Hello colleagues. There is a problem with my 3 years old Jamaican hot chocolate, young leaves fade, curl up and dry, the flowers fall off. No pests detected. I use the kratky method. Fertilizer 3.15.34, calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate, 3: 3: 2 grams, respectively, per 5 liters. At the same time, Ph 6, TDS is about 1000. Yaki Blue is standing next to him and doing good. Help me, what should I do?
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There is a problem with my 3 years old Jamaican hot chocolate
- Thread starter Andrey
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If your ferts are 3-15-34, as in NPK/3-15-34, then you have a ridiculous amount of potassium and phosphorus, and you may want to see what phosphorus locks up at high concentrations. If memory serves, it interferes with Zinc and Iron. Phosphorus dosed at 10 times the rate of Nitrogen sounds like toxic levels, to me.
You never need to exceed Nitrogen with Phosphorus and Potassium. And especially not at those ratios.
Also, Kratky isn't ideal for peppers. Maybe this method is OK up to a certain age, or plant size?
You never need to exceed Nitrogen with Phosphorus and Potassium. And especially not at those ratios.
Also, Kratky isn't ideal for peppers. Maybe this method is OK up to a certain age, or plant size?
lek said:
I said that it "wasn't ideal" and that perhaps the method isn't good after a certain age. My specific point being that maybe there is a relationship between root mass and container size/nutrient solution volume.
Clearly, the OP has also grown pepper successfully with Kratky. But there's a problem NOW. Is the age a factor?
I'm still guessing that with that particular fertilizer, something has built up to a very unhappy level. OP, can you flush that plant, and get some sort of decent fert? Worst case, balanced with low numbers? (3-3-3 would be fine)
He is adding equal amount of calcium nitrate to the other fertilizer. That is a 15.5-0-0 nutrient and around 19% calcium. Using it all the time in that quantity could be part of the problem. It also sounds to me like the epsom salt amount is way too high. IIRC you only need around a 5th as much magnesium as the calcium.
So thats 18.5-15-34 right?
So thats 18.5-15-34 right?
Good call. Didn't catch that.
Either way, this is a very "hot" nutrient for all the time use. And that P level is completely off the deep end. This doesn't look like nutrient burn, but it does look something isn't playing well together with something else. Not a deficiency, but maybe trickier...
Either way, this is a very "hot" nutrient for all the time use. And that P level is completely off the deep end. This doesn't look like nutrient burn, but it does look something isn't playing well together with something else. Not a deficiency, but maybe trickier...
Agreed, something could be locking out/up something else. Im not well versed in hydro but those numbers look way off to me.
I'm using this method according this videos, I'm dong something wrong?solid7 said:
5 Gallons water 12 G Masterblend 12 G Calcium Nitrate 6 G Magnesium Sulfate
Jast calc it to 5 liter way 3 3 2
They recomend use it all the time
My "Masterblend" is N3
15:K34:Mg2Andrey said:
Not necessarily you. Not everyone who puts videos on the internet gives the whole story, or necessarily has the understanding to go with their good luck.
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Are you using tap water? If so, do you know what's in your tap water? (have you ever had a water quality analysis report)
Yes only tap. Starting TDS is about 200-300, Ph 7-8. When adding nutriens it shows about 700-1000 ppm and 5.8-6 phsolid7 said:
Not necessarily you. Not everyone who puts videos on the internet gives the whole story, or necessarily has the understanding to go with their good luck.
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Are you using tap water? If so, do you know what's in your tap water? (have you ever had a water quality analysis report)
Andrey said:
Ok, but I was asking if you know what's in your tap water, not what the TDS count is. What *specifically* is contributing to a TDS of 200-300?
This is why most people who can do so, opt to use RO water in hydro. The solids in your water are something. And they can very much affect your nutrient solution.
Andrey said:
Is 34 not roughly twice as much as 18.5? EDIT: dyslexia. I have confused P and K numbers. My bad. But regardless, the following becomes purely informational
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Phosphorus never needs to be higher than Nitrogen, and certainly not that much higher. Unless somebody can produce some strange chemistry, that shows otherwise. In soil agriculture, Phosphorus is applied at heavier concentrations, because it's not readily available, and becomes so over an entire season, with interaction of other elements. In hydro, everything is available right now. And as I live, you will surely NEVER use more P than N in a single grow. Contrary to popular myth, adding more macro-nutrients won't stimulate specific types of growth. And P is something to be careful with, as it has a very definite potential to accumulate to toxic levels.
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If that's all you have available to use, I might try boosting the N with calcium nitrate, leaving K alone, and backing off the calcium and magnesium. Like, cut your dose until you reach the same TDS with a concentration that looks a little more balanced. (because if you don't have good plant fertilizers available in one-part, it's easy, and maybe best, to shoot for balanced)
NOTE: If given a choice, it would be better to reduce the Potassium, and put your TDS to work in a more efficient way. The plant isn't going to use that much K, so it's just wasted. But it won't lock anything up, like it would have, if it were P. (as I mistakenly concluded, earlier) Plants don't selectively take more Potassium for flowers, just because it's there, as is commonly taught.