2nd grow healthy but leaves still dark green

My first photoperiod grow I noticed the leaves getting dark pretty soon. Same thing has happened with my present autoflower grow. I'm savvy on the usual growing stuff. I've believe I've narrowed it down to the uptake of excess nitrogen under "my conditions". I thought I was conservative in my approach to adding nutrients, but I must have really underestimated the uptake of nitrogen . My one plant stealth grow tent has just a 4" 190CFM exhaust due to noise constraints, the pc fan intake is fine. Anyways, I believe the 76-80F temps and the positive air flow (tent billows out) and soil dry outs between waterings and nutes all allowed too much uptake of nitrogen. I thought I was already being conservative, ha!

The camera flash makes the leaves look lighter than they really are. Day 39 Bubblegum Kush. I just finished flushing it with neutral ph water.

you should talk about what soil you're using and what ferts you give, how much, how often.

FF Happy Frog, FF nutrients, Calmag, etc. 2 gal. pot. I pretty much used 50% dosage ph'd. My mistake may have been feed-water-feed-water. I figured with the diluted dosage, it would be okay to feed-water-feed-water. That may be the reason for the healthy but dark green leaves on my grows. I just flushed it and am going with feed-water-water-feed from now on, with 70% dosage. I'll be looking to see it the leaves lighten up any, they may not from here on out. That's okay.

I have some newly arrived autoflower seeds, and when I grow them, I'm going to be more mindful of the darkening of leaves (uptake of excess nitrogen?). I think my stealth grow conditions and feedings contributed to the excessive uptake of nitrogen. Not enough to make the plant sick. Next grow, I'm determined not to have dark green leaves on a otherwise relatively healthy grow. I figure it'll improve overall yield and potency.

Definitely not lacking in nitro lol
Dark green and tip burn tell us this
Mabey next time just the soil with less nutrients

Cold$moke said:

Definitely not lacking in nitro lol
Dark green and tip burn tell us this
Mabey next time just the soil with less nutrients

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Previously, I let each grow use up the nitrogen in the soil by waiting 2 weeks before first feedings. I was conservative on the dosages from there on out, so I thought. Someone somewhere suggested that the conditions I'm growing in, the roots really drank up the nitrogen due to the 78-80F tent temps and quiet small exhaust. They surmised that I kept feeding my semi dry soil (as recommended) with more diluted nitrogen (every other watering), and the plant kept immediately taking in more nitrogen than necessary, due in part to the conditions of my grow tent. He added that's why the plant continued to grow looking relatively healthy, but with leaves looking dark green and slower than normal growth.

I thought I learned my lesson with my previous grow. I'll probably starve my next grow, he he he.

Just a tip

But at higher temps feed less nutes

and at colder temps feed more
I guess i should say also depends on humidity

With happy frog soil you probably don't need to add anything at all until you're certain you have to. There is fert in the soil. People keep adding fert to ocean forest and happy frog, and if you look at the soil ingredients, the fine print, you'll see it has fert in it already.

Next grow I may go longer than 2 weeks before adding Nitrogen nutes. Maybe then the plant leaves won't turn dark green.

you could probably go much longer than that. one key to using those soils is to use enough of it to ensure that the fert doesn't run out. this way the plant will take what it needs. if you add more, it seems the plant has no choice but to take it up... to its death.

grassy007 said:

Next grow I may go longer than 2 weeks before adding Nitrogen nutes. Maybe then the plant leaves won't turn dark green.

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Just whatch your lowest leaves for yellowing before you feed.

If you burn the tips you gave too much
Easy

How much CalMag are you using?

Super sparing-ly.

I've resigned myself that this grow will also be a dark leaf grow (for better or worse), just like my other stealth grow. I'm gonna have to figure out why that happens.

This is a autoflower in a 2 gal pot. I'm going 3 gal next time. The smaller the pot you have, the more precisely you have to feed the plant. It's doing ok so far, some weird leaves happening.