OK so I was watering my plants every other day, now they are droopy. Last time I wateredthem was on monday. My mix is 1pt perlite, 1pt vermiculite, 1pt peat moss, and 1pt mushroom compost it drains well. I was feeding them 1/4 the rec strength of MG 30-10-10, on the 16 I switched over to botanicare pureblend using the feeding schedule an the back of the bottle. I have fed them twice with botanicare. At the hydro shop the guy told me to feed with every watering. He also uses botanicare as well for his plants. They are still droopy but aren't discolored, so my question is do I wait until they perk up to water them or just water less frequently and then wait for them to gradually perk up. The leaves on the lower part of the plants seem to be affected more than the top. The tip of the lower leaves is kinda clawed facing down slightly almost touching the soil. Currently the soil is dry at about the top three inches.

Hey baby, we need a bit more info. How old and tall is your plant? What is the pot size? HPS or CFL? From what you described, it initially sounded like overwatering but then I read about the gnarling of the lower leaves. That could be natural - if the plant is mature enough the lower early leaves tend to eventually die off. If the plant is still relatively young, then that could be an early indication that the plant is not taking up the nutes and it is using it's resources - cannabalizing itself. This could be nute lock-up. You'd need to flush with plain water - 2x the pot size, then introduce VERY light nutes - 1/8 of recommended dosage and slowly build from there. Water only as necessary. I usually water when the weight of the pot feels light and the soil starts pulling away from the sides of the pot. Good luck.

sounds a bit like P lockup in the soil then overwatering - if the soil can drain and the pot isn't standing in the water the effects of heavy watering should only show for few hours at longest. what about monitoring our pH?

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my plant is about three weeks old and about 4 inches tall with 3 or 4 internodes. I pH my water to around 6.5 and the runoff is around the same. I am using 12 cfl's in a rubbermaid box, an exhaust fan, another fan iside on the plants and 2 passive inlets the temp doesn't exceed 75deg. The lights are bout 10 inches away from the plants. Again, I don't think it is nut burn as the leaves show no discoloration. I first noticed this problem on monday and it has gotten progressively worse. I will use PH'd water only for the next couple of waterings to see if there is any effect. they are in 3 gallon pots.

stop watering for a few days. let the soil dry, don't let it go dusty. when i water my plants i pour the water until a single drop or 2 comes out the drainage hole. i also have a moisture meter for soil, but i dont really need to use it to tell when to water.

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My water is also hard, the shower head has a buildup of of shit on on it. Would this have anything to do with my problems, should I get R/O water instead?

Leaves that are drooping from overwatering will be firm and curled down, even from the stem of the leaf.

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I agree with DieAbetic. Stop watering for a few days. What I usually do is water only when the leaves start to droop, or the top half inch of the soil gets really dry, and only give them about 250ml of water until they start to get bigger.

pics??

If your worried about hard water, Ionic do a hardwater nutrient. Here is the website if you want a look. www.growthtechnology.com

You got any lime in that soil mix? I see peat moss... no lime. Low pH lockout city. Do a runoff test; report back.

Thanks for the tips but I already harvested that plant a couple weeks ago, got a bit over two onions from her. I was adjusting the pH to 6.5. The problem seemed to correct itself once I started using botanicare. I didn't use lime in the original mix, but sprinkled a couple tablespoons on the soil. When first researching I didn't see anything about using dolomite lime, it's so important to use yet I still see soil mixes with no mention of using lime.

Depends a lot on the mix. Humus compost mixes don't need it; those containing raw peat do.
Botanicare's PureBlend line contains humic acid, an excellent pH buffer in the range 6.8-7.0. That may have helped you significantly.

yeah, botanicare really saved my ass! What is humus composed off?

It's just a term describing decomposed forest floor litter- leaves and debris that is in the process of returning to the earth. Not to be confused with hummus, which is chickpeas in the process of being converted to methane gas. :D

LOL! fart city anybody? fredfarted, do you like beans?

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j-angel

aka GP purrie kittie attack cat!


My Little Grow LST'ing w/Hardware

My Outdoor Odyssey 2008 BONSAI MUMS

My Little Grow Indoor To Outdoor 2009

Do you mean to say that...Fred FARTS hummus????????

Quick, get a bag under that guy!

ISO

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LOL! hey Fred! A new marketing ploy! "Fredfarts Hummus!!!!"

Thanks stinkster! He will love that one! ROTFLMAO! greenlighten and hummus! yummmmmmmy!

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Life,
j-angel

aka GP purrie kittie attack cat!


My Little Grow LST'ing w/Hardware

My Outdoor Odyssey 2008 BONSAI MUMS

My Little Grow Indoor To Outdoor 2009

I doubt it- Mr. Farts and I have crossed swords.