NEW AUTO GROWER NEEDS HELP

[TxGrowman]

I have downloaded 5 pictures of my Blueberry Auto plants. They appear to be healthy but not growing as fast as I hoped for. I am on day 20 and they have not grown that much. This morning I noticed that the deep green I had earlier and the day before was fading. My particulars are on my grow Blueberry Autos - First Auto Grow but here is my soil:
Going with Black Gold soil, a premixed blend of peat and coco, Mycorrhorizae, Mag salts, some organic compost, dolomite lime, earthworm castings, expanded shale and soil inoculants with helpful bacteria. More than I initially planned on putting into the soil but am told that the quality is better on organic. Going to find out the truth for myself.

My water is pH'd to 6.5. My first feeding was 3 days ago in pH 6.5 water and 4 ml's of Alaska fish fertilizer (5-1-1) in a gallon water. Label recommended 30ml/gallon.) This is my second time to water at all as the soil is really fluffy and moist.

I have a 300 watt (actual draw) LED at 24 inches with four 100 watt equivalent (23 Watts draw each) florescent spiral drop down lights.

It kind of looks like a nitrogen deficiency but I am unsure with Auto's if they would use that much nitrogen. Should I proceed ahead with more nutes or wait and see? Don't see any nutrient burns on the leaves. I want to get them going as they are time critical.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Jerry - TxGrowman

 

[Dark Matter]

Hi jerry, yeah it could well be a nitrogen deficiency. Although the new growth is,a nice green colour. Id lay off any nutes for a bit and see how they respond. There should be enough in your soil already

 

[Dazed]

Hey brother Jerry, you have a few girls there whom - at 20 days should be much bigger IMHO.
Do you know the true pH of your soil? I agree with Seasick, plants those size are way too small for any real nutrient regime. I am certainly no expert but I would imagine your soil is off somewhere my friend. Even with organic, a soil pH that is off will hurt a grow. I honestly think it's a pH thing, but head over to AFN live help thread for the experts to help you.

https://www.autoflower.org/index.ph...thread-replies-by-afn-staff-only.30723/unread

Good luck bro.

 

[TxGrowman]

Hi jerry, yeah it could well be a nitrogen deficiency. Although the new growth is,a nice green colour. Id lay off any nutes for a bit and see how they respond. There should be enough in your soil already

Just to check, I flushed the plant and my pH was 7.4 ! YIKES ! ! NOT GOOD. I know that Autos are easily stressed (I've been told) and flushing is a stress BUT I felt the situation was bad enough to flush them. I used about 30 gallons of pH 6.3 water on all of them together and my final flush drain water was 6.5. A little more reasonable. I set them out in the Texas sun for a little sunbathing (usually in a tent) but it is only 81 degrees and I wanted to flush them and not make the house look like a disaster area. lol Wife would really love me if I did that. I grow flowers, veggies, trees in my yard and we keep it pretty pest free so I am going to risk leaving them out until they drain out.
Does that sound like a good plan?

 

[TxGrowman]

Hey brother Jerry, you have a few girls there whom - at 20 days should be much bigger IMHO.
Do you know the true pH of your soil? I agree with Seasick, plants those size are way too small for any real nutrient regime. I am certainly no expert but I would imagine your soil is off somewhere my friend. Even with organic, a soil pH that is off will hurt a grow. I honestly think it's a pH thing, but head over to AFN live help thread for the experts to help you.

https://www.autoflower.org/index.ph...thread-replies-by-afn-staff-only.30723/unread

Good luck bro.

IT WAS ! When I saw your post, I said that I might as well as check it. WOW. 7.4 Flushed and now at 6.5 from drain water. THANKS, GREAT ADVICE ! That was my first try at totally organic and I went too far! ! Another lesson learned, all be it expensive!
Jerry

 

[Dazed]

Glad you got sorted

 

[StraightKRACK]

How are things looking now. I was also having issues with my grow. How is the humidity?

 

[Waira]

...Huh, I tried the GO Box organic line this time, and a couple pots went oddly acidic on me,.... I'm outdoors, fast version Sweet photo's,... with organics, the soil herd is more important than usual, as it's their job to break down the organic nute' source into absorbable forms,... something I read recently, about the way nitrate and ammonium are metabolized, and the ion exchange that happens when a nute' ion is taken in,..to maintain electrical balance, another like-charged ion gets booted out,... with ammonium, it a proton, H+,... if the 'crobes are making lots of NH4+, then the metabolic uptake will be putting extra H+ out into the root zone, causing the pH to dive... Now, if it's nitrate, I think it's bicarbonate that gets booted out, and that will make things alkaline, as bicarb' is the pH buffering ion,... speculating, that's why you pH went high,... :smoking: