Trying to get grow tent setup with a test run using tomato's - sick plants

[lunarman]

I'm doing a test run with tomatoes now while I wait for my government MMJ grow approval. Indoor 4x8 tent and 9 pots for the tomatoes. I germinated them in the plant starter kits with the peat soil cubes and put the seedlings in a dome with heat and light and then moved the cubes in to the pots and in the tent.

I have 2x600 watt hps lights. I'm not cooling the lights at this point because the tent temp only reaches 80 F.

I have not measured ppm, ph, moisture yet.

Hoping I can get some help troubleshooting this and take the lesson learned so my first MMJ grow goes successfully.

Are these pictures good enough to tell what issues I could be facing?:

 

[Waira]

lunarman- sorry mate, this got lost in the shuffle- ... yes, I'll need more info and some pics too,... a handy form is here: https://www.autoflower.org/threads/...ill-out-first-with-the-data-that-matta.45991/
....looks like mostly lower leaf damage; tops look OK? Do you have a pH meter, TDS or EC meter, and if you grow in soil, I very highly recommend a quality soil pH probe, like the Accurate 8 (Control Wizard),.. meters are for liquids only, and run-off testing is dubious at best for accuracy,... the TDS/EC meter will tell you how hard your water is, which will affect how you pH adjust things,...if needed! The probe tests directly in-pot, nothing beats that! Keeping your inputs adjusted before going into the pot will go a long way to keeping the soil pH in proper range,.. fixing off soil pH is a beating sometimes! And the soil quality needs to be high, no cheap crap, or it'll come back to haunt your grow,.. One great thing about the A8 probe is you can test your soil before planting, to see if it's in proper range, and maybe do some adjusting beforehand,... tell us what brands you can get where you live,....

 

[lunarman]

thanks for chiming in Waira. Appreciate the tips on tools etc for troubleshooting. Its these tools that I need to invest in next. First investment was the tents and filters and fans and lights. Now i need some beans and meter toys.

I flushed all the pots twice in the last three days because I think the issue is too much nutes. I left the plants in a buddies care for two weeks with a box of tomatoe nutes and he didn't get the ratio right when mixing. He needs to get some glasses. Also moved them outside while I adjusted the configuration of the lights and ventilation in the tent. So hoping that removing the tent out of the equation, and flushing the pots, will get the plants back on track. I'll look at that probe too. a pH meter is a must have tool and I need to get one. I bought a cheapo 3 way probe (lumens, ph, moisture) but it was useless for getting readings that made sense.

I'll posts back with pics etc if I have anything meaningful come in the next couple of days.

 

[Waira]

yup, that's what I was leaning toward, but wanted to see if any had been put in yet,.. I'm not a tomato grower myself, and I'm not sure how closely symptom/defc. manifestation translates over to non-canna' plants... and edge wasting like that can be a few different things,...
The A8 is about $55, a basic TDS meter under $20, and a decent pH meter, spend about $40 at least,... or chip up some extra to get the type with replaceable probes,... oh yes, those cheapo units are crap!

 

[lunarman]

Waira I bought the Accurate 8 based on your rec. Got it today. I'm liking it a lot. I use drops for measuring PH in water right now. I'm cheap and broke! I have a big bin of organic amended soil cooking now for my next/first grow and I've been keeping it moist using tap water I PH'd. But wasn't sure what the PH of the soil is. The Accurate 8 solved that mystery. I'm at 6.6. So love it for the organic soil cooking I'm doing in large quanities. And will therefore love it even more once I start growing for real and need to check the soil in each pot. This is one expense I don't mind!

 

[Waira]

Cheers lunarman! the A8 is a great tool, nothing beats direct measurements- ... some tips: always scrub the tip area before use after storing; the metals can tarnish/corrode and this will mess with accuracy,.. store clean and dry for this reason as well,.....(never immerse the tip in liquids though); when using, to get best readings, make sure the soil is nicely moist but not sopping wet, nor any kind of dry,... don't measure just after fertilizing, or using anything that has been pH adjusted, as this can skew readings,... follow directions otherwise, especially letting it sit for a couple minutes to stabilize,...

 

[lunarman]

so you cant clean dirt off with water after it being in soil? I did that yesterday. Hopefully didn't screw it up.

The directions on the back don't say NOT TO CLEAN WITH WATER. It just says it can't measure liquiids, not to measure liquid form. Just soil. But it didn't say not to use water for cleaning purposes. And it seemed to me that rinsing the dirt of with water before the rubbing it with the green scrub cloth that is included.

I'll check my soil again and see if it's 6.6. If it is 6.6 then maybe I can assume the meter is still good.

Would maybe be nice if there was a way to calibrate the meter. Or to at least test it using a known soil PH level and see if the A8 is spot on or not. Or

 

[Waira]

wipe it off with a damp paper towel is what I mean, and yes, don't out it under running water or immerse it,.... because of the way it works, factory calibration is all that's needed,.. it's not a $200 pro' unit no, but nobody I know of has had any problems with it... a few have tested it against pro models and found it within the claimed margin of error,...