First time grower - please help with weird leaves

Hello - as indicated, I'm a first time grower. Some details:

- in MA, USA
- growing outside
- Northern Light
- water until run out, have had very little rain so have been watering approximately every other day
- organic soil with perlite in fabric pot
- watering from hose, which I know is chlorinated
- been battling high PH since the start, trying to get it down with aluminum phosphate
- known nitrogen deficency, solving with feather meal and coffee grounds
- we have 12 plants - this is the only one that looks like this
- looked all over, can't find a pic that matches something like this

Genetics I think. Although an outside chance some of that damage from beasties...

You are obviously aware of what's what (countering issues the way you do) but in this case I doubt its anything you're doing...
Just for info, are these 'autos'? Have had experience of shitty leaves like that before with auto (recessive genes from Ruderalis).
Good luck 11.

don't use product with Al in them

Have I done goofed.?!

Are you using aluminum 'Phosphate' or 'Sulphate'...???
Am no scientist: or for that matter a grower, but I still need to ask if these are the same...?!
A Sulphate is used for lowering PH in soil. (At least i can find articles on 'A sulphates' being used that way
So unsure about A Phosphate, information not as readily available.

???

the >>>>Al<<<< is the problem, not the sulphate or phosphate

and this:

11earl said:

which I know is chlorinated

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and this:

11earl said:

known nitrogen deficency, solving with feather meal and coffee grounds

Click to expand...

coffee grounds don't contain much N, plus these organic compounds need to be composted for a few weeks until you can use it...


anyway, I'd unpot & sniff @ roots.

Thank you all for taking the time to help me - I really appreciate it.

Yes, I am using aluminum sulfate to lower the ph - make the soil less acidic. It's funny - none of the other plants did this when I added it!

Will this condition self-correct once I stop using? And what should I use instead to lower the ph?

Finally - "unpotting" the plant sounds scary; I don't know if I've got the guts to do that!

Usually just using bat poops make soil acidic and plants really love that "shit" literally

I'm not 100% its from Al I've just read its not a good element to any life, and becomes more toxic the older the organism gets.

I don't you need to repot, just fluch and add back some bat poop should be fine. Also I would get a microscope broad mites can cause strange leaf growth, they are very very small like 1/10 the size of spider mites.

I've seen this before, I just can't pinpoint it. You can surely rule out genetics because the plant can grow a healthy leaf & shoot axis, and everything you see above is just the same pattern repeat. And this is exactly the problem, there are healthy and deadsick parts of that plant, but the pattern in which the plant is affected actually would call for parasites.

Al is a neurotoxic substance, that is, it destroys your braincells. For example, we had that in deo-rollers, but now it's forbidden, just like we should basically forbid alot of chemical bullcrap like waterrepellants or insecticides... anyway... Al for plants can slightly be beneficial, but most of the time, they don't take it up (it needs very acidic pH to be taken; 3-4) but for animals, it's very dangerous, like many heavy metals...
Just because out of this reason I would shun it, there's no need to, because you can grow plants without it.

In an organic grow, you shouldn't actually be worried much about pH, better setting that beforeahead with stonemeals to match the acidic parts.

N is offered to plant by Kation, Anion and also neutral. A pH mismatch will decrease some ionic availability - switch to Urea & Aminoacids. Better anyway - true organic + bacterial food + else.

If this plant has any parasitic infestation - you need to get rid of it ASAP and prevent the insects in the soil from spreading ("IF")

Thank you hex and kassio!

Kassio, how would you go about removing the parasitic infestation?

Since you have other plants I'd cull it and also remove the earth (if necessary)

But first, confirm if there are parasites...

Kassiopeija said:

Since you have other plants I'd cull it and also remove the earth (if necessary)

But first, confirm if there are parasites...

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OK, will do - apologies for the dum question, but how do I confirm the presence of parasites?

11earl said:

OK, will do - [...] how do I confirm the presence of parasites?

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With a microscope or a strong loup... watch out for eggs, poop (dark spots) & ofc everything that's moving from alone...

Kassiopeija said:

With a microscope or a strong loup... watch out for eggs, poop (dark spots) & ofc everything that's moving from alone...

Click to expand...

Ah! OK, I think I've got a loup somewhere.

Thank you for taking the time to help out this newb!