Issues with new growth

Seems like I have been having problems with all my new growth sadly, I can just rub my fingers through the plants leaves and they just shrivel and break. A lot of the tinier nodes seem to be super dried out and I’m not sure why. These are clones and I’ve had them for 4 months. Growing with a t5 light. I was previously dealing with a bug problem and got gnat nix and top dressed the soil with it once and got insect killing soap and have been adding weekly. For nutrients I was just adding molasses, liquid kelp, cal mag, and top dressing with earthworm casting but recently have been making compost tea which consist of bio thrive grow, liquid kelp, molasses. Appreciate any help :call_me_hand:

stressed…stunted and might not recover. Have you tried to cut off a small branch and root?

No I have never tried that before, what’s the best way to do it?

Nor sure if your stems are conducive to cloning…unless it is some killa strain, it would be easier to start a new

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Sad news to hear the strain was memory loss, probably gonna try seeds instead of clones. This was my first grow and I don’t want to make the same mistakes I did as last time, I was having problems with ph and can never hit it on the spot I’m trying any tips for my next grow? :adult:‍:ear_of_rice:

@Sloppyterps this definitely looks like a pH issue. Looks and sounds like potassium lockout to me. Can make plants dry and brittle when they are watered normally and lockout other nutrients causing yellowing, burning, and brown spots.

Cut back on your molasses for now and the liquid kelp. They are great for using in teas and supporting root growth and microbial life but biothrive grow already has those in it and it’s a vegan nutrient with added salts. Adding extra molasses and kelp will just mess with the pH even more until the plant needs the extra boost which it doesn’t yet. It just needs to bounce back and heal.

Also, when making teas you need to check the pH after aerating for 24 hours because the pH will fluctuate not only because you’re using a mixture of vegan organic compounds but you also have a lot of salts in there. If pH is too high or too low after aerating for 24 hours adjust it immediately before use and toss whatever you don’t use within 72 hours.

So first and foremost flush with distilled or dechlorinated water.

Second, mix up a tea after you flush for 3 days. Final part of you flush should be a mild tea.

3 days after flush just top dress with the bio thrive as a dry amendment and water it in.

After that just water when needed and follow the feed chart for biothrive until the plant is healthy again.

Do not use the extra molasses and liquid kelp or the worm castings.

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You are a lifesaver my friend. I will be flushing these babies and cutting back on the liquid kelp, and molasses, earthworm castings. How do I adjust ph after already aerated, when does the plant need an extra boost of nutrients.

What kind of tea, and how do I top dress with the bio thrive ?

quote=“MDBuds, post:6, topic:7716”]
Second, mix up a tea after you flush for 3 days. Final part of you flush should be a mild tea.

3 days after flush just top dress with the bio thrive as a dry amendment and water it in.
[/quote]

@Sloppyterps just a light feed tea made with the biothrive grow and a splash of molasses for sugars to help bring back the microbial life and some liquid kelp to help revive the plant. 1 tbsp each molasses and liquid kelp per gallon of water with a light feeding dose of the biothrive. The tea should be done on the final day of the flush.

Once the pot dries out after the flush (usually 3 days give or take depending on environment) top dress with the recommended feeding amount of the biothrive. Just sprinkle it dry on top of the soil and work it in with your fingers then water in as you normally would water the plant.

After that no more castings, molasses, or liquid kelp until the plant heals up and is vegging hard.

@Sloppyterps to adjust pH measure the pH of the tea and if it’s high (over 6.8) use some pH down. Molasses will work as a pH down. If it’s too low (under 6.2) a splash of liquid kelp works as pH up.

Just make sure you adjust the pH slowly as it is aerating. Just a few drops at a time until you reach the sweet spot between 6.2 and 6.8. I personally shoot for 6.5.

Okay sweet I have started to flush and after that I will be doing the tea, the bio thrive it’s a liquid amendment do I still top dress? Should I add any other nutrients until the plant is looking healthy again?

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@Sloppyterps if it’s liquid just do a light feeding with water as directed. I didn’t know they started making a liquid formula. I’ve only ever used the powders from them.

So yeah 3 days after the flush when the pot dries out start feeding from the feeding chart as normal but start with the early veg feeding before you start increasing the feed. The goal now is to revive the plant and give it just enough nutrition during and after the flush to bounce back. You also don’t want to lock it out again.

After that you can start increasing the feed and following the feed chart for your nutrient system as directed for the growth stage.

Also no other amendments or boosters until after the plant is healthy and in veg again. If the plant needs a nitrogen boost after it is healthy and you wish to top dress with worm castings you can do so but remember to cut the liquid feed back to minimal for 4 weeks after top dressing with worm castings.

If they need a small potassium or micro nutrient boost you can do a tea with molasses and liquid kelp but no biothrive. This will also help the micro life come back and help make the soil healthier so the plant is healthier. You can mix that at up to 2 tbsp per gallon each every 4 weeks and feed it separate from the biothrive to keep pH in balance.

When you are ready to flower If you don’t want to mix your grow nutes with the flower nutes to keep it simple you can top dress with worm castings again as long as it has been 4 weeks since the last top dress. That way you don’t have to mix nutes for the extra nitrogen needed in early flower and you just need to water and use the bloom flower nutes as directed.

If your plants need a boost during flower you can do the molasses and kelp feed again as long as it has been 4 weeks since the last molasses and kelp feed.

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I’ve flushed for 3 days with distilled water, and made a tea as directed (biothrive grow 2 tsp, molasses 1 tbsp, liquid kelp 1 tbsp per gallon of water). I checked ph after 24 hours of being aerated and it was really low 4.0 ph, anyways I tossed in some liquid kelp 1 tsp and it’s been saying 4.0 still, should I still go through with the tea?

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@Sloppyterps keep adding kelp a bit at a time until the pH increases.

@Sloppyterps also make sure it’s still aerating and that your pH meter is calibrated.

@Sloppyterps if the kelp won’t work for some reason using baking soda will work too and it’s safe for the plants.

The tea is still aerating I will be continuing to add a little kelp and trying the baking soda I’ve been testing with a ph test kit do you recommend using ph meter instead?

@Sloppyterps are you using the liquid reagent kit or the litmus kit? Those can be accurate but sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between the colors.

I find it’s easier to use a decent pH pen or meter.

It is a liquid reagent kit, good to know thanks for the advice I put in 1 tsp kelp and a little bit of baking soda and tested ph after it was at 6.5 should I continue to aerate?

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@Sloppyterps it should be good to go now if it has already aerated for 24 hours.