Plants continuing to die and I'm running out of ideas!

Hey everyone!

I'm a new grower and my plants keep dying. I tried diagnosing the first plant and changing things (Checking PH balances, replacing nutrients with smaller quantities, checking airflow, humidity, etc) but after weeks of trying it has basically dried up and now there is fungus growing on it. NO GOOD!

So now I'm trying to take care a of a new clone as well as nurse my old one back to health (if possible), but my new one is starting to show me the same symptoms!

Here is what I experienced for the first plant:

First leaves browning on the tips, basically on all the leaves accept the new baby ones. Leaves would curl upwards on the tip and then eventually they curled up and some curled down. After a week of this getting worse I realized the water was getting warm in the bucket and fungus started growing on the top of the plant (black) on the rockwool.

I don't have a ppm meter and I don't know how to adjust that. Perhaps this is the problem?

What is wrong here? Am I underwatering? Over-watering? Is it too hot? Not enough airflow? Not enough humidity?

How I have the setup:

LED 300 WATT is about 16-20" away from plants. I figured this could be too close so now I am lowering the plants and adding more mylar around the wall.
Roots on the bottom of the rockwool getting slight splash from bubble water ( I put them just above the splashes to 'tickle' the roots) so they aren't completely drenched in water but the rockwool is always damp). Notice that the rockwool does stay a bit on the warm side despite the mylar and hyrdorocks covering it. Maybe this was the cause of mold?

First plant was getting temps around 80-88 so I lowered it and now both plants are around 76-86.

I have two fans blowing air around the plants from a window in the bathroom. Eventually I want to get one fan pointing in and one fan pointing out. As of now one fan blows air in the room and the other blows air on the plants and LED to keep temps cool.

Humidity stays around 30-50% usually which is low. I have an old reptile mister/humidifier I am thinking about setting up to help with those levels during veg.

I am using foxfarm products and using less than half of the recommended dose, but I cycled the clones with plain water for 24 hrs before I added any nutrients.

Using 5 gallon plastic bins for the plants. Using large airstones (1 in each). 80 gallon air pump running 24/7.
 

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Looks and sounds like stem rot to me my friend, are you giving them enough time to cycle through wet and dry? Temps should be kept around 68 to 77ish but not much warmer. That could be cause perhaps.
 

Creature1969

Well-Known Member
Edited: sorry, missed a chunk of what you posted. They look way overfed imo.

Have any pics in white light?
 
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Looks and sounds like stem rot to me my friend, are you giving them enough time to cycle through wet and dry? Temps should be kept around 68 to 77ish but not much warmer. That could be cause perhaps.
Cycle through wet and dry? Not sure what you referring to. Maybe I am missing something.
 
That first plant is toast. Need to keep you're temps lower.
Yeah, I moved him to a window and transplanted to a pot. We'll see what happens. Also changed my setup. Now the plants are further from the light and have more airflow.

Temps are at 76.5 and consistent.

Could the shower humidity be harming the clones?

I figured the additional moisture would be good during the veg stage but what do I know
 

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stickyicky_247

Active Member
If water temp is too high, could be causing algae on the roots and you're losing to root rot man. If water temp is high, growths halted, and all other variables such as ph and ppm are within range, then it's safe to say there's a good chance the roots are suffocating. But could be a number of things. A picture of the roots away from the led would help tremendously. And an accurate water temperature? Hydrogen peroxide could buy you some time. Some are against it but it has worked for me to kill algae and root rot. No signs of fungus gnats? That would explain the mold... Those things carry all kinds of nasty crap into your root zone. Not to mention the larvae eat your roots
 
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Kevin Pickford

Well-Known Member
If water temp is too high, could be causing algae on the roots and you're losing to root rot man. If water temp is high, growths halted, and all other variables such as ph and ppm are within range, then it's safe to say there's a good chance the roots are suffocating
Try mixing half perlite in your soil mix and if you have one..a small fan in the shower
 

stickyicky_247

Active Member
And I'm not familiar with LED lights just yet, so I'm not sure of the intensity output but it is also possible I guess that the light is actually burning your leaves.maybe I missed other details on your post but it sounds to me like you're growing Deepwater culture no?
 

lio lacidem

Well-Known Member
Ill be blunt here. Your plants keep dying because of that crapppy setup you have them in. No airflow, high heat, light leaks I could go on and on. Read somemore save some money up buy a proper setup (after you learn what proper setup is) then start overn you are wasting time and electricity doing what you are doing. You will not finish a crop in there. This is my humblest opinion
 
Ill be blunt here. Your plants keep dying because of that crapppy setup you have them in. No airflow, high heat, light leaks I could go on and on. Read somemore save some money up buy a proper setup (after you learn what proper setup is) then start overn you are wasting time and electricity doing what you are doing. You will not finish a crop in there. This is my humblest opinion
As it's literally the only spot in my house where I can grow, I am going to find a way to make it work. There has to be a way to manage those factors even in a bathroom. I mean it's right next to an open window so I should be able to figure out airflow easily enough. And since I moved my new plant lower away from the light and added a fan my temps are consistently 74-80 now.

Am I still just wasting my time and money?

From where I'm from one is taught that 'when there is a will there is a way'. That being said, I still don't want to waste endless amounts of time and $$ haha
 

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
High temps are OK for veg and even flower if know what to do.

What medium you growing in?

Get a good organic soil. Or at least a decent soil to use nutes in.

You need a good watering habit. Water them, let them dry out and repeat.

What is that foil doing on the pots? Get rid of that. Insulate the pots with something if temps are high. Use a silica and sea kelp to help with high temps.

Don't feed so much. If you have a good soil they will be OK for a while.
 
High temps are OK for veg and even flower if know what to do.

What medium you growing in?

Get a good organic soil. Or at least a decent soil to use nutes in.

You need a good watering habit. Water them, let them dry out and repeat.

What is that foil doing on the pots? Get rid of that. Insulate the pots with something if temps are high. Use a silica and sea kelp to help with high temps.

Don't feed so much. If you have a good soil they will be OK for a while.
I'm doing a DWC system so no soil! Also, I am no using foil, I am using mylar.
What are your recommendations based on a hydroponic grow?
 

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
I'm doing a DWC system so no soil! Also, I am no using foil, I am using mylar.
What are your recommendations based on a hydroponic grow?
Ditch it and go soil.

You can't grow hydro unless you have pH and ec or ppm meter.

What is the water temp? Probably need a chiller.

If you don't want to go soil maybe try going with coco coir.

Speed of hydro and the ease of soil.
 

greg nr

Well-Known Member
Maybe you want to cut back on the taco bell bean burrito's and that baked bean n cheez-whiz dip. :mrgreen:
 
Ditch it and go soil.

You can't grow hydro unless you have pH and ec or ppm meter.

What is the water temp? Probably need a chiller.

If you don't want to go soil maybe try going with coco coir.

Speed of hydro and the ease of soil.
Maybe I will go soil then. It would probably be easier to control. I chose to grow hydroponically for the benefit of a faster grow.
I don't have a water temp meter but the water is probably around 65.
I did buy a ppm and ph meter. I mentioned in my post that I checked the ph.
The ppm meter is on the way in the mail.
 

BobCajun

Well-Known Member
Where did the plants come from? If they're from clones you may have got some infected with verticillium wilt. As a new grower, probably best to start with something simple, like soil or coco.
 
Ditch it and go soil.

You can't grow hydro unless you have pH and ec or ppm meter.

What is the water temp? Probably need a chiller.

If you don't want to go soil maybe try going with coco coir.

Speed of hydro and the ease of soil.
S
Where did the plants come from? If they're from clones you may have got some infected with verticillium wilt. As a new grower, probably best to start with something simple, like soil or coco.
Where did the plants come from? If they're from clones you may have got some infected with verticillium wilt. As a new grower, probably best to start with something simple, like soil or coco.
I got the clones from a nearby clinic. They seem to know less than I do which is lame and they call themselves a 'Farmery'. As the orange man would say 'SAD'.
How should I re-pot these and what type of soil would you recommend?
 
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