What's wrong with my plant?

L

liceon

420 Member
Hey guys, first timer here. I am growing feminized SSH (about 3 weeks since germ) and i have a problem with growth being stunted for like 5 days now and the lowest leaves turning yellow.

I grow in biobizz light mix, which only has nutes for the first week and i only started adding nutes (atami bcuzz 1 solution) when i started to notice leaves damping on Jan 27th. Temp is 24c to 26c throughout the day and 19 to 20 at night. RH between 40 and 55ish.

Am i correct in assuming that it is a nitrogen deficiency? I paid extra attention not to overwater the plant (watering only when dry, about once per 2-3 days).

I am not sure about PH, tap water in my city is 6,4/6,5 which is what i use (left for 24h). I am getting test strips tomorrow.

Since i started feeding the nutes i guess the yellowing slowed or stopped - how should the plant look if it is starting to recover.

Thanks for any input.

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Could be a lot of different things. Media looks very wet (unless you just watered), and it looks close to being rootbound, either of those conditions can cause yellowing of the lower leaves. Additionally if the roots are too wet they don't get enough Oxygen and will die back, which can also affect nute absorbtion, starting at the lower leaves. It could also be lack of nutes, or the PH is too high or low, which will slow absorbtion of the nutes. If an N deficiency the yellowing leaves should recover somewhat, and the new growth should be a nice medium green. Make sure you're letting the soil go pretty dry before watering, that would be my first step. Then think about repotting.
 
There is some new growth up top at least (uppermost leaves getting perky again as well), no recovery for the pale leaves yet. I just watered it a little after up potting and now waiting. I am starting to think i may have waited too long before introducing any nutes. I have also done more research on the PH of tap water and it seems the average at my place is actually around 7.5. I am aware that its too much and am currently waiting for a test kit to not cause any more harm, but it shouldn’t be a problem for nitrogen absorption right which i still think is causing the problem? I am getting bio bizz fish mix to introduce to the plant after it seems better (hopefully over the weekend).

Thank you guys.

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liceon said:
The pot was very light, i am making sure the substrate gets dry before watering. I uppotted the plant, will update when i get the chance to measure PHs.

Roots look ok, right?

thanks for the advice @Phytoplankton

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In the future it really helps to use Myco on your rootball and in the hole. It will help with the shock of being uppoted and cut down the recovery time. CL🍀
 
Knowing the pH will help. Looks a little sad and hungry but several things can cause that, as pointed out above. Let her use up every bit of moisture from the soil before watering again. What size final container are you planning on using? Doubt she'll take long to outgrow the one you just moved her into.
 
liceon said:
I am starting to think i may have waited too long before introducing any nutes.
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That is a good observation. I often figure most growers have done the same thing a time or two but hopefully we learn from the experience. Follow the feeding schedule for the fertilizers you have decided to use. If no schedule is available you can mention what you have and maybe someone is familiar with it.

liceon said:
There is some new growth up top at least (uppermost leaves getting perky again as well), no recovery for the pale leaves yet.
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Depending on what nutrients were not available for awhile there is a good chance that the leaves that started to turn will not recover completely.

VetSmoke85 said:
What size final container are you planning on using? Doubt she'll take long to outgrow the one you just moved her into.
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What VetSmoke mentions. Probably two weeks, give or take a few days, and it will be time to transplant to the next size larger pot or go to the final size.
 
"One ounce of water every 2-3 days"

I know its in an iddy biddy pot but I think less than two tablespoons of water in 3 days isn't going to cut it.

Basically roots drink nutrients they can't eat it.
I would transplant into a much larger pot, make sure there's plenty of aeration in the soil and saturate the soil using a wetting agent like Yucca extract or aloe vera making sure there are no dry spots in the pot then transplant.
 
Thanks for the replies. I plan on repotting her once more into either 20l or 26l fabric pot.
Nunyabiz said:
"One ounce of water every 2-3 days"

I know its in an iddy biddy pot but I think less than two tablespoons of water in 3 days isn't going to cut it.

Basically roots drink nutrients they can't eat it.
I would transplant into a much larger pot, make sure there's plenty of aeration in the soil and saturate the soil using a wetting agent like Yucca extract or aloe vera making sure there are no dry spots in the pot then transplant.
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Sorry, what are you referring to? I wrote that i water once per 2/3 days, not with an ounce.

Before the transplant i made sure all of the soil is moist not wet.
 
No new growth although the roots are already poking through the bottom of the pot. I think i should be water it soon. I will check the PH of the water before i do. Should i also add the new N heavy fert i bought (bio bizz fish mix) or should i let it get back on its feet (the soil should have a small amount of nutes)?

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liceon said:
Thanks for the replies. I plan on repotting her once more into either 20l or 26l fabric pot.

Sorry, what are you referring to? I wrote that i water once per 2/3 days, not with an ounce.

Before the transplant i made sure all of the soil is moist not wet.
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Ahh, once not ounce, read it wrong, my mistake.
 
liceon said:
No new growth although the roots are already poking through the bottom of the pot.
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Roots poking through the drain holes is a sign of new growth. If the roots look healthy that is even better.

Healthy roots is the start towards healthy growth above the soil.;)
 
SmokingWings said:
Roots poking through the drain holes is a sign of new growth. If the roots look healthy that is even better.

Healthy roots is the start towards healthy growth above the soil.;)
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yeah, it seemee happier today. even though i watered her yesterday with prolly 8 Ph water :/

the PH of my tap water and some runoff i have kept for this reason both seemed like an 8 so i guess thats the problem. i have to start testing. will lemon do for now? i tried and have now ~6,3 water. how should i proceed? i am thinking of letting her dry a little and then giving her nutes in the right phd water. or should i just do it right away?

thanks to everyone.

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Hey @liceon and welcome to the forum!

Looks like your little plant is perking up. Is that new pot 1 gallon? If not, I'd up pot to at least 1 gal, maybe 2 gal. And later to your final pot size. I actually let plants get fairly tall in 1 gal, although that's not ideal... best to up pot before roots start winding around the inside wall of the pot. Roots coming out the bottom? => up pot.

happy growing! 🌱
 
Are you allowing the pot to dry between watering? Roots don't like drowning. I'm not sure I read what lighting your using. I have personally starved plants from germ to harvest with zero food. Weed grows. Regardless. I have also watered with 8.5ph water from seed to harvest with little to no issues.

I currently have 1 g plastic pots with similar age plants. They get watered about every 5 days, and not a lot. About 30ml or 1oz each. I do have 3 plants same size sharing a 3 gal fabric pot 1plant per gal. They drink about twice as much a day early.

I also now pH my water to exactly 6.3 with my soil, because it's best for nutrient uptake.
 
OGpapa said:
Are you allowing the pot to dry between watering? Roots don't like drowning.
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Agreed... very important with a small plant, because "damping off" can happen if you are over watering... i.e. stem rot above the soil line. So yes, let it dry out, which can easily be sensed by the weight of the pot. It's all about how much root mass is there... the more there is, the faster water is consumed.
 
Hey again guys, thanks for all your answers. I am watering based on picking up the pot and it feeling unusually light usually even waiting a bit after i feel like i should water, i dont really think i am overwatering. Althought at the moment she drinks like 200ml per 3 days it seems...

I think the problem was mainly the small pot (and/or lack of nutes). Since up potting the yellowing has stopped, the plant has perked up, there are new leaves growing instead of the yellowed ones and all seems well. The yellow leaves continue to dry out, the plant seems to be taking all the nutes from them before letting them fall of.

I will have to transplant her again soon so i dont run into the same problem with it being root bound.

Thanks again, see you guys around.

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