HELP PLEASE

[Closet Grower]

Hi Guys ,, I am having problems with my babies . I am hoping someone can help me . I normaly grow in perlite but have changed to potting mix and am having these probs here and the harvest has really gone down in weight . As well as what you see in the Pics I have some little black flies in the cupboard . I am using Thrive as the Nutrient , PH is approx 6.5 using one of those cheap probe testers . I never used to have probs in the Perlite , I only changed as it is hard to get where I live .

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/coach1/Potprobs001.jpg

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[SukonmiSkunk]

a friends plant was doing the same thing... I think its just a build up of salts.. are you feeding with thrive everytime??

 

thats what he was doing.. you need to water with just water once every 3-4 feeds..

 

these can do with a flush.. just feed with plain water for the next few feeds...

good potting soil shouldnt need fertalizers...not at this early stage

[Closet Grower]

Why would they be going yellow around the edges ? I thought it was a Magnesium Def. and I added Epsom salts and it is still happening . I water with Thrive every second water , which is about once a week . Edited August 22, 2006 by Closet Grower

[SukonmiSkunk]

ok what happens as the salts build up.. the soil gets overloaded.. and starts to lock out various nutrients... nitrogen is usually the first and with a lack of nirtogen other dificiencies start to appear...

 

looks like whats happening with this plant... its been overdosed with the thrive.. hense the tips burning like that.. then as the nutrients have locked up. its starting to get these minor dificiencies...

 

a good flush is the key... just plain water.. tap water is ok but rainwater will be much better.. you need to catch the run off and measure the TDS.. compare it with the water before you water...

also measure the ph... compare before and after....

this will give you an idea of whats happening in the soil...

 

cut back on the thrive... and try a fertilizer blended for roses... thrive is ok... but there are better ones out there.. a 2 part hydroponic nutient allows you make slight adjustments....

[Closet Grower]

Cheers , I flushed one plant and will monitor it over the next week and see what happens I dont have a TDS meter so will just have to observe results .

By the way , this looks like a great forum and thanx for the advice . Oh I forgot to add that the PH just dropped a point as well .

Edited August 22, 2006 by Closet Grower

[Stoney]

those little flies around ya plant could be fungus gnats and they lay there eggs in the soil and they can cause alot of issues including lockouts i would do as ss says and do a good flush and the water with just ph adjusted water and i would look into some insect spray to get rid of them other members will be able to tell ya some good ones to use

 

hope this helps

cheerz

[Shithappens]

First thing, look to some good Soil mixes and you can get an idea how you can provide your plants with a better base then just that potting mix. Use as a guide only but notice that you can easilly add to the potting mix for greater more balanced effect then using nutrient feeds.

 

http://www.drugs-forum.com/growfaq/428.htm

 

Another cause of several illness symtoms (from nutrient lockout) is cold but you have not indicated what temperature your plants live in for the light and dark periods so i suggest you get a cheap thermometer and check the temps as a trail to knock out that as a variable.

 

Ive suffered from the cold for ages and thus my warning goes out again.....

Edited August 22, 2006 by Shithappens

[Closet Grower]

Well the cupboard Temp varies bewteen 12 - 22 degrees at the moment . It is still pretty cold here .

[Bundy]

if find cold doesn't present to much of a problem....

[Shithappens]

With a range of 12-22 i see that your soil temperature would be below that as i take that as air temperature so yes you do have a cold temp problem.

 

Within my system i aim at a range of 20 to 24 air temperature and 16 degrees minimun for root mass and they love it.

 

A basic way to describe what i have read in many a post whilst dealing with my cold problems is as follows.

 

The plants cannot absorb certain nutrients when they are outside certain temperatures it is physically impossible for them to do it. I will not quote temperature ranges as those you can find with reading up on it, and seeing others opinions on the matter.

 

It is our job to try and give them near perfect conditions.

 

In your case it could be as simple as placing the pots on a compost heap (outdoors) or taking them off any cement they might be placed on (indoors) Also as you are indoors you could try running your lighting during the cold night hours to warm the nights and hope the days are within range.

 

if find cold doesn't present to much of a problem....

 

You might have a strain that like a broadeer range man or your temperatures could be a bit sutler then ours but i have had sever troubles with the cold and have finally beat it using clone pads and foam insolation.

My cold comes from the ocean winds directly onto my shed and a concrete slad as the floor.

 

But temperature does pervent the plant from absorbing nutrients be it plant side or nutrient reactions with in the nutrient It does happen .... BE warned!!!