Blue Dream Auto - deficiency and cold?

[theRealDespotic]

Hey folks, hoping someone can help. I've got 5 autos going in a square meter room, all being fed the same (GH 3 part), all about the same age, all in coco+perlite ~ 75/25. The coco is reused and was flushed previously to around 300ppm runoff.

We got a cold snap and everything seemed a bit shocked and droopy, but from the middle of the leaf rather than the stem. I put a heater in there but I noticed that one of the blue dream autos had some markings on a leaf that had been touching the wall of the tent. I turned the plant, made note of it and moved on. The next day I noticed another plant was similarly discolored. I assumed that it was the start of a ca deficiency since I'd been going pretty light on the cal-max thinking that the CEC would be equalized now. So I upped the Cal-max back closer to 4mL/gallon in my feeding/watering but I haven't seen an improvement in the Blue Dream, in fact it seems to be spreading.

Here's a pic of the damage. I'm seeing the discoloring in the bottom leaves, moving upward now.

I've recently reduced my feedings and increased my waterings. I think I was over feeding/underwatering (bet you didn't see that coming). Meaning, I think I was following the GH feed schedule but not rinsing regularly. This past week I've been feeding at 1/3 strength with full strength additives (acids and enzymes, SI and CA and MG and marine stuff) and I'm feeding daily (soon to be twice a day by the progress of the Candy Cane in the middle.

You can check out the grow here (https://www.autoflower.org/threads/bomb-seeds-berry-bomb.56783/) where I'm chronicling the Berry Bombs.

Thanks!

 

[Heavily Medicated]

It appears to me you have the beginnings of a Ca def, the brown spots, and a slight Mg def flaring up, the whitening between green veins. I was going to say the drooping looked like overwatering, but underwatering gives the same symptoms.

 

[theRealDespotic]

Thanks for the input! I'll continue to monitor progress. They're looking much better again today insofar as they're starting to get back to the praying position. The mottling is still present but hopefully won't spread.
Being semi-mobile, will Ca deficiency symptoms in the leaves repair themselves or is the damage just done and going to stay for the life of the leaves?

 

[Nabzter]

Looks like ca def and potential over watering. Don't forget when temps Drop your ladies will require and take up less water.

 

[theRealDespotic]

Noted! I think I was getting a little overzealous with the watering in hopes of having the increased oxygen in the roots but it's definitely possible that I'm overdoing the water a bit. I've heard that you need to dial back a bit with > 2gallon pots and these are around 3. I think that I maybe should've kept closer to the 50/50 split with the 3 & 5 gallon pots. I did 50/50 last time and I was concerned about that being TOO airy and contributing to the salt build-up. Well I think that I could have kept the ratio and increased the watering while decreasing the feeding. Instead I went for less perlite this time, no biggie. I'll just keep learning!

 

[theRealDespotic]

The candy cane in the middle tho! Sucking up all the water in its pot so fast and THRIVING! I think some more people need to try the Crop King autos and tell me if I'm crazy or they really are doing something really right.

 

[theRealDespotic]

Everything rebounded nicely from the excess water but I still have this spotting spreading. I thought it might have stopped but I've found 3 more with it now since I thought it was nipped.

I suspected Ca and increased the cal-max to ~4mL/4L. I was suggested to use 5mL/gallon so 4mL/4L is a little over 20% light but I have never used anywhere close to the full amount before. I suppose I'll try the next few waterings at the full 5 mL dose and see if that helps. I don't think it's unheard of for a strain to be particular about certain nutrients but given that I'm going from around 1.5-2mL/4L of cal-max for the last few grows to 5, should I be concerned about my healthy plants reacting to the increase in Ca?

Here are 3 affected leaves. They look extremely healthy if not for the rusty spots.

 

[theRealDespotic]

Unlike the textbook Ca def, none of these leaves are new growth, all from the middle of the plant and there has been no yellowing down low or anywhere else for that matter.

 

[Waira]

RD'-- yup this is straight up Ca defc.,... typically from what I've seen, Ca defc. desn't hit the newest growth first like the other truly immobile nute elements do, and Ca is generally though of as "poorly" mobile; manifesting in mid to uppers leaves is the norm',... Cold temp's will slow everything down, transportation-wise,... and the damage does not reverse with Ca defc., you're looking for a halt to progression. Also, and most importantly, the dosage of Ca-Mg supplement in coco with non-coco specific nutes needs to be greater; coco has odd CEC properties, one of which is a powerful affinity for binding Ca, to the point that until sated, it'll restrict the roots access to Ca in favor of itself! One thing that caught my eye is the deep greem color of your plants, hinting at borderline N-toxicity.. could be just the lighting, but I know GH's NPK#'s and ratios, and that damn Micro is loaded with N; some Ca-Mg supp's are too... is there an analysis on that Cal-max? You might need to use GH CaliMagic 1-0-0, or better still, GO (same company) CaMg+, an all carbonate organic formula 0-0-0,... in any case, dosage needs to be up'ed, but the N content issue needs be addressed with info from you,...

 

[theRealDespotic]

Thanks for taking the time Waira. The coco that these plants are in are all the same batch of reused and flushed coco. I haven't had any issues with any other plants the past year except these 2 blue dreams that are both showing the same symptoms. I guess they must be Ca hungry girls!
You are correct about Cal-max being a little higher in N than Cali-magic. I'm just finishing a bottle of cal-max and picked up a bottle of Cali-magic today so I don't run out over the holidays. I think it might just be the lighting causing the leaves to look overly dark. I've got a few group shots in my current berry bomb thread if you wanna take a look at the lot together. I think I generally under-feed, I usually dilute the GH feed chart regimen down to 1/3 and 2/3 alternating. I am using Floralicious Plus Concentrated this run and previously I've only ever used Floralicious; the "Plus" is basically just N as I understand.