Getting Discouraged by Persisting Nutrient Problem!

Maybe I am just impatient, waiting for my adjustments to pay off. I think my plants are getting worse though, and I'm not sure if my adjustments are too minor, the plants are just getting worse before they get better, or the adjustments are incorrect or too drastic.

A couple of my 3 1/2 week olds are getting a deficiency or toxicity. I thought it was nitrogen but I transplanted them into soil with 2/7 composted manure and a tad bit over a normal amount of Peace of Mind Organic Tomato Fertilizer. Conditions worsened for a few days, so I watered using a pretty thoroughly diluted mix of urine, chicken shit (sterilized w/ boiling water), and a very small amount of molasses. It's only been about 36 hours since I watered, but I'm getting down about this whole thing, and I'm not sure if I'm doing the right things... I don't think I am.

Any suggestions? The most prominent problems I think, based on my non-existent ganja growing experience, are yellow leave tips on almost all leaves, dwarf sized new growth, and gradual yellowing on some upper leaves (seems to have shifted from lower to upper) started on the outter part of the fingers at the tips and working inward/further down the finger.

Shoot! I'm sorry about posting in wrong spot!!! Should I also post in plant problems or just not make this mistake again???

Sinky, This may sound cruel but, if you use your plants for a toilet, shouldn't you kind of expect them to look like shit? I don't think you are going to find any experienced grower here that recommends using urine on your plants. You really should start reading up on nutrients and put your plants on a decent diet.

I'm not a dirt farmer, so I can't tell you how to fix your current problems, but, regardless of the medium you are using, you need to get a better grip on growing techniques. The actual experience you are getting now is by far your best teacher, but you should also read, read, read and learn as much as you can - anyway, the reading all makes a lot more sense when you combine it with hands-on experience.

As far as this post being in the wrong section, I'll get it moved for you. If you can't find it here, look in "Plant Problems".

Good luck with your grow. :thumbsup:

PC :smokin:

the first thing that I would do. is FLUSH the shit out of her. well, literally I guess. LOL
Seriously though get a BUNCH of i gallon containers and use ph balanced water ONLY and flush her until the water that comes out of the bottom is clear. That is the first thing to do. I would do it NOW! then you can think about starting a true nute regimine again. Post back when you have done that. and hey DO NOT PISS on your plants! She has way too much nutes/shit/piss in her soil. YOU ARE KILLING HER! Flush it all out.

most plants suffer from 'over-love', as I'm sure you've heard before ... don't get discouraged ... next crop, don't feed the plants, except diluted, and not often ... you may be amazed at how well they respond ... most problems are an over-fertilization situation, mis-interpereted, and then complicated, with the addition of more nutes ... keep it simple, and you will probably really enjoy growing ... when the end product is your only goal, it ain't much fun, enjoy the learning process of growing :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by the image reaper

keep it simple, and you will probably really enjoy growing ... when the end product is your only goal, it ain't much fun, enjoy the learning process of growing :thumbsup:

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Very wise words. :thumbsup:

PC :smokin:

hmm... well in my defense organic gardening books can't say enough about using chicken shit... also, urine diluted 1/10 has been mentioned numerous times in the forums, which is not to say it is accurate, but it is also strongly recommended for use in compost from the books I've read.

As far as water Ph, I suppose I'll fork over the $7 or whatever for a water Ph tester at one of the few garden stores my city has. I have no idea about the Ph of the water I've been using, and I've been trying to vary my sources so as to avoid consistently watering my plants with a bad water source. I suppose that pot growing is not for cheapskates.

hi sinky,i am very new to growing myself but what i have learned is
if your plants are not in totaly sterilised soil they dont need nutes at that age,they will grow quite happily with just water and light(i use 24/7 and they love it).
when they are that young if you want to use nutes put a week solution in a spray bottle and foileer feed them as many times a day as you want but use a pure water spray in between so no residue builds up.
dont try to rush em dude:thumbsup:

Chicken shit is for outdoor growing. Even then, I don't like it- the N is too available.

FLUSH FLUSH FLUSH and then flush some more, and then re-pot into a larger pot ith nice light un-amended soil- 30% perlite + 70% compost with humus from Agway if you have one near you- it's a mix that's hard to fuck up, and the ratios don't have to be precise.

well I just recently repotted (less than a week ago) with 1/7 perlite, 1/7 sand, 2/7 compost and manure, and 3/7 top soil. I have been told to loose the sand, and I probably will next time, but I read on various other online guides than sand is a fine soil amendment for cannabis and other plants, so I'm not too worried about it momentarily. I don't know what Agway is, though. In fact aside from miracle grow I have never seen any of the products discussed on these boards at any of my local nurseries. I grow San Pedro and Peruvian Torch, and I have cuttings of those that I can't even plant them b/c I can't get crushed limestone in this damn town!

More to the point -- I don't have a water pH tester, but I do have a soil pH tester. I flushed my 3 worst looking plants last night w/ tap water, but I'm holding off on the others. So two questions: 1.) I'm wondering how dangerous it is to be doing this. My tap water leaves just the slightest calcium residue when it is put on a smooth surface and then dried. It does not taste of minerals whatsoever. 2.) Will testing the soil of the flushed pots tell me whether or not I've just done something really stupid? I'm thinking that if the soil in the flushed pots is still fine on pH, I will do the rest.

Agway is a nationwide chain of farmers supply stores. Lots of garden centers are also authorized dealers.
You mix, if I may critique it, has a couple problems.
-Needs more lighteners
-The manure and topsoil are both kinda wild cards. MAnure- what sort? Has it been composted too? Topsoil could be pretty much ANYTHING, lol.
The deal with that Agway product is that it is very very consistent and the pH is in range and buffered there.

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Originally Posted by PharmaCan

Sinky, This may sound cruel but, if you use your plants for a toilet, shouldn't you kind of expect them to look like shit? I don't think you are going to find any experienced grower here that recommends using urine on your plants. You really should start reading up on nutrients and put your plants on a decent diet.

I'm not a dirt farmer, so I can't tell you how to fix your current problems, but, regardless of the medium you are using, you need to get a better grip on growing techniques. The actual experience you are getting now is by far your best teacher, but you should also read, read, read and learn as much as you can - anyway, the reading all makes a lot more sense when you combine it with hands-on experience.

As far as this post being in the wrong section, I'll get it moved for you. If you can't find it here, look in "Plant Problems".

Good luck with your grow. :thumbsup:

PC :smokin:

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i have to disagree with u mate urine has been tried and tested and can fertalise plants as long as its diluted right dont quote me but bout 20-1 water-piss

if growing in soil dont bother ph ing as the soil buffers the ph

just my 2p


water

Hmm.. I wish I had an Agway. :(

Ok, test done! I hate this little test kit, its so hard to decide on the color. I THINK that it says my pH is between 7.0 and 7.5 -- I know its on the forums and I've read it before, but since you folks seem to be paying attention anyway, how do you suggest I lower it? Preferably I won't use stuff from a garden store, b/c the garden stores here have only the basics. Yes, I highly doubt they would have pH adjusters, as basic as it might seem.

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Originally Posted by water

i have to disagree with u mate urine has been tried and tested and can fertalise plants as long as its diluted right dont quote me but bout 20-1 water-piss

if growing in soil dont bother ph ing as the soil buffers the ph

just my 2p


water

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I'm afraid you have highly over-valued your bogus advice.

JMO

PC:smokin:

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Originally Posted by water

if growing in soil dont bother ph ing as the soil buffers the ph

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This simply isn't true.
SOME soils buffer the pH.
Some buffer it in the wrong range.
Some are just totally fucked.
You have to know your dirt before making a statement like that.

Ok, so now the some of the mucky brown has cleared out of the solution, I've changed my mind on the results of the test. I've decided that my pH is really in the 6.5-7.0 range, probably on the higher end... like 6.9 or 7.0

I'm safe!!!

Boy, let me tell you, being a newbie can get you down sometimes. It doesn't help, though, that I am one of those people that absolutely cannot stop himself from using queer techniques. I can never keep it simple! I'm really not a stupid person, I just can't overcome my innate desire to test things. The sad part is that I generally stray away from testing different things when I grow accustom to what I'm doing... meaning that when I become experienced, and can experiment, making relatively objective conclusions about the successes and failures of my experiments, I cease to do so!!!

My Final Assessment of the Events August:
8 Plants were started in a store bought soil mix consisting primarily of sphagnum moss and vermiculite. This was a mistake, and I should have known better. After three weeks in pots too small, I believe that my plants had an issue with being nitrogen deficient and root bound. Upon transplanting into an acceptable (less than ideal, albeit) soil mix, I believe my plants suffered transplant shock which I falsely interpreted as a worsening of their nitrogen deficiency. Watering them with moderate amounts of organic materials high in nitrogen on two occasions, the plants began to show signs of nitrogen toxicity. I did not recognize this until about 4 days after they started showing signs, but alas the soil was flushed. While my plants have probably been set back one or two weeks, I am confident that this is the beginning of a new and more prosperous life for my 8 cannabis plants!

Boy.....you were not kidding about doing things small I guess. Glad you got it all straightened out....;)

And you are right.....you'd have many less problems if you stuck to following directions.....good luck. :cool: