Leaves Look Stressed (pics)

I have some skunk plants that are almost 4 weeks into flowering. They have been looking great, but all of a sudden I have noticed some of the leaves look stressed. They feel hard and are folding up. I can't tell wether it's a deficiency, overfertilizing or maybe something else. Here's my stats:

600 watt hp sodium (2 for a 32 square foot area)
Fox Farm Ocean Forest Soil with Light Warrior and extra perlite
soil ph is around 6.5
All water is RO
Since flowering, they have been fed with age old bloom fertilizer (6-12-6) and budswell mixed with molasses. All ferts ph balanced between 6.5 and 7. They started with 1/2 strength ferts and just got moved to full strength when they got watered a couple of days ago. Watering a little under once a week. They have not been flushed yet, but all ferts are organic.

Experts, please help me! Let me know if you need more info.

univativegrower said:

I have some skunk plants that are almost 4 weeks into flowering. They have been looking great, but all of a sudden I have noticed some of the leaves look stressed. They feel hard and are folding up. I can't tell wether it's a deficiency, overfertilizing or maybe something else. Here's my stats:

600 watt hp sodium (2 for a 32 square foot area)
Fox Farm Ocean Forest Soil with Light Warrior and extra perlite
soil ph is around 6.5
All water is RO
Since flowering, they have been fed with age old bloom fertilizer (6-12-6) and budswell mixed with molasses. All ferts ph balanced between 6.5 and 7. They started with 1/2 strength ferts and just got moved to full strength when they got watered a couple of days ago. Watering a little under once a week. They have not been flushed yet, but all ferts are organic.

Experts, please help me! Let me know if you need more info.

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I forgot to mention that the rest of the plant looks healthy. The third picture is of the whole plant, and the fourth pic is from a different plant but appears to be the same problem at a later stage.

what are they temps at the canopy? it looks like it could be over water. or also heat stress.. do you lift your pots before you water to make sure they are light?

when did they start doing this?

Chronic Connoisseur said:

what are they temps at the canopy? it looks like it could be over water. or also heat stress.. do you lift your pots before you water to make sure they are light?

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The temps are good I think. I have air-cooled lights so the canopy is around 75 - 78. I do check the weight of the pot but generally water when the soil feels dry an inch or two below the surface. Perhaps weight would be a better test...

univativegrower said:

The temps are good I think. I have air-cooled lights so the canopy is around 75 - 78. I do check the weight of the pot but generally water when the soil feels dry an inch or two below the surface. Perhaps weight would be a better test...

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oh, and it just started about a day or two ago. I'm trying to stop it before it gets worse if I can.

k, now that i look at the last pic, it seems that it is getting hot spots. you said you added more nutes the last time you watered. this could have thrown off your ph... im pretty sure thats it.

Chronic Connoisseur said:

k, now that i look at the last pic, it seems that it is getting hot spots. you said you added more nutes the last time you watered. this could have thrown off your ph... im pretty sure thats it.

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cool, thanks bro. So I will check the soil ph and if it is correct, than maybe overfertilizing?

univativegrower said:

cool, thanks bro. So I will check the soil ph and if it is correct, than maybe overfertilizing?

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Kinda, when the ph changes, it makes the plant lock up salts and stuff that it cant dissolve.

when you add or remove nutes, it changes the ph.

lemme know what you find out about the ph, and i'll look more into it if that is not the problem, but for right now that is what i feel is most likely causing it.

Chronic Connoisseur said:

Kinda, when the ph changes, it makes the plant lock up salts and stuff that it cant dissolve.

when you add or remove nutes, it changes the ph.

lemme know what you find out about the ph, and i'll look more into it if that is not the problem, but for right now that is what i feel is most likely causing it.

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awesome, thank you man. I will repost with ph readings tomorrow.

univativegrower said:

awesome, thank you man. I will repost with ph readings tomorrow.

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So, I took samples from two different plants in the garden and the ph reading of the soil was just below 7. Isn't that good or should I be closer to 6.5? Any other theories on my weirdo leaves? At this point, about half of my plants are doing it. Today I flushed a couple and hit them with very mild ph balanced ferts to see if it helps. Any other suggestions?

univativegrower said:

So, I took samples from two different plants in the garden and the ph reading of the soil was just below 7. Isn't that good or should I be closer to 6.5? Any other theories on my weirdo leaves? At this point, about half of my plants are doing it. Today I flushed a couple and hit them with very mild ph balanced ferts to see if it helps. Any other suggestions?

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did it start with the younger leaves?

I cant get past that it seems like a nute problem. seems like nitrogen. i would just flush, and hope for the best.

have the leaves turned to a paler green since it was in veg?

Chronic Connoisseur said:

did it start with the younger leaves?

I cant get past that it seems like a nute problem. seems like nitrogen. i would just flush, and hope for the best.

have the leaves turned to a paler green since it was in veg?

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Yeah, it's weird. It mainly seems to be happening around the middle of the plant with the big fan leaves. I was thinking nitrogen deficiency too, but it's not good to give them too much N during flowering right? Anyway, thanks so much for your help and advice, I owe you!

univativegrower said:

Yeah, it's weird. It mainly seems to be happening around the middle of the plant with the big fan leaves. I was thinking nitrogen deficiency too, but it's not good to give them too much N during flowering right? Anyway, thanks so much for your help and advice, I owe you!

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So I flushed out all of the plants and then hit them with very diluted ferts. Things are not TOO bad yet, but I keep seeing more and more leaves like this. They are getting really brittle and crispy and dark green. PH seems fine, and since they are now in the fifth week of flowering, I don't want to cut their fert schedule too much. New pics of the progression. Any theories?

univativegrower said:

mixed with molasses. .

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i heard mixed feelings about using sugars like that but im newer at this.. plus... my plants leaves curled under and dryed like that 4th pic and i believe i was UNDER watering them... they do grow very rapidly durring flower, again.. newer at this so maybe im wrong..

edit: do you have an agressive breaze on them... excessive wind could dry them out, thats what my leaves were looking like.. little spots, then they dry a bit from the tip and the seraded edges start to curl inwards. whats your humidity at?

crazycanuk said:

i heard mixed feelings about using sugars like that but im newer at this.. plus... my plants leaves curled under and dryed like that 4th pic and i believe i was UNDER watering them... they do grow very rapidly durring flower, again.. newer at this so maybe im wrong..

edit: do you have an agressive breaze on them... excessive wind could dry them out, thats what my leaves were looking like.. little spots, then they dry a bit from the tip and the seraded edges start to curl inwards. whats your humidity at?

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Humidity is 40 - 50 %. I do have some small circ fans that hit them directly. Maybe I'll turn them on low to see if it helps. Also, I have more cfm of intake air than exhaust, so maybe it's too much. Nice theory. As far as sugars, have you heard negative things about using molasses in your ferts?

univativegrower said:

Humidity is 40 - 50 %. I do have some small circ fans that hit them directly. Maybe I'll turn them on low to see if it helps. Also, I have more cfm of intake air than exhaust, so maybe it's too much. Nice theory. As far as sugars, have you heard negative things about using molasses in your ferts?

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Leaves curling down is usually a sign of sensitivity to nitrogen. I have a couple of Joey Weed F1 Blueberries in Ocean Forest and they curled much worse and got crispy on the ends as soon as I nuted them. I have a a couple of White Widows that love the Ocean Forest nute program, but I use a very, very light schedule of nutes on the Blueberries and didn't add anything for the first month after it flipped out on the first Ocean Forest nute feeding. I would not add anything and just use plain water for the next few waterings. Your ladies look nice so don't over-react. The yellowing is a bit strange up near the middle. If it was a nitrogen deficiency that yellowing should show on the bottom leaves first with the leaves yellowing between the viens and then spreading out. Are you using unsulfered molasses and at the rate of of 1 tablespoon per gallon of water? Oh, and get the fans off a direct hit. Remember, you want to simply keep the air circulating in your grow area. I us a a few Vornado Flippi's on the floor and it really circulates the air nicely. You only give the ladies a couple of hours, 3 or 4 days a week a light breeze in the first few weeks to help strengthen the stalk and stems.

univativegrower said:

So I flushed out all of the plants and then hit them with very diluted ferts. Things are not TOO bad yet, but I keep seeing more and more leaves like this. They are getting really brittle and crispy and dark green. PH seems fine, and since they are now in the fifth week of flowering, I don't want to cut their fert schedule too much. New pics of the progression. Any theories?

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Dark green is another sure sign of too much nitrogen. Don't use "Diluted" nutes, as you said. Straight water for the next couple of waterings.

TheCoastMan said:

Dark green is another sure sign of too much nitrogen. Don't use "Diluted" nutes, as you said. Straight water for the next couple of waterings.

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Sounds good man, thanks for the advice. What about phosphorous? They are in the 5th week of flowering and I don't want the buds to suffer. Should I use a fert with no N or straight water like you were saying?

univativegrower said:

Sounds good man, thanks for the advice. What about phosphorous? They are in the 5th week of flowering and I don't want the buds to suffer. Should I use a fert with no N or straight water like you were saying?

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Oh, and I forgot to mention that I use unsulphured blackstrap molasses, but I have been using 1 tsp. per gallon. Is one tbsp. better?

Cheers bro Looking at your pics and going by that you say " you water them when the top 1-2 inches dry out", I would consider that you may be overwatering them. I only maintain my moms in soil, and they do best when the pots get rather dry between waterings.

Good luck,
Unity