Ebb & Flow Noob Needs Help

Originally Posted by haiku u

Hi, all: medium-time grower (organic soil & DWC) trying hand at 4x4 ebb & flow table for first time. Have grown Grimm C99 in past. Present clones for my grow partner (The Petunia) and me (GHS White Rhino, sativa pheno) looked good when they went in a 15 days ago, but under too little light. Have since increased lumens but clones seem to be struggling and nowhere nearly as healthy as their organic soil neighbors (TGA's JTR). The WRs are between six and nine inches tall (I'd like them to be 15-ish before flowering).

Am using cooltube 600 watt HPS and a Procyon 100 - equivalent to 400w (total of about 1000). I know the spectrum is wrong for veg but must limp along - the JTRs (in soil, no less) are maintaining at least .5 inches per day - not so with the WRs. Help!

Here are the basics: EJ grow formula at med strength in 30 gal. res. (temps in high 60s) Expanded clay and rockwool. Flood cycle has been 4x@6min but just upped to every 4 hrs for 5 min. as worried that roots are drying out between waterings (they are).

Also, it's too warm in there but due to temporary venting issue. Normal temps are 78-80 day (doing 24/7, so no night temp) - now hovering around 90, which too high is still okay as have brought in crops under such conditions. Still, will get down...

The PH has been fluctuating crazily - way high, all the time. Just trying to get between 5.5-6.0-ish for floods as otherwise all I'd do is wrestle it down.

The genetics are white rhinos from greenhouse, the sativa phenotype. I let the indica one go as the stone was a bit stoooopid for me. This one however is wonderful and very anti-anxiety. An indica, for sure, but this pheno has a nice fruity/flora (delicate) aroma and serious head/body high - balanced and very strong.

The Jack the Rippers from TGA (shout out Subcool and Mz. Jill), are in organic soil using Happy Frog ferts - nothing special, but the plants are strong, healthy and very pretty. This strain is very strong and very up - the phenos I have (not sure whether 2-4, I think 4 but will find out this run) all reek of lemons and pine cleaner and are frosty as hell. I need a male of either WR or JTR to cross as it would be ultra luscious. Yet, I digress..

So, here are my questions:

1) How many times to flood and for how long?
2) Nute regiment okay?
3) I know I need a tray cover but until then, how can I protect roots?
4) Any other help is greatly appreciated as I'd love to bring this crop in.
5) Why do WR clones look like hell?

I will add more pics shortly of other plants.

Best!

G _~

I have added some JTR pics and one of the entire grolab under just the Procyon 100.

Originally Posted by haiku u

I have added some JTR pics and one of the entire grolab under just the Procyon 100.

A few more pics just to show what I am talking about in above-thread.

thanks!
G _~

PS: not topping off res during week, am working up to managing it. No idea about nutes but think heard 1/3 strength is right. Am working on res cover to stop so much evap. It's humid, around 60-70 relative and that's way too high for the WRs in late budding - they are profoundly dense and prone to mold, so that's an ongoing challenge.

seems to me your having some kind of lockout issues, i would flood them 3-6 times daily this means 3 or 4 hours between, one thing that will help you with your PH, try lowering the nutrient load, you have a tds/ppm meter? stay with 1/4 for now. one thing i know about PH flux, if your giving the plants a little too much nutes they will take up water at a faster rate than nutes, therefore leaving behind a higher concentration of nutes/salts in the water, resulting in plants looking like yours, personally i think your clones are still too small for 1/2 strength nutes, but like i said the unused nute loads can cause confusion with PH flux and nute burns and lockouts, if money is an issue you can grab a cheap tds meter from ebay for $20 and let the ppms go down, this lets you know the plants are using nutes and not leaving anything, also earth juice microblast ave even if you dont use any of they're other products. as for your roots, since you have your pots tightly packed in there it wont be an issue, the pots plus a thick canopy will cover it all up, but if you get paranoid you can put down a nice layer of hydroton, if this was my garden i would cut the nutes of whatever your using in half, and 1/4 microblast and monitor over the next 2 weeks, also do a good flush before you make a new batch, dont worry about your roots the clay pellets keep em moist, i would feed once every 4 hours for now for 15minutes, good luck