Organic grow: Trouble shoot/Triage advice - Severe plant and leaf damage

[Chefward1]

Good afternoon!
I am a newbie. 1st grow was outdoor last year. Had bud rot here in 7A zone and had to harvest early.

2nd and current grow, Indoor, keeping in veg stage until I can fix issues.

Plant types: unknown strains (can anyone identify? I think one is purple passion), grown from seed started in mid-March.

Environment: 3x3 Mars Grow tent kit, oscillating fan, 4” 205 CFM inline fan, carbon filter, ventilation speed controller (manual),
• Light: TS1000 (150W, dimmable)
• Humidity Range: 55–67%
• Temperature Range: 68–75°F
• Airflow: 10-speed clip fan (set to 50%) with passive tent intake
• Grow Room: Basement room (“Lung Room”) lined with reflective Mylar insulation.
• Watering by hand

Grow medium: Note: Super soil was reused and amended with topdress of same amendments for this year. Super soil mix (Base: 1/3 coco coir, 1/3 compost, 1/3 large vermiculite)
• Amendments added: Dolomite lime, perlite, bat guano, alfalfa meal, kelp meal, worm castings, Mycorrhizal fungi).

Actions taken:

Mid-July: upon seeing stunted growth, uneven soil absorption (dry patches) and browning/clawing of leaves used brewed compost tea (Worm castings, Unsulfured molasses, Kelp meal, Crushed spirulina tablet, Oatmeal (raw, organic). Ration: 1 quart per plant

Spent solids from the tea were applied directly to the soil surface as mulch.

Lowered light to 50%

Raised light from 18 to 20 in from canopy

Flushed to runoff and PH’ed (7.2). (They all perked up after this. New undamaged apex growth noted this AM.)

Cuttings taken from 3 out of 4 plants.

Questions:

1. Is this salvageable?
2. PH Adjustment needed?
3. Total soil change?
4. Foliar feeding (aloe and liquid kelp water)?
5. Best suggestions?

Thank you all for your support. Regardless of the butchered plants, I’m still excited about the growing journey!
Chef Ward

[Budbrother]

@Chefward1

Super soil mix (Base: 1/3 coco coir, 1/3 compost, 1/3 large vermiculite)

Ouch. Bet that stays wet with a high pH. Vermiculite alone is an 8 pH

@Chefward1

uneven soil absorption (dry patches)

Needs yucca extract (saponins) to fight hydrophobic conditions.

@Chefward1

Flushed to runoff and PH’ed (7.2)

pH too high for medium. Soil locks Zn & Fe at 7.2 needed for nitrogen fixation, photosynthesis, and enzyme production.
1/3 ea coco & vermiculite tends towards soilless, but compost & guano push it to a hybrid medium. I bet they’d be happy around 6.2 instead. Normally soil would be 6.5-7 but 6.2-6.5 would be my guess for your medium.

[Chefward1]

Sound good. PH my water and then hit the girls with that at next watering?

[Budbrother]

I bet it’s gonna take a series of lowering to get and keep range. Don’t want to drop the pH to rapidly. Also get some yucca

[Jayjay504]

@Chefward1

next watering

I would go in with ph 6.2 to 6.3 water a few times so it will start dropping down

[Myfriendis410]

Running inadequate light will cause uptake issues due to low plant metabolism. You will need 30 to 40 watts per square foot to properly grow out plants.

[Chefward1]

Thanks. It came with the kit. Will upgrade ASAP. Any recommendations?

[Chefward1]

Appreciate it. Is it possible to stay organic and bring it down? 2T of lemon juice per gallon, amend with small amount of coffee grounds and compost?

[Budbrother]

I use Citric acid. It only takes a pinch.

[Chefward1]

Awesome. I will source some (probably on Amazon). I just found your post topic on no till gardening. Great pics brother! I grow my own hibiscus for blood pressure and my marigolds keep the pests away from my garden. After combat, growing is therapy for me. Thanks for the tips!

[Chefward1]

Anyone have a good organic super soil recipe? I was using Mels mix and learned vermiculite has too high of a ph. Ive also been hearing to use foxfarm. Your take?

[Budbrother]

I’m not a fan of super soil, but you can google the original Sub Cool’s super soil.

I would recommend the Coots soil mix for simplicity and balance.

Coots Soil Mix Explained

[Metalheadfred]

After battling ph issues for several grows using the foxfarm soils and salt based nutes, i decided to give garrigans super soil recipe a go and its been absolutely flawless to this point.

Garrigan"s soil recipe

Hey Garrigan!! I saw your soil recipe but now can’t find it.Brother, can you steer me in the right direction?Oh by the way, I used hey Garrigan to the sound of " hey culligan man!!" Just shows how dang old I am!!!

Using Roots Organics Original as my base. Ive used the BAS Coconut water for every watering with alternating recharge tea and potassium sulfate for this current run with great results so far.
Front left apple fritter (super soil)
Right rear white truffle auto (super soil)
Left rear white truffle auto(straight roots organics original)
Front right apple fritter (reamended ff of/hf)

[Chefward1]

Roger that. Im on it. Update: the main severally damaged plant almost didn’t make it. I cut out dead parts and now have a half stem and healthy roots (no rot) in water (with airstone) along with some separate cuttings. Since its technically still alive, whats next steps?

[Budbrother]

@Metalheadfred

garrigans super soil recipe

Sub Cool’s recipe that he added his name to and posted.

@Chefward1

Since its technically still alive, whats next steps?

I’ve never seen anybody do a meristem clone before It’s gonna develop water roots that will slowly need to be reintroduced to soil. Dump air stone, and cover over roots with fresh water. You would tap in a bit of soil each day. That will sink and give the roots something to grab hold on. Eventually it will be full of soil that you can dry out and transplant.

[Metalheadfred]

@Budbrother

Sub Cool’s recipe that he added his name to and posted.

Ah ok thats
Loving the results so far and thanks for all the information you provide on the forum. The coconut water, potassium sulfate, and recharge i am using with the super soil were gleened from your many writings.