Are these plants healthy...?

[humblehumbergrower]

I have been trying to grow, but have been plagued with so many problems (you name it: nutes lockpout, mites, temperature, broken timer which led to 24h light in flowering, broken PH tester (!), mold, root disease...) that I've become a unwilling expert.
What I am NOT an expert on, is what a HEALTHY plant should look like.
I am using RO water adding CaMag, using Canna flores nutes. I check the PH daily, sitting around 6. Temp is 26 degrees under the lights (thanks to cool tubes etc.). I flush them every 10 days with low solution water.

I am using a Wilma system with 4 buckets, watering every 3/4 hours for 15 minutes (but only 2 soaks at night).

They are entering Week 3 of flowering, with 12h of total darkness.

Now... do these plants look OK to you? If not, what do you think I should do?

 

[gearshift]

Look like they have had some rough times, I can see some of the results of the problems you described. That said, it appears that you have been quick with your remedies!
To answer your question: the new growth (the plant tops) look like you're on top of things. Enjoy your grow and (edit: going to take awhile by the looks of the strain) the results.

 

[AquaTerra]

The burnt tip and margins is from nutrients/salt burn. Ease off on the nutrients a bit.

 

[humblehumbergrower]

Wait wait... my bad for not explaining properly. The problems I've had were for PREVIOUS crops! This one at least in theory was meant to be a smooth ride... And yet the plants don't look happy

It does look like nutrient burn. But I am using much less than the recommended doses for the Canna Flores nutes!

 

[AquaTerra]

Wait wait... my bad for not explaining properly. The problems I've had were for PREVIOUS crops! This one at least in theory was meant to be a smooth ride... And yet the plants don't look happy

It does look like nutrient burn. But I am using much less than the recommended doses for the Canna Flores nutes!

The tips like that 99% nute burn. Not necessarily from over feeding but from salts building up in the medium.

 

[humblehumbergrower]

I flush them every 10 days by letting Wilma run for 3 hours with fresh low-concentration solution... but I thought salts building up would *prevent* nutes from being absorbed, rather than burning the plant.

What am I getting horribly wrong?

 

[AquaTerra]

I flush them every 10 days by letting Wilma run for 3 hours with fresh low-concentration solution... but I thought salts building up would *prevent* nutes from being absorbed, rather than burning the plant.

What am I getting horribly wrong?

Salt build up could prevent plants from absorbing water properly through osmosis, ie more salts less pressure in the dirt so the plant has a harder time moving water. I guess I should looked better, they are in hydroton?

 

[humblehumbergrower]

They are in clay pebbles -- is that what you're asking?

 

[AquaTerra]

They are in clay pebbles -- is that what you're asking?

Yes.

 

[humblehumbergrower]

Any more thoughts? I am still confused re: nute lockup OR nute burnup... Aren't they opposite? Do they both cause yellow tips?

 

[crimsonecho]

Looks like nute burn.

 

[humblehumbergrower]

@crimdonecho So I should lower the amount of nutes? (even though I am WELL BELOW the recommended doses suggested by the CANNA charts...)

 

[crimsonecho]

I’m not well versed in your style of growing. Just looks like a lockout and/or burn to me.

 

[Roger A. Shrubber]

i don't like that wilma shit....that's recirculating drain to waste...you don't do that...
i'd take that system, get a larger res, and set the pots in a drain tray...and get rid of the hydroton and get some coco coir...
sometimes putting things together leads to the best of both worlds, and sometimes it leads to frankenstein....

those are definitely over fed, but i suspect they're overfed because a pot full of hydroton isn't a good medium for roots...they hang down into the res in hydro, hydroton is too large, roots need air, but not that much...

 

[humblehumbergrower]

I spent ages getting this setup right. It would be insane to get rid of it before giving it a proper go.

 

[raggyb]

@crimdonecho So I should lower the amount of nutes? (even though I am WELL BELOW the recommended doses suggested by the CANNA charts...)

just my 2 cents, what strain? the thin leaves look very sativa. pure sativas can be very light feeders and sensitive and hard to grow indoors.

 

[humblehumbergrower]

Nope they are very indica. This batch has smaller leaves than the previous ones (same mother). I am not sure why. But they are very indica.

 

[Blent]

Nope they are very indica. This batch has smaller leaves than the previous ones (same mother). I am not sure why. But they are very indica.

I reckon Rogers on it... Not many people are into that Wilma system, usually that's a sign it's a bit of a dud... At least you have the grit and practicality to make these things work, setting up hydro systems can be as simple or complex as you like, as you know you decided on a complex one. Most of your parts pumps and piping can be repurposed into another type of circulation...
I've been on holiday now for 3 weeks on the other side of the world, my rdwc is chugging away all on its own, i have cameras on it but I don't need to do anything except wait... Sure it will need some attention when I get home but this is the life I'm telling ya....

 

[Roger A. Shrubber]

I spent ages getting this setup right. It would be insane to get rid of it before giving it a proper go.

no, it wouldn't be insane...it would be very disappointing to you...but whats going to be more disappointing is failing because of this weird hybrid system...
don't get me wrong, i'm not hoping you fail...make it work and tell me how you did it...i'm just not optimistic.

 

[danjac82]

I have been trying to grow, but have been plagued with so many problems (you name it: nutes lockpout, mites, temperature, broken timer which led to 24h light in flowering, broken PH tester (!), mold, root disease...) that I've become a unwilling expert.
What I am NOT an expert on, is what a HEALTHY plant should look like.
I am using RO water adding CaMag, using Canna flores nutes. I check the PH daily, sitting around 6. Temp is 26 degrees under the lights (thanks to cool tubes etc.). I flush them every 10 days with low solution water.

I am using a Wilma system with 4 buckets, watering every 3/4 hours for 15 minutes (but only 2 soaks at night).

They are entering Week 3 of flowering, with 12h of total darkness.

Now... do these plants look OK to you? If not, what do you think I should do?

Its probably safe to say that your failures and continued issues come from not following a simple tried and true method. Forget the fancy shit. Forget hydro and forget fancy 3 part fertilizer rip offs. Put the god damn ppm meter down and stop chasing ph. The shit all sounds cool and sciencey but it’s not for you right now. Simple soil mix next grow. Simple nutes.