Rusty, dark leaves?

Captspalding · January 21, 2021, 9:20pm

I cloned two Chronic plants by Serious Seeds and they are in the same soil (FFOF) and the same nutes as my other plants which appear fine but both of the Chronic clones look sick and I can’t diagnose it. I’ve flushed and haven’t started giving them light nutrients again yet. I know it’s not rust fungus, any ideas?

Soil: FFOF

Lightning: cheap chipboard LED

Water: tap

Temp: mid 70s

Humidity: around 30%

Nutes: fox farm trio, GH bioroot, forgot brand name of mycorrhiza.

Also important to note, I’ve been having serious knat problems for about a week. I don’t think it’s related but I’m going to try to take care of them tonight.

Captspalding · January 21, 2021, 9:22pm

MDBuds · January 21, 2021, 10:08pm

@Captspalding looks like nitrogen excess and a calmag deficiency to me.

MDBuds · January 21, 2021, 10:10pm

@Captspalding also, gnats can cause nutrient issues because the larvae eat the little feeder hairs off the roots. Gotta fix that quick because if it gets bad enough it can kill your whole crop.

Mrb53004 · January 21, 2021, 10:19pm

From the pics, it appears the issue is on the BOTTOM portion of the plants, not the tops…yes, no?
Could you have spilled anything on the leaves (nutes, foliar spray)?
Gnats - usually a sing of moist conditions in the soil. Rh for clones is pretty low as it should be up above 60%
WATER - Ph of tap could do this. Do you know what your ph is? Most tap should be between 6.5 and 8.5 but there are portions of the country as low as 4.2…Check the ph
Trio - the SOIL or hydro based? Spots like this appear when phosphorous is out of whack. Are you adding any cal/mag - similar (even molasses which will give sulfur too)
If the damage is only on the LOWER part of the plants, can be due to humidity / not enough air circulation around the base of the plant. If you water from the top, it could be from that, and residue from nutes. You do not state the STRENGTH of the nutes and which of the trio you are using specifically on these plants. As clones, the N should be the prominent nutrient. If they are HIGH in N, it will starve off the phosphorous
compare some pics
Yellow Leaf Spot caused by a fungus (or sometimes a bacteria) that attacks cannabis plants and usually appears in warm moist areas. The symptoms first appear on the bottom leaves of the plant.
Phosphorous deficiency phosphorus deficiency generally appears on leaves from the lower/older parts of the plant
AND
Ph issues…also appear on the bottom part of the plants first
Add this to Gnats and you have a few things it could be
Get rid of BUGS first

Captspalding · January 22, 2021, 12:40am

I made a soil slurry and tested the pH, but honestly I never know if I’m doing that right. I almost never have pH issues so I assume I’ve been doing it right, but I am not 100% confident of that. I added some calmag before I flushed but I don’t think it had enough time to really get absorbed by the roots so I’ll give it some more and try to get rid of the bugs. Any tips for the knats? So far I’ve tried garlic, dish soap and neem oil. I just added a string of fly paper as well.

Thanks for the well thought out replies.

MDBuds · February 5, 2021, 11:44pm

@Captspalding best way to kill gnats is nematodes, bti, or to do an H202 flush and top dress with DE.

Water and hydrogen peroxide will kill all the gnat larvae but it will also kill other helpful microbes so make sure after flushing with H202 that you inoculate again to keep the soil healthy.

You just mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 10 parts water. It won’t hurt the roots or anything and it will actually give them a huge boost of oxygen.

After you do the peroxide flush top dress with DE so that the adult gnats can’t get in the soil to lay more eggs without dying.

MDBuds · January 22, 2021, 1:04am

@Captspalding also this treatment will only kill the adults and larvae not the eggs so after the soil dries out do a a second treatment with the peroxide and top dress again with DE. Sometimes it takes up to three treatments but two usually does it for me.

Mrb53004 · January 22, 2021, 4:10am

And if you need a QUICK calcium / Mag boost…use it as a foliar spray. Plants absorb quickest through their leaves, much more than from the roots. Between my molasses and nutes, I only use cal/mag in a spray form. By the 2nd day, it has effects

kmac03 · January 22, 2021, 4:26am

Well, I’ve reached the maximum number of likes today, so I have to write. Should I spray that on during lights on?

DollarBill · January 22, 2021, 8:33am

@Captspalding

Also you could spend more and go with this also for secondary treatment

DollarBill · January 22, 2021, 8:37am

@Captspalding you won’t like the fly strips, the wind and humidity and warm temps make them gooie and runny all over. so, i’m sure that crap floats in the air

Adcrag · January 22, 2021, 1:55pm

No you spray when lights off, as not to burn leaves. That what @MDBuds had me do with my WW

kmac03 · January 22, 2021, 1:56pm

Thank you for clarifying! I’m going to try this the next time it comes up.

Captspalding · January 22, 2021, 5:48pm

DollarBill, I watched a Mr Canuk video about nematodes before. Interesting stuff for sure.

I think I figured out my problem. I’m watering too much. I’m going to try to let my soil dry out more between waterings. I read that knat larvae hate it when the top inch of soil is dry. I’ve learned a lot from this thread though.

Charles · January 22, 2021, 7:58pm

Looks like a gnat problem and a oxygen problem.? Mix up some peroxide spray it should take care of the bugs. I grow DWC now not so many problems The PH is super inportant . The plant feeds between 5.5 and 6.5. If your way above just flush it with good ph water. Keep checking your run off till it drops.

DollarBill · January 23, 2021, 12:23pm

@Captspalding also fine glass sand like a couple of inches on top chokes nats to deaths, i never worry much about a few nats until i get close to flower. but this last 10 months dang nats are in every organic soil product and also in the soil i mix myself