potassium difficency? Not sure best way to manage. First grow in dry ammendments

[Staxx33]

• Mephisto double grape
• Just past day Day 40
• 5 gal promix hp
• Mars hydro tsw 2000
• Gaia green dry ammendments 444 / 284
• Water when dry, ph 6.5
• Temps 21-25c, RH 45%-60%

Backstory is around day 25 I accidentally mixed up my pots and fed GH flora lucas formula to this one which was my trial gaia green grow. After that had slight burnt tips and pretty dark green leafs but otherwise still very healthy, growing, and no signs of over or under watering. Didn't flush or anything just made sure to keep giving plain ph'd water from then on.

Started by ammending the soil at 3tbsp 444 per gal (15tbsp total). Around day 25 I did 4tbsp of 444 and 1tbsp 284 top dress (5tbsp total). Around day 40 I did another top dress of 4tbsp 284 and 1tbsp 444 (5tbsp total again)

This fading/ yellowing is mostly on the upper and newer parts of the plant and not at all on the lower areas. I'm guessing it's nutrients because it's my first run with a new style and it looks like nutes to me, but it is on the upper parts that are growing into the light. The other two plants I have and feeding GH Flora don't have this same issue. If this was bottled nutes I'd just adjust the next feed accordingly or do a flush or whatever, but since this is slow released dry ammendments I'm not too sure if I need to do anything or just wait for the day 40 top dress to break down a little.

 

[Proph]

Those plants are way over fed and burning. Way too much top dress of both products. You need a ppm meter. You need to flush the medium with plain ph'd zero ppm water until the run off is in the 300-400 range.

The issue started from the beginning amendment mix.. 15 tbls!! That 1 cup of 444 in a 3 gallon pot! Already too much.. Most dry amendments are used at a rate of 1 cup per cf of soil.. Then the two top dresses after that total another cup.. Thats more than 2 full cups of dried amendments dumped into a 5 gallon pot, for a plant that will live for about 90 day.

This is called nutrient lockout due to excess nutrients in the pot. Avoid slow release nutrients if possible. You don't know when the release happens.. You dont know what or which nutrients are being released or how much of it.. Plus, the more you water, the more it releases. You need to check the ppms of your run off and get them to be steady in the range of 3-400.. 500 max.

 

[Staxx33]

That 1 cup of 444 in a 3 gallon pot!

You sure that's too much? From several places the going rate seems to be 2-4 tablespoons per gallon of medium and then top dressed every 3-4 weeks at a rate of 2 tablespoons per gallon of medium. I'm in 5 gallon pots so 5x3=15 tablespoons?

Yeah I knew the plant was a little burned and quite dark green but I figured that was from my mistake of adding GH feed water to the ammended soil the one watering by mistake

 

[Proph]

You sure that's too much? From several places the going rate seems to be 2-4 tablespoons per gallon of medium and then top dressed every 3-4 weeks at a rate of 2 tablespoons per gallon of medium. I'm in 5 gallon pots so 5x3=15 tablespoons?

Yeah I knew the plant was a little burned and quite dark green but I figured that was from my mistake of adding GH feed water to the ammended soil the one watering by mistake

3 gal was a typing error... 16tbls in a cup.. 15tbs from your initial amendment.. 5tbls 1st top dress.. 5tbls from 2nd top dress.. 25 tbls total.. So 1.5 cups of dry nutrients to be exact... In a 5 gallon pot...For a plant that is about 30 days old.. Yeah.. Im sure its too much.. Your plants are sure its too much as well.. You're even about 50% sure yourself, lol.. You mentioned mute burn in your first post. I mean, look at them.. They are screaming "I'm over fed and suffering through a lock out".. Trust your eyes.. But if you dont believe it/me.. Just check the ppms. Ppms don't lie.. You have a couple of options in gardening/growing.. You can follow the words on the bottles or bags of nutrients, or you can follow the signs your plants are showing you.. You already tried following the words on the bag. That's how we got here... Why not try following the signs that the plant is showing this time? The plant isn't lying or incorrect, lol.

 

[Staxx33]

But if you dont believe it/me..

Don't get me wrong I believe you, not trying to argue just trying to learn. I know for sure they got burned, but wasn't sure if it was a burn that was turning into a deficiency over time or just more burning
I really shot myself in the foot by accidentally feeling bottled nuts as well which somewhat taints the learning experience. The "easy as just adding water" dry ammendments might be a little trickier than advertised.

 

[Bigg Al]

With my soil mix(OF& HF) and amendments(Dr. Earth) I use 2 tbsp per gallon of soil. I also think you were a little heavy handed with your amendments. Test your run off.

 

[Staxx33]

With my soil mix(OF& HF) and amendments(Dr. Earth) I use 2 tbsp per gallon of soil. I also think you were a little heavy handed with your amendments. Test your run off.

What top feeding schedule do you follow?

 

[Bigg Al]

What top feeding schedule do you follow?

I have a thread about it. "Let's make a simple soil "

 

[MesaBoogie]

As already mentioned you're feeding to much. I'm guessing you're following the Mr.Canucks grow and that's fine, but he doesn't feed that much so soon. You have to be able to read your plants a little bit following his method. Day 25 isn't the rule for your first top dress it's just a estimate of the earliest you'll want to start. Another top feed at day 40 was just way too soon. Just finished mu first grow's following his method with coco and it went surprisingly well. I noticed they really like the odd feed of molasses in the water.