Amy Gardner's First Journal - Outdoor - Critical Cure & Chaos In The Forest

You water them very little and don't forget to add some mycorrhizal fungi spores if you haven't done it yet. Then it's just waiting and observing.
 
I love Cricket too Amy, Elyse Perry is a fantastic player. I love Test Matches, so many variables and twists and turns over the course of the day. I am hoping to get dowm to the MCG for the Test, I have been a couple of times since I moved over. Being from N.Ireland I am a neutral, I just want to watch a great game. Ireland play as a united team, which I think us wonderful - Sport transcending boundries and rivalries. They have been given Test Status, so hopefully I can finally watch Ireland play Cricket. Hope you are having a great weekend.
 
Amy Gardner's First Journal - Outdoor - Critical Cure & Chaos In The Forest

Good first journal Amy!
Late to the show, but glad to see you are doing an outdoor grow. Taking a seat, good luck!

Peace
Keith

Thanks KK! Welcome. Outdoor has its own challenges to be sure but under the sun is my favourite way. Glad to have you a long, we have a fun summer ahead ..



You water them very little and don't forget to add some mycorrhizal fungi spores if you haven't done it yet. Then it's just waiting and observing.

Yes and yes! Myco added (watered in a few days after they popped up as it hadn't arrived when I planted...). And yes, observing and not watering until they ask for it! I was just having to defend myself to someone who was telling I needed to water them cause they're so young I'll do damage if I don't. Eventually I just said - well I need to learn what 'pre wilt' looks like and maybe they'll need to actually wilt a bit while I'm learning that... if it's bad for them, I'll learn that too. So yes - best advice, thank you. I wait and I observe ;)

Thanks for dropping by .

I love Cricket too Amy, Elyse Perry is a fantastic player. I love Test Matches, so many variables and twists and turns over the course of the day. I am hoping to get dowm to the MCG for the Test, I have been a couple of times since I moved over. Being from N.Ireland I am a neutral, I just want to watch a great game. Ireland play as a united team, which I think us wonderful - Sport transcending boundries and rivalries. They have been given Test Status, so hopefully I can finally watch Ireland play Cricket. Hope you are having a great weekend.
I wish I was from somewhere else so my neutrality wasn't an issue (people get upset sometimes when I applaud other teams!)

I enjoy the big bash for the same reason you mention about the Irish united team. I don't dig T20 cricket exactly, it's ok - a bit of fun, cause I'm a test cricket lover like yourself. But I do love the mixes of players you get in that franchise situation where usual rivals become teammates - it helps create better atmospheres in the game all around. Anyway enough sport chat - back to the Cannabis! Which I'd better indulge in in order to prepare to watch the final day. It's being broadcast on the internet via the cricket.com.au website, just in case you're interested.

E. Perry ended up on 214 not out last night as Aus declared about 150 in front...

:circle-of-love:

.
 
Amy Gardner's First Journal - Outdoor - Critical Cure & Chaos In The Forest

Update: Day 13-15 (Pr. Chaos x2 day 13, CBD CC day 14, Money Bush day 15)

Hi folks, this update will be quick. It's been raining for nearly 2 days straight now so getting any pics has been challenging. The girls are ok - I hope!! They got a deep watering last Monday with a tiny amount of seaweed fertiliser (like barely a trace element) which also got some more of the Gypsum down into the soil (there was heaps left on the surface after the previous sprinkle and water-in), and then I let them get some rain when it first started because it was thunderstormy and I know the water is good, even tho I didn't really want them to be wetted again. I have some clear plastic over the cage now trying to keep them from getting much more water in. It's that kind of rain that feels like everything is going to wash away. Just looked out the window and they're still there and still standing upright.

:thumb:

So, on with the very brief pictorial. This 'group shot' was taken yesterday from a distance (didn't want to get the camera wet!) - it's terribly blurry so apologies for that... (Money Bush is the tall one 3rd from the front)

group-day_13-15.jpg


This one was CBD CC day 13 (a couple of days ago) - it's the only individual shot for this update, was taken just before the rains set in...

CBDCC-day13.jpg



I still haven't been able to get the soil mixed, but am relaxing into the delays knowing that everything will happen in good time. We did construct the newly purchased soil mixer tho so that was exciting. We did it expecting to be using it all weekend mixing the vege garden bed soil as well as some of my 'special' blends but, well, the rain. It's the reality of outdoor growing - sometimes enforced relaxation takes place!

:volcano-smiley:

And continuing the critter theme, appropriately this little dude hopped across my feet while I was putting the raincoat over the cage... it's about an inch long...

toadlet.jpg


Toadlet

my best wishes to all your gardens :love:

:Namaste:
 
Nice update Amy! They are coming along well :3 nice to see you so attentive to the youngins ;P

Best wishes to you n the plant fam!
 
Hi, Amy & Friends!
I love summer, i love rain, i love outdoor weed growing, i'm having a super love fest today!
*Re the ganja: i've heard tell of a magic elixir that greatly imbues the roots with vitality... a potion that comes inside a husked nut called a "coco"nut... apparently, coconut water is magic for roots. Dilute some & apply as foliar feed, or whack a dose into ze soil. It makes roots grow like mutants. Obviously, the fresher, the better, if you don't have access to fresh ones, the organic health food kind is good.
* re the rain: nothing that comes in a bottle is as good for your plants as a bit of bush rain. Watch how the growth explodes when the sunlight hits them after the showers. It's so rapid, the pale new growth is almost white. We've had a serious drought these past few years, and now, normal rain for the climate. If it was a good shower (3 inches or so) i don't even bother watering them for at least 4 days (if it's not insanely hot). I think i had to water 3 weeks out of the past 8. Plus we're going into the waxing lunar phase now, so soil water closer to the surface...
*re your attitude towards other teams & giving credit where credit is due. Disgusting. Unbelievable that you would recognise talent & hard work & say it out loud. I'm seriously rethinking our friendship. (*sarcasm*). People get very judgy about sports & their teams, it is, after all, our modern version of clan warfare... . Fun story: lived in London in the early 2000's, worked with an Aussie lad named Hef. At this stage, national rugby team truly sucked rotten eggs (losing 34-0 /40-3 to Canada & Barbados, not great rugby-legends like Aus, Nz, France (what a fun loss we had against them the other day ☺). Anyhoo, aus was world champs for the 90th year running, we were set to play a weekend match, i ran my stupid sense of humour past Hef ("your team sucks. We gonna beat you so bad, red-headed stepchild style." Obviously, this was sarcasm again, i thought pretty highly of that Wallaby team (Gregan etc). He did not speak to me for 4 months, he was that upset. Plus, we lost SOLIDLY. People get freaky about their sports...
*re cricket: best sport ever. 1 days always fun, like the t-20 energy, I think IPL was one of the best ideas ever, you get to support all sorts of teams & players, and i've "felt" a deeper sense of cameraderie & sportsmanship since the "mixed" franchise teams started becoming everyday. Ooooh, and tests... no better nap than after lunch on the 3rd day, not a lot of action on the pitch, deep voiced commentator quoting obscure stats & mentioning Brian Lara... plus Michael Holding used to drink in my work-pub in London, beautiful man, and.... i dated an international cricket player (before he was famous, we were still in high school. Also, i won't mention his name, dude's a dad now & deserves no scandals eg an ex growing copious amounts of weed).
* dunno if it's on this year, we have a summer "fun"day where the national cricket & rugby teams play a friendly: 1 game of rugby, 1 ltd over cricket match. Great fun! Plus i think it's for charity, sooo bonus! i believe you guys do something similar?

I think i mentioned all the nonsense i wanted, still pretty zonked from being up 29 hours (couldn't sleep last night, aargh).
Amy, keep up the great work. Enjoy & have a great w/end. I'm up to my eyeballs in peaches & apricots and i'll never get un-sticky again.
❤❤❤
 
Aww! Toad.

Been running around all summer saving little frogs and toads from my cats. Animals are my kind of people
 
Amy Gardner's First Journal - Outdoor - Critical Cure & Chaos In The Forest

Ooooh, and tests... no better nap than after lunch on the 3rd day, not a lot of action on the pitch, deep voiced commentator quoting obscure stats & mentioning Brian Lara....

Haha . I'm having exactly one of those right now - accompanied by my Solo vape packed with a cocktail of my recently harvested 2:1 CBD rich buds and some nice buds I bought a while back. Not exactly high, just perfectly, medicatedly, relaxed (ok I know - that's not a word, yet...). Im having a some too big days ATM getting the vege patch rocking and today is a day of rest so the 2ndsession-day 3 atmos is just perfect - except these tail-Enders cracking boundaries & exciting the crowd keep waking me from my reverie!
Oh well, must be time for another toke then... ;)

My plants are looking good - update sometime in the next 24hrs.

.

QUOTE=Fishbuds;3759364]Lots of critters in this journal, mind if I tag along?[/QUOTE]

Welcome Fishbuds :welcome:

I do like critters ., and they are always about when I tend to my special garden... so they get space here too .. Glad to have you join us for the summer of outdoor adventures, surprises, and buds in many places! ..


:Namaste:
 
Amy Gardner's First Journal - Outdoor - Critical Cure & Chaos In The Forest

Update: Week 3 (Day 21-23)

Hello superb 420 crew! Hope you are all as well as you can be and that life is looking after you with blessed gardens.

After the last (rainy) update, while all the pots were still wet from that rain, I gave them all a very mild 'feed'. Their current medium has nothing in it (coco coir and seed raising mix - it was all I had at the time I needed to plant) so I have to keep on top of this until I can transplant them into their final soil homes.

I made up a super dilute solution of the organic kelp & aloe fertiliser (I was gifted this when I purchased the mineral amendments) into about 600ml of water (not much as the pots were already really wet). I top dressed with a sprinkle of neem cake on each and watered this in with about half of that solution. That was in the morning. In the afternoon/evening I added a sprinkle of some mushroom compost (we are using to rebuild the new vege beds) as a top dress and watered in the rest of the solution. These 2 small watering feeds will also have watered in any of the gypsum still remaining on the soil surface from the week before. So, all quantities were super small or super dilute!

There is still some paleness issues and signs of mild mag. deficiency. But since that feed a week ago, they have definitely become a darker green and the fade between the veins that was appearing a bit is a lot less, particularly in the last day or 2. I'm trying to keep a close eye on this, and at this point it looks like that I'm doing is working (although I may be dancing on the edge of mag. deficiency too much).

They've been subjected to a lot of wind. Yesterday I was amazed at how strong and sturdy they were looking. Even tho they have a bit of 'stretch' between the first 2-3 nodes, they were in a pretty vigorous breeze and only the tops were jiggling around, the stems were really strong and stable. I'm hoping this will be visible in the photos.

You'll notice a few 'tracks' here n there from very mild 'pest' activity. I pulled off a tiny little grub (minuscule, honestly!) about 10 days ago and check them daily for any thing that needs gently removing and squishing. Since the neem top dress I haven't seen anything. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

So, that's the activity report. I've mostly kept them from getting any more direct rain since that feed and they're almost good and dry. There's more rain predicted this week so I'm trying to time things so the rain will just water them for me ...

Bring on the photos! I'm including a pic of each taken 4 days ago, midweek, as well as pics taken today (well yesterday by the time this lands) just to illustrate their growth and the change in fade after their little feed. MoneyBush is really vigorous and shows quite clearly what MerryAnna mentioned about a little growth explosion after rain.


Money Bush (Afghani x Critical Mass) Day 19 and Day 23

Ok this first one is 4 days ago on day 19 ...

MoneyBush-day19.jpg


And then this is today on day 23, nice little growth spurt, and looking healthier too I think: leaves are a lot more lush looking, less crispy (even tho the pot is drier) and less pale (but still a little anaemic looking between the veins maybe - I'll scratch in some epsom salts maybe, or perhaps I could foliar spray some - is the plant too young to foliar?

MoneyBush-day23.jpg

MoneyBush-day23-top.jpg

MoneyBush-day23-above.jpg


I plan, with this plant, to try to create as many tops as possible. "What? are you crazy?" you may well say... considering it's bred for yield and big fat buds! But: It doesn't have very good mould tolerance according to the breeder and we have humid late summers, plus they're predicting a wet summer here, so the last thing i need is big fat buds - i'll settle for lots of smaller ones with less chance of mould. It's is a fast finisher tho so that will help too, if she finishes while it's still nice and warm to hot. Plus I may have to keep it low-ish.

I'll be seeking some guidance re approaches to topping it. Probably the next update will be preparing for that...

CBD Critical Cure - Day 18 and Day 23

Day 18 - looking a bit washed out in the leaves. The Mag def. seems to show the most with this one.

CBDCC-day18-fade.jpg


And day 22 - this one shows the improvement in colour. Still a bit of fade in between the veins but definite improvement from the pic only a few days prior. And Rad - there's that very pretty set of leaves you predicted :love:

CBDCC-day22-above.jpg


I've been tossing this up for a while and have decided that this plant will give us all a look at how it grows without topping or training. I can't guarantee I won't have to manipulate the shape at some point depending on stealth issues, but for the most part I'm going to let it be 'true' to it's form. It's something we don't often see.

The 2 Professors - Day 17 and Day 22

Professor Chaos #2 has taken more wind stress than all the other plants. It shows some beautiful red-purple colour on all the new growth. This could be stress but it's had this since very early in germ. The first pair of serrated eaves came out wiht this colour too, so maybe it's genetics. Not so much colour on Pr.C 1

I only have pics of Professor Chaos #2 from 4 days ago, none from today. Isn't her colour lovely?

PrChaos2-day17.jpg

PrChaos2-day17-top.jpg


Professor Chaos #1 pics show the growth progression - here, on Day 17

PrChaos-day17.jpg


... And then on Day 21, more of everything, including healthy colour

PrChaos1-day21.jpg
PrChaos1-day21above.jpg



And finally the group shots - first, 5 days ago, in the late afternoon sun:

group-day12-14.jpg



Then, yesterday evening, all tucked in for the night :thumb:

GroupNight-day23.jpg



So far so good! :cheer: It's less than ideal circumstances regarding the soil and garden enclosure(s) timing, so I'm pretty pleased they're going so well. I'm loving growing outdoors and growing more than one plant. My previous 2 grows outside I've been restricted to one plant so it's super exciting to have 4 babies underway!:cheesygrinsmiley:

Thank you all for sharing the ride with me and all the encouragement and advice :love: :420::love:

This photo was taken this time last year, right outside our back door - it still lives around here somewhere (as do many others - some very big!). Always keep your eyes open and make a bit of a racket when approaching an area... that's the house rule ;)

critter-25nov.jpg


:Namaste:
 
Plants are looking gorgeous Amy
Thanks Gee! they really were on that day - and even the days following.

I have a few odd issues to address going on now tho. Am about to post a mini thesis (lol!) about it in the hope of getting some advice/assistance!

:Namaste:
 
Hi all, today I'm seeking assistance with diagnosis and advice re possible mineral deficiency and how to address it. I could be chasing my tail a bit... please bear with me as I lay out what I've done (it covers some of what's been journaled already, just to save anyone reading back...)

To set up: the medium is currently less than ideal and totally not what i'd planned them to be in at this stage. But, well, things happen in life and projects don't always pan out as expected, which effects other projects... The upshot of it is that these poor babies are still in a 50/50 mix of seed rasing mix and coco coir. They're at about 4 weeks from seed, outdoors, give or take a day or 2. The pots are about 5-6inches high and 4ish inches wide.

The things I have added to the medium;

  • Mycorrhizae (AMF): 0.05-1tsp sprinkled and watered in when they were a few days old, plus a tiny sprinkle more 2 weeks later after rains.
  • Powdered Gypsum: sprinkled 1-2tsp each around the pot when they were a few days old, and again about 3 weeks later (a week ago).
  • Aloe and Kelp Ferment organic liquid fert. (contents listed below): I make a very weak tea with this - although I'm mixing it with such a little amount of water (just under a litre) at this point it's hard to be sure. They say 20ml per L, and it's hard to measure just one ml. to make it an even weaker mix than that (seeing as they're young - maybe I should be making more quantity to be sure I'm not making it too strong). The first feed was 10 days ago, second feed 2 days ago, (used the dunk&drench method for 2nd).
  • Neem cake - about 0.5tsp as a top dress 10 days ago
  • Mushroom compost: a bare sprinkle as a topdress 10 days ago
  • Epsom salts: about a tsp or less scratched into the surface of the medium, about 4 days ago:
  • Iron chelate: 0.5g dissolved in 600ml and watered in a day after the last 'tea' dunk & drench.
  • H20 - our water is rain rain water (sometimes the water we've boiled 4 eggs in - tip from AKGramma for calcium). Used every time i referred to 'tea' or 'watering in' ;)


As I'm writing all this I'm thinking - gosh that sounds like a lot, esp of potential N fert (the neem has it, the compost would have it, the 'tea'...) so maybe what I thought was a super light touch is actually too heavy. All are at super small amounts - I think.

Anyway, the organic liquid fert. has this in the description and I'm using it to make super dilute 'tea'. Not sure I can link to the supplier, they're not a sponsor. They sent it to me as a freebie with my minerals ;) - good on them!
This fertilizer contains the following variety of microbes.
- Rhizobia (Brayrhizobium Japonicurn)
- Azospirillum
- Aspergillus Niger
- Lactobacillus
- Pseudomonas Putida (P-Solubilizing microbe)
- Bacillus Subtillis (P-Solubilizing microbe)

Also Contains: Salicylic Acid to boost the plants immune system, and Saponins for IPM and soil tilth enhancement.

N - 1.67%
P - 1.38%
K - 1.36%
Ca - 4.39%
Mg - 1.54%
S - 0.993%
Amino Acids - 3.05%
Contains trace minerals - Boron, Zinc, Manganese, Iron, Copper, Molybdenum, Cobalt.
Derived from - 80% Aloe, 20% Kelp, Humic Acid and a Variety of Microbes.

Some of my reading tells me that Cal:Mag ratio is best around 6-10:1, so the way I see it - and please correct me if I'm wrong - that 'tea' I'm making doesn't have enough calcium in the mix so it's a good thing that I'm trying to supplement that with the Gypsum (and boiled egg water).

Q: I've been told that top dressing with gypsum powder, or adding it to the water, will make calcium available fairly quickly. Can anyone confirm or deny that?

For the most part they have been looking super strong in stature and sturdiness. There's just been some fade issues, and then today some worse ones (hang wit me please, I'm getting to that). At first it had the appearance of mag def - with the fleshy parts between leaf veins were fading (worse on the CBDCC), hence the use of epsom salts - and also a general paleness. I noted this in the last update a few days ago. This patterning is not as noticeable now, on any of them.

Q: Is that too soon to have responded to the epsoms - like 3 days?

Then, a couple of days ago (the morning after I'd posted my most recent update) I noticed they were super pale, to yellowing, from the centre of the growth zone outwards, in an even gradient. This is a group shot of them then, followed by a close up of the MB, it is the next day after their 'drench':
Fade is hard to see in pic, it was way more pronounced in person. but was worse on the MoneyBush, 2nd from the left (80%Afghan indica x 20% cColumbian/Mexican skunk if that helps) but is maybe is easiest to see on the CBDCC, 2nd from the left. You can also see the fade to yellow on all the lower leaves (baby leave are pretty much dead).

group-day24-27.jpg
MoneyBush-day27.jpg



MerryAnna - I know you said they can do this (sprout pale new growth) after the rains, so maybe that's all it is, however... they were fading all over a bit ...
I looked it up and it seemed to match iron deficiency pattern so this is when I gave them the iron chelate. There's literally nothing in the medium except what I've put there so without the whole bottled notes thing, like a full (planned) coco grow would be using, I'm trying stay on top their needs, in an unknown medium while knowing little (oops - not really a recommended trip for a novice). I'm really trying to do a grow with mucho minerals and minimal ferts and to learn about how the plants respond to different things. I'm certainly seeing some of that with this almost coco thing i've tripped into (however temporarily). (Don't ask me why I started them in the 50/50 coco/SRM blend :laughtwo::hmmmm: - it was suggested as a good gentle starting medium and I thought it sounded like a good idea as my soil wasn't anywhere near to being mixed even.)

It seems to me that they respond really fast - like to the epsom, as I was wondering about above, but then again to the iron chelate I gave yesterday morning. I swear they look heaps better on that front today - less fade to the centre and deeper colour in general.

Q: is it possible they'd respond so quickly to the iron? Could this fast response (if I'm not imagining it) be due to the 50%coco coir in the mix?


This is them today (except 1, there's a whole different problem with Prof#1 today, more on that after this)

Money Bush - day 29

MoneyBush-day29.jpg



MoneyBush-day29top.jpg



CBDCC - day 28 (left) + Prof #2 - day 26 (right. It's bit stunted, has been getting more of the harsh winds maybe - smaller pot too).
CBDCC-day28.jpg


So not too bad - but I feel I am very close to the edge of them not being ok. Is it novice grower neurosis? Maybe - but I don't actually feel neurotic about it all. I'm just detail obsessed. And actually really interested in everything that's happening. I am enjoying learning so I'm not panicking about any of this. I do want to get them all through this though and have some kind of a harvest in 3-4 months!

So now, finally, we're at today's "event": While Prof Chaos #1 also looks a bit recovered in the fade department - she now looks like this (pics below): Ca deficiency? and Mn def. spot on one leaf as well? - This is the only one showing any of this so far, and it's only appeared today. The browning off seems isolated to the 2nd pair of serrated leaves, can't see it on the others. The Mn(?) spot is on one of those 2 as well. Those 2 have a clawing going on as well - rest of the plant(s) have no claw.

Prof_1-day26-closeleaf2.jpg


Prof_1-day26-closeleafspot.jpg


in general, apart from this, the stature and strength is still good and the new growth looks ok.

Prof_1-day26-mn_ca_def_.jpg


None of that was visible yesterday.

Maybe I'm chasing my tail here as I'm try to coax them through in a medium that's probably more like growing in coco coir - which I don't know much about except that it's like soil for hydro, needs feeding a lot and requires a lower ph. That last would be a problem b/c my spike says it ranges from 6.2 to 6.8. I wouldn't normally be overly concerned about ph - but the abundance of coco coir in the current mix makes me wonder.

They were never meant to stay in this medium so long. I thought they'd be in soil two weeks ago. I'd like to be able to say now, with confidence, that the soil locations will be practicable in at least 2 weeks but I can't be at all sure! (I'd thought that 3weeks ago - lol).

Q: Should I just be doing whatever I can to put them in a nice soil mix now?
(I.e., forget about optimising root development - which may not be happening in the 50% coco mix anyway.)

One plan that I could possibly execute, would be to (firstly) get over not wanting to transplant them more than once and get them out of the current medium now and into pots about twice the size, with a good soil mix in, and then transplant again into their ground based soil beds just before flower is due to start (around Christmas I think). That would be in about 3-4 more weeks.

If I don't do that, I can really not see them in a soil home for another 2weeks at least.

I'm seeking insight and advice from the illustrious collection of growers I've been lucky enough to meet round here - particularly about the deficiencies i talked about, but also about next possible forward steps.

I know it might sound like I'm super worried and stressed about it. I have concern, that's for sure, but I'm full of enjoyment for the process. Please help me not to kill them though, please :cheesygrinsmiley:
:thumb:

thanks fellow 420ers
:Namaste:
 
There are a couple things I would fall back on in LOS. Always start with an ACT, rich in EWC. There's almost nothing a good aerated compost tea can't fix. The other is to foliar with epsoms. It wouldn't hurt to do a minor scattering of epsoms across the surface periodically if you're seeing the fading you mention, which I can't see in the pictures Amy. They will have new growth show lighter green, and after a rain that can be really pronounced, but all-over fade I reach for epsoms.

The damage I see in the leaves is in the lower leaves only. If this is so, I'd assume that's a reaction from an earlier treatment. I'm not the person you should call to identify deficiencies. I grew in LOS so that I wouldn't see those deficiencies.

I support your inclination to upcan. They may simply need more soil community under them to get the balance necessary. Organics and small pots don't work well. In a larger pot you can play with the wet/dry cycle a bit more, although with organic soils you never want to get too dry.

You're reacting a little too quickly, IMO Amy. Small changes over time. It's so easy to look at a plant and want to do something NOW! when it may be more beneficial to wait it out and only change one thing.

You build the soil and then you let the soil feed the plant. I had a set routine for drenches that came on a regular schedule. The same additions every drench, or every other drench. It's a system designed to keep stores at a level the plants could most benefit from, and for the most part, it worked like a charm. Doc's kit does it so much better without all the work that I'll probably never go back to LOS.

To be honest though, the first grow in LOS was so easy and so productive that I continue to recommend it for those who love to play in dirt. If Doc's followers hadn't followed Graytail into my yard I'd probably still be in LOS no-tills.

Think about increasing the root zone. That usually does the trick in living soil communities. Your girls are looking pretty good from here. New growth is what you want to keep an eye on, and yours looks healthy to me.

Hope I helped. Seek out bobrown14. He's my LOS mentor. Conradino is another invaluable member resource. He's really good at making it work in the bush. Good luck Amy. They're resilient plants. That's why we called them weed for so long. Lol!
 
I agree with up potting, what I see is fade starting at the bottom which would indicate nitrogen deficiency and the brown spots down low which would be a PK issue. I'm thinking your mixture of soil and coco isn't holding enough NPK. It's behaving like a super fast draining soil and isn't retaining a lot of nutrients.
 
I agree with up potting, what I see is fade starting at the bottom which would indicate nitrogen deficiency and the brown spots down low which would be a PK issue. I'm thinking your mixture of soil and coco isn't holding enough NPK. It's behaving like a super fast draining soil and isn't retaining a lot of nutrients.

I add coco fiber to my soil mix precisely to increase the biosphere, but in a small pot this isn't effective. The community can't keep up with what washes out in a small pot.
 
Hi all, today I'm seeking assistance with diagnosis and advice re possible mineral deficiency and how to address it. I could be chasing my tail a bit... please bear with me as I lay out what I've done (it covers some of what's been journaled already, just to save anyone reading back...)

To set up: the medium is currently less than ideal and totally not what i'd planned them to be in at this stage. But, well, things happen in life and projects don't always pan out as expected, which effects other projects... The upshot of it is that these poor babies are still in a 50/50 mix of seed rasing mix and coco coir. They're at about 4 weeks from seed, outdoors, give or take a day or 2. The pots are about 5-6inches high and 4ish inches wide.

The things I have added to the medium;

  • Mycorrhizae (AMF): 0.05-1tsp sprinkled and watered in when they were a few days old, plus a tiny sprinkle more 2 weeks later after rains.
  • Powdered Gypsum: sprinkled 1-2tsp each around the pot when they were a few days old, and again about 3 weeks later (a week ago).
  • Aloe and Kelp Ferment organic liquid fert. (contents listed below): I make a very weak tea with this - although I'm mixing it with such a little amount of water (just under a litre) at this point it's hard to be sure. They say 20ml per L, and it's hard to measure just one ml. to make it an even weaker mix than that (seeing as they're young - maybe I should be making more quantity to be sure I'm not making it too strong). The first feed was 10 days ago, second feed 2 days ago, (used the dunk&drench method for 2nd).
  • Neem cake - about 0.5tsp as a top dress 10 days ago
  • Mushroom compost: a bare sprinkle as a topdress 10 days ago
  • Epsom salts: about a tsp or less scratched into the surface of the medium, about 4 days ago:
  • Iron chelate: 0.5g dissolved in 600ml and watered in a day after the last 'tea' dunk & drench.
  • H20 - our water is rain rain water (sometimes the water we've boiled 4 eggs in - tip from AKGramma for calcium). Used every time i referred to 'tea' or 'watering in' ;)


As I'm writing all this I'm thinking - gosh that sounds like a lot, esp of potential N fert (the neem has it, the compost would have it, the 'tea'...) so maybe what I thought was a super light touch is actually too heavy. All are at super small amounts - I think.

Anyway, the organic liquid fert. has this in the description and I'm using it to make super dilute 'tea'. Not sure I can link to the supplier, they're not a sponsor. They sent it to me as a freebie with my minerals ;) - good on them!
This fertilizer contains the following variety of microbes.
- Rhizobia (Brayrhizobium Japonicurn)
- Azospirillum
- Aspergillus Niger
- Lactobacillus
- Pseudomonas Putida (P-Solubilizing microbe)
- Bacillus Subtillis (P-Solubilizing microbe)

Also Contains: Salicylic Acid to boost the plants immune system, and Saponins for IPM and soil tilth enhancement.

N - 1.67%
P - 1.38%
K - 1.36%
Ca - 4.39%
Mg - 1.54%
S - 0.993%
Amino Acids - 3.05%
Contains trace minerals - Boron, Zinc, Manganese, Iron, Copper, Molybdenum, Cobalt.
Derived from - 80% Aloe, 20% Kelp, Humic Acid and a Variety of Microbes.

Some of my reading tells me that Cal:Mag ratio is best around 6-10:1, so the way I see it - and please correct me if I'm wrong - that 'tea' I'm making doesn't have enough calcium in the mix so it's a good thing that I'm trying to supplement that with the Gypsum (and boiled egg water).

Q: I've been told that top dressing with gypsum powder, or adding it to the water, will make calcium available fairly quickly. Can anyone confirm or deny that?

For the most part they have been looking super strong in stature and sturdiness. There's just been some fade issues, and then today some worse ones (hang wit me please, I'm getting to that). At first it had the appearance of mag def - with the fleshy parts between leaf veins were fading (worse on the CBDCC), hence the use of epsom salts - and also a general paleness. I noted this in the last update a few days ago. This patterning is not as noticeable now, on any of them.

Q: Is that too soon to have responded to the epsoms - like 3 days?

Then, a couple of days ago (the morning after I'd posted my most recent update) I noticed they were super pale, to yellowing, from the centre of the growth zone outwards, in an even gradient. This is a group shot of them then, followed by a close up of the MB, it is the next day after their 'drench':
Fade is hard to see in pic, it was way more pronounced in person. but was worse on the MoneyBush, 2nd from the left (80%Afghan indica x 20% cColumbian/Mexican skunk if that helps) but is maybe is easiest to see on the CBDCC, 2nd from the left. You can also see the fade to yellow on all the lower leaves (baby leave are pretty much dead).

group-day24-27.jpg
MoneyBush-day27.jpg



MerryAnna - I know you said they can do this (sprout pale new growth) after the rains, so maybe that's all it is, however... they were fading all over a bit ...
I looked it up and it seemed to match iron deficiency pattern so this is when I gave them the iron chelate. There's literally nothing in the medium except what I've put there so without the whole bottled notes thing, like a full (planned) coco grow would be using, I'm trying stay on top their needs, in an unknown medium while knowing little (oops - not really a recommended trip for a novice). I'm really trying to do a grow with mucho minerals and minimal ferts and to learn about how the plants respond to different things. I'm certainly seeing some of that with this almost coco thing i've tripped into (however temporarily). (Don't ask me why I started them in the 50/50 coco/SRM blend :laughtwo::hmmmm: - it was suggested as a good gentle starting medium and I thought it sounded like a good idea as my soil wasn't anywhere near to being mixed even.)

It seems to me that they respond really fast - like to the epsom, as I was wondering about above, but then again to the iron chelate I gave yesterday morning. I swear they look heaps better on that front today - less fade to the centre and deeper colour in general.

Q: is it possible they'd respond so quickly to the iron? Could this fast response (if I'm not imagining it) be due to the 50%coco coir in the mix?


This is them today (except 1, there's a whole different problem with Prof#1 today, more on that after this)

Money Bush - day 29

MoneyBush-day29.jpg



MoneyBush-day29top.jpg



CBDCC - day 28 (left) + Prof #2 - day 26 (right. It's bit stunted, has been getting more of the harsh winds maybe - smaller pot too).
CBDCC-day28.jpg


So not too bad - but I feel I am very close to the edge of them not being ok. Is it novice grower neurosis? Maybe - but I don't actually feel neurotic about it all. I'm just detail obsessed. And actually really interested in everything that's happening. I am enjoying learning so I'm not panicking about any of this. I do want to get them all through this though and have some kind of a harvest in 3-4 months!

So now, finally, we're at today's "event": While Prof Chaos #1 also looks a bit recovered in the fade department - she now looks like this (pics below): Ca deficiency? and Mn def. spot on one leaf as well? - This is the only one showing any of this so far, and it's only appeared today. The browning off seems isolated to the 2nd pair of serrated leaves, can't see it on the others. The Mn(?) spot is on one of those 2 as well. Those 2 have a clawing going on as well - rest of the plant(s) have no claw.

Prof_1-day26-closeleaf2.jpg


Prof_1-day26-closeleafspot.jpg


in general, apart from this, the stature and strength is still good and the new growth looks ok.

Prof_1-day26-mn_ca_def_.jpg


None of that was visible yesterday.

Maybe I'm chasing my tail here as I'm try to coax them through in a medium that's probably more like growing in coco coir - which I don't know much about except that it's like soil for hydro, needs feeding a lot and requires a lower ph. That last would be a problem b/c my spike says it ranges from 6.2 to 6.8. I wouldn't normally be overly concerned about ph - but the abundance of coco coir in the current mix makes me wonder.

They were never meant to stay in this medium so long. I thought they'd be in soil two weeks ago. I'd like to be able to say now, with confidence, that the soil locations will be practicable in at least 2 weeks but I can't be at all sure! (I'd thought that 3weeks ago - lol).

Q: Should I just be doing whatever I can to put them in a nice soil mix now?
(I.e., forget about optimising root development - which may not be happening in the 50% coco mix anyway.)

One plan that I could possibly execute, would be to (firstly) get over not wanting to transplant them more than once and get them out of the current medium now and into pots about twice the size, with a good soil mix in, and then transplant again into their ground based soil beds just before flower is due to start (around Christmas I think). That would be in about 3-4 more weeks.

If I don't do that, I can really not see them in a soil home for another 2weeks at least.

I'm seeking insight and advice from the illustrious collection of growers I've been lucky enough to meet round here - particularly about the deficiencies i talked about, but also about next possible forward steps.

I know it might sound like I'm super worried and stressed about it. I have concern, that's for sure, but I'm full of enjoyment for the process. Please help me not to kill them though, please :cheesygrinsmiley:
:thumb:

thanks fellow 420ers
:Namaste:

Hey Amy quick read here on your last update ,
It looks like calcium deficiency do they look rust spots ?
420-magazine-mobile695159647.jpg


Magnesium looks the same but I think more yellow appears by the look of it?
420-magazine-mobile584861808.jpg



The claw ? Ph at that stage should be around 6-6.5 I would say lower to 6.3ish
Hmm .
 
In response to your call for help:

I don't use coco, so I don't know how it affects nute absorption. I use an equal mix of Perlite, Black Gold indoor potting soil, and vermiculite. For Veg nutes I use Miracle Grow liquid plant food in the green bottle for fruits and begetables at half-strength, because it has an excellent recipe of minerals besides the main 3. I also add Epsom Salts dissolved in water (I find dry additives take too long to work their way into the soil, dissolve, and become available to the roots) and seaweed extract for more N.

Are you growing outdoors right now? Some of the damage looks like a combination of nute burn (maybe from splashes when feeding or over feeding) and insect damage. High heat will do that, too. Another possibility is nute lockout from feeding too much nutes. Nute lockout from overfeeding means that the plant cannot absorb essential nutrients.

Nute deficiencies generally affect specific parts of the plant, not on just a couple leaves here and there. Your new growth is the best indicator of the health of your babies.

Safest treatment is to do a plain water flush, and wait another week before you fertilize again. As with all living things, plant or animal, too much food is not a good thing.

:Namaste:
 
I grew in LOS so that I wouldn't see those deficiencies...
You build the soil and then you let the soil feed the plant.

Yes - exactly what my plan was. Not with a full LOS but a mineralised soil mix. Which I still have coming - just super delayed planting zones. . I had no plan for the situation I'm in! (With an almost 'empty' soil).


... You're reacting a little too quickly, IMO Amy. Small changes over time. It's so easy to look at a plant and want to do something NOW! when it may be more beneficial to wait it out and only change one thing.

Yes - I can see that. Journaling helps one get some perspective, doesn't it!?

I support your inclination to upcan. They may simply need more soil community under them to get the balance necessary. Organics and small pots don't work well.

increasing the root zone ... usually does the trick in living soil communities. Your girls are looking pretty good from here. New growth is what you want to keep an eye on, and yours looks healthy to me.

Good luck Amy. They're resilient plants.

Thanks Sue - I've been thinking about the upcan for a week or so (see I'm not doing everything too fast! ;) I'll be putting some effort into trying to get that happening over the next week.

I agree with up potting, what I see is fade starting at the bottom which would indicate nitrogen deficiency and the brown spots down low which would be a PK issue. I'm thinking your mixture of soil and coco isn't holding enough NPK. It's behaving like a super fast draining soil and isn't retaining a lot of nutrients.

Thanks PW. .. I appreciate the drop in assistance.
Hey Amy
... calcium deficiency do they look rust spots ?

Magnesium...?


The claw ? Ph at that stage should be around 6-6.5 I would say lower to 6.3ish
Hmm .

Hi Joe - thanks for stopping by to help .. Yeah I thought that rusty calcium def spits too - but it's a bit different to that pic (where did you source those from btw?). And they're getting calcium...

PH is good for soil (if my spike is correct). Maybe a tad high for coco. We'll see how it pans out hey?

Are you growing outdoors right now? Some of the damage looks like a combination of nute burn (maybe from splashes when feeding or over feeding) and insect damage. High heat will do that, too. Another possibility is nute lockout from feeding too much nutes. Nute lockout from overfeeding means that the plant cannot absorb essential nutrients.

Nute deficiencies generally affect specific parts of the plant, not on just a couple leaves here and there. Your new growth is the best indicator of the health of your babies.

Thanks a bunch AK. Much of what you say is in line with some other advice I got via PM.

Yes - heat might be an issue, and maybe that Professor is just taking it harder. It's been hot. It was also suggested that with the little black pots the root zone might be getting too hot.

And yes - new growth looks good.

Safest treatment is to do a plain water flush, and wait another week before you fertilize again. As with all living things, plant or animal, too much food is not a good thing.
Someone else suggested this too...

I haven't really fertilised that much I don't think - it's been like 10days between very small doses. But there's definitely too much going on as I tried to compensate for them still being this medium (I was unprepared for this!). And it's possible the teas have been stronger than I intended.

thank you all so much for coming by to advise. I'll likely do some strange combination of all that. After waiting a few days to observe.

Will report back ...
 
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