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Leaf color fading?

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Void_Teacher99

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Jul 28, 2025
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Hey everyone, I'm still learning the ropes here, so I hope this is the right section to ask. Started hydroponics in my garage with my brother, trying to grow leafy greens. One of our plants is going pale and pointing straight up. We're still figuring out airflow and humidity levels. Could it be a light issue or something with the water pH?
 
Yh those can definitely be signs of light stress...either too much or too little. Then, check your water pH, leafy greens usually like it around 5.5 to 6.5. Airflow and humidity play a big role too
 
We're running a small deep water culture system in a storage tote, growing a few types of lettuce under an LED panel. Following the advice here, my brother and I went out and got a proper water testing kit. We discovered that our pH level was high at approximately 7.3, which is outside the recommended range. Our main question is: when adjusting the nutrient solution to lower the pH, should we make the change all at once or lower it slowly over a few days? We are planning to start correcting the water balance tonight and will keep a close eye on the plants for any improvement.
 
Yeah, 7.3 is high, you'll want it to be around 6. I'm guessing you already have a plan on how o adjust the ph, so I won't mess with that. As for how to change it, don't worry about making it sudden. It's not a massive difference and the plants won't be too affected by it. TO be fair, they might even benefit because you'll be moving them to the optimal range sooner rather than later.
 
Void_Teacher99 said:
Hey everyone, I'm still learning the ropes here, so I hope this is the right section to ask. Started hydroponics in my garage with my brother, trying to grow leafy greens. One of our plants is going pale and pointing straight up. We're still figuring out airflow and humidity levels. Could it be a light issue or something with the water pH?
Click to expand...
You mentioned pH, and that's the next big thing to check. Even if your nutrients are perfect, the plant can't absorb them if the pH is off.
Leafy greens really thrive in a slightly acidic environment, so you'll want to get that water between 5.5 and 6.5.
Get a simple pH test kit or a digital meter. You'll be surprised how much a good pH range can change the health of your plants
 
It was great to see everyone agree that high pH was probably causing our plant's problems. We took your advice and lowered the pH to 6.0 about 2 wks ago. The results were evident quickly, and within a few days, the leaves began to regain their color. The help from this community really got our project moving in the right direction.
 
Void_Teacher99 said:
It was great to see everyone agree that high pH was probably causing our plant's problems. We took your advice and lowered the pH to 6.0 about 2 wks ago. The results were evident quickly, and within a few days, the leaves began to regain their color. The help from this community really got our project moving in the right direction.
Click to expand...
That's awesome to hear! I'm just starting my first hydro setup here in Missouri and still learning about pH levels. When you dropped it to 6.0, did you use a buffer or just adjust with pH down? Also, how often do you check the pH, was it daily or just when things look off?
 
Void_Teacher99 said:
It was great to see everyone agree that high pH was probably causing our plant's problems. We took your advice and lowered the pH to 6.0 about 2 wks ago. The results were evident quickly, and within a few days, the leaves began to regain their color. The help from this community really got our project moving in the right direction.
Click to expand...
That's great! I have read your initial post and I had a hint that it was about the light or pH issue. This is my go to website and shop if I need kits.

https://atlas-scientific.com/blog/a...asXsCgHF25qeENnBxikYGoyigQnQeq-ohGNu3xDpKPtQg

Just don't forget to monitor the pH regularly.
 
greenerthumbs08 said:
That's awesome to hear! I'm just starting my first hydro setup here in Missouri and still learning about pH levels. When you dropped it to 6.0, did you use a buffer or just adjust with pH down? Also, how often do you check the pH, was it daily or just when things look off?
Click to expand...
I completely agree. You can lower the pH to 6.0 using a buffer or a pH down solution, depending on how stable you need it to be.
 
Thanks for all the input. I've made a few changes to the lighting and adjusted the feed slightly, so I'll give it a few days and see how the plants respond. I'll post another update if the fading keeps up or spreads. Has anyone ever had fading show up only on newer growth while older leaves stay green?
 

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