S
smokestack23
- 438
- 18
well if nothing else, you're in good hands. you have experts chiming-in all with great and accurate advice.
Two points stand out. Everyone seems to agree that your plants are not getting the required "food" for what could be a multitude of reasons. Either a pH imbalance, underfeeding, or a toxic lockout...OR...physical root problems.
The other point is that, as Seamaden said..while this is a science, we are dealing with living things so there is some "feel" involved and that's where a lot of different opinions can arise. It isn't like we're working on a car that needs a new battery or has a dead sparkplug.
What I find most fascinating about this thread is that we have several experienced people with very different opinions on what's going on..yet...we're all getting along. In TOO many threads here people start name calling and wanting to be RIGHT. WE are not wanting to be RIGHT...rather trying to help. That's somewhat rare around here.
Here's a wee test you can do...water your plants (or one) and as the water drains into the medium look to see if there are hundreds of larvae squirming around on the surface of the soil.
You have quite a few bugs that look like RAs to me. Whatever they are, they have to be coming from somewhere. Insects start out as eggs and then go through different stages of life. If they are starting-out their lives in your soil, those larvae need to eat and what they feast upon is your roots...well..and other organic matter.
Here's what I would do.
Look to see if you have larvae in the dirt. Whether you do or not, you still wanna get rid of the bugs. Depending on what they are..you will be able to get rid of them with the correct product.
In case it's a pH and or nutrient issue..I'd leach the pots (check pH and PPM of drainwater) with RO water and then give them a mild nutrient solution and give them a foliar spray.
If you take this approach, you should be able to eliminate the possibility of bugs, nute or pH issues. Of course you won't know exactly WHAT fixed them but..
If you get rid of the bugs and have no nute/pH problems and still have problems...take a closer look at your roots. Could be pathogens, rot...
Actually..if it were ME...I'd be taking a very close look at the roots. I still say bugs.
Two points stand out. Everyone seems to agree that your plants are not getting the required "food" for what could be a multitude of reasons. Either a pH imbalance, underfeeding, or a toxic lockout...OR...physical root problems.
The other point is that, as Seamaden said..while this is a science, we are dealing with living things so there is some "feel" involved and that's where a lot of different opinions can arise. It isn't like we're working on a car that needs a new battery or has a dead sparkplug.
What I find most fascinating about this thread is that we have several experienced people with very different opinions on what's going on..yet...we're all getting along. In TOO many threads here people start name calling and wanting to be RIGHT. WE are not wanting to be RIGHT...rather trying to help. That's somewhat rare around here.
Here's a wee test you can do...water your plants (or one) and as the water drains into the medium look to see if there are hundreds of larvae squirming around on the surface of the soil.
You have quite a few bugs that look like RAs to me. Whatever they are, they have to be coming from somewhere. Insects start out as eggs and then go through different stages of life. If they are starting-out their lives in your soil, those larvae need to eat and what they feast upon is your roots...well..and other organic matter.
Here's what I would do.
Look to see if you have larvae in the dirt. Whether you do or not, you still wanna get rid of the bugs. Depending on what they are..you will be able to get rid of them with the correct product.
In case it's a pH and or nutrient issue..I'd leach the pots (check pH and PPM of drainwater) with RO water and then give them a mild nutrient solution and give them a foliar spray.
If you take this approach, you should be able to eliminate the possibility of bugs, nute or pH issues. Of course you won't know exactly WHAT fixed them but..
If you get rid of the bugs and have no nute/pH problems and still have problems...take a closer look at your roots. Could be pathogens, rot...
Actually..if it were ME...I'd be taking a very close look at the roots. I still say bugs.
