foliar feeding question

[emmy75]

ok so im going to foliar feed but i do have a couple of questions before i do it.
first is the spreading sticker. ive liquid molasses to use but i dont really know what to do. could u pls let me direct me as to how to apply a spreading sticker using molasses. im going to be using neptunes liquid seaweed for my foliar spray. my plants are in dire need of potassium. unfortunately i had to order the seaweed online so its not going to reach me until jan 4. im going to water with a tea as usual but i want to be ready to foliar feed as soon as my liquid seaweed arrives. i always brew molasses with my tea so will using molasses twice be a problem? i think thats it for now. thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[BurnOne]

Spraying molasses on the leaves will attract pests. You'll do just as well mixing the Neptune's Harvest 0-0-1 as directed and pouring it into the soil. I've used it many times.
Burn1

 

[JackTheGrower]

How do you know about this dire need?


Foliar is a quick fix but in an organic soil this need is more to the point..

I am confused.

What do you have for ferts?

 

[emmy75]

the reason i think my plant is in dire need is because the leaves are yellow. the last time i watered i gave my plant a tea with N cause i thought it was deficient in that. after two weeks there has been no change in the color. ill post some pics tomorrow. ive given my plant both N and P but not K.

i would like to know the method of foliar feeding in general so im hoping somone can help me with that.

BurnOne i wouldnt mind adding K to a tea but i have to water b4 my liquid seaweed arives so i have to foliar feed this time.

 

[JackTheGrower]

This is an organic soil?
You are using organic ferts?
The plant isn't in late flower?
Honestly I haven't had this problem so I don't have experience.
but my general advice is to feed the soil not only liquids but solids as well. Things that provide.
It's hard to say things about a soil I don't know.

I wonder if greensand will help.. A tea made from compost would give ya some K.

Interesting what would one spray for K?


I just checked nutrient symptoms and from the page I read there are three possibles.


Nitrogen (N) Stunted, yellowing from older to younger leaves and leaf tip back to petiole. Reduced size. Slow, stunted growth. Heavy application may cause leaf burn; excess promotes flowering. Easily leached from soil.

Calcium (Ca) Young leaves turn yellow then brown; growing tip bends; weak stem; short dark roots. Causes blossom end rot of tomato. Properly limed soils usually supply adequate calcium.

Iron (Fe) Young leaves are yellow between veins first, top to bottom; veins, margins, and tips stay green. Usually due to pH problems. May use iron sulfate or chelated iron.

They are not pot specific but lack of nitrogen can make yellow.
lack of calcum looks like it can and lack of iron looks like it can.

Again I'm not too experienced in plant problems. I practice good soil feeding. I hope this helps.

 

[BurnOne]

emmy75-
JTG is correct. Give more info.
If you have yellowing on the leaves from a N def, they're not going to turn green again. How does the newer growth look?
Burn1

 

[emmy75]

ok here's the skinny( thanks for all the help btw)
on nov. 17 i transplanted into whitney farms all organic potting soil. for the first three weeks my plant didnt grow much because i was using a brand called supersoil, which wasnt organic and didnt have enough nutrients to sustain a long growing period. after transplanting to organic my plant took off and i saw new daily growth. on Dec 3 i gave my plant the following:
1tbsp ewc
1tbsp LK
1tbsp sea bird guano (1-10-0)

about a week later i noticed the leaves turning from a dark green to a lighter green and then yellow. on Dec 15 i made a tea with the following:
i bubbled my water 24 hours and then the next 24 hours i bubbled:
1tbsp molasses
1tbsp ewc
1tbsp LK
1tbsp bat guano (10-2-1)

since then there have been no changes.

here are the pics

 

[JackTheGrower]

ok here's the skinny( thanks for all the help btw)
on nov. 17 i transplanted into whitney farms all organic potting soil. for the first three weeks my plant didnt grow much because i was using a brand called supersoil, which wasnt organic and didnt have enough nutrients to sustain a long growing period. after transplanting to organic my plant took off and i saw new daily growth. on Dec 3 i gave my plant the following:
1tbsp ewc
1tbsp LK
1tbsp sea bird guano (1-10-0)

about a week later i noticed the leaves turning from a dark green to a lighter green and then yellow. on Dec 15 i made a tea with the following:
i bubbled my water 24 hours and then the next 24 hours i bubbled:
1tbsp molasses
1tbsp ewc
1tbsp LK+
1tbsp bat guano (10-2-1)

since then there have been no changes.

h]

I'm an old fashioned soil guy so I'm not up on some of these products.

ewc? I know first hand about LK .. That's a stimulant for when things are great.

The basic idea is to put things in the soil that provide the primary secondary and trace plus minerals. Then feed the soil with layers of materials microbes eat.

So I'd be the kind to water with an alfalfa tea and to that add a little fish and kelp.
I'd pour that over a sprinkling of greensand.


I suck at plant problems.. Id guess it's nitrogen related to PH or a lack of nitrogen

If they were mine I'd water with that plain alfalfa tea and sort of flush things out.

That's all I can think of.. It seems to be a nitrogen issue I'm guessing

I'm just not good with all the commercial products..

Compost and fish emulsion, kelp and such I know.

Alfalfa Meal
2.5-1-1
Alfalfa Meal is a reasonable alternative to blood meal as a source of nitrogen and is nicely balanced with phosphorous and potassium. It's carbohydrates and protein make it an excellent soil conditioner by encouraging microbial activity in the soil.
.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Total Nitrogen (N)
0.6% Water Soluble Natural Nitrogen
1.9% Water Insoluble Natural Nitrogen 2.5%
Available Phosphoric Acid (P2O5) 1.0%
Soluble Potash (K2O) 1.0%

If one adds some nice liquid kelp I think that makes a nice tonic.

Anyway I hope you get a better answer. I add what I can.

 

[jaykush]

alfalfa tea sounds like a good idea to me. should fix things up.

 

[emmy75]

thanks for the responses. i gotta wonder though if it is a N def why wouldnt the bat guano (10-2-1) have been enough to take care of that. the last time i watered i used the mexican bat guano in a tea. aren't the alfalfa tea and a bat guano tea two different options for the same problem?

 

[Guest]

emmy75,

Exactly what's in the potting mix you used????? Did you put powdered dolomite lime in the mix????? Why are you not feeding the plants a balanced/complete diet in each feeding???

You don't need to use the molasses as a spreader/sticker....If you need to foliar feed, use a drop of "dish detergent" to break the "surface tension" of the water you use....The foliar feed should stick to the bottom of the leaves just fine....You don't want to use anything that will "clog" the stomata of the leaves.....

Also, you don't have to "bubble" your water for 24 hr's to remove the chlorine....Chlorine is "injected" into the water system in the form of "gas"....With bubbler's you only have to bubble it for about an hr or two....24hrs if you don't have a bubbler/airpump...LC

 

[emmy75]

LC these are the contents of my soil, whitney farm life link:

Aged and processed softwood bark and sawdust, sphagnum peat moss, perlite, pumice, composted animal manuers, bat guano, worm castings, dried poultry waste, blood meal, feather meal, bone meal, sulfate of potash, kelp meal, dolmite lime may be added as a ph adjuster.

actually i really like the soil. one plant that had problems growing and has been transplanted three times, last one into whiteny farms, has been nicely recuperated. heres a pic





now i think the seabird guano is what f*ed things up. after reading some on the sbg it should have been used in bloom rather than in veg. i think its going to be hard to rehabilitate the yellow one. well this is m y first grow and i take note of all i do so i wont do the wrong things again.

 

[JackTheGrower]

I believe your plant there will do fine..

I see saw dust and bark..

Big nitrogen usage there. CLUE NUMBER UNO.


I'd bet you have done nothing wrong.. You may have needed more nitrogen.


You can very well use your guano.. It would be great if you get some alfalfa.


Why not get some water.. Use hot and let it cool.

To that add some High N guano maybe a table spoon for a gallon and to that add a little molasses.

Do you have any soil mix left? Do you have a nice patch of humus under a tree someplace?

If you have some alfalfa or even a bit of rabbit guinea pig or alfalfa based cat litter you can sprinkle a bit.

With the pigger and rabbit food use only until you get garden type alfalfa because it has sodium.
A little sodium won't hurt but it's not needed in large amounts AFAIK.

Sprinkle a bit of alfalfa and some soil mix or humus and you can sprinkle a little rice..

Then water with plain water and then water with guano and molasses.

The idea is to add fresh microbes from an organic source like an organic soil mix or from humus.
The alfalfa, rice and maybe even a little ground coffee are food stuff for the microbes to eat on.
These are just things I think you can find easy.

A small bag of pigger food is at the grocery store and is not expensive.
Alfalfa meal or pellets could be at the garden store. I bought a bag at a hardware/garden center.

I have found that once the microbes get going they seem to solve soil problems well they and the plant,.

Anyway it's an example and not written in stone.

Greens and browns .. to feed the soil

Oh and I do use Epsom salts.. You prolly could use a little iron as well but there is some in blackstrap.

The pigger food has some vitamins and minerals.

Oh and yes azomite rocks for minerals.

 

[Guest]

"Dolimite lime "MAY" be added????? With the ingredients in that mix, lime had better be added....I prefer to mix my potting mixes from scratch....That way I "KNOW" what's in the mix.....You seem to have all the nutrients available to the plants..If that was the only plant to react to the mix, I would have to assume that it's just a "fert sensitive" plant....I'm sure with Whitney's reputation that dolomite was added....But it should say it on the bag....Remember the K.I.S.S principle...Keep it sweet and simple....Then when something goes wrong, it's easier to trackdown the problem....LC

 

[emmy75]

thanks JTG for all the instructions u gave. i really appreciate it. and thanks to all the responses. JTG i found alfalfa pellets at a garden center so im gonna get some of that. i think im going to put these two plants under a fluro i just got and start four new plants. i do have to admit one thing though(im sure this leeches the N which is an afterthought for me) when i water i have about a cup of water runoff. will this leech the N from the soil?

i dont want to waste the soil by throwing it away. b4 im make my own soil ill use this one up first. thus by day 21 what can i add to the soil to make sure the N def doesnt occur again?

thanks

 

[Diego]

bat guano is a great nitrogen form but it is slowly released over m any waterings, almost all organic compounds take a minute to turn in to a usable form of nitrogen. Looking at that last pic its nitrogen deficiency like everyone else has said. Get a good rounded vitamin B fert with lots of IRon magnesium and I cant remember what else at the moment along with a higher liquid nitrogen mixable or non mixable ferts. Really just leave it under the light its on right now adn I guarantee with the above mentioned ferts you will be stokedd maybe take a cup of the bat quano and make a tea and use that weakly weekly. all will be good.

 

[Dan42nepa]

bat guano is a great nitrogen form but it is slowly released over m any waterings, almost all organic compounds take a minute to turn in to a usable form of nitrogen. Looking at that last pic its nitrogen deficiency like everyone else has said. Get a good rounded vitamin B fert with lots of IRon magnesium and I cant remember what else at the moment along with a higher liquid nitrogen mixable or non mixable ferts. Really just leave it under the light its on right now adn I guarantee with the above mentioned ferts you will be stokedd maybe take a cup of the bat quano and make a tea and use that weakly weekly. all will be good.

Isnt a cup an awful lot? I use a tablespoon per gallon of either indo or mexican guano and bubble for a few days.

 

[Diego]

yeah lol, I was more or less thinking of making some for a batch of plants rather than just one plant. for aroun 9ish id say. your plants will let you know if it was too much.

 

[emmy75]

so after learning that sawdust and bark(which is probably not fully composted) use up a lot of the nitrogen needed for healthy plants i went on a reading rampage to find out why this happens. here is an interesting article to read on N def and the carbon to N ratio.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/00546.html

Im sure the learned growers know much about this but its a good read for the novice, esp since N def is the most common prob.

 

[Guest]

It looks nothing like N def to me. First thought I had was too high PH and locked out iron and zink. Or too much cal (hard water) and locked mg.