Sounds like a plan. You can really never go wrong with kelp imo.
Except eating it. Screw that…
1 Like
Yes that’s the right kind of lime. It is definitely hungry. The blood and kelp may help.
2 Likes
I read this entire thread last night. What a roller coaster ride! I wish I was better at diagnosing deficiencies so I could help but I agree with some of the suggestions above.
I have faith YOU CAN DO IT! 
2 Likes
haha well i think i it’s fair to say i’ve documented many things of what not to do. Thanks for all the help OG.
1 Like
Day 72:
After giving that small dose of dolomite lime, blood meal, kelp meal tea, I pruned some of the older sick leaves and topped several new growth sites.
Im seeing some nicer greener in certain areas already I think/hope. So I’m going to step back until so feel the pot is dry and then hit it with a good nutrient tea watering.
I got her up as close as possible to the light too.
3 Likes
Day 73:
So the pot actually feels lighter already. I think this plant is both hungry and thirsty so let’s see how this goes.
Feeding for the first time. I’m just mixing up this crazy tea with a little bit of everything. It’s got lime, blood meal, kelp meal, bone meal (in that order of amount). It is pH downed with apple cider vinegar. It has been “steeping” for over 24 hrs now.
So this should supply plenty of Ca Mg & N. Also some P and K and whatever else is in the kelp meal for trace minerals.
I have no idea how potent this stuff really is so i’m gonna dilute it with about half water.
After steeping it was quite alkaline. I believe the blood meal is acidic and i’m not sure about kelp and bone meal but there is a high proportion of lime, hence the alkalinity.
pH downed with a liberal pour of apple cider vinegar
and then diluted with at least half water
And of course, the current situation. Fingers crossed that this gets us back on track.
5 Likes
Day 75:
Well. I had to amputate. But I think she’s going to live.
I guess this soil mix just depletes in like about 60 days or so and it was too late. So with my next seedlings I will start ramping up fertilizing around day 40-50…
I see new green growth coming in especially lower down… I cut off a lot of basically dead, shriveling, yellowing leaves.
4 Likes
I have made this observation for some potting soils as well. Though it does seem to vary a bit by runoff. Meaning if I put a container of soil outside with the rain it might be even less than 60 days.
3 Likes
Ya thanks Olbrannon. It is good to know you’re seeing about the same thing.
2 Likes
Day 76:
Sad post. That was a definite learning experience. I just watched a nutrient deficiency slowly almost kill this plant. I think I might be able to salvage a clone or two out of all the pruning I had to do.
Here is all that’s left that still looks alive. Let’s see if/how she recovers.
I wonder if I’m at huge risk of over watering now? I have the roots and stems of a much larger plant and the leaves of only a 3-4 week old now…
4 Likes
Perlite helps add air to the soil. Lightens the soil. I’m far from an expert but I use like 20 to 30 percent perlite in all my soil mixes
5 Likes
Thanks PoppaPuff. I did get it in my mix. I think about 35%… I’ve gone back and made so many edits. I started with one soil mix that mainly needed dolomite lime to become pretty decent…
I’ve got it down to this now. The plan is transplant into a 5 gallon fabric pot and move outdoor next weekend. Or maybe another week at the rate the weather HAS been - cold for May right now.
New Soil Mix:
4 tbs kelp meal
1 tbs blood meal
1 tbs bone meal
1 tbs dolomite lime
3 cups top soil
11 cups worm castings
18 cups peat
22 cups perlite
pH after tap water = about 6.7
I think that filled three two-gallon fabric pots.
Also, that 11 cups of worm castings and the perlite are the move expensive part. But we were just digging around in the backyard and figured out we have super rich black/brown clay soil that is literally full of earthworms. I’m going to use that top soil + some composted chicken manure from my neighbours free range laying hens. So I’m pretty excited to try the new soil and I now know I’m more or less on a 60 day timer before I will NEED additional nutrients…
EDIT:
I am basically working out an all organic way to make my own seedling, veg, flower soil mix. I suspect the kelp meal will prove more valuable in flowering being high in K… I think I will be able to do outdoor grows with 1 transplant at each stage so 3” square pot (clone/seedling), 2-3 gal fabric pot (veg), 5+ gal fabric pot (flower). All indoor until shortly before going outdoor and transplanting into the final/flower pot.
I also want to actually induce flowering so I can finish longer flowering cycle sativas earlier. I.e. manually/automate a 12 hour dark cycle in as early as june or july.
3 Likes
The lower growth looks good. The damaged parts will not recover, so keep an eye on new growth. In that small of a pot, you probably ran out of nutrients. Transplanting into fresh soil, like you planned, would probably help.
This mix is way off, there is not enough nutrients for flowering in this mix. There is also too much perlite and no need for the top soil. Try this instead (total 3 gallons).
3 tbs kelp meal
3 tbs blood meal
6 tbs bone meal
6 tbs dolomite lime
11 cups worm castings
21 cups peat
16 cups perlite
Mix the worm castings, peat, perlite, and lime. Set aside a few cups of this mix for seedlings (two to three weeks). Transplant to one gallons, then three, and finally five a week or so before flowering.
Here are my girls using this mix and water only. They are roughly six weeks here.
7 Likes
Thanks ReikoX. Sounds good man. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
2 Likes
They look fantastic! what are you growing?
2 Likes
Those are Jabba’s Stash by Bodhi.
2 Likes
Jabbas Stash has some fire! I grew a pack of them before and found 2 keepers, but also 2 herms so be on the lookout!
3 Likes
Day 80:
She is all but dead. I wanted to wait till this weekend and transplant straight into the ground… should have made the emergency transplant at the same time as
I pruned I think. What an abomination.
Well I learned A LOT in this 80 day interactive grow trial. Thank you all for the help. I love OG. Also, I apologize but, this might not even be over. I think i salvaged a Papaya clone. Come to think of it, this tiny cutting was probably a significant portion of the living plant when i cut it off… it’s looking good at 9 days in there. So hopefully I will have more successful posts soon.
I’ll get this clone in a 2 Gal fabric pot and straight outside. May 2-4/Victoria Day long weekend is ofcourse the time to do it up here in Southern Ontario, Canada.
3 Likes
That’s not dead, you’ll be surprised how they can bounce back. I know people who ‘lollipop’ their plants so aggressively that they look like that on purpose!
5 Likes
Thanks beacher. she’s outside now. I’m gonna get er in the ground.
1 Like