Towlie’s Experiments With AeroGarden

Hi all. I’m starting a grow journal at the suggestions of one of the moderators. I’m 3-weeks into an AeroGarden grow and things aren’t going so hot... Well not too bad... I’m just a little frustrated with what I think might be nute burn but I’m not entirely sure???

I’ve been using Fox-Farm Grow Big Hydro from the start (I know I should have used distilled water for the first 2-weeks… My bad.) The directions say 2-teaspoons/gallon, and I’ve been using1/4. I’ve also been using Cannazym root stuff as directed.

I’ve already removed two leaves due to bad burn, and it looks like two more are gonna die. It’s happened the same way both times. The tips develop small brown dots that get larger & spread. Then the tips ultimately curl up or down. The second tier (from the bottom) leaves are starting to developed tiny (pin hole size) brown dots too, so I know this shit is going to spread if I don’t figure it out.

At first I suspected nute burn, so I switched to distilled water... I’ve been in distilled water (6.0 PH) for 2-days and it still seems to be spreading? I’ve been using 17-Watt Ott-Lite ‘True Colors’ on each side for added light... however I stopped using them because I feared I might be sun-burning the plants. I was also spraying the leaves with carbonated water (no sugar) and I’ve stopped that as well because I just don’t know what’s causing the discoloration.

Another peculiar phenomena is that the leaves droop down to the point of touching the AeroGarden at the end of the 18/6 light cycle. At the start of the cycle, however, the leaves are several inches above the AeroGarden. These pics were taken at the start of the light cycle.

I’m stabbing in the dark here, and I don’t really know what the problem is. I was planning on using the AeroGarden for starting, my mother, and cloning only. I’d like to switch to a 20-gallon Rubbermaid Aeroponic system, but I’d like to get this thing healthy first. Any suggestions as to WTF I’m doing wrong would be greatly helpful.

Yes, it looks like nute burn... have you ever poured the feed over the plant? Even if it was youg, and some feed splashed against the leaves, it would grow like that. Although you have also overnuted slightly as can be seen from the leaf tips on the rest of the plant. Just pull off the offending leaf.

Well it'd be best to leave them on... they seem to have soaked up the worse of the overnute.

Are you using a truncheon? Or EC meter?

skunkushybrid said:

Well it'd be best to leave them on... they seem to have soaked up the worse of the overnute.

Are you using a truncheon? Or EC meter?

Click to expand...

Um. Didn't know what one was util I googled it. I have a PH meter... but I'm purchasing one online right now. Thanks again for all your help.

Hi TOWL

you can get a really cheap and effective GH pH tester (5$-20$) or you can invest $200 in a pH and ppm combo electric meter made by hana...

I recommend taking the hit and getting a good electric dual meter... it will last you forever and save you lots of headache and help insure the chronic

iloveyou

I don't think its a problem... I have noted too, that in DWC during a dark period the plants leaves will droop.

Ther best for veg' is to not give a dark period. 24 hour light will provide you with a much bigger plant, quicker. The plant will also mature faster, meaning she'llbe ready to be placed into flower sooner.

The saving on electricity argument loses weight when you consider how much longer you are going to need to veg' the plant before you can put it into flower.

Stop spraying your plant. Thats whats causing that.

Thanks Skunk. I'm switching to 24-hr lights today. Also, I'm using FoxFarm 'Grow Big' and 'Cannazym.' Are there any other nutes that anyone recommends?

Thanks again.

I really hope you stop spraying it. Thats water spots. Its either causing the leaf to stay to wet from being misted and/or those spots heat up under the light acting like little magnifying glasses and burns your plant. Just try it for a few weeks and watch and see if the new leaves dont look better.

F4. I stopped spraying my plant. Not because I thought it was hurting it, but because I read that keeping it dry would produce more THC.

I totally missed your previous post, but thanks for your great input. Now that you mention it, the nute burns seemed to coincide with the sprayings. I would have fried that little guy under the 400-watt HPS.

Since it's been in the new system, the plant has started to show signs of nutrient deficiency... so I purchased a tuncheon based on Skunk's recommendations, and the nute levels were so low that it didn't even register. I'm trying to find the sweet-spot right now, but in the last two day's it's really taken off.

These pics mark the start of week 5.

I didn't even realise you were spraying your plant. Well spotted F4t4L'.

Glad you've stopped that now towlie. Yeah good job on the truncheon... it should help you increase your yields by at least 20%.

You will start to notice that you plant will perk up ALOT and all of the new leaves will be a nice green color. Some of those older leaves are about to far gone, but soon it will look 100% again. Good luck buddy!

Thanks a million Skunk, F4 & GK.

You're right F4. It certainly looks like some of the leaves are too far gone. The damaged leaves looked more nute-burned this morning. I hope this is just their way of saying goodbye. So I'm cutting them off to allow more light to hit the younger healthier leaves.

The younger leaves don't appear to have any nute burn (yet)... so I'm praying I haven't over nuted. I don't know how this is possible. My truncheon is reading the same amount of nutes as regular tap water. When I got my truncheon, I added nutes until it just barely indicated on the scale, and was planning on adding nutes slowly until it reaches an equalibrium. If the newer leaves start to show any sign of burn, I'll put it in distilled water and try again... sigh...

What is the ph of your water? What nutes do you use? And when you remove those burnt leaves watch how fast the smaller leaves take off under there. Got any pics?

PH is 5.5. Here are some pic's I just took. I'll cut the nute burned leaves tonight.

Your ph needs to come up to around 6 at least. 6.2-6.5 is suppose to be ideal. Mine stays at 6.2-6.4. In flowering you can get it a little higher than that.

5.5 is cutting it fine. Personally I stick to 6.0... although there are varying theories as to the correct ph range. I know hydro to be 5.8-6.3... soil to be 6.5-7.0. Although I have read differently, I suppose it depends on who is telling you.

Get it to 6.0 and this is fine... or 0.1 either way is fine also.

Damn. The FAQ section says 5.2 is ideal.

https://www.rollitup.org/view.php?pg=faq&cmd=article&id=79

I thought I was high. When I checked the PH this morning I was at 4.9. I'll up it again until I get 6.0.

Thanks gents.