cant fix the pH balance!

[Guest GrowMad]

I have been looking after some plants for a friend of mine for about 2 weeks. The leaves have started to fold up on the edges and the bottom fan leaves have what looks like burning on them. I flushed the plants with a ph 6.0 water and started them on 1/2 strength nutes but this hasn't seemed to make a difference. When I water them with pH 6.5 nutes, the runoff is coming out at about ph 7-7.3, so I presume this is a pH fluctuation problem... One plant has dried up to a crisp almost, but new growth displays the same symptoms as the rest. The light is about 3.5 ft above them at the moment as they were under fluros prior to going under a 400w HPS lamp. Oh yeah, they are planted in a 50/50 mix of compressed coir-peat/perlite and I hand water them. They are well within saving if I get to the problem soon, any help would be much appreciated...Thanks!

[Buster]

If you are flushing them with PH adjusted water and the run off is around ph 7 It doesn't sound too bad. Are you measuring the ph after you have added the nutes? How often do you water?

 

Have you got any pics? What nutes are you using? If you are using fluros to veg them then they can be a lot closer to the plants than 3 ft.

 

Buster.

[Guest GrowMad]

Cheers for the reply Buster. Unfortunately I haven't got any pics I can't fint the USB lead for my camera. These plants are under a HPS now, they were under fluros b4 that (fluro's were about 5-10mm above the plants).

 

I'm using Manutec Hydroponic Nutrients, which I've been told are okay but not as good as the mj specific. I can't afford the mj specific nutes at the moment, but will eventually get there..

 

I am measuring the water after nutes. I water every day with 1/2 strength nutes, but I'm going to cut this back to fert once a week.

[Buster]

GrowMad,

If you are watering every nutes every day it could be too much as the coir-peat will hold on to the water for a time, I'm not really sure and haven't got much expirience with Hydroponics. I think Pipeman has used Manutec nutes.

 

Take a look here, it might point you in the right direction: http://www.overgrow.com/growfaq/97

 

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

 

Buster.

[pipeman]

no I haven't used Manutec nutes yet, but Buster's suggestion sounds good to me. If you've got a medium that retains moisture don't give them nutes every day.

[Guest GrowMad]

Thanks for that guys, sounds logical really doesn't it?? I have them feeding on a ph 6.5 water with no nutes.. I will fert them once a week (unless deficiencies show) with a 1/2 strength to start with...

 

Once again, thank for the advise, I'll keep ya posted as to how it goes. If I could find my USB lead for my digi cam I would take some pics... Hopefully get another lead soon...

[pipeman]

isn't 6.5 a little high for hydro? between 5.6 and 6.1 is optimum I thought.

 

also in preparation for my bubbler system I bough a ph meter. The water out of my tap is 8.5 to 9 which I have been using in soil. Could this be the reason I'm having difficulty growing?

[Tom]

also in preparation for my bubbler system I bough a ph meter.  The water out of my tap is 8.5 to 9 which I have been using in soil.  Could this be the reason I'm having difficulty growing?

It would be the cause of the leaf crinkling and nutrient lock out, therefore it would also slow the plant growth.

 

http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/ruinkai/coolgleamA.gif http://64.207.13.28/mysmilies/otn/glasses/smokin.gif