Don't know what to do

I'm starting to worry about my plant height. I am only 4 days into flowering and I have less than 6" to grow before my plant hits the light bulbs. If I put a screen there, will that be okay? What will happen to the plants as it keeps growing into the screen? Also, some of my leaves have brown spots, and some are wilted. I cannot tell if this is nutrient burn or heat stress. Pictures posted. Thanks in advance.

How old are the plants? What kind of light, it looks like daylight CFLs (switch to warm white CFLs if it is)? Have you looked into ScrOG yet? Tell me about your water and nutrients.


~GG420

DubB83 said:

How old are the plants? What kind of light, it looks like daylight CFLs (switch to warm white CFLs if it is)? Have you looked into ScrOG yet? Tell me about your water and nutrients.


~GG420

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The plants are about a month old, from germination. I honestly don't know what kind of lights I am using. I bought this system on eBay, it just came with lights and nutrients. My nutes are in little baggies, G for Grow, and F for Flowering. I use distilled water.

Ugh, start over after this. Have a system you actually understand. For the moment, it does look like you're still using 6500k. You need to switch to lower spectrum bulbs. Consult indoor growing/CFL forum for more information. Additionally research low stress training or LST. Might work, good luck.

GrizzlyAdams said:

Ugh, start over after this. Have a system you actually understand. For the moment, it does look like you're still using 6500k. You need to switch to lower spectrum bulbs. Consult indoor growing/CFL forum for more information. Additionally research low stress training or LST. Might work, good luck.

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I understand the system. I just don't know the type of bulbs and nutes I am using. My plants have been doing well, except for these burn marks. Does lower spectrum just mean lower wattage? I have looked into LST, but I am scared of breaking the plant.

i would like to say that is some kind of nute burn , and something else i noticed is your water rez is clear . that is a big no no, roots need total darkness also algae can grow because of the light penitration. hope that helps.

I agree with Grizzly. Keep the net pots but get a light tight container. Get a Rubbermaid container. Also, put more hydroton in the net pots to keep light from getting in. Light is not good for root growth.

You want 6500K for Veg and 2700K for Flower. It should tell you on the CFL light package. Get higher wattage bulbs too.

I am a newbie but am growing a successful grow, thanks to all the readin I have done on RIU. I went through the same process as you initially.

Good Luck!

Thanks, I'll look into lights and a different basin. But the roots don't seem to have a problem growing, the roots system is covering the bottom of the container.

I suspect the unknown fertiliser.

If your growing quality herb your going to have to put in some $$ and time reading as well as experimenting, what works for one grower may not work for them all.

I suggest a change of lighting, as others have said, and a change of ferts. I have grown in clear tubs (does not affect roots but promotes algae growth that eats all your ferts before the plants do).

I'm guessing your nutes are chemical based and so you may want to consider a H202 regimen to keep algae and fungus out of the clear reservoir.

You had better start on LST or ScrOG, you do know these plants grow to be 4ft - 9ft tall if not topped or trained right?

~GG420

DubB83 said:

I suspect the unknown fertiliser.

If your growing quality herb your going to have to put in some $$ and time reading as well as experimenting, what works for one grower may not work for them all.

I suggest a change of lighting, as others have said, and a change of ferts. I have grown in clear tubs (does not affect roots but promotes algae growth that eats all your ferts before the plants do).

I'm guessing your nutes are chemical based and so you may want to consider a H202 regimen to keep algae and fungus out of the clear reservoir.

You had better start on LST or ScrOG, you do know these plants grow to be 4ft - 9ft tall if not topped or trained right?

~GG420

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I can see how the unknown nutes could be a concern. But the plant has been growing beautifully with no problems. And I did figure out my lighting. I have 2 6500k bulbs and 1 2700k bulb. So I need to replace the 2 65's for 27's for flowering yes? So should I just put some H2O2 into the basin every couple of days to solve the algae problem? What is the difference between LST and ScrOG, they both involve bending the plant right? I'm scared to do that, what is the easiest way to go about it? What does it mean to "top" a plant?

420elf13 said:

I can see how the unknown nutes could be a concern.

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Not only is it a concern, it is a problem. Growing is not like baking, if you follow the directions your going to ruin your cake if you get my drift.

420elf13 said:

But the plant has been growing beautifully with no problems.

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The key words in that sentence are has been growing, your plants needs may be different than the nutrient gives or the nutrient solution has finally gotten toxic enough to affect the plant. Not everything is immediate with these plants, infact ... nothing is immediate.

420elf13 said:

And I did figure out my lighting. I have 2 6500k bulbs and 1 2700k bulb. So I need to replace the 2 65's for 27's for flowering yes?

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Sounds good, do the bulb switch

420elf13 said:

So should I just put some H2O2 into the basin every couple of days to solve the algae problem?

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Add it when you change nutes, just mix your nutes and pour it right on in to the res.

420elf13 said:

What is the difference between LST and ScrOG, they both involve bending the plant right? I'm scared to do that, what is the easiest way to go about it? What does it mean to "top" a plant?

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Topping a plant is usually done on plants that have grown to their expected height or a method used to keep a plant short. It involves cutting off the maristem where you want the vertical growth to stop. Considerable stress is involved in this as the plant creates new auxins rather than redirecting them.

LST is called "limited stress training", basically tying the main cola of the plant down as low as you can so it produces multiple colas off the lower growth. Auxins transer from the main cola to the lower growth and the plant gets bushy.

ScrOG is short for Screen Of Green, basically placing a screen across you canopy in the lights sweet spot to "train" or tie the plants to as they grow to spread out the new growth in a controlled manner as to not crowd other buds.

FIM is short for Fuck I Missed, and it is a bit more advanced.

Supercropping is basically LST without strings, you damage the stem of the plant to make it bend rather than tie it down.

I'll expand on that later.

~GG420

So how would I go about topping the plant? That seems like the easiest thing to do, but what will that do to my yield?

Unless you have space restrictions Topping isn't really necessary. I prefer to let nature take it's course in the summer w/ my outdoor crop. My indoor crops I sometimes top for space. SCROG is another cool thing to do w/ space restrictions
The yield depends on how and when you top. I would look up some topping threads, esp uncle bens then decide.

420elf13 said:

So how would I go about topping the plant? That seems like the easiest thing to do, but what will that do to my yield?

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If it were me...

I would LST it down for the first month (just the meristem) and then attach to a scrog and veg another month to fill the screen 1/2 way up and then flower, this would give you the best yield in my opinion.

Topping stunts the growth more and I like the results of LST because you still keep you meristem and that is where your main cola grows plus it is putting off new growth to help fill your screen.

Be sure to use the search engine there are plenty of topics on training techniques to improve yield.

~GG420

shylas said:

Unless you have space restrictions Topping isn't really necessary. I prefer to let nature take it's course in the summer w/ my outdoor crop. My indoor crops I sometimes top for space. SCROG is another cool thing to do w/ space restrictions
The yield depends on how and when you top. I would look up some topping threads, esp uncle bens then decide.

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I have extreme space restrictions, I have 8" from pots to lights, and the plants were 4" at Flowering

Screen is goin to be your only option, put it in now.

DubB83 said:

Screen is goin to be your only option, put it in now.

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Why couldn't I just top the plants?

420elf13 said:

Why couldn't I just top the plants?

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Topping the plant will not stop all growth up, a screen will. The plant will easily still grow into the lights, your going to want an easy to control canopy and you will get a better yield.

~GG420

DubB83 said:

Topping the plant will not stop all growth up, a screen will. The plant will easily still grow into the lights, your going to want an easy to control canopy and you will get a better yield.

~GG420

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So should I get fine screen like for a window or chicken wire? Thanks

420elf13 said:

So should I get fine screen like for a window or chicken wire? Thanks

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Chicken wire or something large, just be sure you can tie you plant to it and all.

~GG420