Quote Originally Posted by WashougalWonder
Okay Em, thanks. I think the Miracle grow...Mg as in magnesium. The miracle grow is probably the cause. Not to worry, easy on the water, mine use about 1/4 cup per day at that size...tops.

Next pot size up should be about a 1 -1.5 gal nursery size. See if ya can find some potting mix without time release food. You must go very, very easy on watering as each time you water you release nutes in these mixes. Do not just go to huge pot, water settles to the bottom and gets stagnant.

But regardless I think these have grown beyond the age I mean when I am talking just sprouting out of the ground and the red. Note the duskiness below the cotyledons on these two young girls. Note how the red on the petioles only is mostly on the top half and just dots.

Of course this could all be just lighting differences.

Yes I have given up on filtering. But what is in your water?

Yes as the root system builds the needs of the pot of soil will increase and of course without a good root system less water will be used.
I will check with the city tomorrow and find out what is in the water. I am sure that something you just said here has given me one of those "ah ha" moments though... let me see if I understand correctly.

You see, I have read over and over all the comments about "run off" and had assumed that this was the goal of watering... that you figured out how much water it took to cause run off and then just short of that was what the plant/soil needed. BUT... notice the big letters here. I think what you just told me was that this is a big big mistake with a soil such as MG and plants as small as these because such a large amount of water not only stagnates in a too large of pot such as I have here, but it also will tend to release way too many nutrients at each watering. DUH! This makes perfect sense and now I understand what my plants are trying to tell me. Not only do they show signs of over-watering, but they seem to constantly teeter on the edge of nutrient burn, a couple have actually burned twice at the very leaf tips of the first true leaves.

So if I am finally starting to see the light here, the key isn't just waiting till the soil appears to be dry but also in learning to give the babies just the right amount of water that they can handle at that particular stage in their growth! Now I think I am starting to get it! These poor little things might just survive my attacks after all! Thank you WW. I know that many of you have been warning me to stop over-watering, but sometimes it doesn't sink in until someone says just the right thing in just the right way. All this talk of run off and flushing... I have been picturing torrents of water each time the containers get totally dry.

Once again, I have been totally humbled by the simple needs of a frail little life who's fate is in my hands. Someday, I may actually get good at this. Thank you again everyone... I am learning... slowly.

Emmie