New Grower Would a re-pot do the same thing as flushing?

[nlsp]

Right, currently I am growing two Northern Lights auto's and basically the info given about the seeds by Royal Queen Seeds say it takes 9-10weeks, well mine is now in week 16. I know these dates can be a good two weeks + or - but mine is heading to 7 weeks overdue, and I think I may of just figured out the problem, but I need some more experienced minds to help me with my theory.

So to start off I am using Plagron Batmix to grow in and during the first few weeks both plants had nice growth spurts then for a good 4 weeks very very slowly grew, growth was severely stunted, at the time I thought it was just the cold, and I still think it was the cold, but now I dont think its the only factor. Because I am growing in soil and soil acts as a buffer to PH levels, the only equipment I bought to test PH was a cheap liquid tester (you take a small sample of soil, put it in the test tube, add a spoonful of white powder called barrium then add the liquid provided, shake the bottle then compare the colour to the colour chart provided to determine ph) so I haven't been able to accurately test my PH.

SO I think whats happened is as the soil has aged, it has lost its ability to buffer the ph levels and the PH level is probably either quite high at the moment or very low, but that liquid testing kit is just a "mickey mouse" toy really, doesnt matter what I test it just gives me a different shade of green and on the colour chart there is only one green colour and that is suppose to indicate your soil is neutral.

So if I just change their pots and replace with fresh soil, it should act as a buffer again, and PH would be normal again, also any salt build ups will be gone too?

Does this sound like a plan??

If you would like some pictures to help illustrate for you, please have a look at a few threads I created to try and diagnose problems (my grow diary is the 3rd link down):
www.thctalk. com/cannabis-forum/showthread.php?92805-What-do-people-mean-by-quot-I-d-wait-till-50-50-quot

www.thctalk. com/cannabis-forum/showthread.php?92882-Remove-sugar-leaves-or-not&p=1069482166#post1069482166

www.thctalk. com/cannabis-forum/showthread.php?85709-1st-Grow-Northern-Lights-Auto-(Royal-Queen-Seeds)&p=1069465373#post1069465373

www.thctalk. com/cannabis-forum/showthread.php?92041-Are-my-girls-on-track-to-finish-in-about-7-10-days&p=1069465296#post1069465296

 

[deuce]

none of the links are working for me .... 16 weeks does seem like a very long time, is she well into flowering at this stage? did she auto? i dont think repotting her at this stage will give you any dramatic changes, it will probably cause her more stress. sorry i cant be of more help but it's difficult to comment without seeing her.:smokebuds: by the way..... welcome to AFN, stick around and somebody who can open the links may be able to help

 

[nlsp]

The links, regardless of what I do wont stop hyper linking, any ideas??

 

[nlsp]

its ok, basically anything follwed by .com will automatically hyperlink, so I have put a pace between the .com for every link, so you need to copy and paste the link into your browser and remove the space.

 

[Muddy]

We can't access your pictures on THCtalk without a log in to their forum. Best if you upload a couple here so we can see what they look like. Make sure they are taken in natural light so we can see the true colors. Include close ups of the effected areas as well as full plant shots.

Part of your problem might be the Plagon Bat Mix. Autos can be nutrient sensitive and that mix contains not only the bat guano, but also worm castings and composted manure. That would be considered a "hot" mix and hot mixes have been known to stunt autos. I also didn't see any mention of dolomite lime in that mix. If there is none, then you would need to add some to properly buffer the soil. I would also suggest investing in a good digital pH tester. Those strips are okay in a pinch but can be hard to get accurate readings with. You could be off by .5 and while that doesn't seem like a lot, it can make all the difference. What is your pH currently reading?

 

[Muddy]

Duplicate threads merged.

 

[nlsp]

We can't access your pictures on THCtalk without a log in to their forum. Best if you upload a couple here so we can see what they look like. Make sure they are taken in natural light so we can see the true colors. Include close ups of the effected areas as well as full plant shots.

Part of your problem might be the Plagon Bat Mix. Autos can be nutrient sensitive and that mix contains not only the bat guano, but also worm castings and composted manure. That would be considered a "hot" mix and hot mixes have been known to stunt autos. I also didn't see any mention of dolomite lime in that mix. If there is none, then you would need to add some to properly buffer the soil. I would also suggest investing in a good digital pH tester. Those strips are okay in a pinch but can be hard to get accurate readings with. You could be off by .5 and while that doesn't seem like a lot, it can make all the difference. What is your pH currently reading?

Thanks Muddy,

I will get some pics up in a mo, but right at this moment in time, the plant is looking fairly healthy-ish so there might not be any clues in pictures I take right now, but my grow diary for example has documented everything which would be much more beneficial to you if you were to help me diagnose this problem. I will get some pictures up in a moment though anyway.

But with regards to what I have told you in my opening post, is my theory sound?

Also my lady is very late into flowering now, would this make a difference if I were to re-pot her? There is a grow diary on THCTalk of this guy who once grew his crop never using a single nutrient. instead when the plant got hungry, he simply re-potted giving him 100% organic smoke, literally no cleaner smoke than that (unless grown outdoors of course).

 

[Muddy]

No, I wouldn't repot, especially at this late date. When every you transplant you run the risk of transplant shock, which can set the plant's growth back a week or more while it recovers. If that guy is growing photo sensitive plants he's got more time for recovery, which is not the case with autos given their short life. With the right soil mix and proper pH, it's quite possible to grow an auto start to finish without added nutrients or repotting.

Thanks Muddy,

I will get some pics up in a mo, but right at this moment in time, the plant is looking fairly healthy-ish so there might not be any clues in pictures I take right now, but my grow diary for example has documented everything which would be much more beneficial to you if you were to help me diagnose this problem. I will get some pictures up in a moment though anyway.

But with regards to what I have told you in my opening post, is my theory sound?

Also my lady is very late into flowering now, would this make a difference if I were to re-pot her? There is a grow diary on THCTalk of this guy who once grew his crop never using a single nutrient. instead when the plant got hungry, he simply re-potted giving him 100% organic smoke, literally no cleaner smoke than that (unless grown outdoors of course).

 

[nlsp]

No, I wouldn't repot, especially at this late date. When every you transplant you run the risk of transplant shock, which can set the plant's growth back a week or more while it recovers. If that guy is growing photo sensitive plants he's got more time for recovery, which is not the case with autos given their short life. With the right soil mix and proper pH, it's quite possible to grow an auto start to finish without added nutrients or repotting.

For future reference, which soil in your opinion is best for auto's?

 

[nlsp]

If using vinegar to lower ph, how much should it be diluted?

My ph is currently reading 7.5, I am going to use vinegar to lower the ph but how much vinegar do you use per litre? And how much of the solution do you actually give to the plant? A normal waterings worth or more?