Month into flowering and we aren't looking so well...any help appreciated

ok guys so here's the skinny.. Haven't been on in forever because I haven't had any issues until now :/ I was dealing with what I thought to be a ph issue and had to leave town, ladies were left in the care of a knowledgeable friend, but condition has since worsen

The logistics:
- Soil pH was testing low around 5.6 , to deal with this I have been adding a neutral ( 7ph) mix to raise the soil ph ( but problem is worsening.)
- Room temps around 90 with lights on ( yes I know that's high but we are in the desert and every year we have 2 crops that deal with temps like that, been doing this for years and never have had the issues we are having now) to help offset we add co2 in the summer.
- Nutrients used are general organics ( complete line) and a few flower catalyst from Earth Juice, so no new products added.
- I do 100% organic from soil to pest control, soil is ocean forest blended with happy frog soil conditioner about a 50/50 mix
- Strains vary some are purple kush ,Lemon ,pineapple, chemdawg, blue ultra ect.. This has been a non discrimate problem.

The issues:
I am sure there is more than one thing going wrong for this crop so any help and advice is appreciated. It first started with older growth turning a grayish color ( thought it was a fungus perhaps) then started to dry out and die, so I cleaned all leaves that look infected off. Next it started happening to the new growth, this time with rusty brown along edges and middle of leaves. New growth is ding poorly and hairs are turning Amber, bud not filling in like it should be by now.


Given that I have been doing this for years in this setup, and consistently deal with high temps in the summer months I have never experienced this issue before, I am chalking it up as something other than heat, although I know ( and we always expect ) to deal with some minor heat stress during these months. We thought at one point it may be a blocked soil causing copper deficiency or Possible mag deficiency due to low pH ,but some others don't think so? So minus the small white fly issue and the heat problem any ideas of what could be going on? I am most concerned with what is happening to the new growth, why its not filling out and why it's ambering up already?

I upload photos hope this helps.sorry if any are not super clear I can retake if it helps or if more photos are needed.

too much fert. you don't need to add much if any with those soils you've used.

do you have a PH pen or strips?

I don't think its too much ferts, because now it's showing in my veg room which is on a half dose of the regular feed, plus I've been using a low dose of organics in flower, if anything I'd think a deficiency. :/
I have a blue lab meter, calibrated and all I will be checking pH run off later tonight, I have an organic feed mix 500 ppm for flower pH however is still acidic around 4.9

More food

your pH should be more like 6.3. is your runoff 4.9? this is because you've got too much fert in the soil. if you give ferts frequently, then you've overloaded the soil.

Looks like P def. When plants first start flowering they need a lot of P.

are you in organic soil? If so your PH should be at 6.8 to 7 here is a PH soil chart

polishpollack said:

too much fert. you don't need to add much if any with those soils you've used.

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Hah, really? OK.

OP flush your plants real good with some neutral (7.0) water, 3 gallons per gallon of soil. Your pH is way too low for soil. What @mike4c posted is legit. If you've been on Reddit getting advice on how to grow, stop it. My buddy comes to me with some whack superstitious bullshit he reads on Reddit about cultivating a plant.

Then don't feed for a bit while it dries out, and see what happens. Good luck.

polishpollack said:

your pH should be more like 6.3. is your runoff 4.9? this is because you've got too much fert in the soil. if you give ferts frequently, then you've overloaded the soil.

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No run off today was actually 6.2 the mix prior to feeding was 4.9 been adding upper but it seems it takes more to up the pH then down it ( and obviously I have not feed them the 4.9 mix as that would be stupid, I'm upping I as we speak but slow process) To be honest where I'm at has very hard water and the norm is to down it usually, I have no clue why the water is coming out so acidic now, I'm going to try changing water filters to see if that helps, even though they aren't due yet..

I assure you all fert overload is not the issue.

Michael Huntherz said:

Hah, really? OK.

OP flush your plants real good with some neutral (7.0) water, 3 gallons per gallon of soil. Your pH is way too low for soil. What @mike4c posted is legit. If you've been on Reddit getting advice on how to grow, stop it. My buddy comes to me with some whack superstitious bullshit he reads on Reddit about cultivating a plant.

Then don't feed for a bit while it dries out, and see what happens. Good luck.

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Mike thanks for advice, I'm having way to difficult of a time even doing a low dose feeding while trying to keep pH up ( that is the mix prior to feeding) I'll try your recommendation of flushing wih neutral water for a bit see what happens.
Btw I have no clue what reddit it is lol. Been doing this for nearly a decade now with lots of botany experience I usually just go by what the plant wants, however seeing I have never experienced a low pH issue I figured I come on here and get some advice, can always learn something new no matter how long your at it

mike4c4 said:

View attachment 3466697 are you in organic soil? If so your PH should be at 6.8 to 7 here is a PH soil chart

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Nice chart. Yes I'm in organic soil, I know the pH needs to be higher just no luck getting it there :/ . Typically the pH of the water here prior to adding ferts and pH down is around 8 or a bit higher. I have an ro system I added years ago which usually produces a pH of right where I want to be in the mid 6 range but for some ungodly reason the ro tap is now coming out closer to 5.

hells canyon genetics said:

More food

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HCG the issue is the more food the lower the ph and with that said im having to add upper in copious amounts. Going to try the neutral water only for a bit see if soil ph corrects.


Soil sludge ph was in mid 5's since adding neutral water around 7 the soil run off h has gone up to 6.2 ... So we will see

*BUDS said:

Looks like P def. When plants first start flowering they need a lot of P.

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Yes I'm concluding my deficiencies are due to low pH so up taking is not happening. Going to address pH first then def.

dolomite lime topdressed and mixed into the top couple inches into your pots will sweeten the Ph and keep it stable around 6.5 and give you much needed calcium and magnesium. Sometimes if they've been in a pot for too long all the dolomite will dissolve and then nothing is there to correct soil Ph!! before you start to change diets, make sure the Ph is on point. And remember, no matter how "organic" a product's name is (i.e. general organics, age old organics, etc...) most of these companies are cutting with chem nutes. Age old admitted to doing this, which is why i'm getting off of age old and going to start practicing LIVING soil indoors. not for everyone, but for me it's the only real organic growing... no more bottles and making nutrient companies millions of dollars. Even companies with OMRI certification are only so organic, some of the products used may not be in the interest of the grower to use... But i will say, at least the OMRI is a standard that is met to get the insignia of OMRI and a better product than others are selling at the same price.

You said you are using General Organics... are you balancing pH both before and after you mix your solution? I use General organics line and it usually take me around 20ml of up to correct my pH after mixing everything

ShLUbY said:

dolomite lime topdressed and mixed into the top couple inches into your pots will sweeten the Ph and keep it stable around 6.5 and give you much needed calcium and magnesium. Sometimes if they've been in a pot for too long all the dolomite will dissolve and then nothing is there to correct soil Ph!! before you start to change diets, make sure the Ph is on point. And remember, no matter how "organic" a product's name is (i.e. general organics, age old organics, etc...) most of these companies are cutting with chem nutes. Age old admitted to doing this, which is why i'm getting off of age old and going to start practicing LIVING soil indoors. not for everyone, but for me it's the only real organic growing... no more bottles and making nutrient companies millions of dollars. Even companies with OMRI certification are only so organic, some of the products used may not be in the interest of the grower to use... But i will say, at least the OMRI is a standard that is met to get the insignia of OMRI and a better product than others are selling at the same price.

Click to expand...

Many are chleated with acids still organic but not great to use living organic soil is the way to go ill never turn back

I use canna terra and never have to ph. I like to keep it simple.

sno capz said:

You said you are using General Organics... are you balancing pH both before and after you mix your solution? I use General organics line and it usually take me around 20ml of up to correct my pH after mixing everything

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This is what I have been experiencing with the upper as well. Was wondering if that's the norm. Usually I'm downing because water is so hard.