Leaf curl hitting crisis point now! Any other ideas?? Please HEEELP!

nee

• Apr 2, 2012

• #1

I wondered if people would be kind enough to have a look at these pics and give me a clue as to where i'm going wrong? (if at all?)

As it's heading towards winter, i have these under lights overnight from 7pm - 7am the next morning (2x 6500k flouro's placed about 2" from top of highest plant)) and as the daytime is still warmish, i place them in the kitchen window throughout the day.

I watered 3 days ago and added Miracle gro tomato fert, but diluted it to half of what they recommend on the packet.
I haven't sprayed with Epsom Salts yet...would that help at all?

Thanks for any advice...

 

Pablo_h

• Apr 2, 2012

• #2

leaves small, slightly yellow and curled up = overwatering. Technically lack of air to the roots - so better drainage and looser less compacted soil is what is required.
I noticed you double cupped to hold water, probably putting too much water in and it's sitting in the second cup forever, wicking up.
Stop watering so much and put them on some type of saucer instead (unless you can learn to be more sparing with the water in future).

Also look at ferts some more. My biggest problems were potassium, magnesuim (and maybe mn and mo) this season.That said you don't need much fert until it's really growing, but when you do get ferts, you need something that suits fruiting plants, the miracle gro stuff I had, had no listed calcium and magnesium (maybe different as it was a GP MG)

 

nee

• Apr 2, 2012

• #3

Brilliant....thanks for that!
Does the Epsom Salts provide potassium /magnesium, or is that for something else entirely?

 

TheFanMan

• Apr 2, 2012

• #4

Epsom salt = Magnesium sulfate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium_sulfate

 

Prehensile

• Apr 2, 2012

• #5

your plant food probably has Magnesium(tomatoes love it) in it check the label.

 

inolan22

• Apr 2, 2012

• #6

Pablo_h said:

leaves small, slightly yellow and curled up = overwatering. Technically lack of air to the roots - so better drainage and looser less compacted soil is what is required.
I noticed you double cupped to hold water, probably putting too much water in and it's sitting in the second cup forever, wicking up.
Stop watering so much and put them on some type of saucer instead (unless you can learn to be more sparing with the water in future).

Also look at ferts some more. My biggest problems were potassium, magnesuim (and maybe mn and mo) this season.That said you don't need much fert until it's really growing, but when you do get ferts, you need something that suits fruiting plants, the miracle gro stuff I had, had no listed calcium and magnesium (maybe different as it was a GP MG)

Click to expand...

+1

During my first couple years growing pepeprs, some of my habaneros started doing this. Along with the leaves looking like that, their growth also got stunted. The soil I used just started to compact not leaving room for the roots to breathe.

 

nee

• Apr 2, 2012

• #7

Ok, that's interesting to hear...

The potting mix I used seemed fine...I didn't pack it down or anything.
Shall I repot them again?
When I looked this morning, one of the leaves has now gone REALLY yellow
Help!

Grrrr, just lost the bottom leaf on my Macedonian...decided to try and repot it in fresh mix.
Hoping the bottom leaf isn't too much of an issue?

 

mtbrider17

• Apr 2, 2012

• #8

They say when they curl inwards it is a calcium deficient, You cant fix the leaves that are curled but the new ones will grow normal,

 

nee

• Apr 3, 2012

• #9

OK, thanks for the help everyone!

So to clarify....i need to stop over watering....and get some calcium into the soil, yeah?
I'm presuming calcium is in the form of adding fert...if so, any particular brand / type?

I'm hoping they pull through it all......i was gutted when i left for work this morning!!

Oh, and a quick Q reference potting mix..... if it's quite dark in colour, but to the touch it feels dry, does this still mean that it's still got moisture in it? Are you supposed to wait until the colour of the mix goes lighter in colour (ie showing that it then needs water)

The reason i ask is that i was re-watering due to the mix feeling dry to the touch, but earlier tonight i took some new potting mix out of the bag and i couldn't believe how much lighter in colour it was.
I think i've been fooled into thinking it was dry, just because it felt dry to the touch.. (hope that makes sense!)

 

coheed196

• Apr 3, 2012

• #10

Botanicare Cal-Mag plus is good. As far as checking to see if they need water, put your finger into the soil, if its still damp a couple inches down then they're fine. It's hard to go just by the color. Also what some people here do is weigh one of the pots right after a good watering and weigh one that is needing water, then you should be able to tell by weight if it's completely dry or not.

 

Eephus Man

• Apr 3, 2012

• #11

I'm gonna pile on here, y'all.

Do I have that same lack of oxygen situation happening here?







My tomatoes in the same bed are also twisted to hell. I have watered them *very* little, however they did have one 2" t-storm for a drink. But that was almost two weeks ago now.

My potted peppers have had the same weather, more water, and WAY more ferts. What gives on the raised bed?

 

nee

• Apr 9, 2012

• #12

Hi guys.....sorry to keep harping on about my leaves, but i'm feeling like it's hitting the critical stage here now, and i'm running out of ideas!!
I'm losing leaves like mad now, and some leaves seem to be taking on a dark brown tinge also.

OK, this is whats happened to date:

Started off in Jiffy's fine.....all looking good. Transfered to pots ok, and then gave them 12 hours under 65ook flouro's and then a good 8 hours of normal daylight in kitchen window.
It seemed i was overwatering when i bottom watered, so i didn't water for 5 days, then only via very moderate top watering. Fed some Miracle Gro tomato fert, but was then told i needed to add calcium. So waited another 5 days until i needed to water again, and disolved some garden lime into the water (contains calcium...as i couldnt find calcium nitrate at my store). Couple of days later i sprayed the leaves with Epsom Salts....and here's where i am now.. I almost want to chuck it all and wait for spring....totally gutted!! If anyone can help, that would be great.

Could the problems below still be a result of the overwatering a couple of weeks back? really hoping they pick up

 

meinchoh

• Apr 9, 2012

• #13

Did you notice any changing of color after you put them in the kitchen window for 8 hours of sunning?? If not properly hardened off, that would give them a nasty sunburn, which it looks like they may be. Also, looks like some serious fert burn but it's not universal among the leaves...Whole lot going on there - sorry!

 

Beehunter

• Apr 10, 2012

• #14

Agreed. In those last pics it could be wicked sunburn. In which case just slow them down on the light exposure and it should right itself out. The damaged leaves wont heal but everything new will be normal. So in this thread seems like less would be more. Less water, less feeding, less direct sun. well i guess just ease into the sun better.

 

nee

• Apr 10, 2012

• #15

Righty ho! I'll give that a go!
Does anyone reckon i should just forget the kitchen windowsill altogether for now then, and just keep them under the florescent's for 18 hours instead?
I thought it would be kinder to the environment to move them to natural light as and when i could, to save running lights unnecessarily, but if it's going to destroy the plants, then i won't! (i dont think flouro's use that much juice anyway do they?)

Thanks again for the help guys...much appreciated, and i'm learning all the time Even if i use this as a test run, i'm still on course to get plants sorted for the spring

 

Mezo

• Apr 10, 2012

• #16

Killing them with love Nee.

Don`t give up mate they look like they will survive yet, i personally just spray mine with one of them big 8ltr pump thingy`s when it look like the soil is a bit dry, i don't use a drip tray as i just let any excess run out on the bench but hardly any does as ive learned not to over water.

Its hard to get a happy balance in small cups, easy for them to dry out completely & so very easy to give them to much.

That`s why i wasted no time in getting them in to larger pots (when the roots are down to the bottom of the cup) it gives you a little bit of leeway.

Have you turned them upside down & lifted the cup off to see whats going on? you can get a real good indication of growth & water usage.

Mezo.

 

nee

• Apr 10, 2012

• #17

Mezo said:

Killing them with love Nee.

Don`t give up mate they look like they will survive yet, i personally just spray mine with one of them big 8ltr pump thingy`s when it look like the soil is a bit dry, i don't use a drip tray as i just let any excess run out on the bench but hardly any does as ive learned not to over water.

Its hard to get a happy balance in small cups, easy for them to dry out completely & so very easy to give them to much.

That`s why i wasted no time in getting them in to larger pots (when the roots are down to the bottom of the cup) it gives you a little bit of leeway.

Have you turned them upside down & lifted the cup off to see whats going on? you can get a real good indication of growth & water usage.

Mezo.

Click to expand...

Aha, that might make things easier! I haven't looked for a while, and a few of them i have in clear cups, with dark blue cups on the outside, so i could see what was happening with the roots. One of them has roots coming out the bottom now, and a few others look like this (pic below!)
What size pot would you say for the next size up? (the current ones are 12oz from memory)

At the weekend i will sort some sort of tray to go inside the vertical wall garden, so i can ditch the cups and not worry about water spills. I must admit that space in there is going to become a premium once they are potted into bigger pots...might have to dwindle some of the worse for wear ones, and then once the weather starts perking up i can get these out from under the lights and start some more off.

 

Prehensile

• Apr 10, 2012

• #18

Tell me you have drain holes in those cups......And they are not clogged? that soil looks really WET. Dump that 2 cup system...

 

Mezo

• Apr 10, 2012

• #19

When my roots get to the stage where they are circling around the bottom of the cup & when the soil is being held nicely by the roots, that`s when i put them in to bigger pots.

The one above could go another week to be honest but im rushing it a bit as winters drawing in & i want to get them hardened up ready, the pic below roots are gagging to be re-potted.

It doesn't harm them having a peek (if your careful doing it)

Mezo.