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health Ghost Pepper Leaves w/ Black Spots
- Thread starter SkepGecko
- Start date
lek said:
You can't just say "nope". If the media is compacted in the present setup, "nope" isn't going to help.
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If one pots up - which is going to eventually have to happen, anyway - a proper media will alleviate the problem, in very short order.
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I'm not sure that it was ever established that overwatering was the actual problem. Was it?
Subpar growing media can compact over time. Besides, I've grown plants bigger than that in unammended clay cut with maybe a quarter of a small bag of top soil. Just because it gets that big doesn't necessarily mean that the media is good. Imo it was probably fine, but got compacted over time, which I've seen with my own plants.lek said:
lek said:
Come on, lek. I expect better than this from you.
It's "potting mix 101", that overwatering can lead to compaction - especially if there is a high content of peat or compost. And while it may take some time to compact, no amount of time is going to "un-compact" a compacted media. Allowing lateral root growth from a compacted mass, into a more structural mix, however, can, and will, cure this type of problem.
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Again, we never really determined that this was either a watering or compaction issue, definitely. But the up-potting, better media solution works in both cases. The double cup method only solves the problem if it's related to watering. Agreed?
lek said:
I'm sorry, but I can't take you seriously on this one. Compacted media is one of the number 1 killers for container gardening. (especially for plants that started great, but took a sudden turn for the worse, mid-grow) I've had many people bring me plants in bagged potting soil, that I replanted, and they came back like Lazarus.
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Compaction directly affects the ability of a plant to get oxygen at the roots. The limited space in a container means that whatever oxygen IS in the rootzone, is depleted very quickly.
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There is a humongous difference between growing in-ground, and in containers. And IF your plant grows in compacted soil, it will grow exponentially better in non-compacted soil.
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Frankly, I find it a bit shocking that you'd be so dismissive of this issue with an inexperienced grower.
According to many studies compacted soil directly effects the health and growth of the plants.
solid7 said:
nope. different media require different technique to grow successfully.
super compacted media like clay soil contains very fine particles. they can hold more water, more nutrients but the big problem is air flow.
u need to be careful when watering the plant.
u need a way to provide enough oxygen to root zone.
of course some growers may mix sand with clay soil and put earthwarm army in the container and sprinkle coffee ground around the plant.
some will use different methods. it's up to them as long as they know what are they doing -> provide oxygen to the root zone, overwatering is not allowed.
if i use the same amount of water / nutrient for potting mixed, plant may not get enough nutrient and suffer from drought stress.
lek said:
Agreed on all of that, but you are well into advanced techniques. I doubt that you'll find very many people here who can successfully grow a pepper in a container full of clay - especially given that things like weather are not within the growers control. And even more especially a small container.
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I'm sticking with my advice to the OP to up pot into a more airy media.
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Recommendation: (what I always recommend - or at least very close to it)
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70% peat or coco coir
25% perlite
5% compost (preferably earthworm castings, if not homemade compost)
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Stick with the fish pellets, and straight watering - only when necessary. Pay extra attention to perfecting the timing of watering. It's a life skill.
solid7 said:
Agreed on all of that, but you are well into advanced techniques. I doubt that you'll find very many people here who can successfully grow a pepper in a container full of clay - especially given that things like weather are not within the growers control. And even more especially a small container.
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I'm sticking with my advice to the OP to up pot into a more airy media.
.
Recommendation: (what I always recommend - or at least very close to it)
.
70% peat or coco coir
25% perlite
5% compost (preferably earthworm castings, if not homemade compost)
.
Stick with the fish pellets, and straight watering - only when necessary. Pay extra attention to perfecting the timing of watering. It's a life skill.
it's better for the planet, use coco coir instead of peat.
perlite? not good for health. it's too easy to inhale perlite dust. u have to wear mask.
So sorry that I kind of let this post die off. I had a son born on July 17th (the day after the last post made here) and that got me kind of busy!
Anyway, I ended up getting 7-gallon smart pots along with, what started as a little, turned into a lot of Kellogg Organic Select Potting Mix.
I got the ghost peppers in their new homes, and they have been doing so much better. I appreciate all the helpful advice that I received from everyone on here; it's definitely been of great benefit to my plants. Thank you!!
Anyway, I ended up getting 7-gallon smart pots along with, what started as a little, turned into a lot of Kellogg Organic Select Potting Mix.
I got the ghost peppers in their new homes, and they have been doing so much better. I appreciate all the helpful advice that I received from everyone on here; it's definitely been of great benefit to my plants. Thank you!!
