centralamerica
Member
Hoping for some experienced growers to sprinkle a little wisdom my way regarding nutes and helping me read my plants' (mixed?) signals...
I'm growing in Central America, Caribbean coastal region. So not just a noob but also trying to figure out tropical requirements and other challenges such as salty air, etc., etc. Right now have just two tubes, a 600w HPS and a 400 w MH. A portable A/C battling the hot, moist incoming air, which is highly restricted until I get rid of the HPS and replace it all with 5 600w cool tubes. I'm brining in as little hot air from the outside as possible at the moment and letting the A/C pull air through the cracks in the room which seems to be OK (or at least acceptable) for now until the cool tubes arrive and I can vent heat out through the lighting system. I'm hoping this will allow the A/C to relax a little at least.
Reading Cervantes and thanking my lucky stars for good reference works ;^) I'm limited as to what supplies (pre-packeaged nutes, etc.) I can acquire, and am using a mix of organic medium (humus rich soil scraped from the jungle by indigenous indian friends) mixed with some store bought potting soil. My room is 12' x 12', lightproof and reflective, and I have the tubes off during the 6 hottest hours of the day. Regardless, temps do get hot for about an hour before the lights go off (up to 97ºF on sunny days).
I've got a mish mash of plants at various cycles in the room, from young clones and fresh transplants under the 400 w MH to some more mature (not quite pre flowering) plants under the 600w HPS. I'm not flowering in the room, but vegging and putting small, young plants up on a farm. I'm keeping them small and bushy for now for ease of transportation...
Ok, so most of the plants seem to be doing fine, except for some that are in larger (two gallon) pots. These are exhibiting what I am interpreting, in my inexperienced mind, to be mixed messages. They show some yellow and half yellow striped leaves below as if they are needing nitrogen or perhaps other micronutrients, as well as dark green, thin, curled under leaves closer to the top as if to indicate nitrogen burn. I water them probably more than would be normal since the high temps are demanding it.
I am waiting for nutes to be delivered from the States so for now am only using MaxiCrop kelp, which I know overall the plants are loving. But the nitrogen is only 1.0 in the NPK listing, and I am applying it modestly (diluted with the water and a little heavier with foiliar feeding every 3 days). I'm using the kelp consistently since the plants were all developing a lot of yellow leaves at their bases, and since applying the kelp consistently the plants overall are all greening up and looking good. I just don't know what to make of the older plants that are looking both nitrogen weak and nitrogen rich at the same time.
There's a high probability that the water I'm using, which is at 7.0 ph for now until I recieve some ph down adjuster, is fairly saline. I'm guessing until I can acquire the means to accurately measure the salinity of the water. But I'm also guessing that even though I'm using rich, organic compost, some of the nutes (potassium, etc) are being made unavailable to the plants. (?)
Since the plants which are exhibiting what is appearing to me to be both nute-weak and nute-burn symptoms are really bushy and have great potential, I'd love to be able to hear what they're trying to tell me and solve the problem, but I'm stumped. The online research and Jorge's book all show some great examples of individual symptoms, but I don't know how to interpret these particular plants' dual problems as a whole.
Many thanks to any kind soul who's taken the time to read my little tome and offer any insights.
¡Pura vida!
I'm growing in Central America, Caribbean coastal region. So not just a noob but also trying to figure out tropical requirements and other challenges such as salty air, etc., etc. Right now have just two tubes, a 600w HPS and a 400 w MH. A portable A/C battling the hot, moist incoming air, which is highly restricted until I get rid of the HPS and replace it all with 5 600w cool tubes. I'm brining in as little hot air from the outside as possible at the moment and letting the A/C pull air through the cracks in the room which seems to be OK (or at least acceptable) for now until the cool tubes arrive and I can vent heat out through the lighting system. I'm hoping this will allow the A/C to relax a little at least.
Reading Cervantes and thanking my lucky stars for good reference works ;^) I'm limited as to what supplies (pre-packeaged nutes, etc.) I can acquire, and am using a mix of organic medium (humus rich soil scraped from the jungle by indigenous indian friends) mixed with some store bought potting soil. My room is 12' x 12', lightproof and reflective, and I have the tubes off during the 6 hottest hours of the day. Regardless, temps do get hot for about an hour before the lights go off (up to 97ºF on sunny days).
I've got a mish mash of plants at various cycles in the room, from young clones and fresh transplants under the 400 w MH to some more mature (not quite pre flowering) plants under the 600w HPS. I'm not flowering in the room, but vegging and putting small, young plants up on a farm. I'm keeping them small and bushy for now for ease of transportation...
Ok, so most of the plants seem to be doing fine, except for some that are in larger (two gallon) pots. These are exhibiting what I am interpreting, in my inexperienced mind, to be mixed messages. They show some yellow and half yellow striped leaves below as if they are needing nitrogen or perhaps other micronutrients, as well as dark green, thin, curled under leaves closer to the top as if to indicate nitrogen burn. I water them probably more than would be normal since the high temps are demanding it.
I am waiting for nutes to be delivered from the States so for now am only using MaxiCrop kelp, which I know overall the plants are loving. But the nitrogen is only 1.0 in the NPK listing, and I am applying it modestly (diluted with the water and a little heavier with foiliar feeding every 3 days). I'm using the kelp consistently since the plants were all developing a lot of yellow leaves at their bases, and since applying the kelp consistently the plants overall are all greening up and looking good. I just don't know what to make of the older plants that are looking both nitrogen weak and nitrogen rich at the same time.
There's a high probability that the water I'm using, which is at 7.0 ph for now until I recieve some ph down adjuster, is fairly saline. I'm guessing until I can acquire the means to accurately measure the salinity of the water. But I'm also guessing that even though I'm using rich, organic compost, some of the nutes (potassium, etc) are being made unavailable to the plants. (?)
Since the plants which are exhibiting what is appearing to me to be both nute-weak and nute-burn symptoms are really bushy and have great potential, I'd love to be able to hear what they're trying to tell me and solve the problem, but I'm stumped. The online research and Jorge's book all show some great examples of individual symptoms, but I don't know how to interpret these particular plants' dual problems as a whole.
Many thanks to any kind soul who's taken the time to read my little tome and offer any insights.
¡Pura vida!