Why Do My Flex Farm Plants Look Unhealthy?

Updated

If your Flex Farm plants have yellow or brown leaves, spots, tip burn, or stagnant growth, they are not receiving adequate nutrients and/or light. Check the light, pH, nutrients, water, humidity, temperature, and airflow using the steps below.

How to identify the issue?

Plants have yellow or brown leaves, spots on leaves, tip burn, stagnant growth, etc.

What is happening?

The plants are not receiving adequate nutrients and/or light. Airflow, temperature, pH, and humidity could be a factor as well.

How to ensure this doesn't happen in the future?

Check through the following variables of your Flex Farm:

  • Light: Ensure the Light Tower is on 18 hours per day (16 hours minimum). The small black segments should be pushed down for the hours you want the light on and the sliding switch should be in the ‘Timer’ position.
  • pH & Nutrients: Ensure you are following the recommended pH (5.5-6.0) and nutrient levels (Base Number + 700, within 100 PPM, for leafy greens) of your Flex Farm’s water.
  • Fresh Water: Has it been a while since you refreshed your Flex Farm’s water? Fresh water is important to maintain correct nutrient levels as over time they can become imbalanced. Refresh your water on the schedule in How to Refresh the Water in Your Flex Farm.
  • Humidity and Temperature: If plant issues persist, we recommend maintaining humidity levels between 40-70% and temperatures between 65-75 degrees F. Increasing airflow with a fan can help decrease the humidity of a growing space.
  • ​Airflow: Increasing the airflow around the plants helps the plants breathe (increasing their nutrient uptake), you can do this with a ceiling or floor fan.
  • Harvest: Ensure you are harvesting plants when their leaves begin to intersect to reduce the chances of tip burn and die-off on the back of the plants where the light can no longer reach. This can also help with better airflow.

Further Resolution Steps:

  1. If all of these variables listed above (light timer, pH, fresh water, humidity, temperature, and airflow) are within range, then the next step is to ensure you are adding equal amounts of Nutrients A & B. You will always use these in a 1:1 ratio. Follow our best practices in our How to Check and Adjust Flex Farm Nutrients and pH.
  2. You can cull the sick leaves or, if needed, harvest the sick plants and plug the planting space with a Panel Plug. If these steps do not resolve the unhealthy plants, please reach us at 877-886-7736 or support@forkfarms.com.
  3. Other troubleshooting articles:
    1. Gnats (tiny flying insects) in Rockwool: How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats in Your Flex Farm
    2. Mold or powdery mildew on your rockwool or plants: How to Get Rid of Powdery Mildew and Mold in Your Flex Farm

If you have any questions, reach out to us at 877-886-7736 or support@forkfarms.com.