HELP! Early calcium issue or something else?

[YYCannabis]

Seeing spots on lower leaves. Not sure if this is a calcium issue or something else.

Thoughts?

cheers
YYC

[az2000]

Thrips? Examine your leaves (both sides) and stalk with a strong magnifying glass.

[RagWeedDWC]

I agree, looks like thrips to me. https://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabi...roblems/thrips As far as the concern for calcium issue, I do not see it. It would have more of a burned spot look than an mowed leave. https://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabi...ium-deficiency

[YYCannabis]

I happen to stumble across this little critter back in August. Happen to spot it while playing with wireless microscope. Not sure what it was.

I’ll check the ladies tonight.

Are these pests normal to get to get in an isolated hydro grow tent?

Cheers
YYC

[RagWeedDWC]

Not sure how much of a normal it is, do not have the info. One data point I'm sure of, it is a major PIA. :-)

[homegrown]

I would say thrips as well, Had them on my first tent grow BUT i was growing in store bought soil mix. My plants did spend some of their time outside in the sun so i dont know how or where they came in contact(my guess is the bag soil mix) I couldnt for the life of me ever find one on my plants(maybe they only come out at night lol)...but one day when i watered them i was looking closely at the soil for fungus gnats, and saw a bunch of these little bastards moving around in the wet soil..!!! Now with your grow medium..i dont know where they'd hide...or how you would go about treating them. i used safer's 3 in 1 and sprayed soil immediately after watering cause thats when they came to the surface. Good luck

[YYCannabis]

I’m not sure where they hide in hydroton either. I’ve been searching online for live ladybugs, but looks like they are unavailable due to the time of year.

[YYCannabis]

Yup. F*cking thrips.

Im not keen on applying soaps and poisons to my garden. I’ve opted to go with predatory mites to deal with the thrips. I can’t find live ladybugs anywhere in Canada so I’m going to use cucumeris and Hypoaspis critters to deal with them.

Too bad they can’t be stored alive for more than a few days. I have enough coming to do a 250 ftsq garden for my 4x4 tent 🤣

[YYCannabis]

Just in case people want to see what thrips on the leaves looks like, here’s a few vids.

Made use of the video feature on my crappy Amazon microscope.

[homegrown]

ohh those suckers are tiny AND green!! The ones i noticed in my soil were a darker color...thanks for the videos. now i have a better idea what im looking for on the actual plant although im pretty sure my old eyes still aren't gonna see them lol.

[YYCannabis]

It’s possible to see them with the naked eye if you have darn near perfect vision. Once I was able to find one with the scope, I was soon able to spot them a little easier by eye or by phone camera.
I simply plucked a few leaves that had small markings and scanned the area of the leaf that was damaged. The first few leaves I pulled to inspect were the most damaged. I actually couldn’t find many thrips. The leaves that showed only a tiny spot or two, seem to be where I was finding them more easily.

The dark ones you found on your soil are the more mature ones than the ones in my vids. Mine were still on a leaf. They fall to the ground when they mature a bit.