Deep Water Culture Tutorial for Newbies

Welcome to another week of my DWC tutorial Last week I was a little too busy to include a tutorial subject but this week I will be discussing Nutrient problems and deficiencies. I have sourced the information I'm about to write from a few different websites as well as my own personal knowledge of what I have learnt so far. My plants progress report will follow the following Tutorial . TUTORIAL Deficiencies are not the only possible problems your plants could have with nutrients. They could also have too much of something, including the three essential nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, or N-P-K). So how can you identify it?How do you know if your plants are deficient? Well, if your plants seem unhealthy, there is a good chance they could have a nutrient deficiency. Usually, you can notice a nutrient deficiency by symptoms in the pH of the water and soil around the plant. A balanced pH is one of the ways you can ensure that your plants absorb all of the nutrients they need. The pH scale is how growers measure the acidity or alkalinity of the soil and water around their plant. The scale ranges from 1 to 14, with 7 being neutral pH. 1 is the most acidic while 14 is the most basic (alkaline). When you are watering your plants, you want to be entirely sure that the pH levels are appropriate; otherwise, the plants can be damaged, and their health can deteriorate. Adjusting the pH is simple: all you must do is make the environment (whether soil or water) more alkaline or acidic, depending on its current level. The pH for cannabis should be somewhere near the neutral middle of the pH scale, somewhere around 6 or 7. Although hydroponics systems can sometimes support a cannabis plant with a pH of as low as 5.5, the ideal range is somewhere around 6. Each of the different nutrients that you add or take away from the environment will affect the pH and the general absorption of nutrients by your plant. Understanding this relationship will help you grow the healthiest plants.The three deficiencies outlined below are not the only problems that your plant might encounter, but it is a good starting point to make sure your plants have the basic level of health that they need. As long as your plants have these three foundational nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), they will at least be healthy enough to achieve a decent harvest. As with any problems that might arise when you grow marijuana, early detection is the most essential factor in keeping healthy plants and having a successful harvest. Take a look at what each nutrient is responsible for and how to identify and solve a nutrient deficiency. Nitrogen is one of the most essential nutrients for healthy plant growth, and because it’s so heavily used by cannabis, it’s not uncommon for plants to develop nitrogen deficiencies. Nitrogen is used for a wide variety of plant processes, from photosynthesis to the production of vital amino acids and chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is essential to the process of photosynthesis while amino acids are what make up proteins so you can understand why this nutrient is vital for a healthy plant.If your plant is experiencing a lack of nitrogen, its symptoms will be mostly seen in older leaves, starting between the base and middle of the plant. In general, the signs of a nitrogen deficiency are yellowing leaves. If the lack is left unchecked, the yellowing leaves can wither and die. Your nitrogen-deficient cannabis plants will look perfectly green at the top but yellowing more as you look down towards the bottom. Although nitrogen deficiencies will usually begin in the bottom leaves of the plant, they will eventually spread up to the top. Your plant is at the greatest risk for a nitrogen deficiency when it is in its flowering phase. This is because cannabis plants store nutrients in its leaves, and the flowering phase will require this stored cache, thus using up all that it has.Nitrogen toxicity Some growers describe seeing symptoms such as the leaves curling over like a claw, with the leaf stems going very brittle. The leaves may also turn a very dark shade of green. If it’s during the flowering phase, the flowering will likely have slowed down as well. In this case, it is probably a pH issue that is leading to nitrogen toxicity. That means that your plant actually has too much nitrogen, but not because you are feeding it too much; instead, it is due to a pH imbalance.Phosphorus While not as common as nitrogen deficiencies, phosphorus deficiencies are a definite possibility, especially in hydroponics systems. Phosphorus is primarily responsible for helping your plant grow roots, as well as increasing the strength of its leaves and stems. It also aids in seedling germination, making it an especially essential nutrient during your plant’s flowering phase. In fact, many would say that phosphorus is actually most important during the flowering phase of growth. If your plant lacks phosphorus during the flowering phase, you will limit the potential yield. Don’t be dainty when providing your plant with phosphorus; it is usually necessary in hefty quantities.If your plant is not taking in enough phosphorus, its growth will slow down, and it will generally appear frailer and lacking life. The initial symptoms of a phosphorus deficiency are darkening foliage and slowing growth. The leaves’ edges on your cannabis plant will lose their vibrant green color – they may even turn brown – and will start to curl in. Other plant parts like petioles will also darken, possibly becoming more blue or red., but it also adds structural strength to the roots and stems of the plant. These symptoms are more likely to appear during the coldest days of the growing season since this is the time when marijuana plants often have the most difficult time absorbing phosphorus from the soil. In addition to the cold, if the soil is too wet or too alkaline, the same problems will occur.Potassium Potassium deficiencies are relatively common in the world of marijuana growing. This is because, with most fertilizers, potassium occurs in the lowest ratios. Compared to the other macronutrients, less potassium is required by the plant. However, just like the other two nutrients of the primary three, potassium is vital for your plant to function properly. Potassium is primarily responsible for your plant’s water respiration and resistance of most diseases. Not only that, but it also is helpful in the photosynthesis production and conversion processes. Finally, potassium assists in the water circulation, helping to move water through the entirety of your plant, making it especially important for the flowering and vegetative phases.Magnesium The purpose of magnesium is to encourage strong, healthy veins and stimulus on the creation of marijuana leaves. It also plays a role in producing chlorophyll and breaking down enzymes. Magnesium deficiencies are a relatively rare occurrence for outdoor growers of cannabis, but it’s found indoors and with hydroponics systems. Usually, it will affect the lowest leaves of the plant at the beginning, causing them to yellow and weaken. Although it rarely occurs when growing outdoors, a magnesium deficiency can happen in any plant medium and hydroponic system. When signs of deficiency occur if must be dealt with quickly or else it will become a major problem causing the plant to quickly lose many of its lower leaves. Magnesium is a nutrient that can move around so the plant can move it from the old leaves to new ones. This explains why magnesium deficiency has a tendency to show up towards the bottom of the plant and on the older leaves. Left unchecked, the leaves will die. This deficiency can also work its way up the plant from bottom to top until it reaches the crown. Magnesium is a crucial element for the development of chlorophyll in the cannabis plant, so don’t let the problem worsen, especially in the early stages of growth.Signs of a magnesium deficiency Symptoms begin in the lower leaves when they start to turn yellow and show chlorosis. The leaves start turning inward and will soon die. The outlining of the leaves will feel dry and brittle. The deficiency will move up to the middle and upper half of the leaf, and the growing shoots will start going from pale green to white. All of the petioles and stems will also become purple in color. Sometimes you may notice light brown spotting on the edges if the issue continues to worsen, even though it is possible this could be a little bit of another deficiency that comes along with magnesium deficiency. One surprising symptom that some growers notice is the development of red stems on their marijuana plants. If you see your plants starting to have stems that are red in color, you can be sure that it is due to a magnesium deficiency. One of the rarer deficiencies is boron. It’s not common for cannabis cultivation, but it can certainly damage the plant’s potential growth. The most visible signs of boron deficiency are when the growing tips of the plant begin to turn brown or gray. The growth itself will slow significantly or stop if there isn’t enough boron. In addition to the damage experienced by the growing tips, the leaves may start to develop dead spots. They will be small and scattered and might go easily unnoticed.Calcium deficiencies are relatively uncommon for outdoor growers but are not uncommon for indoor growing and users of hydroponics systems. Some areas also have water supplies which don’t contain calcium, and if growers don’t add calcium to their irrigation reservoirs, there likely won’t be enough for the plants to thrive. Additionally, if you’re growing in a hydroponics system and you’re only using water and nutrients in a solution, then you might be missing a good source of calcium. Calcium deficiencies will usually display symptoms of big dead patches on unusually dark leaves. The symptoms of calcium deficiencies will usually first arise in the older growth. Branches may become weakened significantly, and any additional weight or stress could cause them to crack or break off. If you don’t address a calcium deficiency early, the plant may also develop some issues in the root systemCopper deficiencies in cannabis plants are relatively uncommon, but they can cause a lot of damage to new growth. The initial symptoms will be necrosis of the plant matter in young leaves. This will cause the leaves to look brownish or blue-gray at the tips. The new leaves, flowers and other new growth on the plant can also come in limp and weak if there isn’t enough copper.Iron deficiencies are not uncommon for cannabis plants. The first area growers will see evidence of an iron deficiency will be in the new growth of the plant, especially the leaves. The upper leaves will usually be the most affected, becoming discolored and yellowing distinctively. The veins of the leaf will remain green, but the leaf itself just won’t have enough chlorophyll if the plant has an iron deficiency. Iron holds a vital role in the production of chlorophyll in cannabis plants. Beware: an iron deficiency and a magnesium deficiency can look very similar to one another. The main difference is that an iron deficiency will primarily affect new growth on the plant. That means the top leaves will be affected far more than those at the bottom and middle of the plant.Manganese deficiencies are also relatively uncommon in cannabis cultivation. You’ll usually find them occurring in tandem with zinc and iron deficiencies, so remember to carefully test and analyze your plant’s environment when treating them. A manganese deficiency will display symptoms in new growth, primarily in the leaves. The leaves will develop dead spots and begin to yellow. Molybdenum deficiencies are very uncommon, but if they do occur, they will cause some unpredictable and negative effects on your cannabis plant. Without enough molybdenum, the plant’s middle leaves will begin to yellow, and any new foliage will grow out warped or stop growing entirely. The shoots will begin to curl, and the leaves can develop a strange crimson hue at the tips. Molybdenum aids primarily in the development and production of ammonia for the plant.Silicon deficiencies almost never occur in outdoor growing but are always possible in controlled indoor environments. Silicon itself is usually highly abundant in nature, as well as being well represented in fertilizers and nutrient solutions. Silicon is necessary for plant production in general, so a deficiency will cause the branches and stems of your plant to become weaker than they should be, and the photosynthesis process may be inhibited. Silicon also deters insects and pests; you might notice that you have more issues with insects if your plant has a silicon deficiency.Sulfur deficiencies don’t occur too often since most fertilizers will have the requisite amount of sulfur already present. Symptoms of a deficiency include yellowing of new and developing foliage, as well as stunted growth. The new leaves may also be narrower and more brittle than they should be. Sulfur plays an essential role in a number of different vital processes, including chlorophyll development and root system growth.Despite the moderately small amount of zinc required in the cannabis plant, zinc deficiencies occur fairly regularly. Symptoms of a zinc deficiency include twisted foliage growth and yellowing of the veins of the older leaves. It’s also possible for the plant to begin to lose color and grow paler. When the flowering phase occurs, the same issue can crop up in the buds, and they might curl or become deformed. Zinc deficiencies often occur in tandem with iron or manganese deficiencies. Zinc plays an essential role in many different plant processes, including plant development and the production of vital enzymes. Severe deficiencies can cause the plant to wilt or even break the stem. Because of the linkage between zinc, manganese, and iron, it’s important to be careful when trying to treat a zinc deficiency. Well there you have an explanation of the common nutrient problems and deficiencies that can occur during a grow . Next week I will try to explain trichome development and Optimal harvest times for maximum potency and hopefully yields. Now for the Plant itself. Barneys Farm Blue cheese auto is growing nicely but I am finding it very difficult to maintain healthy looking fan leaves whether this has to do with nutritional problems or environmental I am not sure but whatever it is it doesn't seem to be effecting the flower development. I have a very thick main cola that is going to be a big ass bud if I can get it thru to harvest without any mold issues. She smells fruity and sweet , no cheese aroma as of yet but I'm hoping it comes thru eventually. Feeds are as follows GT Silica @5mls/ litre Professors Nutrients A+B @ 2.5mls / litre Calimagic @1ml / litre Ozi magic Bud swell @ 4mls / litre Flora nectre @ 1ml/ litre PPM 1400 Ph 5.8 Thanks for dropping by once again and I hope you have been able to gain some basic knowledge from this Diary so far. 👌🙏😎