Recurring and frustrating issue

This is my 3rd grow using coast of Maine stonington soil. I add about 25% extra perlite and nothing else at time of planting. Tap water only for the first few weeks.

First two runs were with a marshydro ts1000. Current (third) run is with a marshydro FC3000 evo. Both DLI adjusted with photone app. My first run was using perlite from HD and the last two were using coarse perlite from the garden store.

The second run had inter-veinal yellowing that never got better even with Epsom salt amended water, calmag, whatever.

This third run is already showing the same issue. This is one of four plants and is finishing its third week.

What could be causing this and what can I do to fix / prevent it from happening? It’s becoming a bit frustrating.

Could it be some issue with the perlite from the garden store?? It was a huge bag vs the small bags from HD.

This can’t be excessive nitrogen?!? I‘m at a loss here and will be switching soils next run if I can’t figure this out.

Maybe it is time to switch soil medium

Budzbuddha said:

Maybe it is time to switch soil medium

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Any idea what's causing it though? I've had the same thing happen to me before in happy frog.

Budzbuddha said:

Maybe it is time to switch soil medium

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Yes, that is my planBut I’m stuck with this for now.

What can I try to power through vs tossing plants and starting over (previous runs turned out decent…Im not shooting for ‘decent’).

s4cruiser said:

Yes, that is my planBut I’m stuck with this for now.

What can I try to power through vs tossing plants and starting over (previous runs turned out decent…Im not shooting for ‘decent’).

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Here may be some solutions for ya.

Have you tried a dry fertilizer ? Or similar ?


Or maybe a powdered nute line ? Like GH ?


Or a heavier charged base soil as a Top Dress like FFOF.



You could add a couple cups of this soil on top and water in - probably the easiest way to get some balance.

It kind of looks like a mag deficiency.

Roots organic terp tea?

big bud man 413 said:

Roots organic terp tea?

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Yep - i use both grow and bloom for whatever stage they are in … pretty simple.

Product looks like light brown talc powder. I find you have to really scratch this into top soil as it is hydrophobic from the start - but got me an old water bottle - add powder / water / shake then drench. This way helps makes it flow better.

Budzbuddha said:

Yep - i use both grow and bloom for whatever stage they are in … pretty simple.

Product looks like light brown talc powder. I find you have to really scratch this into top soil as it is hydrophobic from the start - but got me an old water bottle - add powder / water / shake then drench. This way helps makes it flow better.

View attachment 5374588View attachment 5374589

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It's good stuff!

Lots of good shit in it

Mg deficiency like Budz said.

Same going on with mine. I’m using ffof/ffhf. Is it burn from the hot soil? Should I cal/mag?

BotanistWannabe said:

Same going on with mine. I’m using ffof/ffhf. Is it burn from the hot soil? Should I cal/mag?

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I have only watered RO 6.3 water with 1040 ppm runoff @ 6.0

BotanistWannabe said:

I have only watered RO 6.3 water with 1040 ppm runoff @ 6.0

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Did they look better when they were younger? If you've only been watering with RO you probably stripped out some of the Ca and Mg. So add calmag if your going to use it. 6.3 is also a little low for soil but I don't think that's your main problem. Also check for bugs. That white stuff on your leaves looks suspect.

Definitely mag deficiency. You need to start adding some fertilizer in before you transplant is all. Not enough food cannabis is a big eater sometimes. If you watering to runoff in soil you’ll just wash out alot of the minerals and nutrients in the soil before the plant can use it.

I’ll mix up some Epsom salts for a spray tonight.

Last run I used dry ferts, watered with Epsom salts, then bottled nutes and watered with recharge once a week to no avail. I’ll definitely be using another soil medium next round. I didn’t have this issue with FFOF but that had gnats in it.

I gave them a foliar spray treatment (3/4 tsp per 1 liter of water) on Monday. That seems to have solved my issue. Appears that foliar spray works much better vs adding to water for soil drench (I had the same issue last grow and adding to water for soil drench never corrected the issue). Learn something new everyday!

Might repeat the foliar spray again next week for a fail safe.

Pics later tonight once lights are back on.

s4cruiser said:

I gave them a foliar spray treatment (3/4 tsp per 1 liter of water) on Monday. That seems to have solved my issue. Appears that foliar spray works much better vs adding to water for soil drench (I had the same issue last grow and adding to water for soil drench never corrected the issue). Learn something new everyday!

Might repeat the foliar spray again next week for a fail safe.

Pics later tonight once lights are back on.

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Magnesium def happens before u see any indications. When you do it’s too late and youre chasing your tail.

Maybe your water is high in calcium?

When I pot up I water the soil with calmag/Epsom salts to establish a good amount of secondary nutrients.

Foliar feeding is the most effective way to treat mag def as you found out!

My water may be high in calcium, it’s city tap water. I’ll add this to regime going forward.

I ‘think’ I’m past the mg deficiency. I’ve done two light foliar sprays with epsom salts and these are looking pretty good now.

Still not sure what caused the issue in the first place, soil needed extra mg, my tap water being high in calcium (leading to imbalance) OR since I used distilled water for the first couple weeks of the grow and it leached out mg from the soil!?!?