Notes from 7/22/2024:
Applied medium strength Nuke Em this evening. I think I did a more thorough job because I emptied about half a bottle from underneath. I then used the remaining bottle on the top, but I lifted as much of the top leaves as possible so I could spray underneath them. This process seemed to work well, and I think I did a much better job overall with coverage.
From my research, it seems likely that I have thrips from the damage, and strange things I'm seeing in the loupe.
ph yesterday was 5.8. Today it was 5.7. I meant to test this evening and didn't. Not a good sign so soon after a water change. Hopefully things will turn around. I added my first gallon of water today, so that might help.
Notes from 7/23/2024:
PH is back at 5.8. I could probably add 1 gallon of water, but I'm going to wait until tomorrow.
Notes from 7/25/2024:
Applied 3ml shy of full strength nuke em. I shook off one flea beetle in the process. I also killed two the first time I did a spray. This means all the leaf damage I've been seeing is flea beetles. I wouldn't say I've got a full blown outbreak, but I think there are still some around. I don't think the nuke em is affecting them very much, if at all. I set up two sticky traps to see if I can monitor bug levels. My other option is to vigorously shake the plants to see if they hop off onto sticky traps I position under the plant.
Also, still seeing some lower leaves dying off with dark wilty lesions. I will try and take a picture of the next one I find. I have no idea what it is. The PH and water has all seemed very normal, so I don't think it's anything with the water/nutes.
Notes from 7/27/2024:
Regarding the last nuke em application: It burned several pistoles, moreso on the smaller plant. I can now confirm that the bug damage has been flea beetles. I think the last application (with me agitating the plant) killed the last of the flea beetles. One last one I saw fell to the ground and I killed it.
Regarding the leaf damage I've been seeing, I'm convinced is Phosphorus deficiency. After much research, I decided to change my Jacks ratio to the following:
A: 3.79g - 15gal - 56.9g
B: 2.52g - 15gal - 37.8g
C: 0g
The new ratio came out with:
5.7 PH
1.8 EC
I took some more pictures.