Please help, consistent premature yellowing with Earthboxes & BAS 3.0

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C

combatstoner

9
3
Hi all,

I feel like I've been having this problem since I started growing again a couple years ago. My plants will start to prematurely yellow, and develop brown spots. I use Buildasoil 3.0, growing from clones (Free world genetics). These clones were planted on Oct. 29. Straight into the BAS. I watered on top for about 2-3 goes, and then started watering from the reservoir. I saw white roots quickly develop through the watering hole and was confident that the soil was now wicking, doing its thing. Plants are now about 24 inches tall. I use the original size Earthbox, with one layer of paper towels in the bottom to prevent too much from falling thru. At week 4, I top dressed with some build a soil craft blend 3-5-2, mixed with some moist build a soil build a flower top dress, and watered in from the top while the reservoir was dry. This is the first grow that I have been using EM1 mixed into the reservoir, and it shifts 2 gallons of my 'slightly filtered' city water from about 9.0 to 7.0 with only 10-15mL of EM1. I use it every go, but have since started to use fresh water just with PH down thinking that maybe some of the leftover EM1 was building up in the reservoir. I allow a slight dry back period of a few hours in the reservoir per Jeremy at Buildasoil's suggestion. I do not foliar feed or spray my plants with anything. I have 3 lights in my 8x4 grow tent, a 600w Kingbrite (HLG-600H), 240w QB (HLG-240H), & a 300w Mars Hydro (ELGC-300-H-AB). They are set to 75% currently and 20 inches from the canopy. My room is what I consider a semi-sealed setup. I grow in the basement that sits at a cool 65 degrees year round. I filter through one AC infinity fan/carbon filter, and push via another MaxFan w/ 6" duct into the grow space grabbing air from another area in the basement. I open the window everyday to vent some fresh air into the room. Temperature hovers around 73-75 when lights are on, and about 65-66 when the lights are off. I keep a radiator heater going while the lights are off. Humidity is a struggle where I'm at in Colorado so on average about 50% RH right now. I don't have an accurate soil PH meter, but I do use a BlueLab PH pen to PH my water for the reservoir. The cheap PH soil meter I do have is erratic and has shown everything from 4 to 7.5. No insects whatsoever, but I do occasionally fight fungus gnats when the weather is warmer. I've grown about 4 or 5 times like this in earth boxes with the same soil, and clones, and I feel like this happens every time and I feel rushed to flip the lights to 12/12 and get what I can out of them which results in not so good bud. I've been told that BAS 3.0 is a little on the hot side as far as nutrients go, not sure if I should switch to their light version, and top feed, or what. I'm open to suggestions!
 
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Imzzaudae

Imzzaudae

1,692
263
These plants have a calcium / Magnesium deficiency.
You need to mix in some bone meal before every grow.
 
C

combatstoner

9
3
These plants have a calcium / Magnesium deficiency.
You need to mix in some bone meal before every grow.
Thanks for the advice. Will do. I just went straight with the bag mix. Do you think adding a tablespoon or two of dolomite or gypsum would be beneficial in addition to the bone meal?

Too late to do anything to them now? Calmag foliar spray? Calmag top feed?

Thanks in advance.
 
Rama777

Rama777

1,019
263
I’d just water it in with some calcium and magnesium of your choosing. I’ve done well with Roots brand organic calmag (no nitrogen).
 
Imzzaudae

Imzzaudae

1,692
263
Hello again.
After re reading your original post. I'd like to throw a few things out there and see what you think.

Your lights are way to close to your plants. These lights should be 30" above the top of the canopy. Maybe a little closer but not much.
Power setting about 65% is plenty. Mid flower you can bump the power up to 75% at 30" above canopy.

As for flipping a little early.
Don't worry about that. Your plants will likely double in size and fill the tent buy the time they have finished.
From this point on you must focus on providing Phosphorus and Potassium rather than large amounts of Nitrogen.
They will finish stretching in a couple of weeks. Set bud and get right into producing flowers rather than growing big and bushy.
Do you have Rootwise microbes on hand?

In future grows. I'd suggest 1/2 cup bone meal mixed well into your container of #3 before planting.
As #3 has a high concentration of peat moss. Using Dolomite Lime will not affect soil ph. They cancel each other out.
You should only need bone meal.
Dolomite Lime 40 grams per cubic foot works out well.
10 Grams Gypsum per cubic foot is also a good place to start.
You can top dress with this if needed.

One of the best ways to add needed Phosphorus and Potassium is buy using Molasses. I use Crosby's Fancy Molasses from the grocery store
with great success.
Molasses

Fancy Molasses


Molasses is super simple to use. 1 Tablespoon molasses per gallon of water.
I warm up a cup of water quite hot so the molasses dissolves into the water easily. Mix well.
Then add to a gallon of water mix well.
Add 1 Tablespoon per gallon water Alaska More Bloom 0-10-10
Alaska

This is a super Bloom formula. The sugar in the Molasses gives your microbe population a nice boost. There are many other good things in the molasses and the MorBloom keeps P-K levels relatively high and plant available. Once a week when flowering.

I wish I could get more information on the Build a soil #3. It looks like good stuff.
Like what it is amended with. The Rice husks are great. This is silica.
Cannabis is a very heavy feeder. I am sure your #3 is running out of gas early in your grow and you would benefit from adding microbes and a green juice to feed your microbe population weekly after about week 2 of veg. I can elaborate later if you like.

This is likely going to be hard for you if you have not cleaned up a plant before. It's called strip to the tip.
You have goon threw all the trouble of growing a nice plant. Now it's time to tell her. I don't want popcorn buds.
I only want nice Cola tops. Skip ahead to 8min mark. Watch several times! In another week or so when you see buds start setting.
Go to work cleaning up this plant. Get her in the scrog.
 
Last edited:
C

combatstoner

9
3
Hello again.
After re reading your original post. I'd like to throw a few things out there and see what you think.

Your lights are way to close to your plants. These lights should be 30" above the top of the canopy. Maybe a little closer but not much.
Power setting about 65% is plenty. Mid flower you can bump the power up to 75% at 30" above canopy.

As for flipping a little early.
Don't worry about that. Your plants will likely double in size and fill the tent buy the time they have finished.
From this point on you must focus on providing Phosphorus and Potassium rather than large amounts of Nitrogen.
They will finish stretching in a couple of weeks. Set bud and get right into producing flowers rather than growing big and bushy.
Do you have Rootwise microbes on hand?

In future grows. I'd suggest 1/2 cup bone meal mixed well into your container of #3 before planting.
As #3 has a high concentration of peat moss. Using Dolomite Lime will not affect soil ph. They cancel each other out.
You should only need bone meal.
Dolomite Lime 40 grams per cubic foot works out well.
10 Grams Gypsum per cubic foot is also a good place to start.
You can top dress with this if needed.

One of the best ways to add needed Phosphorus and Potassium is buy using Molasses. I use Crosby's Fancy Molasses from the grocery store
with great success.
View attachment 2081332
View attachment 2081331

Molasses is super simple to use. 1 Tablespoon molasses per gallon of water.
I warm up a cup of water quite hot so the molasses dissolves into the water easily. Mix well.
Then add to a gallon of water mix well.
Add 1 Tablespoon per gallon water Alaska More Bloom 0-10-10
View attachment 2081335
This is a super Bloom formula. The sugar in the Molasses gives your microbe population a nice boost. There are many other good things in the molasses and the MorBloom keeps P-K levels relatively high and plant available. Once a week when flowering.

I wish I could get more information on the Build a soil #3. It looks like good stuff.
Like what it is amended with. The Rice husks are great. This is silica.
Cannabis is a very heavy feeder. I am sure your #3 is running out of gas early in your grow and you would benefit from adding microbes and a green juice to feed your microbe population weekly after about week 2 of veg. I can elaborate later if you like.

This is likely going to be hard for you if you have not cleaned up a plant before. It's called strip to the tip.
You have goon threw all the trouble of growing a nice plant. Now it's time to tell her. I don't want popcorn buds.
I only want nice Cola tops. Skip ahead to 8min mark. Watch several times! In another week or so when you see buds start setting.
Go to work cleaning up this plant. Get her in the scrog.
Omg. I LOATHE trimming larf. Will do. Always chopped a bit off but wasn’t as aggressive as this guy.
 
C

combatstoner

9
3
Update. Gave them a feeding of BuildAFlower top dress (mainly compost rich blend), Craft Blend (which has the below list) and watered in some Roots Organic CalMag. I've also been foliar feeding it, but will stop since I just switched to flower.

  1. Thorvin Premium Kelp Meal
  2. Wild Flax Seed Meal
  3. Alfalfa Meal
  4. BuildASoil Organic High P Bran
  5. Camelina Meal
  6. Crustacean Meal
  7. Fish Meal
  8. 3x Fish Bone Meal
  9. Soybean Meal
  10. Sul-Po-Mag (Also Known as K-Mag or Langbeinite)
  11. Organic Malted Barley
  12. Volcanic Tuff
  13. Micronized Basalt - Blue Ridge Meta
  14. Gypsum
  15. Oyster Flour
Leaves still appear a bit pale for my taste, otherwise they seem very vigorous in the Earthboxes. I did the suggested trimming 'stripping to the tip' and about a week after I'm already needing another defoliation!
 
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S

SquaadFather

7
3
watered in some Roots Organic CalMag. I've also been foliar feeding it, but will stop since I just switched to flower.
I’m not sure that the elemental calmag would work as a foliar. Not 100% sure but I believe these would still need to be broken down by an organism to be turned into calcium, magnesium, and sulfur from kieserite and gypsum. I’m planning to use gypsum, wollastonite, and epsom salt instead of elemental unless I can get good results with just tap water.
 
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