Help With Leaf Issues (Please!)

So it looks pretty clear your plants are starved for water and nutrients, possibly even root space. Based on your recipe of nutrients I would have to suggest you are using a bit too much fertilizer and at a slight imbalance. Fine tuning organic fertilizer mixes can be a daunting task, even for the experienced grower.
My assumption of what may be happening, is salt toxicity. The salt build up is making it difficult for your plant to take up water...that causes a deficiency in Magnesium...which in turn makes it impossible for your plant to mobilize the nutrients available. When creating your fertilizer recipe, make sure to take the Maximum application of one nutrient as your Max application for all combined (example... you are using organic fertilizers and each one suggests a half cup per 5 gallons soil, but you have four different fertilizers...1/8 cup per fertilizer equals a half cup total). pH can dip severely with excess salts causing even more imbalance. If I was going to try and save these plants I would suggest a larger root zone with a balanced recipe that isn’t too strong, (less is always best when it come nutrients), make sure the pH of both your soil and water source are a spot on 6.2-6.8, transplant and water with either distilled or purified water until you get at least 50% runoff dripping out the bottom of your pots. Then continue to always achieve at least 10% runoff every time you water thereafter.
With the pH dialed in, ample root space, and a nice lean recipe of fertilizers you should be on cruise control! Good luck and I hope this helps!

Hey,

Quick question if you don't mind, and this may sound dumb, be warned. What would be causing the salt toxicity? Isn't the idea of using organic nutrients so we aren't using salt based fertilizers? Or is this something that gradually builds up from lets say using tap water, etc..?
 

Tangerine_

Well-Known Member
Hey,

Quick question if you don't mind, and this may sound dumb, be warned. What would be causing the salt toxicity? Isn't the idea of using organic nutrients so we aren't using salt based fertilizers? Or is this something that gradually builds up from lets say using tap water, etc..?
Organic amendments can be salty too
 
Are there any in particular that stand out? Wouldn't a salt build up eventually occur in a no till organic soil situation at some point?
 

Tangerine_

Well-Known Member
Mineral salts in compost vary. With manures, it'll depend on feed but well aged usually has acceptable salt content.
Keep in mind, when adding peat it can act like a sponge and hold salts. Then we end up with burnt roots and leaf tissue

The no-till growers here can provide further info. Check out the organic sub-forum. I'm sure they'd be happy to help.
 

GiovanniJones

Well-Known Member
Ok, in hindsight, I think that the cause of my problem is pretty clear to me now.

When I transplanted into 3-gallon containers, I used a living soil that I purchased locally, that was already amended with lots of goodies. I mixed in some Gaia Green 2-8-4 as well as seaweed kelp; both were measured in as per package instructions. My leaves took a turn for the worse just over two weeks after that.

I think that while the products I added were composting in the soil mix, it was getting hotter by the day. Once it cooked for a good two weeks, the soil was too hot any my plants couldn't handle it.

I might try a similar process next time, but I won't amend the soil at all. I'll just use the organic ferts as top dressing every few weeks, and in smaller amounts.
 
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