Light Leaf Colouring

[gilly]

i might be over reacting on this situation , but my plants are 2-3 weeks old and they are about 3cms high is that about normal . seems to be growing very slow (but this is my first time ). no nutrients added yet but i am adding a liquid called superthrive. also the colouring of the leafs seem to be a little bit yellow is this normal. i was going to start addind nuts in about a week is this right or should i have started earlier

[Tom]

How many nodes do they have? Yellowing leaves usually means a nitrogen deficiency but if the leaves are also very droopy then it could also be due to over watering.

 

[F420]

Tom,

Overwatering usually produces dark green leaves,

 

Stop the superthrive for a few days and then use one drop per litre.

A product called Nutriboost is similar to Superthrive but better as it causes swelling.

 

yellowing leaves can also be caused from insufficient light, how are these growing? outdoors or?

[gilly]

The plants are grown indoors using a turbo tank system . should i start feeding them with nutrients because there been growing for around 3 weeks now and thats when i ve been told to start with the nutrients . there is only the first leaf and the next set are just about out. does it usually take this long at the start . Is this mainly because i haven't started them on any nutrients yet . Edited May 26, 2004 by gilly

[Tom]

Yeah, put them on 1/4 strength nutrients for now, in a week or two increase them to half strength over a few days, then to full strength a week or two after that. Keep an eye on the leaf tips, if they show signs of burning then you are over-doing it, and keep an eye on your PH levels too.

 

[Lucian]

sounds very similar to whats happening to me , i wll be keeping an eye out on this one for sure

 

Edit : except i have 4 nodes , but real small leaves ........BONZIA

Edited May 26, 2004 by Lucian

[Luke Skywalker]

Definitely get some nutrients to those plants.

 

Start low, like 1/4, and move up slowly as time goes on. Make sure you don't jump in concentrations too quickly. Get yourself a truncheon if you don't already have one, as these are very valuable. You'd also be well advised to get some thermometers to check on root temps as time goes on.

 

Good luck.

[gilly]

with the temp arournd the roots is this a major factor because i haven't got any heating devices so the water is very cool ( low on funds). with the overwatering situation ive been told that with the turbo tank the roots need to be well watered all the time so wih that the grow wool is consantly wet. is this the best way . (ferenge u might be able to help me out more on this situation. ) .also what is a truncheon? . Edited May 28, 2004 by gilly

[Luke Skywalker]

Yes, nft type systems rely on a consistent supply of water to the tray, constantly trickling past them. The roots grow into the channel/tray, and oxygenated and fed by the nutrient solution passing them.

 

Root temps are critical in such a system, which is why it's important to have a good handle on temperature contol of the solution and root zone. This is why these systems tend to have problems, as they're designed for use at very specific temperatures and variables. They're harder to maintain at the ideal levels than a media based hydroponic system IMHO.

 

You need to have either a nutrient heater or at the very least monitor temperatures in the nutrient reservoir and tray area. You can get cheap aquarium thermometers from most hydro shops which show the ideal 18-25 temp area for root temps. These can be stuck in the res and the tray/pot for accurate readings of the rootzones.

 

As to the truncheon, these are an electro-conductivity or E.C. meter. They measure the overall concentrations of salts, (nutes) in solutions. They're worth every last penny of the $120 or so they cost, as you've got a much more accurate control of the strength of your solution. They can also help in flushing in media based systems, and show you the base level of dissolved salts in your water which you use, which can be an important factor sometimes in hard water areas.

 

There are a few posts on Truncheons here, check out the search function and you should be able to pull up a few from the boards here.

 

Hope that helps.

[gilly]

cheers luke thats all i needed to know on that subject for now anyway.