What did I do wrong with my grow medium?

M

MadButcher

Well-Known Member
The other week I started my second grow, using 3 parts promix xp and 1 part perlite. My plants all look droopy, and have been for over a week. The mix dries really slow and seams to take in a lot of water till I get any run off at all.
I wondered if the droop was from the water but I ph it to 5.8 - 6.0.
The plants look healthy aside from the droop and when I up potted yesterday I checked the roots and they looked good too.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
 
Pics would help ....and how much are you watering the pot compared to it's size ?? .....also how long between waterings are you going ???...info
 
sounds like you have a small plant in a big pot if its taking that long to dry out, so the roots are being starved of oxygen
 
I'll put up pics when lights come on. I feed fox farm trio every third watering at 1/2 strength and I water until I get runoff of roughly 20 percent.

It took the pots about 3 days to dry
 
bobtokes said:
sound like you have a small plant in a big pot if its taking that long to dry out, so the roots are being starved of oxygen
Click to expand...
The pot where it started to droop was a 1/2 gallon pot. Worked fine that way in my last grow. I've not watered since I up potted and there's no change of droop
 
I noticed something tho. When I splash water in this, itll absorb where it hit and then just sit there. Like the surrounding area is not taking up any from it. I'll take a pic shortly to show what I mean.

Also, the pots they where in when droop started are absolutely ok in size. Had a nice root mass without binding. Roots came out the bottom a few days ago so I up potted into their final homes. 4.6 gal air pots
Shit just doesn't seem to drain well, even with 25% perlite.
 
have you used that soil before ?, i dont like perlite myself i prefer to use growstones gs-2, i think perlite holds too much water
 
Not sure what's going on, but droopy plants are usually a symptom of overwatering and/or too much food.
It's common to see what looks like a magnesium deficiency if you've got root probs from being too wet too long.
A foliar of kelp & humic acid might hit the spot. Floralicious Plus by GH works great as a foliar. It's pricey but super concentrated & lasts a long time.
 
Are they on a stone or tile floor keeping the root or pot too cold? Just a thought. I like perlite it helps drainage usually.
The mix your using is a sphagnum peat mixed with coco?
 
coreywebster said:
Are they on a stone or tile floor keeping the root or pot too cold? Just a thought. I like perlite it helps drainage usually.
The mix your using is a sphagnum peat mixed with coco?
Click to expand...
good point about the stone floor, i have a soil warming cable under my grow, and i have my plants on upturned saucers so there not in direct contact with the floor to stop them cooking,
 
coreywebster said:
Are they on a stone or tile floor keeping the root or pot too cold? Just a thought. I like perlite it helps drainage usually.
The mix your using is a sphagnum peat mixed with coco?
Click to expand...
They have been in saucers on a tent floor which sits on laminate/wood flooring and not in a basement either.
 
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