Setup and Material Challenges:
I finally received the necessary setup, although getting grow materials in Germany has been quite a challenge. We’re skipping from early Week 2 to the end of Week 3.
Plant Progress and Techniques:
The plants were topped on Day 16 after planting. They are thriving, with vigorous growth. Unfortunately, the Cereal Milk plant has started growing crooked. In my low-stress training (LST) approach, I focus on stressing only the stem bases to encourage stronger growth and achieve a uniform canopy. The plants did not show significant reactions to topping and continued to grow steadily.
Stress Management:
I administered Alg-A-Mic from BioBizz half a day before topping to mitigate stress, and it seems to have worked well. It’s reputed as a miracle cure by BioBizz and appears to live up to the claim. The smell is similar to my pond water, making me wonder if that could serve as an alternative.
Nutrient and Water Management:
Given that our tap water is low in minerals, I’ve been supplementing with Cal-Mag. I also need to wait and adjust the water pH twice, half an hour apart, to break down the buffer in the water and achieve a stable pH level. A small teaser for future entries: this method still won’t be sufficient when using citric acid.
Light Stress and Growth:
I am now working with nearly 400 PPFD. The plants are showing slight signs of light stress, but it’s nothing critical at this stage. Interestingly, the light stress is leading to bushier growth, which is advantageous for me as I aim to produce an even canopy.
Plant Differences:
Plant #1 is growing bushier, while Plant #2 has better spacing between the leaves. There isn’t much difference in overall growth between the two.
Hey everyone, what do you think—do my plants have a phosphorus deficiency?
Two buds are turning a bit purple, and the lower leaves are easy to remove even though they are still green.
Photos are in my Grow diary.
Hello BussyBeeFarmer,
You got a nutrient lockout from nutrient salts builded up inside your soil. You give more then enough nutrients and everything the plant needs is there. But you need to water till 20% runoff to prevent nutrient salts building up and I would recommend to cut down your nutrients to 75% from whst you are giving now.
This should solve your problems and deficiencies buddy.
Happy Growing! 💚
Should I keep this deformed bud or cut it off? The humidity is high, and the sugar leaves are layered on top of each other. I'm a bit worried about potential mold. Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you, @James! I'm glad to hear you think they look spectacular. Your encouragement means a lot! 👌 I'll definitely keep pushing forward and continue to give these plants the best care possible. Stay tuned for more updates!
It should be OK with the top max,top max is PK isn't it? It will more than likely be the light stress. I had it myself when I switched over to led,s because it wasn't warm enough.24 so increased to 28 and it stopped.I believe its mostly due to lack of radiant heat and the leaf surface temp.
@oldskoolkool, Hey, I've got some updates. It turns out that Top Max doesn't contain potassium or phosphorus its just a stimulant. Potassium comes from BioGrow, and phosphorus and nitrogen are in the bloom fertilizer. These nutrients are roughly in a 3:6 ratio compared to other substances in the mix. Because of this, I initially misinterpreted the deficiency symptoms, which led to the current situation.
It’s a bit confusing with BIOBIZZ if you don’t know that you can open the labels to get more information. Fortunately, I figured this out before things got worse. Thanks for the nudge to double-check the nutrients, saved my run!
@oldskoolkool, Thank you for your input! Yes, Top Max is PK. Since the plants are illuminated at night, they haven’t been below 22°C in the room for the past 2-3 weeks, even during "nighttime".
I just noticed a mutation on the plant and will update some pics later when I’m at home. Since the other two plants in the grow show no signs of phosphorus deficiency, I’m hoping it’s just a color change from some mother genetics. I haven’t found anything indicating that Cookies Gelato turns purple frequently.
I’m not too worried for now, though I’m not thrilled about seeing so many mutations in the RQS seeds. Maybe it’s something I’m doing? 😂😅
And thanks for the tip about the basement! I’ll make sure to keep them off the cold floor and maintain the temps.
Thanks! These are my first plants using these nutrients, and so far, I’m extremely satisfied. I used Hesi before this. Once I finish the grow, I’ll let you know if I can recommend them. So far, they’re looking really good!
Nice one. I ended up checking the top max for someone else and found out its Humic Acid which is especially good for organics as it makes the nutrients more available. I use it all the time in synthetic nutrients as its in my base grow,ph perfect sensi grow in the form of fulvic acid. I also use advanced nutrients Ancient earth in my organics as Iv been doing both sside by side for a few yrs now. If money isn't an issue then advanced nutrients are by far the best.They don't just add the 14 mineral eliments the plants need they add so much more. Their organic iguana juice has several times more ingredients than bio bizz,things that add flavour like fish hydroslate.Their whole organic range is amazing but its not cheap.