I think they dieing from root bound!

Grow Monster

Well-Known Member
Hey guys this is my 3rd grow. 2 bad runs do to bugs and heating issues. All was going gd til 3 weeks in bloom. I grow in ffof mixed with worm casting and perlite in 3lb fabric pots. 6 autos and 2 photos in a 27"x27"x60" tent. Running one oscillating 6" fan. 6" exhaust fan. Temp sits at 82-86f, 50ish rh under 250watt led. After doing a flush to get rid of ffof super hot soil nutes. The plants started holding water longer at the bottom tho top soil seemed dry down pass an inch or your knuckle. Was trying to figure if watering more but less frequent or less but more frequent was better. Plants just started getn worse daily. Lost about a week of growth and these 3 I'm referring to are autos. Its getn bad n I don't want them to die on me. Any help would be appreciated. I keep my ph 6.2-6.8 and they were flushed to 200 ppm which I think is gd cus I got 175 out the tap and the casting. Can I still get root bound in the fabric pots? What should I do? I use fox farm trio nutes. Only feed them twice since I had nutes already in soil and they did get light nute burn before the flush. Thanks in advance guys for any help!20211110_204143.jpg20211110_203944.jpg20211110_204137.jpg
 

Grow Monster

Well-Known Member
Always let them dry out before watering again

And if that’s the issue. It should correct itself rather quickly. Once the soil is dry and the roots can do what roots do. Then it will return growing and look normal.
Hope thats it. Sounds like an easy fix. Got super worried when I saw the curling/clawing. They were going well at first. Not alot of time to correct issues on the autos. They started bloom after 3weeks veg.
 

DrOgkush

Well-Known Member
I was not letn it dry completely. Watered it daily. It was fine until the flush. After that it dried alot slower. Maybe there's clumps of soil that retained the water.
Oh yeah bro. Sounds like you overwatered. Just slow your roll. Let soil dry. Finger deep. Testing the weight of your dry pot vs fresh watered is a good way too.

As for clumps of soil. Make sure your soils is broken down pretty well before using. Want your roots as east of life as possible. You don’t want anything storing extra water or salts.
 

jimihendrix1

Well-Known Member
Why did you flush them??

Also its not a good idea to let them dry out 100%/Bone Dry. Because when you go to water them again, you will rehydrate concentrated dissolved solids. They for sure need a semi moist period, but not bone dry.
And if they get bone dry, and you feed, and water them again, you will get even more burn.

I myself use a cheap moisture meter from Lowes, take readings from several different places in the medium.
I let them get to really really low moist, but never into the dry zone.

Also unless you have overfertilized, there is no need for flushing.
 

DrOgkush

Well-Known Member
Oh yeah. I should prolly make that clear as well. You don’t wanna over do it when in between waterings. Because soil can become hydrophobic and water will run straight thru with little to no absorption. And you never wanna allow wilting That can be very damaging. Essp when lights on
 

Grow Monster

Well-Known Member
Oh yeah bro. Sounds like you overwatered. Just slow your roll. Let soil dry. Finger deep. Testing the weight of your dry pot vs fresh watered is a good way too.

As for clumps of soil. Make sure your soils is broken down pretty well before using. Want your roots as east of life as possible. You don’t want anything storing extra water or salts.
Thinking of getn a meter for watering. I cant do the weight test cus I got some lst going on. Tops are all tied down. I usually water til I feel fabric pot wet on bottom. I would water when dry to my 1st knuckle. The clumps are from compost. Rookie mistake.
 

jimihendrix1

Well-Known Member
Ive used a Moisture meter fo 40 years. I also can do the lifting test, but prefer the Meter.
Generally plants should need watered every 3.5-4 days, and when at full growth water with 20% of the soil you have. If youve got 5 gallons of soil, water with 1 gallon of water.
I myself use 20 gallon containers of Promix BX, and 1- 2 plants per 1000w Hortilux HPS. I also bend them over. With the right strain I get 28oz- 32oz per light. 60 days veg under 1000w. I start seedlings under 1000w Hortilux at 24 inches. Also 24 hours light.
 

Grow Monster

Well-Known Member
Why did you flush them??

Also its not a good idea to let them dry out 100%/Bone Dry. Because when you go to water them again, you will rehydrate concentrated dissolved solids. They for sure need a semi moist period, but not bone dry.
And if they get bone dry, and you feed, and water them again, you will get even more burn.

I myself use a cheap moisture meter from Lowes, take readings from several different places in the medium.
I let them get to really really low moist, but never into the dry zone.

Also unless you have overfertilized, there is no need for flushing.
I flushed cus fox farm ocean forest(ffof) is to hot. Even without feeding plants, just water was burning em and I wanted to start giving it bloom nutes. I will buy a few moisture meters. That will take the guess work out of it. Thanks for input.
 

Grow Monster

Well-Known Member
I would water a little more than a 1/2 gln of water every 2-3 days
Im using 3lb fabric pots and they only were given about 2 cups daily at first. Then I started watering 1liter every other day. Thats when problems started. Think they do better with less water but more often. Got 2 still in veg and 3in 1st week of bloom in same tent and they're doing fine with the same amount of watering.
 

jimihendrix1

Well-Known Member
I doubt youre gonna flush out organic nutes. Especially if its hot.

I also think switching over to what is called Bloom Nutrients is a mistake, and in most cases a marketing gimmick.

According to Tissue Analysis weed likes a 1-1-2 nutrient ratio all the way through its growth cycle. The only exception is they can benefit from Mono Potassium Phosphate in weeks 2.5- 5 in an 8 weeks flowering strain.

Many of these so called flowering nutrients cut way back on Nitrogen. Which is a mistake.
All Nitrogen is, is Protien. Humans eat Protien, and our bodies turn it into Nitrogen. Plants skip the eating of Protein process, and just require Nitrogen.
During flowering plants will grow the most they have so far in their lives. It makes no logical sense to cut back on Protein, when youre trying to grow.

Like I said, plants just need a steady diet of 1-1-2 ratio, and each week should get slightly more food, up until the 6th week flowering, in an 8 weeks strain.
While I mostly use chemicals, the ratio I use is 19.5-20-39 as my basic feed. I feed small amounts every feeding.

I use Calcium Nitrate 15.5-0-0
4-20-39, and Epsom Salts, which equals 19.5-20-39. Weed likes 2x the amount of Potassium, as it does both Nitrogen, and Phosophorus.
I just increase the PPM each week as needed, but only slightly. This also applies to Epsom Salts. Epsom also contains Sulfur, and is responsible for Terpene production. Is also the #1 most common deficiency in container grown plants. Weed is a high magnesium user.

For organic I use Peruvian Seabird Guano, both Veg, and Flowering formulas, Potassium Sulfate, Kelp, Azomite, Calcitic Lime, Dolomitic Lime, at a ratio of 2/3 Calcitic, to 1/3 Dolomitic. I use Promix BX as my medium.
 
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Grow Monster

Well-Known Member
Unrelated to the watering issue, but eight plants in a 27" x 27" tent is seven too many.
I do realize I'm pushing it but I've done a lil research and wanted to try it out. I've read its about light and space. So they say 1,4 or 8 plants in one room should get about close to the same yield. I got 1photo plant in my 2x3 tent thats about to yield close to 8oz. My logic is if I can get 6-8oz with the 7 plants I'll have different strains to play with. Thats y I chose small pots. Plus they are autos. Wanted to grow them no larger then 18" tall. They flipped to bloom at about 9". They are at 14" now.
 
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