Hello All, So I decided to grow organic this year and am finally seeing some progress. Unfortunately in my area the weather has not been very promising to the point of receiving frost warnings just 2 weeks ago. We are finally getting some sunlight and my plants have finally popped. So far I have 2 bag seeds sprouted and they are growing fine apart from the stretching.. probably due to the inconsistent sun we have been getting. For my seedlings mix I am simply using 50% Sphagnum Peat Moss, 30% Perlite and 20% Earthworm Castings. They will soon be transplanted into a mix consisting of Peat, Perlite, Worm Castings, Blood and Bone Meal, Garden Lime, and Espoma Plant Tone. I have a nice plot that has enough room for 10+ plants and is still being prepared. As of now, my only concern is the stretching of the plants as they are beginning to look some what weak/unstable. Attached are some photos of the plants which are now about a week old from planting in the soil. Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
So Im having a friend look after my seedlings while I'm in Puerto Rico and he sends me this. Please tell me theyll be able recover. I'll be home in 2 days and am praying they'll be okay.
I left for a week for Puerto Rico and told a friend that if it rained/stormed to take them inside but that obviously didn't happen :/
Finally arrived back in the States! Plants actually look better than I thought. Something appears to be munching on the leaves and the first set of leaves is yellowing and beginning to fall off.. Normal right? I plan to transplant after a few more days in the sun.
Good tip. Next time I go out to get supplies I'll make sure to get neam oil and another organic pesticide. Would you say it's time to start a food schedule?
Finally picked up an organic pesticide, some garden lime and I have pH paper and Dyna Grow liquid grow being shipped. Regarding the garden lime, it's powdered so should I top dress, add to the water or just mix it into the next pot I transplant? Also have been seeing very slow growth and I'm wondering if the culprit is the lack of nutrients in the soil because it's a peat based mix..
Haven't added nutes yet but new growth seems to be turning purple? Bottom leaves show little brown spots as well. Is this a problem?
Bummp. Little more browning on lower leaves and the purple growth is only on one plant so I guess it's genetics? pH of mix is around 6.0 and I plan on giving nutes next water if the browning is OK
I wanted to keep it organic but I decided on the Dyna Grow line up.. still want to top dress with bat guano and molasses eventually. The days are just now starting to shorten so I'll hold off on blooming ferts for a little while
Plants still haven't showed any sign of sex but they are looking and growing great! I finally Did some tying down to beef them up a little as they are still stretching and am excited to see how it turns out. Anyone know when to expect preflowers (somewhere in PA)?
Might I offer a couple suggestions? Blow off the blood and bone meal, and the lime. Replace the blood meal with fish meal at the same application rate. Replace the bone meal with fish bone meal at the same application rate. Add kelp to the blood/bone meal mix at the same application rate. You can get this product from the same place you got your other Espoma product. Replace the lime with Oyster Shell Flour and/or Crab Shell Meal. Maybe toss some gypsum in there too. Mix together in equal parts and apply at the same rate as the lime. Oyster Shell Flour provides calcium the same way the Ag Lime would. Gypsum will provide calcium to raise pH, as well as Sulfur to lower it if needed. Crab Shell Meal will provide calcium, as well as chitin which will ramp up your plants' defense mechanisms, helping to defend against pests. Make your mix about 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 aeration, 1/3 compost/EWC. Fish meal and fish bone meal provide the same elements you're getting from blood at bone meal at a better price. They also provide other elements, minerals, and compounds not found in blood/bone meal. Kelp meal provides the full range of nutrients plants need to grow, along with growth regulators and hormones. Don't grow without it. Kelp kelp kelp! HTH
Also in PA you should see preflowers in the next month or so. Nature will "hit 12/12" around September 21st. We're already past the longest day of the year, so days are currently getting shorter and nights getting longer. Photo-period annuals will start blooming soon.