Plants, just like human beings show/manifest signs when in
trouble or is sick.
Here are
common seedling problems and what to do about it:
• Leaf Curl
·
Cause: Too much fertilizer will cause leaves to
curl, especially in bright light.
·
Remedy:
o
Decrease or dilute the amount of fertilizer.
o
If the problem is severe, re-plant the seedling
in fresh potting soil.
• Yellow Lower Leaves
·
Cause: Too much fertilizer.
·
Remedy:
o
Avoid over feeding young plants.
o
I suggest diluting the fertilizer more and
ensure good air circulation around the plants.
• Leggy Plants. A leggy plant has large gaps or spaces
between leaves and thin, weak stems.
·
Cause: Insufficient light.
·
Remedy:
o
Make sure the plant is getting sufficient light,
but don’t let the temperature get too high.
o
Avoid overcrowding so provide ample spaces in
between your plants.
Leaf Discoloration
·
Cause: Off-colored leaves are often a sign of
nutrient deficiency.
o
Pale leaves may be a sign of nitrogen deficiency or lack of
enough light.
o
Deep purple veining can indicate a deficiency in
nitrogen.
o
Reddish purple undersides can be a sign of
phosphorus deficiency; the seedling may also be stunted with thin, fibrous
stems. When the soil is too acid, phosphorus is not taken up from the soil.
o
Bronze or brown leaf edges can be a sign of
potassium deficiency or overwatering.
·
Remedy:
o
Re-pot the seedling into a medium that contains
compost. Compost is likely to contain the trace minerals plants need.
o
In my garden, I used soil substitute such as
vermicompost & coco coir dust. I combine the two and my plants seem to be
thriving well, whether I use OLF (organic liquid fertilizer) or it’s in the
hydroponics set-up.
• Discolored Roots
·
Cause: Overfeeding or overheating (too high
temp) which can result in excess fertilizer salts being released into the soil.
·
Remedy:
o
Re-plant the seedlings in fresh soil or leach
away the toxic salts. Use well aerated soil and do not overfeed or overwater.
• Mold
·
Cause: Sign of poor drainage and lack of air
circulation.
·
Remedy:
o
Scratch the soil to increase aeration, move
seedlings to a place with good air circulation. You can also add powdered
charcoal to the soil surface.
• Insect Damage
·
Cause: Identify the insect at work. Prevention
is always the best course of action.
·
Remedy:
o
Avoid overfeeding which can result in excessive
green growth which can attract insects such as aphids.
o
Keep the greenhouse or garden free of plant
debris which can harbor sowbugs, slugs, and snails.
o
Place plants where there is good air circulation
to slow down spider mites.
o
Use yellow sticky traps (fly trap) to control
whiteflies.
o
In my Hydro set-up, I keep insects at bay by
enclosing it in a net.
• Damping-off. Withered seedlings and plant failure is a sign of
the fungal disease called “damping-off”. Damping-off attacks plant stems at the
soil surface.
·
Cause: Too much nitrogen and moisture, or too
little air circulation.
·
Remedy:
o
Prevention is the only course of action:
maintain good air circulation, avoid overwatering, sow seeds in a sterile
medium.
o
You may pre-soak seeds in water with a tablespoon of clove oil or crushed garlic cloves added –these
have anti-fungal properties.
o
Or better yet, pour boiling water over the
planting medium and allow to cool before re-planting. It will help destroy
nematodes or microorganisms thriving on the soil.
• Poor Root Growth
·
Cause:
Poorly drained soil, insufficient soil fertility, over-fertilization, temp.
is too low, starting medium or soil insufficiently aerated.
·
Remedy:
o Repot
the seedling is sterile potting mix and protect the seedling from broad swings
in temperature. Keep the soil mix just moist.
With special thanks to:
Steve Albert
University of California
www.harvesttotable.com
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