How to get thicker leaves?

[Indico]

Okay, I have noticed that the newest/biggest leaves on my plant are getting thin at the end almost like the skinny stem in the middle is weak at the end causing them to droop slightly. Should I feed it more? Mist less? Water less? Maybe I need more light? Or more ventilation? I just want to know what's responsible for making perkier leaves like the first ones in the bottom, thanks.

Indico Reviewed by Indico on 12-05-2007. How to get thicker leaves? Okay, I have noticed that the newest/biggest leaves on my plant are getting thin at the end almost like the skinny stem in the middle is weak at the end causing them to droop slightly. Should I feed it more? Mist less? Water less? Maybe I need more light? Or more ventilation? I just want to know what's responsible for making perkier leaves like the first ones in the bottom, thanks. Rating: 5

[stinkyattic]

The question you should be asking is why are they changing shape?
Please post pics.
I'm moving this to plant problems. Read the sticky at the top of the page and answer the questions.

[DurbanStone]

Just the plants genetics, sounds fine to me. Post a pic for a better diagnosis.

[stinkyattic]

Doesn't sound fine to me at all.
Drooping leaf-tips are a sign of several different problems, from simple underwatering to root rot to micronute lockout to heat stress.
We need more background to make a diagnosis.

[Indico]

Well... it's indoors, in a 3 or so gallon pot with soil, I forgot the brand name of the soil but I know it had some nutes in it already. The guy at the store said it was the best stuff they had, and has worked like a dream thus far. I gave the plant nutes for the first time like 5 days ago using orchid food wich is 20-14-13. I used about an 1/8 of a teaspoon in a 1-liter bottle, after this I had no ill-effects and it began to grow outwards very fast. The last time I waterd was on the first of this month and in that water was the food so I don't know.
The plant is 4 and a half weeks old. I am about to get it more light but up until now it has been growing with just one 27 watt CFL and a 17 watt, 15"-T8, giving it 15 hours of light because it just reacts and grows best when I turn them off after 15 hours. I water with filtered tap water that sits there untill next watering then I shake it for oxygen before I water, I don't know the PH though. Also, I don't think it's heat stress because the thinning leaves (first and second before the newest ones) are like 4 inches away from the CFL and the room temp is always around 68-72 fahrenheit. I don't know about the humidity though, and for ventilation I just turn on the fan for like an hour or 2 everyday that's about it. Well that seems to cover almost everything. Thank u

[Indico]

I also have been misting a little bit everyday and I know I should stop this and mist a little less.

[stinkyattic]

Okay, stop misting.
Are the leaves cupping downwards too, like an upturned canoe?
Do they seem a little more green, or DARKER, duller green than they had been?
Sounds like suffocation. But without pics or some pH numbers, I still can't rule out a pH problem.
You need a lot more air flow than you are giving them.
Also, it's important to be able to test pH. The drop-style liquid tester is only like $8 at the grow shop... yay!

[Indico]

The biggest ones are indeed a bit 'roundish' kinda curling like you said. But the ones right on top have perked up after some time under the light. Anyways what's up with the upside-down canoe-like leaves? It's very minor but it is occuring on the biggest ones. Thanks for the info on the ph tester, I never knew they were so cheap. One more thing... I have noticed that the plant is taking longer and longer each day to perk up, like when it was 3 weeks after 3 hours of light it would be perky, but now it's taking like 7 hours to perk up. This problably means I'm going to need more light soon doesn't it? Thanks Stinky you're the best!

[stinkyattic]

Shit, go run grab a bottle of liquid pH indicator like, today before the shop closes.
Houston, we have a problem. And it is starting to sound like soil chemistry. Be prepared to be bored.

Last question, how tall is the plant and what are the dimensions of the pot that it is in?

[Indico]

The pot is like 15" high and 15" wide, the plant is like 9" tall from the cotyledons up. I planted it really low in the pot though like 6" down so I know I'm going to have to do something about that soon.