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Post by clumsythumbs on May 23, 2019 11:22:59 GMT -5
I posted a version of this in a thread in my garden patch, but posing here (more generally) to see thoughts.
So, I was wondering if was having issues with some of my pepper plants and tomato. Yellowing leavings, some dying; not a lot of pollinating and fruit (yet) on the peppers. I had thought maybe I needed to add a calmag supplement as many do on here...
Went to a hydro store nearby and the owner seemed to lean toward feeling it was a PH issue. Now, I can understand if PH is off, nutrients will not be properly absorbed.
So, this led to wonder: based on folks' experience, how do you know when it is ph, nutrient deficiency, or overfeeding? What have been the tell-tale signs? From the little I read up, imbalance PH and nutrient deficiency can look the same. I know not everyone measures ph on here, so am wondering are they are other indicators that let you know? . As for my specific problems, there may be none. But the poblano and sweet heat has a lot of pale green/yellow-ish leaves (esp baby leaves) that are upturned, which seems a deficiency (or am I wrong on that?). So, I guess if PH is ok, then it really is a calmag deficiency? He also kept asking me what PH the AG nutes are buffered at. And I said I am probably ignorant and do not understand, but my understanding was that the nutrient solution was meant to be 'at solution' in the proper PH. Which is probably not the right way of phrasing, but I am just recalling high school chem and all that.
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Shawn
Administrator
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Post by Shawn on May 23, 2019 13:13:05 GMT -5
Let me see if I can help a little bit. Others know way more then I do on this topic.
When I first started I was obsessed with checking pH and what not. Then after so long someone, I think Corinne told me not to drive myself crazy as it can make you nuts. Well I was nuts. So I stopped.
However here are a few things I learned from Mike years ago
- Leaf curl on pepper plants is usually associated with excessive nutrients. It can vary from plant to plant, but I always keep my pepper plants at 8ml for the first two feedings, 9ml for the 3rd feeding, then 10ml after that.
- Drain the water and start with fresh water for a couple of days, without nutes, if I see leaf curl. On the other hand, yellowing of the leaves is usually a deficiency of nutrients. Beyond that, a pH meter can be useful. Maintaining a pH of 5.8 to 6.5 is best for peppers. I've even used vinegar or lemon juice to get the job (adjusting pH) done.
- Peppers and tomatoes and herbs typically like (pH) it best between 5.8 and 6.5. Basil is a little higher 6.5 to 6.7. Lettuce 6.0 to 7.0.
- Feeding pepper plants, I will give them 8 ml when planting and at 2 weeks. 10 ml at 6 weeks. 11 ml after that, unless the plants experience leaf curl, then I stick with 10. It was like that with the Pimento Peppers. Most seem to love 11 ml.
Side Note now: I do NOT check pH anymore
I hope that helps a tad.
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Post by clumsythumbs on May 23, 2019 13:32:28 GMT -5
That is VERY helpful Shawn! I am not sure where, but I guess I erroneously thought downward curl was excess nutes and upward curl was deficiency. I guess I will see what the PH is and see. I am doing both sets in Ultras and have been following the guides (8ml every 2 weeks). I will be curious to see what the PH is. I never did do an R&R and then forgot and re-fed a week and a half ago. So I will do a R&R at next feeding. |
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mike
The Pepper King
Posts: 3,661 
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Post by mike on May 23, 2019 14:56:48 GMT -5
Very well put, Shawn. The only things I would add is if the plants are growing well, don't mess with them. Don't rinse and refill too often, either. I usually only dump once at around 6 weeks. I only test pH if there are problems. The pH on problem plants is almost always too high, never low. I use apple cider vinegar to bring it down to 5.5. I always have AC Vinegar in the house.
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Post by clumsythumbs on May 23, 2019 22:48:33 GMT -5
So... the PH meter arrived. One garden is at 6.85 and the other is at 7.1.
So, does not seem like PH is the issue?
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Shawn
Administrator
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Post by Shawn on May 24, 2019 5:14:01 GMT -5
So... the PH meter arrived. One garden is at 6.85 and the other is at 7.1. So, does not seem like PH is the issue?
You have peppers?
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mike
The Pepper King
Posts: 3,661
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Post by mike on May 24, 2019 18:11:37 GMT -5
It is only slightly high. When are you due for nutes, next? If it's within a week or so, don't worry about it. If you just fed them, give them a teaspoon of vinegar.
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Post by clumsythumbs on May 25, 2019 10:31:52 GMT -5
It is only slightly high. When are you due for nutes, next? If it's within a week or so, don't worry about it. If you just fed them, give them a teaspoon of vinegar. Thanks for the input mike and ShawnYes, am growing peppers (sweet bell and poblano) in one Ultra and Heirloom Cherry tomatoes and Sweet Heat in another. I added some vinegar yesterday afternoon and it brought them both down to 6.5. Bu they are back up to 7.8 each this morning. I added nutes on Wednesday (I think). The tomato and plant is looking less brown after a week of pruning and the sweet heat is setting some new leaves. The poblano all the new leaves are yellow/pale green and curled. Last week this was my motivation to see if something was going on (thought maybe needed calmag supplement). My main concerns was/are a) why is the sweet a little stunted (not a lot of leaves and at around 5") and b) is the pale leaves on the poblano a concern? The Sweet Heat has set some new leaves since the last feeding, so that is encouraging, it still has never set a lot of flowers. The tomato is doing well in terms of production and now that I have removed most of the dead and brown leave it looks healthier. Flikr is still not working, so cannot show photos unfortunately. |
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Shawn
Administrator
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Post by Shawn on May 25, 2019 11:50:17 GMT -5
How much nutes are you giving each garden?
Also I use imgur, vgy or tinypic as a backup photo repository.
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mike
The Pepper King
Posts: 3,661
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Post by mike on May 25, 2019 13:00:53 GMT -5
One other thing, don't test pH too often. That drove me absolutely nuts. The variances were far too great. I got to the point where I was testing three times a day. For your own sanity, don't test more than once a week.
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Post by clumsythumbs on May 25, 2019 13:07:56 GMT -5
How much nutes are you giving each garden?
Also I use imgur, vgy or tinypic as a backup photo repository.
I have been giving 8ml per the AG recommendations. |
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Post by clumsythumbs on May 25, 2019 13:09:58 GMT -5
One other thing, don't test pH too often. That drove me absolutely nuts. The variances were far too great. I got to the point where I was testing three times a day. For your own sanity, don't test more than once a week. Yeah...that is why I originally did not want to bother even checking. But figured should at least look into it before changing nutes. |
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Post by clumsythumbs on May 26, 2019 16:04:49 GMT -5
So this is the some of the yellowing/paling of the leaves that make me wonder if something was off nute or PH wise...  20190525_111608 by Aaron Blasyak, on Flickr I have some others that show it better, but this is all that flikr will upload at the moment. This is from a few days ago. |
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