New Grower: Is This Discoloration Normal?

[CannaCola]

Water channeling is a thing. Different types of medium are more prone to it. I find peat moss is a pain in the butt when it drys out completely. Almost becomes water repellent.

I found for it to water properly and get everything wet again the best way to go about it, is to slowly water from the outside of the pot inwards. Let it soak for 20 min or so, then do your heavy watering.

If you don't let it soak and even out a little first I notice it takes the path of least resistance and you'll have run off far before everything is wet. This can lead to pockets where salts build up, and or where roots skip past.

As far as the slower growth, I'll have to re read the beginning of the post... And for that I need a coffee.. I'll get back to you but if you started in large pots, that's not doing any favors

 

[thoughtfulphd]

The problem is that this is a deep rooting weed and your watering methods are drowning the most important lower roots by being under water all the time. You are concentrating on the top of the soil while your concern should be at the bottom of the container. Let this container dry out completely so that there is no discernible water weight each time between full and complete waterings, and your plants will recover. Water channeling? Water drops due to gravity to the bottom... that is all the channeling that is important.

Hi Emilya!! I must have misrepresented what's going on. NO water has been getting to the bottom of the pot. It's been pooling in the top 2/3rds and only in pockets (there are pockets of wet soil and pockets of bone dry soil). The soil in the bottom 1/3 of the pot has been dry since I planted, I would imagine. I know it's counter-intuitive, but seems to be the case. Today is the first time I've watered where the bottom several inches of soil has drained any water at all (and there was certainly little to no moisture in the entire pot when I watered...it was light as a feather. I think it was a big mistake to not be sure the soil was uniformly moist before planting. Thanks again for your input!!

 

[thoughtfulphd]

Water channeling is a thing. Different types of medium are more prone to it. I find peat moss is a pain in the butt when it drys out completely. Almost becomes water repellent.

I found for it to water properly and get everything wet again the best way to go about it, is to slowly water from the outside of the pot inwards. Let it soak for 20 min or so, then do your heavy watering.

If you don't let it soak and even out a little first I notice it takes the path of least resistance and you'll have run off far before everything is wet. This can lead to pockets where salts build up, and or where roots skip past.

As far as the slower growth, I'll have to re read the beginning of the post... And for that I need a coffee.. I'll get back to you but if you started in large pots, that's not doing any favors

Thanks! That's pretty much what I did to be sure the water spread throughout the pots. It took me a good 1.5 hours to water 5 plants in 2 gallon pots. Seems excessive, but I'm pretty sure it was necessary. Thanks again! Just checked on them after their nap and they seem happy about things.

 

[jodyhighrollr]

I think it was a big mistake to not be sure the soil was uniformly moist before planting.

I transplant into dry dirt and then water THOROUGHLY. Water every two days is no good when your plant is smaller in a big point. You need to water even the soil at the bottom of the pot and allow it all the dry so the roots stretch to the edges of your container and form a strong rootball.

 

[CannaCola]

Had a reread finally.

So you seem to have everything under control. The only thing I can suggest is just the pot size.

Next round maybe try starting one in the same size pot and one in a small pot and pot up as required. See if you notice a difference, and which works better for you.

If you pot up I would strong reccomend picking up an oz or so of mycogrow or similar. The roots love that stuff. When you're bored do some reading on mycorrhizae, interesting read.

 

[GrizzWald]

Overwatered, lol, I imagine been said already..... Pot that size, wouldn't have need watering for two weeks, let roots grow and search, then once week watering... Lift pot, feel counter balence at bottom = wet medium... small water can, water, come back few minutes, repeat, not too much, no need to waste with runoff...

 

[thoughtfulphd]

LOL indeed. Growing is such a fun thing to do. I've been brewing beer and growing hops for over 20 years and there are many similarities. There's lore, opinions, science, experience, etc. With brewing, I've learned it's impossible to understand process without context. When your mash sticks, it doesn't make sense sometimes. Other times, it does. If your OG is low, there's usually a reason. But sometimes, you can't figure out why. I really enjoy this community because it's active, engaged, and engaging.

Almost half way through, my first grow has been really fun (but it makes me sleepy). I've learned a lot on my own. I've learned more from this community. The input, the ideas, the suggestions (beyond the "you're overwatering") have been insightful. LOL. Thanks CannaCola for the affirmative that channeling is a thing...

Today, after my 1.5 hour watering with my 5 girls in 2 gal pots, they've jumped. The drooper is stretching. The others are perkier than they've ever been. I'm pretty sure that my problem was not making sure my growing medium was properly prepared for the germinated seeds (a sort of underwatering). Early mistakes can have long-term consequences; I'm getting ready to find out.

In future grows, I will not put germinated seeds directly into my 2 gal pots. I'll pot up from germs in peat pots in solos over 40W CFLs. My best plant started that way. There are dozens of better ways, I'm sure, but I'm going to try that. I think my 900w LED might be too much during the first few weeks, given the 60 inch limit of my tent (before accomodating for the carbon filter and the fan.)

I'm going to start some new plants in about 3 weeks, so I can have round 2 going as round 1 is drying, assuming my plants survive that long).

Again...thanks to all of you who are helping me out. Keep the comments coming. Whether or not I take your advice, I still appreciate it!!

Happy New Year!!

 

[GrizzWald]

Thats it mate, everyones grow room and environment varies, plants grown vary, hence many ways to skin the cat. some ways even counterproductive to each other.. some advice comes as gospel from one successful grow, others are ideas for you from years of experience..use the advice that works for you...

 

[dberso]

I heard about it.... too much water kills the plant. Somehow we have to monitor the soil undernearth

 

[thoughtfulphd]

Absolutely, GrizzWald. But I hope that my post didn't suggest I don't want input...because I'll be posting questions probably every day!! I seek experience, science, opinion....all of it. As a brewer, grower, human, etc, I want all the info I can get so I can make informed decisions. That way, if the grow is successful or not, it's always on me. I sought out info...processed it...and decided. If it didn't work...I made a mistake.

 

[GrizzWald]

 

[jodyhighrollr]

All my experience and knowledge is saying that you are over watering. Yeah maybe you were under watering in the sense that you weren’t giving them enough water in one feeding but watering every other day is too frequent and surely is overwatering in soil in that size pot. Not to sound rude but if you don’t want to take that piece of info for what it is then I have no other input. Take it easy - jodyhighrollr

 

[CannaCola]

I doubt the led is too much for the seedlings. I run CMH 24 inches off day old seedlings zero stretch, zero signs of stress.

People say they have to run their CMH at the top of their tent for the whole grow or they have issues but I think they probably just have heat problems as I don't have that issue.

The way I have my circulation and exhaust set up you can't feel the heat of the bulb from more than 9 inches away and the tent runs max 2 degrees warmer than ambient temp outside the tent.

That said if you want to go with a lower intensity and nice and close. That won't hurt either. I just don't think the led is an issue to begin with. Two or three feet should be fine.

Start them in small pots. Make sure you have good drainage. Water them well. Soak em. Let them dry till the pots are light and do it all over again. Pot up as needed.

Not much more to it. In the beginning they take a while to dry out. It gets boring.

Just make sure to let them get their cycles of wet and dry. And try your best to keep the tent in a good climate for them. You'll do well.

 

[thoughtfulphd]

All my experience and knowledge is saying that you are over watering. Yeah maybe you were under watering in the sense that you weren’t giving them enough water in one feeding but watering every other day is too frequent and surely is overwatering in soil in that size pot. Not to sound rude but if you don’t want to take that piece of info for what it is then I have no other input. Take it easy - jodyhighrollr

You weren't sounding rude at all. I hope I wasn't either. All I was getting is that the overwatering point has been taken since my earliest posts. I was just trying to complicate the notion a little bit based on the context of my several watering mistakes. Thanks!

 

[thoughtfulphd]

I doubt the led is too much for the seedlings. I run CMH 24 inches off day old seedlings zero stretch, zero signs of stress.

People say they have to run their CMH at the top of their tent for the whole grow or they have issues but I think they probably just have heat problems as I don't have that issue.

The way I have my circulation and exhaust set up you can't feel the heat of the bulb from more than 9 inches away and the tent runs max 2 degrees warmer than ambient temp outside the tent.

That said if you want to go with a lower intensity and nice and close. That won't hurt either. I just don't think the led is an issue to begin with. Two or three feet should be fine.

Start them in small pots. Make sure you have good drainage. Water them well. Soak em. Let them dry till the pots are light and do it all over again. Pot up as needed.

Not much more to it. In the beginning they take a while to dry out. It gets boring.

Just make sure to let them get their cycles of wet and dry. And try your best to keep the tent in a good climate for them. You'll do well.

Thanks! It does get a bit boring. When you get into it assuming that you will kill your plants before they are planted, you feel good about a pic like this (I always assume that when I wake up in the morning the plants will be dead). In my journal today I wrote, "I did nothing."

 

[CannaCola]

Nothing to complain about there, lookin good!

Apart from overfeeding or ph issues. They're pretty tough to kill.

It's why Instead of trying to figure out "what is wrong" when seeing funky growth, spots, yellowing, browning, etc I typically will just say flush , and redo your nutes with proper ppm and ph levels.

This will solve damn near every problem and is also my own go to. Why stress. Just refresh everything and carry on.

Assuming you are using something like GH trio, AN, canna , etc.. (plus calmag if RO) the chance that that zinc deficiency (just an example) is really a deficiency vs a ph issue is pretty darn low. Somewhere near zero.

I'll have to find your journal so I can watch the progress!

 

[thoughtfulphd]

Things are progressing well. A couple plants are well into flower (This is the beginning of week 6 since sprouting with the autoflower grow). Any thoughts on the tips of the new leaves in the pic below? This yellow is only on these new leaves and not anywhere else on the plant. The last time I fed it with any nutes was probably 7-8 days ago. The last two wateringshave been just tap water, so I don't think it's nute burn. Could it be the beginning of a deficiency? K maybe? Thanks!

 

[thoughtfulphd]

I'm using a 900w Phlizon LED w/ both the veg and bloom switches on. I haven't adjusted the height of the light until today, so the top of the plant has been getting closer and closer to the light. Could it be a little light burn? I moved the light up to 2ft, just in case.

 

[thoughtfulphd]

Just realized that this plant is the only one that was transplanted (probably 2 weeks ago, or so), so the soil in that pot probably has more nutes in it than the rest. Probably a nute burn. I flushed it pretty well. We'll see if that helps.