Trent's 2015 Grow Log (potting soil probs solved!)

PaulG · Mar 28, 2015

Sounds like a good plan, Trent.

A little TLC should bring them back in good shape.

TrentL · Mar 28, 2015

Well, $3.95 to confirm what I already knew.

Well, I was right on 2 of 3 anyway.

Nitrogen is very high, but there is absolutely no phosphorous or potassium showing up on the test, whatsoever.

It must have dissolved while that wet bag of soil cooked all winter, then got washed out completely after the first couple of waterings.

PH level is fine.

On the flip side, the Datil that I transplanted out, to salvage soil from, the ROOTS looked SPECTACULAR.. even though the plant itself is dwarfed and twisted. So it must have got a pretty good dose of phosphorous early on after the transplant, as the plant had more root mass than leaf mass (it was actually starting to circle the 3.5" pot even though the plant above the soil was tiny!

These will spring back fantastic once I get the PK up .... NO nitrogen for a long time though, they got plenty.

For the record this is what a nitrogen excess and a complete potassium and phosphorous deficiency looks like up top;

The first 36 transplants were a week and a half or two weeks before the second batch of 36, which drew soil from a different (dry) bag;

The second batch I transplanted using soiil from the second bag (same lot #, only difference is one was dry all winter, one was wet all winter)

TrentL · Mar 28, 2015

Hurray for Hydroponics shops...

tctenten · Mar 28, 2015

Just what you needed to perk up the babies.

TrentL · Mar 28, 2015

Yup!

Each pot got 3 tablespoons of a diluted mixture. Took 1 1/2 gal to do all of the pots.

1/2 to 1 teaspoon of that fertilizer per gallon, that $10 bottle is going to last me years.. and years.. and years....

(I used 1/2 teaspoon per gal and will wait 5 days before deciding whether to dose them again at the next watering)

TrentL · Mar 29, 2015

Hmm. I checked on the plants after the lights timer went off tonight, and noticed that the "big bushy GOOD plants" also had old foilage starting to turn light green with brown/yellow tips.

Looks like that potting soil just doesn't have any "lasting power" for phosphorous or potassium!

Well, they *all* got dosed tonight.

So we'll see in a few days how they do. It's a shame, that my first batch are basically 2 weeks behind the later batch at this point.

No biggie though, I still have about 8 weeks before plantout. They have tons of time to get big and strong.

tsurrie · Mar 29, 2015

They'll be fine Trent, it's good you took immediate action ... I'm keeping fingers crossed for them babies to quickly get their strength back. Good luck.

PaulG · Mar 29, 2015

Yes, indeed, Trent, good work my man!

Great information and example in #142.
Your Liquid KoolBloom has the exact formula
that the Alaska MorBloom I use after plant-out has.

Should get those babies squared away in no time!

Good luck with that!

TrentL · Mar 29, 2015

tsurrie said:
They'll be fine Trent, it's good you took immediate action ... I'm keeping fingers crossed for them babies to quickly get their strength back. Good luck.

I was tempted to use the ratio on the stronger end of the recommended range (1 tsp / gal) because I knew that PK was *zero*, but I successfully resisted the urge. You can always add more fertilizer but you can never take it away.

That, and I didn't want to run the risk of killing them by nutrient lock. Give them enough of something, suddenly, and it'll clog up the works inside the plant and kill 'em. Last thing I need is to change my problem from a PK deficiency to a complete lockout of some micronutrient.

PaulG said:
Yes, indeed, Trent, good work my man!

Great information and example in #142.
Your Liquid KoolBloom has the exact formula
that the Alaska MorBloom I use after plant-out has.

Should get those babies squared away in no time!

Good luck with that!

I had to drive 40 miles each way to get to the nearest hydroponics shop. Walmart and other stores locally only had general purpose fertilizers. With an excess of Nitrogen already in the soil, I *absolutely* did not want any more nitrogen getting in! (Although walmart had a cactus fertilizer, a foam foilar feed 0.5, 1, 1 that I was tempted to apply as a shot in the arm, I decided to leave and keep looking for the "right" solution instead of a temporary bandaid..)

Fortunately there's enough pot heads in the area to keep a few hydroponics shops in business over in the Peoria area. Long drive but proved worth it.

Their inventory was basically lights, hydroponics parts, chemicals, test kits.

Oh, and one VERY stoned counter worker that proved pretty hard to communicate with in any meaningful fashion.

(It was close to closing time so I didn't give him a hard time)

PaulG · Mar 30, 2015

TrentL said:
I had to drive 40 miles each way to get to the nearest hydroponics shop. Walmart and other stores locally only had general purpose fertilizers.

I've found Alaska Mor-Bloom just about everywhere.
I'm amazed the stores closer to you didn't have it.

It's cheaper than the hydro store stuff, I'm willing to bet,
but don't really know. Anyway, what you've got should
do the trick for ya.

TrentL · Apr 1, 2015

Tremendously positive results on those plants which I found the nute deficiency on, after 4 days.

I'm going to need to hit them with another .5 tsp per gal of 0-10-10 this weekend, I think. They're growing RAPIDLY now, and the leaves are no longer cupped upwards on the plants; but they're still pretty damn pale; which means nitrogen isn't getting used as good as it should.

I think another dose on Saturday and then by next Wednesday they'll be going like gangbusters!

PaulG · Apr 2, 2015

Yessir, those look great on the bounce back.
Good call on the fix, Trent!

dlsolo · Apr 14, 2015

Oh yeah! Trent's 2015 Glog!! Just got caught up. Things look great. Look forward to your updates.

tsurrie · Apr 15, 2015

THP to major Trent: "them plants must be gettin' big huh?"

sorry, Bowie's song was just on the radio

but seriously tho... hows it goin'?

TrentL · Apr 16, 2015

No update in a while... forgot to water them tuesday (gone) and wednesday I worked 16 hours.. remembered today ... so they're a bit wilty

My wife wants to buy this house that is up for sale in town.

The house is 1959's original everything and will have the problems of a 1959's house.. can't say I'm in love with the house.

The yard is growing on me though. It sits on 2.5 acres.

Southwest corner of property;

Middle south border of property next to gate;

Middle east border of property looking south (the previous picture was taken by the right gate post):

Northeast corner of property;

Northwest corner of property;

Driveway back to gate;

Note the 6'1" tall 17year old standing under this tree? My 5th grade daughter is standing next to him.

(That thing is a monster)

Don't know if we are buying it yet, like I said, 1959's problems will be inherited. The original owners are dead, house is in estate, so no one can answer questions about a damn thing about the house.

Dat yard.. though! Good grief.

I'd have to plant a mighty big garden just to save time on lawn mowing.

muskymojo · Apr 16, 2015

Plants are looking good.

That house and yard look awesome. 1959 isn't that old, but if you were planning to update everything it could get really spendy really fast.

Jeff H · Apr 16, 2015

muskymojo said:
Plants are looking good.

That house and yard look awesome. 1959 isn't that old, but if you were planning to update everything it could get really spendy really fast.

+1 to everything Musky said. Especially the part about it getting spendy fast. Like real fast. Was 1959 before or after they started to insulate the walls and attic? I know the first house I bought from the late 40s wasn't insulated at all. Something to think about.

Plants look just fine. Getting anxious myself to put them outside, although you might have a stumbling block if you buy the house. Those purchases can take a couple of months to get done.

TrentL · Apr 16, 2015

Yeah if we offer and get signed this month it can take a while to get closed - closing would be right about my plant-out time! If it looks like we're moving, I'll get more cloth pots and just do a "portable garden" this year. Then start prepping the new garden this fall.

This house is in an estate that's being sold off (owners passed away), and it's sitting completely empty, so close shouldn't take that long. Nothing for them to move out.

Our first walkthrough turned up termites in the garage.. asbestos wrapped steam pipes, and 1959 era Armored BX electrical cabling all throughout the house (which may be a good or bad thing depending on the condition of it.)

The house has a 12kw natural gas generator, to power the electric chair lifts on the stairs (assuming the owner didn't want to get trapped if the lights went out). I'd tear out the electric seat lifts out and put them aside for when I get old and rewire that generator and automatic transfer switch over to something more useful.. like television and refrigerator.

There's about 8 fuse boxes in the house and garage with the old screw-in type fuses. There's outlets every 4 feet or so and each one seems to have it's own switch. BIG banks of electrical switches in every room to turn things on and off.

Hell, the roof is the original 1959 wood hand-cut shingles! And by some black magic doesn't appear to be leaking!

Roof, siding, some (lots) electrical work, some asbestos mitigation, and the most complex electrical layout I've ever seen in a residential building, some modern (modern breaker box and generator for the chair lifts on the stairs..)

All sorts of red flags have gone off in my head but my wife is dead set on moving to town.

tctenten · Apr 16, 2015

Well…best of luck whatever you guys decided. Maybe let her watch that old movie, The Money Pit. Maybe that will influence her to stay.

Peppers look good, hopefully most of those seeds germinated for you.

TrentL · Apr 16, 2015

Yeah I only had a couple of germination failures. Then one failure to thrive. Otherwise been good!

They're due for a pot-up but I'm putting it off.