My babies!

[landi]

Hi all,

I'm hoping that some kind guru will advise me as to what is wrong with my babies. Yes, I've read most of the posts in this forum and I've read my growbook many times but I'm not certain of the cause and don't want to make things worse. While I'm a complete newbie growing grass I do have some experience of raising houseplants and gardening in general.

Background:

I live in the south of Spain and have four plants outside on a balcony, grown from seed, that are now about 10/11 weeks old. They were started, after germination, in a single pot and, when the second set of leaves were well-established, were *carefully* potted on into individual 6" pots filled with growing medium bought from my local headshop. They were bottom-watered and fed, with a 1/4 strength solution of Bachumus ecohemp-c in demineralised or distilled water, every 3 days or so, when the pots had dried thoroughly. Both sets of baby leaves had fallen off by about 6 weeks.They were pinched out (I need them bushy because of space constraints) at about 8 weeks and were thriving nicely until this last weekend.

Last Friday I potted them up (they were well pot-bound) into the large pots shown in the photo attached. I used a universal compost with a ph of 5.5 and gave them a good watering (with standard tap water) to bed them in. By Sunday the bottom leaves were starting to yellow. My book suggested that it could be a nitrogen deficiency and many replies on this forum suggested the same thing so I gave each of them half a litre of feed solution (diluted to full-strength), even though I would have thought that there would be plenty of nitrogen in the new compost. Tuesday saw the second set of leaves start to yellow.

Have I over-watered? I've always let the pots dry out before watering. Have I over-fed? Have I used an unsuitable compost? Hell, the bloody things are supposed to weeds and grow in anything. Another deficiency? Are they just settling down? Could it be the change of water? I've known houseplants drop their bottom leaves after repotting but never more than one set of leaves. The branches between the first and second leaves are fine with no sign of any problems.

Any advice will be gratefully received.

landi

[dextrious]

My plants started to do the same thing at that same size same leaves everything. I was worried about it but I kept feeding them fish emulsion like once a week and the yellowing never spread. Being a newbie grower and doing it all on my own before discovering these sites I am surprised that I got 5 out of 6 ratio female/male and have 5ft monsters still in veg. I know I made plenty of mistakes one being no holes in my starter pots I'm sure there was plenty of salt build up. MJ I have come to learn is an amazing plant. I had one completely flooded after a long rainstorm all the leaves died but regrew after i transplanted it into a place with more drainage. 2weeks ago it was 3ft shorter then the others. not anymore it caught right up. Guess what I am saying is I wouldn't worry about that little yellowing on the old leaves to much, just give it some good organic fert about once a week she will pull through.

[landi]

Thanks for that. It's done my confidence no end of good. :)

The yellowing is *slowly* starting to get into the first leaves of the lowest branches on a couple of the plants, but it *could* be slowing.

One thing that I have noticed is that the same two plants always seem to be drooping in the evenings. Last evening I didn't expect them to make it through the night they were that 'down' but, this morning, they're all perky again.

I knew things were going *too* well. :)

Thanks again

landi

[lethal purple poison]

Plants Naturally drop older leaves as they age and mature, some times they do it due to stress or if your area is hot and dry air, they could drop the bottom leaves to save water, its the plants " Instinct to survive",

[taphead]

If your PH is 5.5 that is to low for soil you want it at 7. Hydroponics requires a lower PH. The PH will effect your plants ability to absorb nutriants including nitrogen.

[dylan]

it could of been shock of transplanting. the plant will redirect its energy to new roots, and sometimes loose some leaves in the prosess, like when you clone,.