plants not doing so good

[thepodpiper]

Most of my plants seem to be way behind in thier growth compared to last year and are showing strong signs of nitrogen deficiency, older leaves yellowing and eventually falling off. I am using Shultz 10-15-10 Plant Food Plus it is a all purpose plant food and I am using it at the full strength recommendation (28 drops per gallon) and am using it every time I water (approx. every 8 to 10 days). My plants this year have not ever been that deep green color that we all want are plants to be they have been a light green. So the last watering i gave them a shot of the Epsom Salt (2 Tblsp per Gal.) and also gave them all Superthrive.Then a few days later sprayed all of them with a spray bottle with the same strength Epsom.

Should I use something with a higher nitogen or just stop with the ferts all together for awhile? Maybe they are lacking something else and are not able to absorb the nitrogen. Also i am noticing a white stuff on the top of the potting mix, will spraying with Epsom Salts leave this on the soil when it dries or are they getting to much of it?

Dale (frustrated)

 

[DrHavanger]

I would flush the soil and start watering with distiled water, superthrive optional.

 

[thepodpiper]

Dr. thanks for the reply. Flushing is definetly an option but it will have to be a last resort it would take me a week to flush all these plants. But i am not ruling it out. What is your source for the distilled water and what is the purpose for it's use? do you have bad water where you are?

Dale

 

[DrHavanger]

Yeah, we have horrible water here. I get it at the local grocery store.

 

[Pepper Ridge Farm]

Dale, all you need to do is keep them alive while inside. When they get outside under the big light in the sky the will green up. Could be you bulbs need to be replaced something that simple. I also think you are also over feeding hoping to help them but it may be doing the opposite. The white stuff on the soil is probably salt build up and you will need to flush. All will be fine when you get the plants outside, some will thrive and other won't. You know the drill.

 

[thepodpiper]

Well I talked to the plant pathologist at MSU and she thought exactly what I was thinking so I gave them a full strength blast of Miracle Grow and wow what a difference they are greening up very nicely in just a couple of days and alot of new growth. I feel much better. Here is a couple pics from today.

Black Scorpion Tongue

Yellow Mushroom

Variegata

 

[thepodpiper]

Brown Hab

Murupi

White Hab

Black Hab

 

[thepodpiper]

Venezualan Sweet Hab

Trinidad Scorpions

Giant Szegedi

C Chinense's

 

[Pepperfreak]

Those are some beautiful plants, Congrats... BTW, what Miracle Grow did you use?

 

[cmpman1974]

Wow, that's one huge change Dale. Congrats!

Chris

 

[Daisy7117]

Congratulations, looks like your plants are healthy againg....great color on those flowers!

 

[LUCKYDOG]

Those are some beautiful plants, Congrats... BTW, what Miracle Grow did you use?

bump on this --- I am having the same thing going on. I am using a hydro nute as well and I am have a hard time dialing in.

 

[Chiliac]

Now, these are some beautiful plants!

The Szegedi even look quite polite, making a bow.

 

[POTAWIE]

Nice. It could be the micronutrients in the miracle grow, or do you think it was lack of nitrogen?

 

[thepodpiper]

Nice. It could be the micronutrients in the miracle grow, or do you think it was lack of nitrogen?

POTAWIE, it was definetly the nitrogen all the signs that the plants were showing were symptoms of a nitrogen deficiency but I did not want to do anything drastic until I heard it from someone with some plant knowledge because I had been giving them ferts but they must not be strong enough.

The Miracle Grow that I used is the blue granular stuff that you mix with water.

The new growth on this plant happened almost overnight and it is on most all of the plants.

Dale

 

[rainbowberry]

The Miracle Grow that I used is the blue granular stuff that you mix with water.


Dale

I used exactly the same fertilizer last year Dale and luckily didn't have any problems, but I only started fertilizing once they started getting flowers.

 

[chilliman64]

awesome set up you have there TPP.

 

[LUCKYDOG]

I am using nutes (Maxi-Gro (10-5-14)) and I dont think I am mixing a strong enough solution but I am afraid of over fertilizing by adding to much. It seems as though the Miracle grow was a good quick fix -- are you going to try and mix your ferts stronger now?

 

[POTAWIE]

What is the nutrient ratio on your miracle grow? Miracle grow(or plant prod) comes in almost any ratio you may need, if you have a well stocked nursery. The stuff is also extremely water soluble so you can even use it as a foliar spray for quick fixes and its got good micro-nutrients too.

 

[LUCKYDOG]

I think I havent been using my nute to fullest potential and mixing a weak solution. I started another thread - Another fert Q -- about this