VampireElf Grrrow Log

[VampireElf]

Strain:  Unknown
Lighting: Sunlight/Window facing west
Grow Media/Soil Mix: Grow Mulch and Perlite
Fertilizer: None
Temperature Range: 65-80 F
Humidity: 80-100% Right By the Beach
Started From: Clone
Start Date: May 12th 08

Other Details/Images:

First things first.  I've been lurking on this forum for a few months and must give thanks and respect to all the members and their growing experiences.  I have learned so much from you guys, so thanks.  Posting this grow log is long over due.

Anyways back in spring I was lucky enough to meet a local grower who had some clones so I bought one.  It was in good health.  Here it is on day zero (that's a 6" diameter pot):


After about a month of healthy growth I repotted with a 10" container:


I used Kellog's Grow Mulch and perlite. The plant seemed to like the new pot and soil.  I'd say this picture below is the healthiest the plant ever looked.  After this, the leaves began to brown, curl and twist.



On day 50 one of leaves turned upside down.  I didn't know it at the time, but the plant was trying to tell me something.  These plants can talk, so listen up to what theyre saying!  In this case it was telling me it didn't like the soil and also had a few spider mites.  But I wasn't really listening cuz I hadnt yet learned the language of salvia (sorry to sound wierd/corny).



I eventually caught on to the poor soil conditions and used a small fan and poked some holes in the base of the pot in hopes of increasing air circulation for the roots.  Despite these efforts, the dirt in the bottom of the pot seemed to always be overly wet so eventually I repotted again in new, deeper, 10" pot.  Durring the transplant I realized I had compacted the soil way too much.  Also I hadn't lined the bottom of the pot with rocks so the drainage was crap.  For the new repot I added more perlite too and went to my local river and found some good drain rocks for the base of the pot.  As for the mites I manually extracted them with qtips dipped in water followed by a neem spray.  This worked really well but I damaged the leaves while hunting for mites.  Next time just neem. 



Since this photo the plant has grown a little but still has not produced a "normal" looking leaf at the top.  Also fungus gnats moved in pretty good too.  Neem and bT have helped some but not 100%  I took a cutting two weeks ago too so hopefully I'll have some pics of that in the future. 

[hmuzik]

Looks like she has some browning on her leaves. Can usually be a sign of a humidity issue or possibly using bad tap water. Whats the humidity like there? Are you using any type of humidity tent over it.  Also in some places tap water isn't the best. You should always let your water sit for a couple days that way the chlorine dissipate. It will also keep the water around the same temp as the plant - as to not shock it. It never hurts to adjust the Ph too.

But again spider mites can really mess a plant up too. Man I hate those annoying bastards

Sounds like you got in under control now though.

Good Luck!

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

That's pretty cool to see her grow like that over three months with only being near a window and no artificial light. Good job on the grow so far and keep us updated as she grows even more. Great to have you here.

JARG

[VampireElf]

The humidity always has me baffled cuz I live right by the beach.  Some days its foggy and super damp outside and some days it seems a lot drier.  The plant may not like constant and abrupt humidity fluxuations. 

When I did the second repot I examined the old soil and it was just too dense - I knew it was bad.  I tryed to let it dry out for about 10-12 days before the repot.  It was super wet in the middle and all clumped togeter.  I suspect the roots were having a hard time penetrating the dense, wet, un oxygenated soil.  My theory is that as the roots were unable to stretch out and be healthy, the leaves followed suit and began to curl and turn yellow/brown.  Like the leaves tell a story of whats going on for the roots.

Also I was very surprised too at how big the leaves got.  However after the soil and pest problems, the plant's new leaves aren't quit as big as the old ones.  Sometimes I wish I never repotted and just left it alone.  It's like the more I tried to help it grow the worse off it became.    I'm glad though it's in a deeper pot now.

[Sea Mac]

Happy Plant!

That is: until she flipped a leaf over!

http://www.salviasource.org/forum/image-gallery/2415/msg11869/#new

I made a comment that a salvia plant flipping over a leaf is a warning/complaint/gripe in MY Garden!

You found out in a few months what took me years to figure out!

But until today I thought only the plants in my garden did that.

[Genius +]

[SalviaCrazy]

I love seeing how plants are doing I haven't started any yet but I am going to try to grow it from seeds since I have some salvia seeds that I got for free. 

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

I think I speak for everyone when I say "Where in the world did you get free Salvia seeds?" Are you sure they are legit? Sorry for the hijack of the thread VampireElf, but I gotta know!

JARG

[Jupe]

"The humidity always has me baffled cuz I live right by the beach.  Some days its foggy and super damp outside and some days it seems a lot drier.  The plant may not like constant and abrupt humidity fluxuations. "

I think its a soil issue. Make you soil look like that first pic of the 6" pot, lots of wood chips and mixed sizes of stuff, helps avoid static dry out and also peat bog messes, smaller stuff can't plug up as well.

 I live at the beach as well, wet mornings, dry in the afternoon, wet at night.....bone dry for a few months, drowing wet for weeks in the winter...hot sun.....cold air......plants love it.

 I've taken pics of meters reading 18% and then 90% the next day..(with plants in background, no change)

constant conditions let problems develop, where as changing conditions gives you an adaptable plant.

Pests tend to thrive in unchanging conditions as well.

I take a garden hose, and blast my plants with it, sometimes daily....sometimes weekly, as it washes off dust, keeps away mites etc, and creates stem strength as well...

[VampireElf]

New Location Information
Lighting: Diffuse sunlight.  One hour direct sun at sunrise otherwise heavy shade.
Grow Media/Soil Mix: Grow Mulch and Perlite.  Plastic Pot
Fertilizer: Bird terds
Temperature Range: 30-95 F
Humidity: Not sure
Move Date: Early September 2008


Update...
At some point the fungus gnats and spider mites got so bad that I didn't want to keep her indoors - despite using neem and mosquito dunks.   She was growing decent sized leaves but just looked unhappy.   I  thought mother nature could provide some natural predators and better ventilation.  So I moved her outside mid summer.  I brought her to another house that I house sit at and put it in the shadiest place of the backyard I could find.  Before I moved her, I took 3 cuttings to cultivate indoors.

Day 166:




Above:  She was approx. 20 inches tall when I put her outdoors and now she's about 3.5 feet tall. 

Below: Flowers - Day 214





In the summer when the temperatures got into the 80s and 90s, I would water her about once a week but stopped watering after the first good rain.  Eventually, the gnats and mites went away.  Some of the leaves started looking better, but some are still kinda scrappy.  I noticed a couple bird nests in the trees right over where she grows - free fertilizer! 

All the flower pictures I've posted are from the same day.  A week after I took the flower pictures, the temperature dipped to 31 F and some of the tips on the purple spikes turned brown - nothing bad and the plant did not appear to be damaged.  Next, I want to get some support stakes so she doesn't fall over or break a branch.

-Vamp

[Sea Mac]

Repot me Please.