Full yellow leaves on young plants. First grow.

Hello, this is my first time posting to this forum and my first grow. I appologize if this problem is something easily diagnosed and I just missed it, but being new to this I am having trouble finding what this is on my own. From what I can best tell it looks close to an iron or magnesium definciency but since it seems like most definciencies result in yellowing leaves I cant pin it down.

Grow space: 3'5"X4'5" closet
Lighting: 315w ceramic metal halide (sun system). Were previously under a 4'x 4 tube HO t5
Temps: 75-78 daytime/61-65 night
Humidity: 50%-60%
Soil: Nectar for the Gods #4 with he small ones, Fox Farms Ocean Forest with ~30% pearlite for the 2 large.
Nutrients: Nectar For the Gods advanced line fed @ 1/2 strength every other watering (~every 3 days for the large and every 4-5 days for the babies) sometimes water only every other time. Ph adjusted to 6.4-6.5
Water: R/O ph 7.0
**Soil run-off Ph tested yesterday (5/23) on 2 most yellow plants @ Ph 6.5. Using digital Ph pen.**

Hopefully thats enough info, but if you need more let me know please.

Strains: 2 x White Widow @ 2nd week veg
2 x White Cookies @ 2nd week veg
1 x Purple Kush @ 2nd week veg
1 x Purple Kush @ 1st week veg
2 x mystery bagseed @ 4th week veg

Do you guys think it would be beneficial to use ph adjusted tap water (im on well water) rather than R/O? Ive read R/O deprives them of the minerals they need, but I thought maybe most of those would be added with the nutrients. No??

hows your watering, it's possibly the first mistake noob's (I) make.

if your watering is ok,

go with a light feeding to the yellow ones. see what happens. yellow from the bottom up is mostly nitrogen def.

since they are so small, you can see that so obviously.

Well I started the first 2 large ones in solo cups which was incredibly simple to guage watering. The other 6 I decided to start in larger pots which was a mistake and will not do next time. It makes difficult to guage when to water since more surface area has made the top inch or so dry out quickly. They were drooping severely in their first week. I have corrected that issue but now its just the yellow.
I will try feeding those ones today and see how it goes

Welcome to RIU, and the wonderful world of cultivating the world's most misunderstood and feared medicines!!!

The only 'advice' I can give you or anyone is to read and learn and then apply what you have read and learned to your garden and you cannot fail. Anyways, remember the search tool is your friend...Lots of folks here willing to help a new farmer get up and growing. But at the end of the day your grow will be only as good as the knowledge and work you put into it.

It is always great to ask questions but do not take anyone's advice or opinions and follow blindly. And remember anyone may have a well-known member status…but that means they have posted and responded to many threads and does not always mean well-educated growerz. Do your own research, you will be much happier knowing you have done it for yourself and by yourself. The first buzz you get from your own budz...is by far the BEST high you will ever have!

Do a search using your current question as the keyword(s) and ZOOOM!! Like Wonka's Great Glass Elevator…off you go to tons of threads answering all your questions. Read all the Newbie Central stickies and learn…

Soaking up all that information and sifting through it, is going to take time. You will likely finish your first grow by then. Viola! grow complete and education well under way.

KushyMcKush said:

Well I started the first 2 large ones in solo cups which was incredibly simple to guage watering. The other 6 I decided to start in larger pots which was a mistake and will not do next time. It makes difficult to guage when to water since more surface area has made the top inch or so dry out quickly. They were drooping severely in their first week. I have corrected that issue but now its just the yellow.
I will try feeding those ones today and see how it goes

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I have never used Nectar of the Gods and do not know much about it. For that matter I have never used FFOF either...but, I use the FFHF and have gathered a lot of info on the FFOF and the rest of their lines. IMHO...the FFOF is pretty hot for yougsters and needs no additional feeding until a good 2-3 weeks after plants are in their final container whatever size it may be.

Tha k you for your reply bkbbudz! I have been reading 2 different books Ed Rosenthall's 2010 edition and Jorge Cervantes indoor/outdoor bible. I have also been using countless online resources and cross-checking info and applying the most sound of all the sources. I am trying to only use online forums for issues I have trouble finding anywhere else.
Since yellowing leaves seems to be a cause of just about any deficiency out there I am having trouble pinning it down exactly. I will absolutely listen to anyone's advice, but in the end, the decision I make will be the result of multiple sources and my gut feeling, not just one source.
I am only using the FFOF on the 2 larger plants which are in week 4-5 of veg. They are expirimental plants that were under poor lighting for the first 2 weeks and grew slow, so technically they would only be in week 4ish. because they were in urgent need of transplant and the drive to my nearest hydro shop is 2 hours where they have the Nectar for the Gods soil which I am loving. FFOF was the best soil they had at my local nursery. I too have read it is hot, which I had no desire to use it on my smaller plants.

The closer I look, Im starting to see yellowing all over the place along with some minor brown spotting. What is going on here?!

Too much nutrients at so young.

Today was the second time the smaller ones received nutrients. They were given at 1/2 strength and the first time they got them was a small amount left over from the larger two plants and was diluted with R/O water. Other than that they have been given only R/O from seed. Do you think the Nectar soil might be on the hot side? The guy at the hydro shop said he uses it with seeds and its a light soil. Then again, I cant find much else about it online. All the other girls seem just fine with it but maybe this one is just sesitive?

KushyMcKush said:

Today was the second time the smaller ones received nutrients. They were given at 1/2 strength and the first time they got them was a small amount left over from the larger two plants and was diluted with R/O water. Other than that they have been given only R/O from seed. Do you think the Nectar soil might be on the hot side? The guy at the hydro shop said he uses it with seeds and its a light soil. Then again, I cant find much else about it online. All the other girls seem just fine with it but maybe this one is just sesitive?

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Bro, you're supposed to use nutes at half strength when they're in flowering. 1/4 at smaller sizes.

Theres just so much contradiction out there as to when to start using nutes and what strengths I just decided to try half strength. Like I said though Ive only done a full feeding once on them and this issue has been happening since before I even started feeding. The first feeding was in response to the issue. The first time they got nutes was just leftovers from my larger plants dilited with water and given to all 6 small plants. So it was probably diluted to 1/4 or less. It was just so I didnt waste them.
So, at this point Im unsure whether to continue with the nutes at all or continue at 1/4, or back off completely and just water for now. Some are saying its a lack of nutes and some say its too much.

KushyMcKush said:

Theres just so much contradiction out there as to when to start using nutes and what strengths I just decided to try half strength. Like I said though Ive only done a full feeding once on them and this issue has been happening since before I even started feeding. The first feeding was in response to the issue. The first time they got nutes was just leftovers from my larger plants dilited with water and given to all 6 small plants. So it was probably diluted to 1/4 or less. It was just so I didnt waste them.
So, at this point Im unsure whether to continue with the nutes at all or continue at 1/4, or back off completely and just water for now. Some are saying its a lack of nutes and some say its too much.

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What soil are you using? If it has ANY fertilizer pre mixed in, that's most likely your culprit.
Inside the seed shell are Cotelydons which supply the seedling with EVERYTHING it needs to survive for the first 1 1/2 - 2 weeks. All it needs until after the round bottom "leaf" looking things (cotelydons) die off, is pure, ph'ed water with low, low ppms. Like lower than 100. Distilled water from the store is great.

I am using Nectar for the Gods #4 soil. The guys at the hydro shop swore by it and said it was a light mixture, but to be honest I can't find a much information on the soil... The company's own website doesnt even have any info on it. I think next time I will start with a tried and true soil such as FFHF or something. I included a picture of the bag and a picture of the plants that I just took a minute ago. I did a feeding at 1/2 strength yesterday and they seem to be taking well to it, but Im going to back off a little bit until I can figure out what this is.

KushyMcKush said:

I am using Nectar for the Gods #4 soil. The guys at the hydro shop swore by it and said it was a light mixture, but to be honest I can't find a much information on the soil... The company's own website doesnt even have any info on it. I think next time I will start with a tried and true soil such as FFHF or something. I included a picture of the bag and a picture of the plants that I just took a minute ago. I did a feeding at 1/2 strength yesterday and they seem to be taking well to it, but Im going to back off a little bit until I can figure out what this is.

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Your problem is PH, plain and simple flush everything with PH'D tap water at 6.5 and leave em for a bit adding more shit will just build up and cause more lockout if in doubt flush it out your soil is fine just give em a good flush if you have to use ro water add some cal mag everything you use it will clear up in about a week then cut all leaves that are 50% or more damaged once they pick up start adding nutes at 1/4 strength

Thank you Fastdog. From what Ive been readig I was also suspecting Ph to be either part or all of the issue. I ordered some Ph down a few days ago because all I have is Ph up. My tap water comes out at 6.9-7.0, and my RO system comes out just around 8.0.
So, if it is my Ph as you suspect, what soil Ph should I be shooting for? Everywhere I read says 6.0-6.5. I tested the run-off of the affected plants yesterday and each came out just around 6.46 which I thought was in the perfect range? Do you thing the plants which are showing issues are just more sensitive to Ph?
I will begin using tap water only though just to be safe and see what happens. My Ph down will be here just in time for the next watering.

I tested the Ph lf the soil on the yellow-most girl and mixed a few scoops of soil off the tip with Ph 7.0 bottled water and I got 6.98. The runoff measures at 6.46 though. Which is the most accurate way of measuring and why such a huge difference?

KushyMcKush said:

I tested the Ph lf the soil on the yellow-most girl and mixed a few scoops of soil off the tip with Ph 7.0 bottled water and I got 6.98. The runoff measures at 6.46 though. Which is the most accurate way of measuring and why such a huge difference?

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Runoff ph means nothing, and your soil ph should not be 7 should more be like 6.3 out of the bag like I said your having lockout issues flush really good with 6.5 see what happens.

Thanks Fastdog. Im taking ur advice and beginning a flush today. I have some Ph down coming tomorrow but for now i bought a few gallons of distilled because they need a watering today. Ill check the Ph on it today and if its too high I guess i might have to just do it tomorrow. My Ph out of the tap is 6.9, my RO system comes out about 8 which is weird.

I live in a rural area so the closest gardening store with a decent selection of nutrients/Ph stuff is an hour and a half away... 2.5 hours to the closest hydro store so I have to rely on Amazon from time to time.

Ask what kind of pH buffering soil they sell ...also o think ur problem is over watering ...either too much to often or no drain holes ...I didn't read the whole thread but that's what I'd say....if that's not the prob I'd check air circulation and lighting...