I don't, almost everything I had I put into my soil... My *cringe* Hydro store carries ahmisa neem cake, I could go see how much it is. The feed and seed should carry the soybean meal for cheaper though.
@Comfreyovereverything, did you ever do this? How big where the holes you dug/filled with your soil mix? You can add teas and amend/top dress the soil 'till the cows come home, but if the roots (and soil microbes) aren't getting the proper amount oxygen, plants aren't going to adsorb nutrients properly. Lots of rain combined with a dense native soil? You may have essentially just dug holes and planted your plants in mini concrete swimming pools.... All things considered with your soil mix, and how the greenhouse plants aren't having problems, I think the issue with your in-ground plants is lack of proper drainage and the improper cycling/adsorption of nutrients that accompanies it.
Hell, it's $35 shipped from neenresources, so I shudder to think of what the hydro store is asking. The soy meal was $13 for a 50lb bag. Of course it's not organic and probably GMO, but I'm wondering if that really makes a difference by the time it's decomposed enough for the plants to use? From what I'm seeing with the plants I'm using it on I think no, but I could be just FOS. Wak has a very valid point, since I run into that very thing with my native red clay soil,
@waktoo I actually have not done that as I completely forgot being all excited about some coming outta it. I'll do it later and post the results, if that is the case... Not really much you can do is there?
Not that I know of man... other than prep' the ground properly prior to next season. I'm interested to see what your test drainage holes reveal. Remember to dig them adjacent to the holes that you dug for your plants, in the native soil. That's some stoner shit I'd forget... And I'd dig those holes a bit bigger than suggested by bp1977. I'd go with at least a gallon, if not more. The bigger, the better. It'll give you a more reasonable idea of the soil's ability to absorb water much farther down in the soil column... How deep were the holes you dug? How difficult was the soil to dig? Did you find it "clayey"?
I'm willing to bet those plants could be carefully dug up and transplanted successfully. I've dug up outdoor plants before that were much larger to prevent them from being killed by frost. Just don't expect it to be fun.
@waktoo I didn't get to go out today and do the drainage test, but I will tomorrow. The holes were not huge, around 15-20 gallons each some a little bigger. The soil was a real pain in the A to dig, not so much clay as rocky and ledge. @ElRanchoDeluxe they are quite a ways in the woods (damn rippers) but, I'm not above hiking them one at a time outta there if it makes them better. Only problem is flowering is coming up soon.
I don't think you would need to hike em out. Just dig em up, get more aeration in the hole and re-planting. Do it before they flower if this is what you decide to do.
So I went out and dug little holes, poured almost a gallon into each hole and let it drain... There wasn't much difference between the sick and healthy ones which drained pretty fast. They do look much happier now though... Some are still lagging behind but most look like this..
Those plants look fine and AFA drainage, that sounds like a non issue and *I* would not even consider moving or digging up. MY poor drainage is when I dig a ~9" x ~14" hole with industrial size post hole diggers (used for setting power poles, heavy steel and 8' handles), filling it with water and it still being over 1/2 full an hour later. THAT'S poor drainage! You're GTG. I think a top dress of soy meal would be a cheap and easy to source way to green those plants up some. I'm really liking the results I'm getting from the soy and it's way, WAY cheaper than neem.
I'm gonna go check out the soy meal, thank you. I was gonna buy something for top dressing /tea at flowering but now it seems like I've added enough, I think? Plus the soy top dressing would work just as well as a "flowering" amendment right?
I would add a top dress of Kelp & Neem/Karanja meal once a month throughout veg/flower. A lot of great advice here from everyone else too!
Thank you prepper... I gotta get more neem/karanja meal. Kelp meal is a must of course... I got some high phos bat guano laying around I need to use up as well. Once a month though? I usually only give them water until flowering then do one top dressing/tea .. If top dressing monthly would give me better results I'm willing to try it, maybe a side by side comparison for the upcoming indoor?
Depending on the level biological activity going on in your soil, Kelp meal only lasts 1-2 months. Would say about the same for Neem. Once a month tea or top dress would definitely help keep your plants green and healthy. I start with a fully loaded soil mix and then top dress monthly Kelp/Neem/Karanja along with Kelp/humic acid foliar sprays randomly starting in early veg until 2nd week flower. Here is some info I saved on Kelp & Neem: Kelp BioPesticide, BioStimulant, and Organic Fertilzer. (For more, see the Botanicals; Their Use and Importance section in the Bio Fertilizer chapter) Kelp is any of a variety of large, brown seaweeds that grow underwater and on rocky shores. Kelps are found in cold waters throughout the world. Contains over 70 minerals and trace elements, growth hormones, vitamins, enzymes, and proteins. Kelp contains a carbohydrate mannitol chelate that makes its many minerals and trace elements easily available for use by plants This helps a plant build its own immune system. Once the immune system is functioning, the plant is better able to resist negative environmental conditions, such as drought, frost and attack by insects. The chelates in kelp aid plant’s absorption of essential elements from the soil, by stimulating bacteria in the soil to release its plant nutrients. Kelp contains growth hormones, including gibberellins and auxins. One principal growth hormone kelp fertilizers contain is cytokinins, which slows the aging process,among other positive benefits. Indole-3-acetic acid promotes rooting in both cuttings and in plants,which are being transplanted. Indole-3-acetic acid also retards crop decay. The colloids in kelp improve soil viability. Potassium, which is frequently missing from the soil, is a principal aid to plant health because it drives numerous important processes in the plant Indoor and outdoor plants, fruit trees and lawns utilize potassium Kelp fertilizers contain potassium, which is promotes fruiting and flowering. Potassium is required to create colored pigments and various phytochemicals, whichpromote health in people. Plants also require potassium to build a strong structure and to fight disease. Plenty of magnesium in kelp to keep up with the entire life cycle of the plant. Great for foliar. Potassium source only exceeded by Comfrey. Kelp has so many trace elements that it improve plants immune system against disease, insects, weather. Neem Cake Neem cake protects plant roots from nematodes, soil grubs and white ants probably due to its residual limonoid content. It also acts as a natural fertilizer with pesticidal properties. It gives 15-25% better yield than any other fertilizer. Conventional fertilizer lack the uniformity of nutrient release that inhibit the constant growth of fruit/crop. More over Neem Cake also control nematodes and other soil borne pest that help roots to absorb nutrients in regular and optimum manner.
@Prepper420 that's a great read on neem, thank you. I went out and bought a little kelp meal, didn't have much money so I combined it with the seabird guano and bat guano I had and did a half cup of guano per plant and a cup of kelp meal (about).. I know it might not of been enough but it's all I could afford at this time.
My pleasure to help and that sounds like plenty of fertilizer and you should see some positive results for sure.
I don't think that the GMO would necessarily be the culprit in a case like this but I'd be more worried about the boatload of general herbicide that was most likely sprayed over these fields to kill everything but the soy. J
I'm gonna say a pH problem or potassium or magnesium deficiency maybe... since you don't feed liquid nutes, maybe it's the strain... or if they be gotten a lot of rain recently that could've caused the pH issue since rain water is 5.5.. you can imagine the salt buildup and oh fluctuation throughout the soil by like. 5-1 in each layer of soil.. so the bottom of the roots might be at a 5 but top 2 inches is a 7... catch my drift