what's wrong here? over-watered? nute burn?

[crow]

Hi all,

 

Desperately seeking some advice with a couple of plants I can't work out.  They are Mr Nice Bubblegum and Serious Kali Mist both grown from seed and in the ground outdoors.

 

 

Both plants are on irrigation and have received the same water as my other plants of which 4 are doing very nicely.    All plants received same basic soil treatment - pig manure and gypsum at the bottom, then native clay mixed with Searles 5 in 1, bagged compost, and premium potting mix and a bit of coco as well as some blood and bone, azomite, soft rock phosphate, seaweed meal, canola meal, bit of rock dust.

 

 

I have checked the soil with a [cheap] moisture meter and all plants showed the same - dry in the top soil and moist when you push the probe in as far as it will go - about 20cm.

 

 

Taking it one at a time...  the Bubblegum was split down the main trunk with some high stress training several weeks ago.  However, she bounced back from that and was doing fine but the last week she's gotten very light green in colour and a lot of bottom leaves are turning yellow.   Last year I didn't see this sort of yellowing until late flower.   I've not been giving much in the way of fertiliser, always mindful of how I killed a plant last year with too much loving.    I applied a 1/2 strength solution of Charlie Carp 2 days ago but haven't seen any discernable change in colour.

 

 

The Kali Mist has a serious droopy leave problem.  Maybe 8 days ago when I first notice she had a serious problem I suspended watering thinking to myself that looked to be the problem. 

After about a week of 30 degree days and no significant change in her condition I gave her 10L of water yesterday afternoon.  Checked her an hour or so later and she still looked droopy.

Kali has had one application of Seasol about a week ago but other than that has not been fertilised.

 

 

Could it be that the water is not draining out of the bottom of the hole [due to the clay pan] and that the roots down there are water-logged?  I did apply gypsum to the bottom of the holes to prevent that but not sure how quickly that would work/take effect.

 

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[billygoat]

i hope its not termites

[Stix87]

I have no idea mate I'm in coco and when they get a lil dry they go like that then I water them 10 mins later they are normal. You said there is plenty of moisture so that can't be it . Good luck I hope you get on top of it as they are huge all the best

[Matanuska Thunder]

Kali looks under-watered and underfed (nutrients)

 

I'd say the same for the BG but not 100% sure (daym close tho)

[tangwena]

Just what i thought but didn't dare say in case I was wrong, but I second Matti's diagnoses if they were mine I would feed and water them.

 

Tangwena

[crow]

Kali looks under-watered and underfed (nutrients)

 

I'd say the same for the BG but not 100% sure (daym close tho)

 

 

Just what i thought but didn't dare say in case I was wrong, but I second Matti's diagnoses if they were mine I would feed and water them.

 

Tangwena

 

 

Thanks for your help Matti and Tangwena.

 

Would you still feed them if it's 38 degrees here today and forecast to be over 40 for the remainder of the week? 

 

Would it be best to wait until dusk to fertilise?

[Matanuska Thunder]

You'll need to water it (possibly) every day during the heat wave

as a rule I don't use anything stronger than half strength if temps are above 30/35 (other factors tho)

 

First get her liquids up (so no furts for a day or two) then, yea, I'd use fertilisers at night/evening

Water in the morning so she has hydration through the day, you may need to re water at night too, since it's still hot during the night.

 

and that watering can thingy... at least two of those per watering (for a lil while)

...that's my $0.02... ramble

 

edit:

theoretically, the root zone of that plant should reach out to where the canopy is... if the plant is 3M around then you should treat the plant as if the root zone is the same size- make sure to water the entire area.

Edited February 6, 2015 by Matanuska Thunder

[spider_b]

I used to be in mildura   they need plenty of water through summer

[crow]

You'll need to water it (possibly) every day during the heat wave

as a rule I don't use anything stronger than half strength if temps are above 30/35 (other factors tho)

 

First get her liquids up (so no furts for a day or two) then, yea, I'd use fertilisers at night/evening

Water in the morning so she has hydration through the day, you may need to re water at night too, since it's still hot during the night.

 

and that watering can thingy... at least two of those per watering (for a lil while)

...that's my $0.02... ramble

 

edit:

theoretically, the root zone of that plant should reach out to where the canopy is... if the plant is 3M around then you should treat the plant as if the root zone is the same size- make sure to water the entire area.

 

Thank you again for such good advice.  I was thinking to fertilise tonight but you are wise to caution me to wait for a day or two until she's fully re-hydrated.

 

So 2 x 9L 1/2 strength fertiliser per plant?  Heck last time I fertilised I used a 1/2 strength 9L can between all 6 of the monsters!  Obviously I have no clue .

 

 

On the watering, I presently have 2 spaghetti hose on each plant - no dripper or anything on the end - and run it for a while [30 minutes in the past but 2 hours today] thinking it should thoroughly saturate the plants.  However the water comes out pretty close [maybe 10 - 15 cm] to the trunk.  So perhaps I will try and move them out to say 30 cm from the trunk.  Or 1 meter.  And the canopy is not naturally 3m diameter, that's just from training the plant so perhaps the rootzone doesn't extend quite that far?  I certainly didn't enrich the soil over that wide an area!

 

Anyway, thanks heaps.  It feels good to get this sorted. 

 

Plenty learned today.

 

Cheers,

crowsange

[crow]

I used to be in mildura   they need plenty of water through summer

 

Thanks for the advice spider. 

 

The plants I grew last year survived on very little [that I carted via 9L watering cans] and weren't very big since I planted them much later.

 

It seems I have just vastly underestimated the water required by these plants and to think I actually stopped watering them for the last week because I was afraid of over-watering!!  Just as well the temps were so much lower then.