Hydro - Common Problems

[Scorpion_King]

I'm not a Hydro grower yet but I have been reading up on everything I can find, thought this might help out someone.

These are common problems people encounter growing hydroponically.

Yellowing Bottom Leaves/Older Growth:
Nitrogen is a transferable element (this means the plant can move it around as needed). If a plant is not receiving enough Nitrogen from the roots then it will rob Nitrogen from the older growth. In Hydroponics, usually the pH is too high and has locked out the available Nitrogen. Always check the pH before increasing nutrient level.

Save the plant: Leach! Check the pH, and adjust if necessary to 5.8 - 6.3. Check and maintain nutrient level. You may foliar feed (spray) with a pinch of CaNO3 (Calcium Nitrate) in a Litre of pH balanced water for quick results.

Leaf Tips Curl Up:
This is usually a Magnesium deficiency caused by a too low pH level.

Save the plant: Leach, check and adjust the pH level. You also may foliar feed (spray) with a pinch of MgSO4 (Magnesium Sulphate) in a Litre of pH balanced water for quick results.

Leaf Tips Curl Under / Leaf Tip Burn (Browning):
The Nutrient level is too high.

Save the plant: Leach and decrease the nutrient level.

Leaching:
Leaching should be done at very reservoir change and before countering any problem. This will rid the medium and root zone of toxic salt build up.

To leach, rinse the root zone with straight pH balanced water.

Use twice as much liquid as the hydroponic container would have held when empty.

[BelowMe]

i didnt want to correct you publicly, but i need to clarify a few things for your post.
a gradual yellowing of older leaves during maturation is somewhat desireable, so that the buds wont taste "metallic" or "green". this is part of the plants natural life cycle. what you want to avoid is the rapid yellowing during the grow, witch is caused by a nitrogen def or "lockout" caused by fert salts build up on the roots.
another thing about salts, shrinking water resivoirs concentrate salts and can change the ph of your water supply. check your ressy often, cause that white film left over in it is accumulated salts(mineral deposits from evaporation and use) and they will change your PH too. a ph test of 6.2 to 6.8 is right on for hydro. keep em clean.
my recomendation for PH probs would be to find a fert that has PH buffers, i use General Hydroponics.
PH is a bitch, and your right, it affects wether nutrients disolve to chemical forms availiable to the plant, or into forms the plant cant absorb, and the nutrients remain locked out.
leaching soil you can use twice as much water but,
leaching hydro is different than soil. i use clearex from Botanicare. i use 1tsp per gal of fresh water and run for an hour, then drain and replace ferts as needed.

great post SK,

[radium-]

i disagree with your pH levels, for hydro it should be between 5.2 and 6.0. For optimal nutrient uptake, your levels are too high and would be great for soil.

[BelowMe]

radium,,,please tell where you get your info from?
take a look at this.
http://www.420genetics.com/gallery/files/1/6/9/02-28-2006113226AM.jpg
personally, i would rather run Mel Franks numbers than yours.

[Captu4ik]

radium,,,please tell where you get your info from?


I think that there is some contention over this. Below_Me : The above chart is for soil growing, I believe. I use Dr. Howard Resh's book 'Hydroponic Food Production', (commercial hydro growers bible) for reference, and he has the same type of chart, but it shows 5.4 to 6.8 to be adequate. Personally, I try for 5.4 to 5.8, and this seems to work fantastically. Here's my tubbler @ 3 weeks -- Captu4ik. :icon_smil

http://420genetics.com/gallery/files/2/4/6/currentstuff010_thumb.jpg (http://420genetics.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=1246)http://420genetics.com/gallery/files/2/4/6/currentstuff009_thumb.jpg (http://420genetics.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=1245)http://420genetics.com/gallery/files/2/4/6/currentstuff011_thumb.jpg (http://420genetics.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=1247)

[BelowMe]

personally, i wouldnt quote anything from a book or author that had nothing to do with, or didnt know about, the fundamentals of cannabis.

im sure the book your reading explains the basics of growing in hydroponics verry well, but ill also bet that the author has no idea what the needs are, specific to cannabis.
:animbong:

[mistical]

from my few years of growing hydro i find a ph of 5.5-6.2 gets me best results:thumbsup: each to their own i suppose

[radium-]

belowme actually the picture you posted is from soil. Try looking for the proper one for hydro and you will discover the truth :) It is a pretty well known fact that lower ph's are better for hydro... maybe do a little research you think a "mod" would know this of all people anyhow I'm done with this site... useless all around

[BelowMe]

proper hydro PH chart
http://www.420genetics.com/gallery/files/1/6/9/pHchartsm2.JPG
the first chart was more of a guideline.
there is virtually no difference between the two. not enough for you to be a Herbsparky about it.
i really dont care where your ph lies.

[Scorpion_King]

you think a "mod" would know this of all people anyhow I'm done with this site... useless all around
Radium, whats up with that - Site is useless all around :fucku:

Mod's dont mean there special, There here to help web420, Mod does not mean there the most experinced growers. So get off of that. Stash is a mod and he dont grow.

I started this thread to try to help people out, it was never ment to go this way.
from my few years of growing hydro i find a ph of 5.5-6.2 gets me best results each to their own i suppose
I agree with mistical " each to their own " :thumbsup:

Here is another PH Chart I posted awhile back on this Thread (http://www.420genetics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=626)

http://www.420genetics.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10033/nutrient chart.jpg

Everyone has a style of there own to grow, if you can't disscuss it as an adult, then dont reply!

BTW this info was copied from http://www.hydroponics.com/info/problems.html

[BelowMe]

nicely put.
but thats like the tenth PH chart ive seen for hydro and theyre all different.
anyone got another chart we can see?
ive yet to find two the same.
so i guess to each his own. good luck.

[web420]

anyone got another chart we can see?

You ask, you shall receive :eek:

http://www.420genetics.com/faq/ph2.jpg

http://www.420genetics.com/faq/ph1.jpg

[BelowMe]

shit,,,ill be dammm!!! 13 charts,,, go figure!!!
boy im glad ii use a PH buffered nute formula.
you guys so crazy!!!:420:

[web420]

http://www.420genetics.com/faq/ph3.jpg

http://www.420genetics.com/faq/ph4.jpg

http://www.420genetics.com/faq/ph5.jpg

[Thripteased]

Hi Guys, so we come again to the contentious issue of pH in Hydro.

Firstly, i would like to address radium- . We sure are going to miss you Dude. I,m sure OG will be up and running again somtime in the next couple of decades. Don't know how we are all going to cope now we have losrt such a valuable contributing member like yourself.

Ok, in MY EXPERIENCE ONLY ( however i dont grow no more :D :rasta2: ), a lower pH is infact needed in Hydro, compared to soil. I find a pH of 5.8-6.2 perfect for hydro. At these levels, i have NEVER had any signs of deficiences. If using soil pH levels in hydro, problems not uncommon. Afraid i can't speak of the science behind this, i just know it works. :thumbsup:

[Stash]

i keep my PH at 9 and water with bleach and orange juice......(dodges tomatos)

[mr_x]

ph was a bitch for me i just keep it 5.5 and let it drift to 7.5 then bring her back down .it didnt realy level out for me till a couple weeks into flower

http://www.420genetics.com/gallery/files/2/2/8/Nutrient_Chart_soill_and_hydro.jpg

[Captu4ik]

ph was a bitch for me i just keep it 5.5 and let it drift to 7.5

How big of a reservoir do you have Mr_X ? I've got 2 DWC tubblers growing now, one is 14 gal with 2 plants, the other is 20 gal with 3 plants. I'm doing a little experiment with pH, the large is at 5.4, and the smaller is at 5.8. So far I can't tell a difference in the plants, but by topping off my reservoir everyday with the proper pH, I don't get more than a 0.1 variance in either reservoir. Do you use RO'ed or distilled water ? Captu4ik :icon_smil .