Bruce banner auto growing slowly. And looking stressed and sad

[Cart3r249]

Can anyone spot what’s wrong here with just a photo? I can give more information if you want to help, but I’m just curious.
Thanks.

It’s a mutated Bruce banner autoflower. Soil mix, pretty standard Gaia green fertilizer. Ro water. Idk. My light is bad i think. My environment is pretty stable but I'm having some cold spikes.

Oh yeah it’s day 32

Any suggestions?

 

[Entombed]

Well I haven't got much to offer but .....

Start with the easy and basic stuff first.
What pH are you using when you water?

If you are at day 32 with an auto and there are no signs of flowering you may have a non-auto on your hands. I saw your other thread and the plant having a weird mutant start.

You could try changing the light schedule to 12/12 and see if it flowers.

 

[Cart3r249]

Well I haven't got much to offer but .....

Start with the easy and basic stuff first.
What pH are you using when you water?

If you are at day 32 with an auto and there are no signs of flowering you may have a non-auto on your hands. I saw your other thread and the plant having a weird mutant start.

You could try changing the light schedule to 12/12 and see if it flowers.

Currently I am not ph testing. Do you think that it’s absolutely necessary?

 

[Arnis&Weed]

Currently I am not ph testing. Do you think that it’s absolutely necessary?

I’m no expert but ABSOLUTELY Ph your water otherwise the plant can’t feed on the nutrients you are providing

 

[Cart3r249]

Okay I’m gonna get a meter and use this grow as a learning experience really. I’m not concerned with yield.

I just want to establish a baseline stable environment that I know will be sufficient for future runs

 

[BII]

Yes, you need to measure and adjust pH. That is, unless your base nutrients are among the few that actually don't need to be pH adjusted (as long as use RO or other low ppm/salts water).

The pH Perfect products from Advanced Nutrients (AN) have a good rep as working well without pHing. And although the company does not promote it, the MegaCrop base nutes from Greenleaf Nutrients (with their full and high quality chelation, like the AN products) need not be pH adjusted. For years, I've used both with RO water, never measure pH nor ppm, and get good results. Some other products may be buffered to mix to a suitable pH.

If your base nutrients and/or higher ppm water require you to pH, you are totally dependent on your pH meter being a quality instrument that's properly stored and calibrated (which is not simple). Since it seems you are getting started with growing, perhaps do more research, get more input, and weigh say investing in new nutrients (not needing pHing, but need RO/low ppm water) vs. a good quality/reliable pH meter and related maintenance and calibration fluid products.

 

[Cart3r249]

Yes, you need to measure and adjust pH. That is, unless your base nutrients are among the few that actually don't need to be pH adjusted (as long as use RO or other low ppm/salts water).

The pH Perfect products from Advanced Nutrients (AN) have a good rep as working well without pHing. And although the company does not promote it, the MegaCrop base nutes from Greenleaf Nutrients (with their full and high quality chelation, like the AN products) need not be pH adjusted. For years, I've used both with RO water, never measure pH nor ppm, and get good results. Some other products may be buffered to mix to a suitable pH.

If your base nutrients and/or higher ppm water require you to pH, you are totally dependent on your pH meter being a quality instrument that's properly stored and calibrated (which is not simple). Since it seems you are getting started with growing, perhaps do more research, get more input, and weigh say investing in new nutrients (not needing pHing, but need RO/low ppm water) vs. a good quality/reliable pH meter and related maintenance and calibration fluid products.

Okay noted, thanks for the detailed explanation. Currently I’m running a self made soil composition with all my own amendments.

As follows:

• Blood meal
• Bone meal
• Bat guano
• Rock phosphate
• Azomite
• Dolomite lime
• Epsom salts
• Humic acid
• Worm castings
• Mycorrhizae
• Perlite
• Happy frog

Mostly the happy frog and work castings and perlite and rice hulls, all the amendments were added under full strength.

 

[BII]

If using soil, check other sources, but there should be no need to pH water/nutrients (as long as the water is good enough), the living soil will take care of buffering.

That looks to be a lot of supplements added to Happy Frog, which as I recall has sufficient nutrients for about a month, at least several weeks. How did you know how much of each to add, or if was needed at all? For ex., I presume Happy Frog has sufficient calcium and magnesium, such that I wouldn't add more until I see actual need for this. But you added lime (Ca; slower release gypsum likely better) and epsom salts (Mg). Adding bone and blood meal and bat guano could be too much nitrogen. Nutrient excesses could be why the plant is "growing slowly."

 

[Cart3r249]

If using soil, check other sources, but there should be no need to pH water/nutrients (as long as the water is good enough), the living soil will take care of buffering.

That looks to be a lot of supplements added to Happy Frog, which as I recall has sufficient nutrients for about a month, at least several weeks. How did you know how much of each to add, or if was needed at all? For ex., I presume Happy Frog has sufficient calcium and magnesium, such that I wouldn't add more until I see actual need for this. But you added lime (Ca; slower release gypsum likely better) and epsom salts (Mg). Adding bone and blood meal and bat guano could be too much nitrogen. Nutrient excesses could be why the plant is "growing slowly."

Okay that makes sense.

I added the amendments to the bottom 50% of the pot. The top is just rice hulls soil worm castings and perlite.

Also, i used the amendment ratios from royal queen seeds autoflower soil recipe. I’ll attach a pic.

Do you think I’d have better luck with more simplicity? Like just finding a high quality dry slow release fertilizer, or something?

 

[Entombed]

Currently I am not ph testing. Do you think that it’s absolutely necessary?

Yes. If only to make sure you aren't in the extreme ends of the range. I know @BII has mentioned that good living soil doesn't need much adjustment for water. However, getting a meter and knowing what you are giving is important. If your tap water is good, less than 200ppm, and a pH in the 6-7 range you probably won't need to change much.

However, if you mix a couple nutrients in and the pH drops to like 4.5 you would most likely want to adjust it.

Cheap pH meters are fine, you have to calibrate them more often. Cheap is the $10-15 range. Good ones can be had for $50-60 and up.

pH pen
calibration fluid
storage fluid

An EC or PPM pen is also handy.

Good luck mang.