Limy Green Fabric Pot Veg

[BlueberryGIrl]

I am fairly new to fabric pots; having always used plastic, I am experiencing nutrient issue with fabric pot plants.
I am currently using BioBizz all mix. with biobizz grow. everyone is the plastic is thriving and right on target.
the fabric pot plants are limy green, clearly showing signs of a nitrogen issue.
I understand that fabric pots allow for more nitrogen-is this correct?
do i just back off completely on the biobizz grow? and just use water. and should this water be ph'd balanced then because i am not using a liquid nutrient?

I am about 5 days away from switching to 12/12. my limy green veg plants are a concern because then i switch to biobizz grow. and in the past grow i have nutrient issues again with these fabric pot plants.

I am looking for advice on fabric pot feedings.

thank you.

[SoOrbudgal]

From my experience using only tan or black fabric i've never heard no needed to use more N do to fabric. Fabrics intent is to allow more " air flow " to the roots, yes sometimes they dry out faster. Hence you want to lift the pot to make sure it needs more fluid. I don't use biobizz.

[DaGreenBlazer]

Yo, i think i can understand what you mean BlueberryGIrl - to confirm, fabric pots don't have any effect on or any ability to influence nute levels; i suspect what you're referring to is probably the marketing blurb on the pot packaging which stated something like because fabric pots can improve rootzone, then you can start feeding more , etc, etc - it's true as a general statement but it's not a truth about direct application - it all depends on the plant still.

If this is what you mean, and consequently you've been adding more N to the fabrics cause you thought the pot would allow it, then the reason for your lime green leaves is probably lockout through excess N - the fact that your other normal pots are fine would indicate it isn't an overall pH problem, just too much N for the fabric ones. If this is the case, then yep do a few plain waterings and test the pH to be sure.

Otherwise, treat fabric pots the same as plastic - they can offer improved overall growth though you still just stick to same nute feed as you normally would for whatever size the plant is.

[BlueberryGIrl]

DaGreenBlazer this is my third time using fabric pots in a similar grow situation, 3 fabric the rest plastic. each time, the fabric go limy green, and then it just becomes a nutrient nightmare through flower. yes, i did not think that fabric would allow more nitrogen, I just thought the fabric would allow for more robust grow-air, roots etc. as you mentioned. also, i am not using more nutrient on the fabric than the plastic.

the only thing that I can see different in the amount of soil? the fabric are supposed to be 12 litre which is the plastic size,. but by sight i can see there is not an equal amount . so is this a possibility? but my nutrient feed ratio to water is a the same. example 5ml of feed to 5 liter.

the strains are all the same.

the fabric pots are rinsed thoroughly with water. no chemicals.

is it possible the fabric pot has something in the fabric that is not helping? and after three grows-tossed out.

possible a result of overwatering at the start? overfeeding during the first two weeks of veg growth?

thank you

[Ckbrew]

DaGreenBlazer

is it possible the fabric pot has something in the fabric that is not helping? and after three grows-tossed out.

Please clarify, are you reusing the fabric pots from a previous grow or are they one use. Where did you get the fabric pots? A guess, something leaching from the fabric and causing a ph problem? Verify by trying a different fabric pot from a different source.

[DaGreenBlazer]

DaGreenBlazer this is my third time using fabric pots in a similar grow situation, 3 fabric the rest plastic. each time, the fabric go limy green, and then it just becomes a nutrient nightmare through flower. yes, i did not think that fabric would allow more nitrogen, I just thought the fabric would allow for more robust grow-air, roots etc. as you mentioned. also, i am not using more nutrient on the fabric than the plastic.

the only thing that I can see different in the amount of soil? the fabric are supposed to be 12 litre which is the plastic size,. but by sight i can see there is not an equal amount . so is this a possibility? but my nutrient feed ratio to water is a the same. example 5ml of feed to 5 liter.

the strains are all the same.

the fabric pots are rinsed thoroughly with water. no chemicals.

is it possible the fabric pot has something in the fabric that is not helping? and after three grows-tossed out.

possible a result of overwatering at the start? overfeeding during the first two weeks of veg growth?

thank you

Ahhh! My apologies firstly for thinking you were overfeeding due to mis-interrupting the packaging label! Am glad to hear to hear is all the same, so sorry for proposing otherwise!


In which case then, and without sounding like I'm flipping it on it's head too much, it could actually be the total opposite issue where it means you've actually been successful at using fabrics and those plants are just hungry & need more N - if your plastics are doing healthy & fine on the same feed amount/schedule then you're obviously growing good, and doing things correctly is when the packaging blurb does become true - rootzones do become bigger & consequently more feeding will be needed.


The main questions to determine it tho are, before the yellowing & in general, were your fabric plants showing stronger, faster, better growth than any of the plastic plants?? Or at the very least, were they keeping pace & looking equally as good?? Also, you mention overfeeding 1st 2 weeks veg, though again, did your plastic plants handle this fine, without showing any pH type issues??


If yes to both, then this more likely indicates that the fabric rootzone did quickly fill up most of soil area and by now has depleted it all (as opposed to your plastics which atm most likely have majority of their roots coiled round the bottom of pot & can still rely on untouched nutes above being washed down to them). I've never used fabrics per se, only the actual air-pots, though it is amazing how much more of the soil area roots fill up compared to plastics, and i found they do munch through the soil far quicker as a result.

So if yes, try giving the fabrics a slight increase in feed, and if that does show a good response then also consider buying/making a simple top dressing that can give a mini top-up of trace minerals as be good as well to help supplement your Grow formula. It could even just be a simple Cal-Mag top-up solves it too, so you could just try that 1st before putting more Grow N back in - some pics would help if possible too as i can only give you possibilities atm I'm afraid. (If you want to be cautious & help narrow it down abit more, you could just try where 1 fabric plant only gets feed increase & soil dressing only, whilst another 1 gets Cal-Mag amendment only, and see what responds best to then treat others with.)


Otherwise, if the answer is no, and the fabrics have always been lagging behind, slow, weak growers even before yellowing, then the answer probably lies elsewhere and more N likely wouldn't help - potentially it's an inherent pH problem or potentially the roots aren't developing as well as they should & the fabrics haven't been successful - if all depends on the answer to above really. And again, if fabrics have always been weak, slow growers then i would say definitely post some pics if possible, as there's probably more to be diagnosed to them than the N issue. Otherwise i can only recommend ditching fabrics and stick to plastics if you're happy with the results.


And to answer, there's always the small possibility it's something on the fabric causing it, tho if you purchased from proper vendor they should be fine really, and any contamination type issue would usually be way more obvious than just looking hungry - like CKBrew recommends, try new, different fabrics if unsure too.

[SoOrbudgal]

LOL OK now i'm getting what you asked about BlueberryGIrl my fabric pots do show " salt build up " on outside and i have had some green but i accounted it to air circulation, cool temps and perhaps certain liquid fish ferts. I have more of a canvas material and i do have felt material ones. I start at the center of the base of plant and water outwards very slowly and i always lift the pots.

[BlueberryGIrl]

Ckbrew Hi i dont think i wrote that clearly. I am using these fabric pots for the third time. they were washed well with water. after three grows, I toss the pots out.
but, I have been having this issue with fabric for the past three grows.

[BlueberryGIrl]

DaGreenBlazer thanks for the information and advice.

I cant remember if I have had a good strong, abundant plant with a fabric. I remember using fabric about 2-3 years ago. set it a side. and then last year decided to go back with a few in fabric.
the pots were purchased from a reputable shop.

everything goes swell with the plants, all, and then by the 2-3 week the fabric with begin to show signs of retarding/slowing in growth and then by the 3 week the colour begins. every one else
happy as they grow.

Today, I had to switch to 12/12 due to everyone else in the room: timing/space etc. the fabrics have the sex showing. for the past 3 waters i held back on the Nitrogen because I knew I would switch soon, and with the fabrics I decided holding off on the nutrient feed and see how the plants reacted. so for the past two days there seems to be a slight improvement in that things are not worsening. all three are standing at attention but the colour and slow growth is still there. colour ever so slight improvement.

I have been dealing with curling leaf tips on all my plants. I know from the past goes, it is not always a bad sign and can be part of new growth. It is not severe curling and the plastics continue to look healthy and grow strong.

curling leaf i know can indicate a nutrient issue and watering issue. I immediately thought that the problem was nitrogen. I always pick my plants up to check the weight.

I think I will take your advice and provide at top-up for the plants.

Is it too late to transplant into a plastic?

I am beginning to think that it's just that I am rubbish at growing in fabric.

I will see if i can get some proper photo's up.

Thank you!

[BlueberryGIrl]

SoOrbudgal I think fabric pots require a dab hand. I may have had an early stress factor, didnt pay attention and then now I have this larger problem. a creeper problem. Or/and i just am not understanding how fabric pots work and their differences to plastic.

I do lift my pots often, check for weight adn if there is a puddle.

[PRIMO]

BlueberryGIrl More info would help everyone help you. A couple of pics. in natural light, whats your ph, how much/often do you water,do you water to runoff,how large are your pots. what kinda lights? Have you ever added cal/mag? etc.etc. Try a good flush on one of them, several gallons of ph 6 water last one with 1/2 strength nutes. with cal/mag added. Kinda like un plug and plug back in to get rid of unneeded crap. Try a different nutrition line, Fox Farm or general hydroponics flora trio are good ones

[SoOrbudgal]

It's not to late if you want to re plant into plastic pot as long as transplant pot is larger to allow roots to expand.

[DaGreenBlazer]

Thanks for the extra info BlueberryGIrl and considering how well you're getting on normally & the plastics being run the same are fine then that does sound abit unusual the fabrics all so regularly fail at the same point over 3 grows - as you mention, stress could be a factor too; it'd be unusual (though not impossible) for transplant shock to continue so long, yet maybe it is just something about the fabrics they don't like. The fact you wash & rinse well means it's far less likely to be a contamination or issue with the material type problem,and i suspect the fabrics are probably fine in themselves - it could be the design just doesn't suit your set-up, though tbh fabrics generally aren't mega different to plastics, beyond better growth potential, so it is abit puzzling.

Personally, i would still be tempted by my 1st thought that they're showing N deficiency simply because they need more N - the fact your plastics aren't showing any negative symptoms would indicate feedings & waterings are fine, and if something like pH, environment, etc i would logically expect all to suffer at similar rates.
If all the plants were good, healthy, similar sizes before fabrics started yellowing then i would more tend to take it as the fabrics with better rootzones were just able to eat quicker than the plastics did - if everything else has stayed equal and the only change is some of the pots in your set-up now offer better rootzone potential than others, then i would assume you've just successfully maximised the benefits of the fabric ones - I'm only going on process of deduction, though by the fact you don't think plastics are looking overfed would more likely infer the fabrics are underfed.

It is hard to just guess though and i could be totally wrong - it's possible the N levels are sufficient and maybe it just needs Cal-Mag top-up to unlock it all. The sound information from PRIMO is also great advice too and be aware his idea of flush & refresh can also help solve alot of the other potential problems that could be causing it like pH, salt build-up, etc, whereas my idea of just add extra N would only complicate things if it is another problem instead of just being hungry. The fact you said they look better the past few days when just watered only would more support Primos idea too.


Also, just after switch to 12/12 time is not too badly late for another transplant into plastic if urgently needed, although ideally at least few days before switch is best - It would be interesting though if you could nail down the reason why & get the fabrics to be a success, as would be really useful learning experience indeed. If you do get pics up then would be interesting to see.

Otherwise, my only advice is maybe forget about fabrics and stick to plastics in future, as it sounds like you're doing fine otherwise tbf!