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Growing in pure compost / dark foliage

vladimir95
vladimir95started grow question 4d ago
Tried growing in pure compost soil (10 wks of nutes). Plant’s flowering well, perky, no tox, but foliage’s is quite dark w/ some burnt tips. Was giving recommend dose of micro and macro nuts, but have tapered off. Got some improvement in foliage colours but not much. Any tips?
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00110001001001111O
00110001001001111Oanswered grow question 4d ago
well you said "no tox" so... i guess we are done here. LoL, JK. dark foliage is absolutely a sign of a toxicity building up in the leaves. Probably too much N or Mg in your soil. Both can cause dark green foliage. High N would also lead to a glossy look. Whether it is your soil or what you added requires a process of elimination. If it ends up being the soils fault, add more vermiculite or something in future to cut down the concentration it provides. Maybe composting different things or avoiding adding certain things can help provide a better balance? stick ph-balanced water for a bit and see how it goes. Just because one thing is too high does not mean it is all too high, so definitely react to new symptoms if they arise.
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Ultraviolet
Ultravioletanswered grow question 4d ago
Cool stuff, compost consists of anywhere from 30-70% organic matter, most likely on the higher end if it's decent quality. The composting process involves microorganisms breaking down these materials, turning them into a stable, nutrient-rich substance that benefits the soil. Nitrification rates are highly sensitive to pH. The optimal pH for nitrification, the process where ammonia is converted to nitrite and then nitrate, typically falls within the range of 6.5 to 8.0, with optimal rates typically observed around pH 7. Nitrification rates can be significantly reduced at pH levels below 6.5, and complete inhibition of NOB (Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria) activity can occur. Not ideal but but could potentially slow down the rate of release of nitrogen enough to slow or stop its conversion. The composting process is a biological one where microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, etc.) decompose these organic materials under controlled conditions. Can't stop it, so she will continually dump nitrogen into the soil, as the plant uses less, which will gradually lead to a potential nitrogen toxicity if left unchecked. Nitrogen is often considered the most sensitive nutrient when it comes to toxicity. While nitrogen is essential for plant growth, excessive amounts can lead to a range of negative consequences. Up until now, the plant has been using it as fast as it can be broken down. Sawdust can absorb nitrogen from the soil. Microorganisms break down sawdust, and they need nitrogen to do so. This process can temporarily deplete the soil's nitrogen, although it may take a long time to actually decompose. But the decomposition process ties up all that nitrogen, making it unavailable to plants nearly as soon as it's applied. When sawdust is added to soil or compost, the microorganisms that decompose it require nitrogen to fuel their activity to break it down. This can lead to a temporary nitrogen deficiency in the surrounding area, possibly long enough to get you through the flower. Suggest flushing, but that's not ideal given its compost. Another possible solution if shit hits the fan is try biochar, very high cec, biochar acts like a sponge, absorbing excess nitrogen. The porous structure of biochar also increases the compost's ability to hold onto other nutrients, making them available for plants when the compost is used as a soil amendment. Should be able to provide a buffer, but its tricky, normally you would charge biochar similar to how you would charge coco coir or it can suck out all your cation nutes as you fertilize, this case you want it to suck all the nitrogen in its NH4 form before it has a chance to be broken down by micros. Risky but doable. Right now she looks ok, oxygen, oxygen, oxygen, micros must be going into overdrive meaning the greedy shits will be scavving all the o2 from the plant, do not want that pot going anerobic. Lack of oxygen prevents the conversion of ammonia into less volatile forms of nitrogen, like nitrates. Make sure she never runs short on oxygen, Excessively wet conditions can create anaerobic zones where ammonia accumulates. best of luck.
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John_Kramer
John_Krameranswered grow question 4d ago
Don't add any N fert bs u already on the verge of medium K lockout (also light P lock) bro are u Russian ?
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