One of two plants showing signs of nutritional issues...

[Ganesa_9]

I'm just starting out at growing my own and I only have two plants in a grow tent, under a 1000 watt led light. Both are in an identical 'homemade' mix of generic potting soil, compost, perlite, a little manure and peat, and then added lime to bring the ph down to about 6.5. Only one of the plants is showing this problem, even though I treat them identically. I've been looking at the charts showing pot leaves and the various potential causes of sickness due to nutritional deficiencies, but I'm old and wear thick glasses, and I'm not sure what I'm seeing because some of the pictures look kinda the same to me. I'm thinking (as near as I can tell) this is a magnesium deficiency, but would appreciate the opnion of someone with a bit more experience then me. Thanks.

 

[AladinSane]

How close to your plants is the light ? Doesn't really look like bleaching, but.......

 

[Ganesa_9]

The other plant in the grow tent is already a good 6 inches taller than this plant and shows no signs of this issue, so I don't think it's bleaching. But for the record, the light is suspended 22 inches above the canopy of the taller (healthy) plant. I did consider that, too, but I think it would affect both plants equally. They are both about dead center under the light.

 

[AladinSane]

My LED's are closed than that and my plants show no signs of bleaching. It was an idea.

 

[Ganesa_9]

My LED's are closed than that and my plants show no signs of bleaching. It was an idea.

Thanks for taking a look! I might just try a dilute solution of Epsom salts until I hear otherwise.

 

[Lesso]

Try foliar feeding some epsom salts. Ive seen this issue in hydro when my nutrients are too high ppm and when my ph is out of balance

 

[Ganesa_9]

Try foliar feeding some epsom salts. Ive seen this issue in hydro when my nutrients are too high ppm and when my ph is out of balance

I'll give that a try. Thanks.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

What are you feeding them? A homemade mix of generic potting soil, compost, perlite, a little manure and peat will not sustain them. I think they need food and that if you don't feed them the other will probably start looking like that, too.

 

[Ganesa_9]

What are you feeding them? A homemade mix of generic potting soil, compost, perlite, a little manure and peat will not sustain them. I think they need food and that if you don't feed them the other will probably start looking like that, too.

Dilute solution of Alaska Fish Fertilizer every third watering and a sprinkle of blood meal and bone meal on the surface that gets watered in when I water.

 

[Ganesa_9]

What are you feeding them? A homemade mix of generic potting soil, compost, perlite, a little manure and peat will not sustain them. I think they need food and that if you don't feed them the other will probably start looking like that, too.

AND I should probably add that the compost isn't store bought... I make it in three huge piles I maintain that get, in addition to kitchen scraps (no meat) and yard waste (green yellow brown), also gets bedding from the chickens (including their ****) and bedding from the rabbits (ditto). It's pretty amazing stuff.

 

[Ganesa_9]

AND I should probably add that the compost isn't store bought... I make it in three huge piles I maintain that get, in addition to kitchen scraps (no meat) and yard waste (green yellow brown), also gets bedding from the chickens (including their ****) and bedding from the rabbits (ditto). It's pretty amazing stuff.

Could you recommend a fertilizer to use... I kinda hate to go the chemical mass produced industrial fertilizer route, but if I must... It just seems to me that for a plant commonly referred to as a weed, it's awful 'fussy'.

 

[stinkyattic]

I think you might have overdone the amount of compost/fish/blood in one pot, like a "hot spot" in the soil bin, and/or some of it was too fresh...

Imvho that is lockout caused by sometging else in excess to the point of toxicity, likely nitrogen. Give a real good drench to significant runoff with fresh plain water at ph 7 (6.5 is a bit low, this will help correct it) then water with a full component fert at half strength. Something like pureblend pro is good. Frankly since it looks like N-tox, id use a bloom formula for a couple feedings and let it balance out a bit.

Lesso is dead on point saying to foliar mist with Epsom salt spray to correct magnesium lockout symptoms while you readjust soil/feed.

You're going to be repotting soon and that will help, mix your new soil mix really really well and go a little easier on the top dressings.

As an aside, I have done the exact same thing to my plants with Alaska fish fertilizer lol that stuff is a LOT. at this point I only use it on veggies outdoors, and only before a rainstorm is coming ... yikes its strong stuff

 

[Ganesa_9]

I think you might have overdone the amount of compost/fish/blood in one pot, like a "hot spot" in the soil bin, and/or some of it was too fresh...

Imvho that is lockout caused by sometging else in excess to the point of toxicity, likely nitrogen. Give a real good drench to significant runoff with fresh plain water at ph 7 (6.5 is a bit low, this will help correct it) then water with a full component fert at half strength. Something like pureblend pro is good. Frankly since it looks like N-tox, id use a bloom formula for a couple feedings and let it balance out a bit.

Lesso is dead on point saying to foliar mist with Epsom salt spray to correct magnesium lockout symptoms while you readjust soil/feed.

You're going to be repotting soon and that will help, mix your new soil mix really really well and go a little easier on the top dressings.

As an aside, I have done the exact same thing to my plants with Alaska fish fertilizer lol that stuff is a LOT. at this point I only use it on veggies outdoors, and only before a rainstorm is coming ... yikes its strong stuff

Thanks for the input... I was considering doing a flush. It has to be some slip up in feeding because I've treated both plants identically and the sick plant's sister is twice as tall and bushy and looks great. Maybe I overfed the sickly stunted plant. Can't believe they're this fussy!

 

[stinkyattic]

Thanks for the input... I was considering doing a flush. It has to be some slip up in feeding because I've treated both plants identically and the sick plant's sister is twice as tall and bushy and looks great. Maybe I overfed the sickly stunted plant. Can't believe they're this fussy!

They're little food critics : ) worse than Gordon Ramsey!

 

[WeedHopper]

Possible Magnesium Deficiency.
Epson Salt works great if thats the problem.

 

[choking_victim]

Yeah, I second the calcium (brown spots) and magnesium (spots and yellowing), and potentially Iron deficiency. It may be due to a lockout from the abundance of other nutrients in your compost. Possibly too high potassium from the composted foods.? Were you throwing a lot of banana, potato, or orange peals in the compost? These have really high levels of potassium and cause nitrogen/Magnesium deficiency if levels are too high. If magnesium is locked out, you lose absorbtion of iron and calcium and get spots, yellowing, etc.
I'm not saying it's that extensive, but knowing how nutrients effect eachother is extremely beneficial to understanding the problem and finding a solution.

 

[Ganesa_9]

Decided on flush, followed by a foliar feed with a very dliute epsom salt solution, and then just in case I've been over-watering (which I've been known to do) I'm going to let them dry up a bit before watering again. The sickly plant already looks a bit perkier, and its sister plant still looks as glorious and unaffected as it always did. Thanks for the assistance, everybody.

 

[WeedHopper]

Glad we could help. Keep us posted.

 

[burnin1]

The leaves on plants that have been overwatered can look like many things. I feel the bottoms of my cloth pots to make sure they are dry before I water. If you do not have cloth pots a moisture meter may be a good investment. They are reasonably priced. The plants may look dry, but the roots may still be wet when you water.

I wish you all the best with this grow.

 

[rubrown]

Looks like cal/mag or over nutes. I would let her go bone dry then a good drench with 5 mils ca/mag to a gallon of tap water that's set out for 24 hrs, nothing else. I feed every other watering to prevent nutrient lock out. I use organic liquid nutes and air pots. After a short while they don't need nutes any more. Good soil, genes non-chlorinated tap water, ph'ed if needed, putting all kinds of stuff on em gets counter productive. I just let em go after a point, fuckin root hormone made em herm!