Blotchy and munched

[MrCompletion]

Hello fellow cannaisseurs

 

I need help and experience.

 

Returned home after being away for work to some blotchy leaves and bite marks. Plants are totally organic and in potted soil. It's only appearing on my indica dominates (master kush). Throughout the plants as the photos show. Feeding is one a week 50ml red powerfeed, 20ml Seasol and some worm tea with fish pond water to make up the 9l bucket.

 

No PH management. They were germinated in mid September.

 

Experience and reading tells me manganese deficiency (not to be mistaken with magnesium) but I was under the impression organic soil grows rarely got that.

 

As for the bites. There's no animals/bugs that I can see. Even under the leaves. I also regularly wash leaves in Eco-oil and soil drench in neem as I have fungus gnats (not bad but they are there).

 

Thoughts?

 

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http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/20/135ac0da81438ef57b85df84f172e3ea.jpg

 

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http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/20/3095a3c26faed3d7b3bba6b648970d19.jpg

 

Cheers

[Knarfman]

I think your right with the Manganese Deficiency. The leaves look yellow between the veins and the brown spots are a dead giveaway.

 

but also "cannabis may also exhibit signs of a manganese deficiency if the pH is too high, or the plant is getting too much Iron."

and I noticed you said you were not monitoring your pH but might be worth a look.

 

and the "bite's"  = buggered if I know   but some of them look like the leaf shredding and falling away which is another sign of Manganese Deficiency

Edited January 20, 2015 by Knarfman

[MrCompletion]

Thanks Knarfman.

 

I'll dig out the ph pen and see what it says. Any tips on how to lower soil ph in pots. Never needed to worry in all these organic years. I know organic matter like manure works but that's generally a slow way.

[Knarfman]

Sorry soil is not my area of knowledge. When I grew in soil in the 80's it was just a matter of bung 'em in the ground with a heap cow shit and hope some survive to harvest

 

But if that is the problem I am sure, no I'm positive, somebody here has the answer.

 

Just from a bit of reading it seems that if it's pH spike then flushing with a 5.5pH should do it and if its iron build up stopping the uptake of manganese then flushing the salts and iron is the cure as well.

 

so at a guess (and I will be happy to be corrected) I'd start with a couple of flushes with pH adjusted water.

 

The other thing that they say you should know, is that leaves damaged from Manganese Deficiency never recover and you should observe the healthy leaves to see if the problem is fixed.

[Frank Reynolds]

Hey mate,

 

What is your water like that your feeding em?

 

But anyway problem doesn't look too bad to me. I would personally spray em down with a seaweed and humic acid foliar spray to make sure the plant is getting all the trace elements it needs (also so u can stay organic), and just watch to see how it progresses.

[MrCompletion]

Thanks both. I try to get most of the water from my fish pond. Which is crystal clear as it runs through uv light to purify it. Not sure on its PH. Would assume though it would be neutral if not slightly acidic due to rain keeping it full most of the time. If I do use tap water (which is what the Mrs did while I was away and I have on the odd occasion) I know that's slightly sweet.

 

Will get the pen out this weekend and do all the PH checks across pond, in and outs etc etc and see where I sit. Gotta get these indica healthy for the flower show!!

 

The foliar spray sounds like a good remedy Frank. With a good ph adjusted flush too. Ive read mixed comments about using cider vinegar as a quick fix to lower ph in water I can't see that being a long term fix though. That's for the flush I mean not foliar spray.

 

Does Humic acid come in liquid forms, it's ok I'll google around and see what's out there.

 

The new leaves look very healthy it's just the ones that are old and a month or so young so to speak.

 

Agree it's not too bad at this stage, but I like to nip these things in the ass before they bite me in the ass.

 

Appreciate the comments and advice guys. Really means a lot that you took time out for me.

[Frank Reynolds]

Hey mate, 

 

I wouldn't really be trying to change the ph of the medium unless you are 100% sure that is the problem or else you will be getting more problems down the track.

 

Masters stock, https://www.masters.com.au/product/900010307/maxicrop-organic-natural-seaweed-2-5l which i use on my veggie patch. Although it says it is just a seaweed product the back of it has potassium humate as half of the active in there. so its a two in one. 

 

Can add some eco oil to increase spread on foliage and to deal with bugs as well.

[MrCompletion]

Thanks Frank. I'll check my PH out first and take it from there. Will give your maxi crop a run regardless. Thanks again.

[MrCompletion]

Seems I've been using my worm wee the wrong way and potentially harming my plants. Apparently your not meant to use the shit that flows out of the tap (leachate) as it has baddies living in there as well a goodies. Been reading a bit on this and seems it could be part of my problem. As the symptoms I'm getting are repeated in other garden vermicomposting sites too.

 

Buying an aerator this weekend and will be making proper worm tea instead of the worm diarrhoea I've been feeding the ladies.

 

Yet to test my water ph (tomorrow's job). Which may or may not be another contributing factor.

 

This old dog is learnin every day!

 

Happy Aussie day to you all. Enjoy your bbqs, beers and billies. Peace.

[itchybromusic]

Hey Mr C

worm wee needs to be diluted 1 to 10 & is mostly full of nutes 

so it's not going to work the same way as a worm casting tea 

where you would use the castings full of micro life 

 

not so much micro life in the worm wee / Leachate

it's also most likely acidic which is one of the reasons

you dilute the wee 

 

The micro life buggers don't like to leave home so you would need 

to rain flush your worm farm with a bit of pressure to remove some of that life in to the laechate 

So it's the reason you do a castings tea cos its more efficient to bubble 

for 24hrs than to try & flush at the right pressure 

 

If you really want to get full on you would need to study what each micro organism looks like 

under a microscope so you could take casting or compost & under a microscope , find , bubble & harvest the appropriate

organisms for that plants requirements ,

 

sounds like a laugh a minute doesn't it !

Edited January 23, 2015 by itchybromusic