What am i doing wrong (im at my wits end)

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Right.. New pics... I have raised the light...From the tip of the plant to that metal reflector thing is 60cms exactly. I run a 18x6 rotation (they were cloned using the same time cycle)

That should be fine then. Later, if conditions warrant it, you can move it downward a few cm at a time to see the results. When negative results start, just move it back up to the last "good" point.

I have an oscillating fan in there now running 24x7 on low as well as my standard small exhaust fan. Its been suggested running another exhaust fan to remove any harmful vapors etc that are perhaps building up?

If the problem is the tent material giving off fumes that are plant killers, I would just get rid of it and buy another made from a different material. I think the light/heat/IR may have been your entire problem. You should notice lots of new growth within 10 days if that's the case. If the new growth is showing the same negative effects then it may be the tent. The other factors are negated with your outside experiment.

The medium is attached also.. its a canna type product, coarse coconut husk. Incidentally... I have tried the canna brand medium also with the same effect. This is the same medium I use for outdoor. I had some pics somewhere of the results with it... but they've gone walkabout. suffice to say, in an outdoor system, watering for 2 mins, 3 times a day, it was magnificent.

pH is an important factor if it's getting outside the permissible limitations. I don't think this is your problem or the plants wouldn't have responded positively when moved outside.

Potus.. (love the name btw... being an Aussie its not my place, but I have huge respect for the 'office' not necessarily the person who resides in it)

hehe, I got a wild hair and changed my screen ID from StoneyBud to POTUS during a particularly paranoid spell. I thought for some time about what to call myself. The dual meaning of the title and the phrase "Pot Us" struck me funny and I couldn't resist.

I am interested in your thoughts on the grow tent issues raised above.

Statistically, I think it's more likely that the IR/heat/light distance was the culprit. If you get new growth in the next ten days that is normal and doesn't follow the previous stages of degradation, then we've discovered the true cause of your worries. If the new growth still deteriorates as it was, then the tent may be the cause. Time will tell.

As for the nutes. I have not started feeding them yet due to the fact that I wanted to try and rule out as many things as I could before I started feeding them again.

Since you already moved the plants outside and used the same nutrients with positive results, I would think that proves your nutrients to be excluded from the possible causes of your problems.

At the moment I am hand watering it once a day to keep track of its progress. The other watering systems I have tried is a recirc running 15 mins every hour 18 hours a day, 15 mins every 3 hours 24 hours a day, and variations on that.

As I said, I've used a one hour on, two off cycle for the last ten years or so and had great results with it. The roots are immersed in a nutrient rich solution for 8 hours each day with evenly spaced oxygen saturation for 16 hours a day. That pretty much maxes out the water/nutrients/oxygen requirements of the plant.

Any direction you would be able to provide would be greatly appreciated. I hope that I have provided you with enough information.

You sure have provided good information. You've followed a logical path to resolving your problems and have gathered "outside" information to allow for the "can't see the forest for the trees" syndrome to be dislodged if truly a factor. I think you've done well and you've followed an intelligent method of discovery.

Lets wait a few days and see what effect the light distance adjustment has made.

Good luck to you man!
 
that fact is not lost on me don't worry, when I first started I was using a mates gear and doing it all properly but since nothing was working I pared back to the basics . Plant plus light plus water, just to
Get some positive results then I am all prepared to provide the plant everything that it wants and needs to grow :)

The bugger of a thing just never shows those signs :)
 
Hey just reading the thread (never knew that about IR and have my doubts but still quality info as usual Potus) but I never noticed you say anything about your intake fan. Do you have an intake fan bringing in fresh air or are you using a passive vent or no vent? If no vent then your fan can work as hard as it wants but it won't accomplish much because of the vacuum that will be created in the room. You may want to look into an aircooled hood as well which would really help you with temps especially in a small grow area. Let us know about the intake situation and listen to Potus I to think he is pointing you down the right path.
 
it's a passive intake system as in the exhaust draws in more air from the vents lower in the tent. I can install an intake fan if you think it is needed. I've taken some photos today and will take the same pics for the next 7-1 days to show the change (hopefully for the positive) :)
 
Tater said:
Hey just reading the thread (never knew that about IR and have my doubts but still quality info as usual Potus)...
Thanks man. IR is mostly heat. It depends on now close the source of IR is to the plant. Fans don't move IR. If IR is present and in too strong of an amount, it just cooks things. You can blow on it forever and it won't do anything.

That's why there are limitations to how close a large wattage light can be to a plant. If it's placed close enough for the IR to damage the plant, then it can't be compensated for. The only resolution is to increase the distance.

From 720 to 1000 nm, very little light is used by plants. It's mostly heat. From 1000 nm and higher, the light is totally IR and nothing but heat.

The *light* isn't what harms the plants. It's the heat that results. IR travels and reflects. It's not affected by air movement.

IR does dissipate over distance. That's why when you move your hand away from an IR source, the heat lessens. It's also why you have to maintain proper distance between light bulbs and plants.
 
YOur plasnts are literally starving. There is absolutely no nutrient in an inert soiless medium like you are using. There is no nutrient in water. Humans can only go a few days or so with no food, and plants are the same. Feed young plants at 1/4 strenght HYDRO ONLY nutrient. Keep temps below 80 deg.
 
the medium has some slow release fertilizer in it from the reading on the packet , but I went out today and got more food and an ec pen to measure it with. Gave them a watering with a half dose and we'll
See how the stems like that. On a related front, the leaves are starting to reach for the light , so that's a good thing?
 
Hi all,

Well.. im back and i have good news. She is starting to behave and no more yellow leaves.

What I have done is

1) purchase another fan to use as intake and re'plub the exhaust so that intake is matched by exhaust (the house was balooning up previous due to inadequate piping for exhaust fan)

2) feeding on a 1200ppm solution at proper PH @ 25 degrees celcius from an airrated tub. I bought a blue food pen thing from the local hydro shop..

Pictures are attached. They are about a week old, and the plant has since moved on. I think she had some trouble adapting to the hydro after being on 24x7 fluro for so long as some of the leaves looked like flowering leaves and there were the teltale white hairs, but the new shoots are just 5 fingered leaves and she is starting to grow which is good.

I suspect the tent is somewhat still a problem, but while the airflow is working nicely and the plant is growing, I dont want to mess with it.

Incidentally... I took your advice and went to 60cms. I have now since been able to move it down to about 30cm !!!!!! and she is not burning and seems to love it. Perhaps she needed that distance to get aclimatised (sp?) to the light then loved it and wanted it closer?

Pics are attached. I'll post the new ones once I take them in the next day or so... but thanks to all :)

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IMGP0934.JPG


IMGP0937.JPG
 
If your pictures are yellow, then you must be using HPS for veg?????
Higher color temp for veg would not give you the yellow, same bulbs used for photography. 5000k, 5500k, 6500k
 
Yes they are yellow.... the lights and such were given to me by a friend of mine who uses the same setup with very good results
 
Bulbs used for the veg stage are a blue white color, pictures would look like normal pictures. I think others have mentioned the same thing. I would do some homework on lighting. Good luck
 

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