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CalMag question

6

6StringFire

I've been using distilled water on my Jalapenos since they were seedlings. They started looking sickly even though they were flowering and starting to fruit. I finally figured out they were calcium and/or magnesium deficient. I have one in straight ProMix that was deteriorating quickly and that tipped me off with solid symptoms.

Anyhow, they're back on track but I'm wondering how much calcium and magnesium supplementation they'll require in smart pots, hot Florida sun and distilled water. The soil is predominantly Ocean Forest but I'd say they been in those pots about 1 month. I have General Organics CalMag and Dyna-Gro MagPro to work with.

Thanks for the help so far. Glad we saved 'em.
 
That can be a tough determination to make. But when in doubt, i'd stick with balanced nutrition and not just a couple of minerals (cal + mag). Especially in the pro-mix pot, because that one was lacking nearly everything right from the start.
 
I agree with Jetchuka. You would be better off with a 10-10-10 balanced time release fert in the pro mix since there isn't really anything in there to begin with. Directions on the bag will give you a decent idea on how much and how often. If you want to supliment with Cal-mag, it can't hurt. Peppers seem to like calcium quite a bit. 
 
I have given my pots a healthy dose of Cal-mag once early in the season, mid-season and again recently.  They seem to like it.  They don't show as much improvement as tomatoes do from the same treatment but I also don't worry about pods rotting.
 
Hey 6StringFire I grow everything in pro-mix & use a cal-mag sup every other feeding, about 1/2 strength until flower cycle then depending on the plant I may go full dose. I grow mostly indoors however & I use what is termed USP water (fancy RO water) that has a TOC .04ppb. Have you tried a foliar spray? I tend to stay away from time released ferts, not that they're bad just have had not so great luck with them.
 
Cool, thanks. Did I diagnose that condition right? Does that look like calcium-magnesium deficiencies to you guys? 
 
The first pic (single leaf) probably needs no explanation. If you look deeper into the full plant shot, you can see the yellowed veins and some leaf curl.
 
Thanks for the consultation.
 
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