Update - more on the Mulanje + quotes
Greetings, and thanks 420 enthusiasts!
I made an update yesterday about the deterioration of the Mulanje. I didn't seem to get any notifications that there were replies until this evening when I was surprised to discover an absolute wealth of wonderful replies, and I will go back and digest them at least 2 or 3 times so I can glean as much as I can from them.
So thank you one and all, for the many wonderful helpful suggestions, it is really appreciated!
Were there signs to be seen earlier?
The thoughts and suggestions have made me consider when the Mulanje might have been showing signs of distress, perhaps it looked good enough in other ways for me to not notice it, or overlook it. When I look over the past pictures I have taken, I feel at some point, perhaps mid, or certainly late February, that there were, maybe, signs that it was not growing so well.
A nutrient problem?
I think it is either a damage/disease problem or an excess/deficiency of nutrients. Given that all plants were largely watered with worm wee up until February it does point a finger at the top dressing. Yet, up until early March all plants got the same, by when I feel the Mulanje was already perhaps not the best.
I began a top dressing schedule in early February
As has been pointed out, the application of top dressing could be at fault. I may have accidentally failed to effectively water in the top dressing to avoid no root burn. And this is quite possible, altho I have always watered after doing do, it is quite possible I failed to do it well enough.
Or is root problems or something else?
I really don't know, there was a bad storm period early February that whipped the plants around, especially the Mulanje who got most of it. Was there some unseen damage done?
The training wire I used was the only one available with lockdowns and such. It was fiercely strong wire that actually cut into stems, or rather they grew around it. I won't be buying that again, and in future may use soft plastic loops on the stem themselves. Did that damage make her susceptible to disease?
I don't know.
So lets get to it - Flushing the Mulanje
So thanks to all that has been said, I am guided to realising that I have nothing to lose with trying flushing at this point.
@InTheShed made a great suggestion that I would have missed, to first scoop off and remove the top layer that may still contain top dressing matter, which I did, all the old mulch, that was on top of it, and probably an inch underneath too, which left lots of worms exposed. I then added a fresh layer of pea and barley straw mulch on top.
I have never carried out a flush before, but I seemed to remember that many aimed for 3 x pot size. So as the Mulanje was in a 50L (13 gallon) pot, and my watering can was 10L, I made 15 trips to put 150L of water into the Mulanje's pot (before and after dinner).
I would never have thought to putting that amount of water through it, so It will be interesting to observe how it goes. I do feel doing nothing would have only ensured it would deteriorate further, so I am all for carrying out a flush, it actually feels a bit exciting to be doing something different, taking a view from a different angle, which is good.
The balcony line up
Mango Sherbert and Mulanje
Closer pics of the worst
After a 3 x Pot size flush
Quotes
Thanks DV8! I think that is really good advice, and really appreciate your thoughts and analysis.
Cheers Jon! It did happen very quick but when they go they go eh. Gotta live and learn. Anyway, it's great to have an approach to try so thanks for your thoughts!
Cheers Rex! Only yesterday I chucked in a couple of handfuls of worm castings into her water and mixed it up, first time I'd done that with her. But that could be a good thing once the flush has settled, thanks!
Thanks Emeraldo! I only gave extra to the Mulanje because I mistakenly thought she was hungry
well that's a good lesson to learn. At least I have 3 others to fall back on, and who knows, maybe some of the Mulanje will recover and make it to harvest, altho I don't really think so, but it would be nice to get to try her buds! The low N for Sativas I don't really have anything to compare it with, the other 2 sativas have both had the same top dressings and stayed fairly lush. Hopefully can gain from this to do better next time as I am sure I'll want to grow her again. But they still have to survive the next few weeks and the deteriorating weather.
Thanks Azi! The first suggestion seems a great one, but the second, haha, if only! I would love to muck around and up-pot or re-pot her, but it'd be a heck of mess on my own!
Thanks Shed! If an overdose of amendments is the problem then it is well worth doing, and nice knowing it was removed before flushing.
Thanks Joe! I hope so too, just a bit of her would be nice to enjoy post harvest!
Cheers Zeb! She's all flushed now, I think a great suggestion too. Yes the other girls look well which makes me wonder about the root health. I remember well before she yellowed I felt some of her stems were perhaps more sparse than they should be (that now that are dying), makes me wonder if at that point there was a root/soil issue already occurring. Anyway, a 3 x pot size flush has been carried out, fingers crossed!
Cheers Tang! Yes the other 2 sativas seem quite happy, considering the mainstem of the Pan/Hon got broken 3/4 thru and yet it just powered on, amazing, and the Mulx Malawi Ethiopian has been quite delicate but is growing nicely, both lush.
Yeah I may have over done the top dressing for her. I'll certainly go less next time!
Cheers tropics! You're right, it's how we learn. This is not time for me to be obstinate! haha. I hope I can gain from this, it would nice make an improvement the next time!
Thanks Jhigh!
Well folks, thanks for dropping by and helping out! I hope I can report improvement on her in the future, but if not, then hopefully something is learned.
Be well and all the best!