by josefa
Plants grew well, now not growing and sad
4:09 pm in Completed Window Farms, International, Nutrients, Plants, Seeking Advice by josefa
Hello all,
I started my windowfarm three weeks ago with four strawberry plants. I transplanted them (had to cut the roots) and for two weeks three of them grew very well (one flower even blossomed). By the third week, however, one of the plants became very week and the other two stopped growing (the third is just as stuck in its growth as when I planted it three weeks ago).
For the other pots I started seedlings. I transplanted a few to see how they would react and although they are alive (cherry tomatoes and zucchini) they have also stopped growing. The seedlings that I kept in soil continue growing.
The plants receive water every hour for 15 minutes. I change the water every week and add 6mL of nutrients (picture of components below) which is the suggested dosage (it says to double the dosage for plants that are need more). The plants don’t receive much sunshine (it’s almost always cloudy in Paris, but when they do it comes from the west for a couple of hours each day). Temperature is around 22 degrees C.
Do any of you have suggestions as to what may be going on and how I can revitalise the plants? Any suggestions about what plants would grow well?
There are several things I need you to share to delve a little deeper.
–Firstly, I can’t really see the image of the strawbs, but if the crown is too low, they will rot.
–Secondly, it looks like you are using a chemical fertilizer. Have you been pH balancing your solution? The NPK looks fine, not too hot, unless you use too much, and without a proper pH of about 6.5(ish) you can just fry them with either acid/alkaline solutions.
Can you provide more information on the fertilizer? What is the pH of the nutrient?
–Third, Have you been changing the water or just adding nutrition? If you don’t do a full water exchange with the appropriate amount of nutrition, then you could be frying them.
–Fourtly, Please post an image of the roots, so we can see more clearly the condition of the whole plant, not just the crowns.
Larger images would also be helpful.
Recap:
-Proper amount of nutrition (always go less or none when in question)
-pH balance to 6.5 for most plants
5.5 – 7.0 should be fine, dont rebalance if you go too far, that can be fatal as you are just adding more acids/alkalines. If you go to far, stretch by adding more water and nutrients(in proper proportion) to rebalance it out.
-change water weekly and completely. Even rinse them out(i know its a pain, but it’s better than root rot or something bad like that) and reassemble your windowfarm if your roots are looking gunky. And feel free to rinse those roots out while you are at it. Roots should look bright white and furry, like little chinchilla strands or something else cute and furry and white. Oh! a baby polar bear.
-make sure those strawberry crowns are high and mighty, too low and your little guys will just root rot to death. I’ve done it, it sux.
-adding a tiny amount of H2O2 can help oxygenate your solution, kill anaerobic bacterium, and provide essential oxygen to the roots. Using about 2-4ml/gal every 3 days of house grade should be fine. Be careful with the commercial/food grade stuff, it can burn you like acids.
H2O2 is usually reserved for situations that require it like organic hydroponics, so use it as a last resort or if you are seeing bacteria and root issues.
Anyways, I would need more info to make a proper diagnosis, but it looks like, to me, that you are having an issue with your water solution.
Try just adding clean water for a week, and pH balance your nutrients if you are going full strength, you can kill them with food, especially chemicals. I try to use organics where possible, but that is where you run into bacterial/fungal issues and may require H2O2.
Hope this is helpful,
Good Luck!
Lofty
Go here and enter your info
http://my.windowfarms.com/
from there you can get recommendations on plants that will work for your situation.
Sounds like a Partial Sunlight situation and I would recommend about 25watts of fluorescent, if you are inclined to augment the lighting. Otherwise, just use low light/partial shade varieties.