Slow growth: high acidity or deficiency?

forsaken_bacon

New Member
This is my first grow and since the beginning they have been growing really slowly. I started them off around 12 weeks ago from a bag of mixed seeds of varying age (all seeds were collected from buds used over a few years). I selected the newish looking ones and germinated quite a few. These are the survivors. I planted them a few weeks before summer (although winter is relatively warm here is South Africa). I moved them into bigger pots around 2 weeks ago and they've recently shown yellowing on the lower leaves. I water every so often with seaweed extract, no nutes (as the soil claims it has nutes already). I presumed nitrogen deficiency from my research so far but the 3 plants have different symptoms and now I'm not sure. I also suspected that it had something to do with high bark content causing high acidiy. A diagnoses will be much appreciated.
 

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TCH

Well-Known Member
from everything I have read on here, high bark content in soil is bad. it will cause all sorts of problems. I'm not sure what the fix is other than removing the bark and getting it into different soil. I'm not sure how feasible that is though.
 

forsaken_bacon

New Member
from everything I have read on here, high bark content in soil is bad. it will cause all sorts of problems. I'm not sure what the fix is other than removing the bark and getting it into different soil. I'm not sure how feasible that is though.
Does the soil in the picture seem very barky though? I don't want to go through the trouble of replanting without being sure.
 

TCH

Well-Known Member
to me it looks like mulch. I am just a new guy at all this though. I would wait for a more experienced person to stop by and give a pointer or 2.
 

cindysid

Well-Known Member
I would definitely repot into some better soil. Bark sequesters nitrogen and interferes with the plants ability to use it. I remove any bark or sticks that I find in my medium.
 
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