Help!! Plants dying!

[DustyDuke]

I’ve seen growers have amazing results with 4-4-4 all purpose for veg and 2-8-4 for bloom. But that’s beside the point. My goal with Organics was no bottled nutes, just having a living growing medium. Something full of microbes. But at this point I’m nervous to flush some of the nutes out. I feel like I will drown my plants

I have living soil my nutrients feeds the soil and the plant it’s full of beneficial bacteria and microbes. I only water to keep the soil moist, I never really have run off.

 

[Raspberrykiwi]

I have living soil my nutrients feeds the soil and the plant it’s full of beneficial bacteria and microbes. I only water to keep the soil moist, I never really have run off.

So I’m confused. Should I not use peat moss and dry amendments? Should I just continue to water my plants when dry and plants showing they’re thirsty? Should I maybe crush up some egg shells and make an Epson salt water to feed them some natural calmag?

 

[mangerton]

this guy has allot of good correct info although confusing to listen to at times

 

[Bobby Long Buds]

There is no correct way to go. Just what you choose to make work for you. If I were you I’d flush with lots of clear water to remove excess fertilizer then feed with a very light mix of nutrients (in your water) untill it looks better. Also don’t let it (look thirsty) just water it when the pot is almost as light as it will get but before it wilts.

 

[Raspberrykiwi]

There is no correct way to go. Just what you choose to make work for you. If I were you I’d flush with lots of clear water to remove excess fertilizer then feed with a very light mix of nutrients (in your water) untill it looks better. Also don’t let it (look thirsty) just water it when the pot is almost as light as it will get but before it wilts.

Ok. I checked them this morning when my light popped on. The leaves don’t feel quiet as crunchy as they did yesterday. This evening when I get home from work I’m going to water until I see about 20% runoff and just let them continue to grow. My last feed was at least a few weeks ago, the amendments should be running out here fairly soon. I think my next approach during their next feeding will be half of what it was. A big problem I had was over watering in the beginning. I noticed lots of fungus gnats (none now) and even some powdery mold in the drain holes of my pot. I am definitely going to try and lower my temps while keeping my humidity in the 55-65% range.

 

[Bobby Long Buds]

Ok. I checked them this morning when my light popped on. The leaves don’t feel quiet as crunchy as they did yesterday. This evening when I get home from work I’m going to water until I see about 20% runoff and just let them continue to grow. My last feed was at least a few weeks ago, the amendments should be running out here fairly soon. I think my next approach during their next feeding will be half of what it was. A big problem I had was over watering in the beginning. I noticed lots of fungus gnats (none now) and even some powdery mold in the drain holes of my pot. I am definitely going to try and lower my temps while keeping my humidity in the 55-65% range.

How big are your pots? If I were you I’d water to 200% runoff. Once it’s soaked it’s soaked mayswell keep rinsing out those nutrients well. Was your peat moss just peat moss or potting soil? Because a good organic potting soil like promix organic will get you a month with no feeding if you keep potting up with new soil.
If your worried about drowning them you could carefully repot them
Into solo cups.

 

[Raspberrykiwi]

How big are your pots? If I were you I’d water to 200% runoff. Once it’s soaked it’s soaked mayswell keep rinsing out those nutrients well. Was your peat moss just peat moss or potting soil? Because a good organic potting soil like promix organic will get you a month with no feeding if you keep potting up with new soil.
If your worried about drowning them you could carefully repot them
Into solo cups.

I think I’ll try the repot into solo cups. My current pots are I think 2.5 quarts? I’m not 100% sure. Less than a gallon for sure. My medium is made up of 70% peat moss and 30% perlite. No soil

 

[Bobby Long Buds]

I think I’ll try the repot into solo cups. My current pots are I think 2.5 quarts? I’m not 100% sure. Less than a gallon for sure. My medium is made up of 70% peat moss and 30% perlite. No soil

I didn’t mean to say soil, I just mean keep potting up into fresh “pre amended potting soil/peat”. 2.5 quart is a reasonable size pot it may not be worth the stress of transplant. Good luck.

 

[70's natureboy]

Well the advice is all over the place. Your plants are cooked. If you water until runoff they will drown. (no offense Bobby but I can't agree) You need to start over. 70% peat and 30% perlite is basically Pro Mix. You should just buy Pro Mix. Pro Mix and Floranova would be organic enough for me.

 

[Bobby Long Buds]

Well the advice is all over the place. Your plants are cooked. If you water until runoff they will drown. (no offense Bobby but I can't agree) You need to start over. 70% peat and 30% perlite is basically Pro Mix. You should just buy Pro Mix. Pro Mix and Floranova would be organic enough for me.

I agree they may be cooked either way.

 

[Raspberrykiwi]

I agree they may be cooked either way.

When you say “cooked” you mean from the light?

 

[Bobby Long Buds]

When you say “cooked” you mean from the light?

I mean nutrients but it’s impossible to know for sure.

 

[CanadianJim]

Well the advice is all over the place. Your plants are cooked. If you water until runoff they will drown. (no offense Bobby but I can't agree) You need to start over. 70% peat and 30% perlite is basically Pro Mix. You should just buy Pro Mix. Pro Mix and Floranova would be organic enough for me.

Second this, except the part about promix, you have to be careful about which one you get if you go that route.
One type of promix (not sure which, I've never used it) is basically peat and perlite, which will have no nutrients. It's a soilless medium, like what you have.
Promix herb & vegetable mix (what I use) will let you go about a month without feeding, and it is organic. If you pot up as your plant grows you can sometimes get away without feeding until you're starting flower. Some lighter feeding strains will react a bit to the nitrogen level, but should grow out of it if they're otherwise healthy.
I would recommend going with hydro nutes in a soilless medium as your plants will need higher levels of micronutrients (iron, zinc, etc) which are absent in soilless mixes, and are at lower levels in most nutes.
If you really want to stay organic, you should use soil, imo.

 

[Raspberrykiwi]

Second this, except the part about promix, you have to be careful about which one you get if you go that route.
One type of promix (not sure which, I've never used it) is basically peat and perlite, which will have no nutrients. It's a soilless medium, like what you have.
Promix herb & vegetable mix (what I use) will let you go about a month without feeding, and it is organic. If you pot up as your plant grows you can sometimes get away without feeding until you're starting flower. Some lighter feeding strains will react a bit to the nitrogen level, but should grow out of it if they're otherwise healthy.
I would recommend going with hydro nutes in a soilless medium as your plants will need higher levels of micronutrients (iron, zinc, etc) which are absent in soilless mixes, and are at lower levels in most nutes.
If you really want to stay organic, you should use soil, imo.

I think I might switch over to Mokoko, which is buffered and ready to use. I like the idea of powdered amendments I just need to learn a proper feeding schedule. I’ve also though about fox farms ocean forest

 

[Raspberrykiwi]

Update: I am noticing some new growth and the browning has slowed down on the upper growth. At this point should I just continue to water regularly ph at 6.2-6.8 and see what they do? Should I add molasses to my water to help boost the microbial life?

 

[CanadianJim]

That's what I would do, aside from the molasses. But as I said, I don't use soilless media. I just know that sometimes trying to fix a problem just makes it worse, and these plants are amazingly resilient.

 

[ColoradoHighGrower]

Humidity should be 55%-65% too...

 

[CanadianJim]

Humidity should be 55%-65% too...

Good advice, and that's exactly what op said he had. It's a few posts in on the first page.

 

[Raspberrykiwi]

That's what I would do, aside from the molasses. But as I said, I don't use soilless media. I just know that sometimes trying to fix a problem just makes it worse, and these plants are amazingly resilient.

Yeah, I just know that the molasses is a great source of calcium which I haven’t buffered into my medium. I was having a lot of red stems and branches before the plants started fading out how they are. I heard about boiling eggs and using the egg water to provide calcium but I’m not sure.

 

[SnidleyBluntash]

I would bet that the white powder you saw at the bottom of the container was nutrient salts built up. If you have 30% perlite, flushing should not cause it to soak permanently. I stand by my
Flushing recommendation, and if you are scared take a shop vac to the bottom of the container to suck some excess water out.
I once overfertilzed and burnt a plant very badly, it took a month and a half to get it back to normal.
How did I know it was too much nutrients? I tested the PPM of the runoff. It was over 4000ppm. I recommend you do the same with a TDS meter. That will tell you how much nutrients you have added.