Gold Header Ad
reserve your ad hereGreetings everyone. I’m Rev, and I’ll be your guide today. Deficiency or overdose? That really is the first question you should ask yourself. Because in my experience, about 90% of the time, it’s an overdose. It normally looks like something else, like a deficiency, because it causes these deficiencies. Adding something to “fix” them is often all kinds of wrong. Let’s look at some info about a couple examples here, shall we?
Deficiency or Overdose, Question #1: Magnesium Deficiency?
FROM: Denny
“Hi Rev! I’m thinking I have a magnesium deficiency and I was wondering what is the best way to address this in living soil using containers? Thanks, and I love your new book!”
Rev’s Answer to Q1
Howdy Denny. You can see the photo of a full-blown magnesium deficiency above. Now, here’s the thing… If you are using TLO soil following my guidelines, you won’t have a magnesium deficiency. Actually, it’s a fairly rare thing to have a magnesium deficiency. Much more likely you have another problem that isn’t magnesium.
Have you noticed before you saw the magnesium deficiency that your newest leaves up top got unusually thin looking—the leaf blades? Even if you don’t recall, it’s way more likely a phosphorus (P) or potassium (K) overdose—yup. This is much easier to do than you may think. Using generous amounts of things like bone meal, rock phosphate, langbeinite (KMag/sul-po-mag), or even going too crazy with crab shell meal (crab/shrimp/etc.). But something very rich in P or K. Just think back to your additions and you should be able to work out your mistake(s).
If you are keeping a close eye on your plants, you would see just before the “magnesium deficiency” that the uppermost/newest leaves will get abnormally thin, and usually very dark green. Both P and K overdoses express this. An overdose of P is more recoverable than an overdose of K, depending on your additions and the amounts of those additions. Needless to say, stop adding P heavy or K heavy nutrients immediately.
Never use things like bone meal, or rock phosphate in your living teas if your soil is already rocking solid. And your soil will be rocking solid if you use my latest book as your guide. True Living Organics by The Rev on Amazon HERE!
Deficiency or Overdose, Question #2: Potassium (K) Deficiency?
FROM: Cavern Man
“I know to be careful here from reading your books and articles, but I have a clear potassium deficiency here and I was wondering, now in 2024 how you would recommend I deal with this in my living soil? Thanks Rev.”
Rev’s Answer to Q2
Yo Cavern Man. Okay, potassium is a fussy thing when it comes to some lines/strains/varieties of cannabis. Some genetics have a harder time getting the hang of accessing, metabolizing, and/or storing potassium. This is usually sorted out by the plants during their “teenage” stage when young. In this case, do nothing and let them get it together with the soil life. Another cause of this that is not a K deficiency is a nitrogen (N) overdose. So, enter that as a possibility here.
A few other causes for this potential K deficiency are:
- Super low humidity. The plant is essentially “sweating out” (transpiring) more K than it can make available to itself. Much like we humans sweat out salts/minerals when we sweat. This actually is a K deficiency, however, not because your lacking K but rather your plant is burning through it too quickly.
- PPMs are too high. Either your water, or the nutrients in your water are too high in their PPM value. Leaves first appear K deficient. This has a longer-term effect that sets in over a month or so. You can spot this pretty easy because the potassium deficient leaves will turn into crispy/burnt edged leaves quickly.
- Too much potassium. Yup, a potassium overdose is a “funny” thing indeed. Potassium normally takes pH upwards, except when it reaches toxic levels it has the opposite effect and dives the pH to deadly levels.
Afterword
Always stay aware of your garden temperatures and humidity. Get one of these (above photo) inexpensive thermometer/hygrometers and you can read real time values and you can also see the highs and lows over the last 24 hours. which is super handy! Want more Rev right now? Check out another article here at SKUNK. Like Adjusting Living Soil pH by The Rev.
Swing by Kingdom Organic Seeds and take advantage of the killer 50% off sale on selected varieties that is going on until midnight September 28th—yup. Visit my YouTube Channel. See ya all back here at SKUNK, same bud time, same bud channel.
