@Waira and
@pop22 and
@Discretepete2676 and
@derek420colorado and anyone else that may have wandered through; a Status update.
Spider Mite never really confirmed but thrips fo' sho'.
Monterey Garden Spray most definitely put paid to em'.
I have been seeing gnats, don't know fer shure what type they are but the garden will be getting a Mosquito Dunk drench this afternoon.
Deficiencies. Deep sigh.
Separating probable damages from bugs from those that seem to be nutrient related I'm perty sure what I've got goin' is a combo of Calcium, Potassium and Phosphorus def.
We already know that earlier I had made a noob mistake and applied way too much Epsom.
I also clued into the fact that I had been under-watering all this time. Noob mistake [HASHTAG]#2[/HASHTAG]. I read recently that the under-watering can drive ph down so.....
So. Tap water is ph of 7.2 to 7.4.
Evaporate chlorine, 6.8 to 7. Same for the teas I've been using, right at 6.8.
Soil ph started life at 6.7 - 6.8.
51 days into grow ph discovered to be 6.2 to 6.4. (under-watering and epsom the cause ?)
I opted for raising the ph before doing anything else.
Watered in baking soda at 1 tbsp / gal. After 2 days ph showed no change at all.
Got ansty and did a minimal flush to see if that might clear the slate a little. 2 days later no significant change in ph, a couple points up on 2 o' the plants so, promising?
So I tried watering in some CaCo3.
Mix 1 tbsp/gal, shake and pour and shake and pour some more.
Annnd I put a layer of DE and sand on for 1st salvo in gnat control.
Annnd another application of spinosad.
And 24 hours later ph is ranging 5.6 to 6.2.
Step back and ponder.... WTF! Really?!?!
So.
1/2 tbsp CaCo3 per gal of soil, side dressed.
Watered in heavily with a tea of bat poo, molasses and a touch of kelp meal.
Last night the ph was back up to about where I started, 6.0 to 6.2.
Another application of spinosad this morning, dunk drench this afternoon.
Water only, thoroughly, tomorrow and look at ph again tomorrow night.
Buds are gettin bigger. Slow but gettin there.
Overall the plants look rough from the brown spots and leaf tip burn but at the same time color is such I believe I can get em' to the finish line.
I do hope after all is said and done I learn sumpin' from all this.
I might even get one of the two remaining spare brain cells out and put it alongside the one currently carrying the load.
Thanks!!