Struggling Salvia grow log

[chrishna58]

Strain: Blosser
Lighting: Direct morning light by the window,ambient throughout the day
Grow Media/Soil Mix: Miracle Gro
Fertilizer: None
Temperature Range: 70-75 F
Humidity: 
Started From: Clone
Start Date: 12/17/07

Other Details/Images:

This grow log chronicles the cutting I took from a plant that I purchased off of e-bay and am somewhat struggling with. 

(It starts out the same as my first post to this forum http://www.salviasource.org/forum/grow-logs/salvia-phoenix/0/.)

The original plant arrived in good shape and thrived with daily misting and morning window sun.


Picture taken 12/17/07

But then I decided to transplant to a larger pot, using Miracle-Gro potting mix. No humidity tent - just misting. Slowly the leaves browned and died from the bottom up.  Eventually (after 2-1/2 months) the top started to grow well.


Picture taken 3/6/08.

Close up view


Since I didn't like the long stem, I decided to prune the top, and grow that as a separate cutting. The cutting rooted after three weeks, at which point I planted it into a pot. The plant struggled a bit as it had to once again adjust to the transplant.

Many of the leaves from this once flourishing growth turned brown and eventually fell off. I've read on this forum to let the leaves fall off on their own, but I've also heard that if you know that they will fall off then it's better to pull them off instead of letting the plant waste resources on a lost cause - so I pulled off the last of the dying leaves.


Picture taken 6/24/08

Now the leaves that remain are of great color (dark green) with no browning. The only concern is that they are very deformed - curled in on itself sideways. Perhaps from low humidity - even though I kept them in a humidity tent for awhile until it outgrew the tent.  At this point I'm treating it just like my other plant.

I'm hoping that once the plant is fully acclimated to the soil and my room, then the new leaves will look better - hopefully as good as the lighter-colored-but-well-shaped leaves of the other plant.

[bifster]

I'm having the same problem with the leaf curling, and I can't figure it out either!  I don't really think it's a humidity problem, because I completely sealed off my tent and it didn't seem to help.  I wish I knew what it was!  If you figure out what helps it, please let me know!

[Arcygenical]

Low humidity = curled leaves. It's a fact of life unless you get a strain that specifically does really well in LH... My aurora one seemed to, but alas, it's lifeline has been fairly extinguished...

[chrishna58]

Perhaps it shows how differently plants acclimate (or don't) to the ambient humidity. The level might be just enough to prevent the browning/dying leaves, yet still cause curling. Then again, I too kept this plant under a humidity tent for awhile and it didn't seem to make a difference. 

Growth is somewhat slow, too.  This is from a cutting, which looked better before taking it from the mother plant. In any case, the next time I'll provide a more humid environment when transplanting a cutting, instead of waiting to correct a problem later.

I'm going to leave it as is and hopefully the new leaves will do better - at least as well as this cutting did prior to taking it.

Also, since it has been three months since I first transplanted into the "3-month" Miracle-Gro fertilizer potting mix, this weekend I decided it probably wouldn't hurt to add some fertilizer. After reading much on this site's forums about mycorrhizae, I picked up some E.B. Stone All Purpose Plant Food and added it to the soil per the directions.

Apply 1 teaspoon of All-Purpose Plant Food for each 6" diameter of the container.

For optimum results water the area thoroughly and allow the plants to absorb the water prior to fertilizing. After applying E.B Stone All-Purpose Plant Food work the fertilizer gently into the soil surface and water.

Now it's wait and see. Since this is an organic plant food, I expect it to take some time before noticing any results.

[darjeeling]

I think too much light might cause curled leaves.  I've reduced the light on my plants and they're looking better.  I'm planning to update my growlog soon.