Plant Diagnosis Confirmation

Hi Growers,

I am new to this indoor growing but I have read up quite a bit through the forums before I started. I also have been gardening for a couple years outside just first time with cannabis. However I think I have been making a horrible mistake since I started these seedlings. I am fairly sure I have been over watering.

Can you confirm my diagnosis through the pictures I have attached?

This plant is 3 weeks since it first broke through and saw light. Am I wrong thinking it should be bigger and I have stunted its growth through over watering? My other queue is that it's leafs are cupping downwards. My other thought is nitrogen toxicity? It doesn't have the dragon claw look that I have seen in so many pictures.

Plant is under a 600W MH. Running 20/4 light cycle. Temperature has been fairly stable around 26 degrees. There has been a couple times where it went down to 18 degrees or high as 32 degrees but it was corrected quickly. Humidity has been stable as well around 45%.

Plant is in Farards Agro Mix G5. I am using General Organics GO Box as well as giving worm casting tea a few times. I have given nutrients twice now within the 21 days first time at 1/2 strength 10 days after she first saw light and the last time at 3/4 strength yesterday. I have always only used RO Water at 6.5 PH. My schedule has been RO Water Worm Casting Tea > RO Water with Rapid Start > RO Water > RO Water + Nutrients > Repeat. Time between waterings has been 2 - 3 days since re-potting in bigger pot from solo cup.

Strain is Green Crack.

Thanks for your time.

Plant is being overwatered; watered too soon when doesn't need it.

I am using the lift the pot method and obviously when I am thinking it's light and needs watering, it doesn't.

When I think it needs watering I will wait at minimum an extra day or longer.

Hopefully she bounces back and doesn't stay stunted. Learning experience.

Thanks!

As roots consistently get more air, they will recover and grow well. What you see above is what is happening in the roots. Take care of the roots and everything will follow. Air to the roots is the most important thing.

i hadn't heard of fafard's before, so i looked it up, it has a lot of peat moss, and wood bark, both of which are going to effect your ph as they decay. keep an eye on your run off ph, make sure its not getting too acidic. also i'd add about 25% perlite, i know it has some, but it doesn't look like its draining good enough to me.

Thanks for the tip on the ph. I'll keep an eye on it. The RO Water I have been putting in is 6.7.

I actually just bought a bag of perlite and planned on mixing in a good amount when I am ready to move it to the 5 gallon root master pot out of the 2 gallon.

So the soil feels good and dry at this point. I plan on waiting until this time tomorrow to actually give any water which would be 3 full days.

However..

I am posting a couple more pictures though as the claw looks like it might be happening. Also Roger you mentioned PH problems and low and behold one of the leaves looks like it might be showing PH fluctuations?

Can you guys confirm the claw for me and my diagnosis of PH fluctuations?

Thanks again.

burnitdowntrees said:

So the soil feels good and dry at this point. I plan on waiting until this time tomorrow to actually give any water which would be 3 full days.

However..

I am posting a couple more pictures though as the claw looks like it might be happening. Also Roger you mentioned PH problems and low and behold one of the leaves looks like it might be showing PH fluctuations?

Can you guys confirm the claw for me and my diagnosis of PH fluctuations?

Thanks again.

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Still looks like over watering.

Sometimes, when plants get over watered, their roots shut down. Then the moisture in the soil never dries out. I've had plants sit in limbo for weeks because they were over watered.

The plant sitting in limbo for weeks.. did it ever recover? Did you provide it any water during that period at all? Trying my hardest to leave this plant alone now and still have it end up being happy and healthy.

I haven't seen pictures with the spots like I mentioned for over watering though. I've seen that in PH fluctuation photos though..?

burnitdowntrees said:

The plant sitting in limbo for weeks.. did it ever recover? Did you provide it any water during that period at all? Trying my hardest to leave this plant alone now and still have it end up being happy and healthy.

I haven't seen pictures with the spots like I mentioned for over watering though. I've seen that in PH fluctuation photos though..?

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I've had plants recover from heavy over watering. If the root structure is good I would knock the whole plant out of the pot and set it on a thick layer of newspaper to try to draw some water out of the soil. The pots tend to seal in all the moisture. To fix it you need to get the roots aired out. Once they open back up they will start drawing in water again and everything should turn around.

My leaves always curl and sag and then start dying off when damaged from over watering. Sometimes they die off from the edges of the blades inwards. Sometimes they die off in patches on the leaves.

Not sure if it makes a difference or not regarding sealing in moisture but i'd assume it does..

I'm using a Gro Pro Root Master Pot.

burnitdowntrees said:

Not sure if it makes a difference or not regarding sealing in moisture but i'd assume it does..

I'm using a Gro Pro Root Master Pot.

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Those look really nice. That should help, a lot.

Overwatering can make a plant show all kinds of weird deficiencies as uptake is blocked, don't chase these, chase the overwatering or not well draining mix.

Johnei said:

Overwatering can make a plant show all kinds of weird deficiencies as uptake is blocked, don't chase these, chase the overwatering or not well draining mix.

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Thanks for your help.

She feels so light and dry right now, which is when I usually water but I am going to give her an extra 24 hours or so. Hopefully this gives the roots some time to breathe and recover. I will always wait the extra day from now on.

When she recovers and is ready for a re-potting I will add a bunch more perlite in as well like was mentioned earlier.

(Fill same size pot same soil mix with no plant in it, use as dry soil weight measurement. Just a thought that popped in my head. Not as a precise measure, as a baseline for your brain, maybe, just idea, as learning tool.)

Johnei said:

(Fill same size pot same soil mix with no plant in it, use as dry soil weight measurement. Just a thought that popped in my head. Not as a precise measure, as a baseline for your brain, maybe, just idea, as learning tool.)

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That's actually a really good idea!