|
| I have 3 Chili plants and they are doing very poorly in the gritty mix. They are all droopy like the photo below.
I removed the old soil from the roots. Maybe there was too much root disturbance for a small plant ? That's the only explanation I can think of. It has been over a month and they seem to be getting worse and doesn't seem to be growing.
|
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| How was the soil made (what ingredients)? Screened? How often are you watering? fertilizing? Al |
|
| Turface MVP and a1 granite grit. I don't use bark. My grape vines are doing really well.
|
|
| forgot to mention that I did screen the materials |
|
| What is A1 granite grit? Does it have anything added to it (like calcium or crushed shellfish shells)? Water/fertilizer frequency? What fertilizing with? What ratio did you use, Turface:grit? The 1:1:1 gritty mix works great for peppers when it's made correctly, so there is a methodology issue in play - either how the soil was made or in the cultural conditions the plant has to deal with. Al |
|
| The granite grit is pure granite. I used a 2:1 turface to granite ratio. I water about once every 3 days. I am fertilizing with miracle-gro soluble (about 1 tsp per gallon of water) fertilizer once a month. How big / old should plants be before I remove the soil and plant it in the gritty mix ? It seems as if the plant can barely stand up on its own in the gritty mix because it is so small. The plant slants to the side frequently. |
|
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Thu, Apr 12, 12 at 1:35
| I don't think you're fertilizing frequently enough. I'll defer to Al, but it sure seems that you ought to be fertilizing more than once a month...
Josh |
|
| You're grossly over-watering. You have a lot more water retention because or the 2:1 Turface:grit ratio AND because the mix is now 2/3 small particles (of Turface), which means you now have perched water to contend with. I might have gone with a 2:1 ratio of Grit:Turface, or a 1:1 ratio. I would insert a wick and make sure it's effective by having it in contact with the soil beneath the pot or dangling beneath it after watering, and significantly reduce the watering frequency. What fertilizer NPK %s are you using? I'm with Josh in my thinking that plants aren't getting enough nutrients, but I don't think that's the issue. I think the issue is in soil/water relationships. Al |
|
| I am using 24-8-16 Miracle-gro soluble fertilizer |
|
| When plants are growing well (65-80*), I usually used a heaping tablespoon in 2 gallons of water, weekly. You would probably need to use a little less - 1 - 1-1/2 tsp per gallon weekly; this, because you won't be watering nearly as often as I would, because of the difference in soil formulations. Try watching the plant(s) carefully, looking for the first signs of wilt - THEN water. I don't suggest that as a normal matter of course, only to give you a feel for how long the plants CAN go between waterings. I'm guessing that if the plants aren't in terra cotta, you'll find yourself watering every 10 days - 2 weeks with the soil you're using. Please keep us posted - I'm really interested in knowing if you get things turned around. Al Al |
|
- Posted by fortyonenorth 6b (My Page) on Thu, Apr 12, 12 at 22:50
| Is it possible that the substrate hasn't been adequately hydrated? The times when I've had problems with gritty-type mixes is when they were too dry from the get-go. These very granular mixes are so free-draining that during the initial waterings, the water percolates through before the turface and/or bark can be hydrated. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Container Gardening Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.