No-till 2 Gallon Problems

[SoilGame]

Hello community! I'm a long time indoor grower but very new to true organic and not-till growing. I have been forced to use mostly 2 gal smart pots for various reasons, but now that I am 2 weeks into flower, I'm experiencing serious deficiencies, that's right, plural. I have some in five gal that are doing great. I have fed only teas and ferments and top dressed a flowering mix lightly before flipping them. I don't want to turn to the bottle but I'm feeling cornered. I did a fish powder foliar last week and fish powder root drench yesterday. Also just cut my cover crop, white clover and various legumes, and mulched with them. My runoff is reading 2000+. Not sure if that matters or not. Please help

 

[MW7945]

Pictures would greatly help. 2000+ runoff is high

What's the pH of the water going in/out?

 

[SoilGame]

Ph meter broke last cycle when I still used bottles. Didn't think I would need one for no-till. Dark cycle right now, will have pics later. Using pre-made "cooked" soil from a local plus my own mix of amendments, when I flipped I top dressed local worm castings and rice hulls as mulch.

 

[SoilGame]

It's mostly N deficiency. I have addressed the other deficiencies with home-made cal-phos and kelp/dandelion/comfrey tea. Been giving at least one sst per week. And just top dressed gypsum and used Epsom in last 2 waterings. And all inoculated and using LAB. So I'm wondering if top dressing a nitrogen source now would be wise or stupid. Or should I just bite the bullet and feed some EJ? Thanks

 

[SoilGame]

Or anyone known of a non-bottles solution? Remember they are only 2gal pots.. Thanks

 

[SoilGame]

Also just cut cover crop and laid as mulch. I'm assuming it takes a month or two before the nutrition from the cc is usable in the soil?

 

[SoilGame]

 

[SoilGame]

Since this pic was taken, I have cut the cover crop and incorporated into my mulch... Just fed them the bottle last night..... Don't want to do it again, it made me feel sick. Too much hard work just to go back to the bullshit. Somebody drop some knowledge on me!

 

[BudBogart]

Or anyone known of a non-bottles solution? Remember they are only 2gal pots.. Thanks

Starting an occasional light top dressing of fish meal will add nitrogen.

 

[Dunge]

Picture notes:
I'd trim away all those dead leaves as well as all the veg below the net.
Your focus on cover crop and mulching has nothing to do with anything.
Check again. Are all the 3 gallon pots doing well and all the 2 gallon pots are as pictured?
Looks like lockout, as I can't imagine a deficiency being the problem.

Have you told us where in the cycle these plants are?
They look like they should be in flower, but I see no flowers.

 

[SoilGame420]

I'm two weeks into flowering, there are flowers just not in that pic. I mention the cover crop because I cut it and mulched it to try to add N to the soil, I was asking about this because it probably takes too long to have any affect. I don't know why they would be locked out, I've only used organic fertilizers up until yesterday.. And like I said, I went very light on the amendments. They are definitely nitrogen deficient. I simply need a quick way, other than bottles, to feed and fix the nutrient issues for the remainder. I have others in 3 and 5 gal that are doing great, no problems at all.

 

[SoilGame420]

Also I COULD NOT get the login for this website to work so I started a new account but it is still me. Thanks for any helpful input.

 

[SoilGame420]

The dead leaves have been trimmed away of course, I left them from the day before for the picture. I don't trim everything below the trellis, I give the full two foot canopy. I only remove what isn't getting light. Personal preference.

 

[SoilGame420]

Also the screen is curved so the photo is a bit misleading

 

[SoilGame420]

Starting an occasional light top dressing of fish meal will add nitrogen.

Do you think it's too late to add a good flower amendment mix? Including fish? I'm at day 15. It's just very hard to know with 2 gal. Such a stupid move but I promise I had no choice at the time..

 

[SoilGame420]

will post more photos when lights come on.

 

[Freshone]

You need at least 15 gallons to do what your trying to do,there's not enough soil to support the plants thru cycle in 2 gallons of soil.The more soil the better and easier it gets.

 

[SoilGame420]

You need at least 15 gallons to do what your trying to do,there's not enough soil to support the plants thru cycle in 2 gallons of soil.The more soil the better and easier it gets.

I appreciate that and I know it is usually done with larger pots, however, I am in the situation I am in and need helpful advice as to what can be done to remain as organic as possible and preferably without salty bottled corporate garbage. Thanks in advance for any helpful insight.

 

[SoilGame420]

I'm trying to become a self-sustainable grower and employ permaculture techniques and the use of indigenous plants/bugs/microbiology. So bottles nutes are the last thing I want to use.

 

[SoilGame420]

Starting an occasional light top dressing of fish meal will add nitrogen.

How often to top-dress with fish? And can I use fish hydrosolate powder? Or needs to be meal?