newsooonew]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but from what I can see, you are totally infested with mites. Look on the bottoms of the leaves, and see if you don’t see anything living under there… if it is mites and that’s the damage that I can see there’s no possible way to turn that grow around, and I would tear it down and start again, but pay attention

I treated for it just before flowering and thought I had eradicated. Ha ent seen anything new. How can I confirm

 

[WeedHopper]

Looks like Thrips to me. With that much damage,,if it were Spider Mites you should see some webbing.

 

[oldfogey8]

I treated for it just before flowering and thought I had eradicated. Ha ent seen anything new. How can I confirm

How many times did you treat for bugs? Did you use more than one type of treatment? I don’t see as much damage on the newer leaves but that could be because the older leaves were damaged prior to treatment. I think Weedhopper uses 70% water, 30% isopropyl and a drop of dish liquid as a bug treatment with good results and I believe even up to some point in flower. I have used Dr Zymes in the past which the manufacturer claims can be used in flower. Others use Lost Coast Therapy too. As the others said, check for (new) bugs.

 

[RosterMan]

Someone has been sucking on your plant
Loop the leaves top and bottoms see what you find
60x or above

 

[SubmarineGirl]

If you don’t see webbing you most probably have thrips. They are already reaching your bud sites. I would give them a plant therapy wash and drench all the leaves and let them dry at least three days in a row. Then keep checking. You can put some sticky traps under them to catch some of them in the process. They like the yellow and blue ones. Your buds are still small and I don’t drench my buds with anything but all around them and as close as you can get to them. The thrips are not the worst thing but if you see webbing anywhere in your plant it’s probably spider mites and may take another path to get rid of them (if you can…)

 

[newsooonew]

If you don’t see webbing you most probably have thrips. They are already reaching your bud sites. I would give them a plant therapy wash and drench all the leaves and let them dry at least three days in a row. Then keep checking. You can put some sticky traps under them to catch some of them in the process. They like the yellow and blue ones. Your buds are still small and I don’t drench my buds with anything but all around them and as close as you can get to them. The thrips are not the worst thing but if you see webbing anywhere in your plant it’s probably spider mites and may take another path to get rid of them (if you can…)

I have treated 3 times. Once with a isopropyl and 2 times with Dr zymes. The speckles stayed but everything was generally stable until yesterday when alot of the leaves curled under (opposite of canoe) new growth has been strong. Could they just be thirsty

 

[newsooonew]

I have treated 3 times. Once with a isopropyl and 2 times with Dr zymes. The speckles stayed but everything was generally stable until yesterday when alot of the leaves curled under (opposite of canoe) new growth has been strong. Could they just be thirsty

Oh and no webbing at all

 

[oldfogey8]

I have treated 3 times. Once with a isopropyl and 2 times with Dr zymes. The speckles stayed but everything was generally stable until yesterday when alot of the leaves curled under (opposite of canoe) new growth has been strong. Could they just be thirsty

this is a good site…

https://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabis-plant-problems/overwatering

 

[Necromancer]

Since you have addressed the bugs, I will chime in with a few other things I see.

First off is your watering. In a 10 gal pot with those soils you should be watering in at 20% of your pot volume. That two gallon "flush" you did was a normal healthy watering. You most likely have very dry, possibly hydrophobic spots in your soil by now. That thing could use a good soaking to ensure it's all moist. Also, do not water on a schedule. Water your plant, then feel the weight of that pot. It will be substantially lighter when it is ready to be watered again. Another thing is your humidity, my leaves cup down like that in too high of humidity and if you are keeping your environment at 65% in the 3-4th week of flower, it's too high. Bring it down to 50-55max, see how the plant responds and continue to lower it through flower. The rust spots are calcium deficiency and it is progressing and those leaves are turning yellow. Calcium is hard for the plant to uptake at pHs above 7 which leads me to my last point. Your pH is too high. If you're watering in at 8.5 (my water is 8.4 so I have experience with this) your plant cannot uptake it. Either change your water source, lower the pH or mix in dolomite line when you mix your soil. As far as nutes, that tigerbloom and big bloom are crap. Every plant reacts to it differently when I used it. Get yourself some dry amendments and topdress 2 tablespoons /gallon. So you need 20 table spoons for that soil and I would lean on 70% bloom and 30% veg mixture of those amendments. Probably should add a cup or two of earth worm castings as well when you do that ASAP.

Your plant could benefit from cleaning that space up around it. All that debris invites pests.

 

[newsooonew]

Since you have addressed the bugs, I will chime in with a few other things I see.

First off is your watering. In a 10 gal pot with those soils you should be watering in at 20% of your pot volume. That two gallon "flush" you did was a normal healthy watering. You most likely have very dry, possibly hydrophobic spots in your soil by now. That thing could use a good soaking to ensure it's all moist. Also, do not water on a schedule. Water your plant, then feel the weight of that pot. It will be substantially lighter when it is ready to be watered again. Another thing is your humidity, my leaves cup down like that in too high of humidity and if you are keeping your environment at 65% in the 3-4th week of flower, it's too high. Bring it down to 50-55max, see how the plant responds and continue to lower it through flower. The rust spots are calcium deficiency and it is progressing and those leaves are turning yellow. Calcium is hard for the plant to uptake at pHs above 7 which leads me to my last point. Your pH is too high. If you're watering in at 8.5 (my water is 8.4 so I have experience with this) your plant cannot uptake it. Either change your water source, lower the pH or mix in dolomite line when you mix your soil. As far as nutes, that tigerbloom and big bloom are crap. Every plant reacts to it differently when I used it. Get yourself some dry amendments and topdress 2 tablespoons /gallon. So you need 20 table spoons for that soil and I would lean on 70% bloom and 30% veg mixture of those amendments. Probably should add a cup or two of earth worm castings as well when you do that ASAP.

Your plant could benefit from cleaning that space up around it. All that debris invites pests.

Thank you so much. I will take those recommendations and apply them right away. I figured out today that my thermometer was wrong and the temp has been over 80 degrees. And the light may be too close as well. Could temp and light be exaggerating some of the symptoms you described?

 

[newsooonew]

Since you have addressed the bugs, I will chime in with a few other things I see.

First off is your watering. In a 10 gal pot with those soils you should be watering in at 20% of your pot volume. That two gallon "flush" you did was a normal healthy watering. You most likely have very dry, possibly hydrophobic spots in your soil by now. That thing could use a good soaking to ensure it's all moist. Also, do not water on a schedule. Water your plant, then feel the weight of that pot. It will be substantially lighter when it is ready to be watered again. Another thing is your humidity, my leaves cup down like that in too high of humidity and if you are keeping your environment at 65% in the 3-4th week of flower, it's too high. Bring it down to 50-55max, see how the plant responds and continue to lower it through flower. The rust spots are calcium deficiency and it is progressing and those leaves are turning yellow. Calcium is hard for the plant to uptake at pHs above 7 which leads me to my last point. Your pH is too high. If you're watering in at 8.5 (my water is 8.4 so I have experience with this) your plant cannot uptake it. Either change your water source, lower the pH or mix in dolomite line when you mix your soil. As far as nutes, that tigerbloom and big bloom are crap. Every plant reacts to it differently when I used it. Get yourself some dry amendments and topdress 2 tablespoons /gallon. So you need 20 table spoons for that soil and I would lean on 70% bloom and 30% veg mixture of those amendments. Probably should add a cup or two of earth worm castings as well when you do that ASAP.

Your plant could benefit from cleaning that space up around it. All that debris invites pests.

Thank you so much. I will take those recommendations and apply them right away. I figured out today that my thermometer was wrong and the temp has been over 80 degrees. And the light may be too close as well. Could temp and light be exaggerating some of the symptoms you described

 

[Necromancer]

Thank you so much. I will take those recommendations and apply them right away. I figured out today that my thermometer was wrong and the temp has been over 80 degrees. And the light may be too close as well. Could temp and light be exaggerating some of the symptoms you described

Since most of your leaf damage is middle and lower, I'd say the light is not causing any issues. 24-30in is good for a light in that power range. If anything, I would raise it a bit since your plant is stressed, then lower it once it has corrected. Temps are fine, you have plenty of room before it gets too hot.

 

[newsooonew]

Since most of your leaf damage is middle and lower, I'd say the light is not causing any issues. 24-30in is good for a light in that power range. If anything, I would raise it a bit since your plant is stressed, then lower it once it has corrected. Temps are fine, you have plenty of room before it gets too hot.

Ok. So I figured it out i think. 'm embarrassed enough to never tell a soul but in case this burn outs story helps someone else..... when I swapped to the new big pot...I neglected to make sure it had holes for drainage. So ya. It had not drained a thing in 2 weeks. Ppm was 3160. But ph of runoff 6.5. I'm an idiot. I mixed up some new soil and the fixings and as carefully as I could popped her out, let as much of the wet stuff fall off as I could and placed it back in the new. Luckily most of the sog was at the very bottom where the roots aren't yet but ya. I'm an idiot.

 

[SubmarineGirl]

I hope you figured it out newsonew. You are for sure not the first one that forgot to check for drain holes. We all live and learn. Thanks for sharing the good and the bad

 

[Witchking]

10 gallons? Thats humongous for an inside grow. I wouldn't even know how to water a pot that large. Plus it will take a lifetime for the plants roots to fill up that pot, and that when shes really gonna take off for you.
When it comes to soil(less) you gotta let the plant tell you what it wants. The pot should be pretty darn light before you water. Start slow.
IME..Strictly...I always erred on the side of caution when watering soiless..too much and the plants start yellowing and goes weak. Almost better to be dry. I think you should try a 3 gallon pot next time. Way more control over your wet/dry cycles.
Also switch to coco, and salts. You'll wonder why you didn't make the move sooner.
Blue Dream is a nice one. Great giggle weed.
As stated. Keep treating for bugs. IPM..whats its all about now that you got them. Hate creepy crawly sons a b.itches.

 

[Carty]

I hafta agree with my bro Witchking... not that a large pot doesn't have it's advantages, but it also has it's disadvantages. Moisture control being the big one.. I too like to allow my plants to dry up before watering, always a lights on.. Most times every other night. 5 gallon is about the biggest I'd ever run indoor....
Actually, I tend to use 2gal or 3gal felt pots...
wishing you the best of luck

 

[WeedHopper]

Totally agree. 5 gallon is plenty for inside grows. And only for DWCs. I don't like anything over 3 gallon with soil for inside.
As Carty said,,, moisture control is important.