I'm in crises mode

[SlingShot]

Everything was going great. I mean great. The sun was shinning. Trees were flowering.
This last week has been a nightmare. I live in the wettest county east of the Cascades. Though I’m in the mountains in north Georgia, we have qualified as a rain forest.
This last week, it has rained in torrents around the clock. We lost power yesterday for half a day, been under tornado warnings and watches. I was smart in that eearly on, I crafted a plastic sheet to cover my garden for either harsh rain or harsh sun. We get both. All was going well until yesterday, I noticed something had been eating my leaves - but only on certain trees. I can seem to see them but I see the damage.
My wife has a non-chemical spray that I tried. It is supposed to be environmentally friendly. I used it but this morning, some of the leaves were basically gone!! Eaten away.
My garden is in a cage so I know it is not rabbits or dear. We have a lot of both and also bear.
And the leaves looked droopy and the lower ones are yellow!!!
I have tried to keep the soil healthy and have tried to prevent the rain from flooding in though they have gotten more wet than I would prefer.
I’m lost like a ball in the high weeds!! What do I do to save my garden?

I do have a light and a tent. I have not even set it up and was going to wait until fall/winter before doing so. Should I consider moving them indoors?

[MoOG (John Fisher)]

It could be a couple things causing the yellow leaves. Too much water and/or too much nutrients. As far as the eaten leaves. Caterpillars, aphids etc. You need a good organic pesticide no chemicals. In lieu of anything else you can mix some dawn detergent with water and soray your plants with it. Both sides of leaves. It works on aphids for sure. I would consider moving them inside. But you need to do that soon or they will not recover from stress. If you can control the amount if water they are getting I would leave these where they are at. Just my opinion.

[Mrb53004 (Mike)]

looks like caterpillar or grasshopper issue. SlingShot, you post enough for us to know you tender your plants daily. Aphids, Mites, leaf hoppers…other insects cannot do this kind of damage in a short time…the last possibility are leaf cutter bees. They usually do not like cannabis but will fly in during the day and chop off pieces. I have never seen them do this to canna but I do get CUTTER BEES in my garden and have watched them do this.
Yellowing on lower leaves is always a N issue. Can come from too much water. If too hot or too many nutes, tips would burn.
It is also common for the lowest set of leaves to Yellow out…like I see in 1st photo

[SlingShot]

I think it is the grasshopper. We have had rain for about a solid week. I’m talking Noah’s Ark kind of deluge! When it finally let up, we had grasshoppers come through.

And I think you are right on the Nutrients. Part of my problem is “not leaving well enough alone”. I find myself tinkering with my garden, a lot! Here is what may be the case.

My media is mostly coconut, peat and vermiculite on top of hard clay. It is a raised bed about 7 inches deep on top of pretty depleted soil (tilled). We also have a pretty hefty veggie garden going down the hill.
We built that solid up by adding Black Kow (aged manure). It is doing great.
So I added a bag to my raised bed. The Black Kow is listed as N5, P5, K5. At first I just layered in on the top but about 4 days ago, between rains, I reached in with my fingers and massaged it down into the media. I actually went under the roots of each plant. I also added 300 red wiggler worms. Then I watered it with Stage 3 Flowertime Fertilizer. That is N16, P6, K40. I watered it in at 4 L for a 16 sq. ft. bed.
When I first saw the yellow, I thought low magnesium so I sprinkled a pinch of Epsom salts.
Overall, I’m pretty sure I OD’d them.
So, my solution is to let them go through withdrawals and hope they recover. We have a break in the rain today. None scheduled, if the forecast holds.
The leaf consumption seems to have ceased. I sprayed the leaves with an organic spray we use on the veggies. I am watching that closely.
Right now, I am just going to sit on my hands. This is a case where if I had did nothing but just watered the plants every third day, they would probably be eventless.

[mikes]

sometimes i think the hardest part of growing is waiting around & leaving them alone when they are doing ok, we have all done it…

[Mrb53004 (Mike)]

oh…we do more WAITING than any other activity…I know how hard it is to just sit back and let them grow…wanna crawl in there with them…lol

[SlingShot]

thanks you all. Who would have thought that growing a weed would require so much knowledge?
This is my first attempt and I am continually in a state of being overwhelmed.
I see so much that I don’t know. I just got done reading posts about topping and fim? I understand the principle but I fear I would really screw my garden up, so I think I’ll pass on this crop. That probably accounts for why my blueberry is so small!!
I just got my Bruce Bannon seeds in. It is late August and I guess it is to late to do an outdoor crop, even in the north Ga. mountains where I’m at.
I have the lights and a tent. Haven’t used it yet. Thought I would do a winter crop. Besides, I don’t want two going at once.

I will be much better prepared in the spring.

[Mrb53004 (Mike)]

fimming and topping

we normally fim / top BEFORE the plants go in to flower
you can do it in the early stages of flower but not recommended
do not be overwhelmed…we get a little anal but in reality…pick a good soil (like fox farms OF), start your seed, best size easy pots are 3 to 5 gal cloth (get the tan if you want to put them outdoors), water…This should take them ALL THE WAY to FLOWER. Light should be 18hrs on, temp anywhere from 65-80, rh -as long as it is not 75%plus…you will survive, when you reach mid to late flower, then consider a bloom nutrient…
we tend to overthink it, expect every plant to produce a GINORMOUS AMOUNT with spectacular buds but that is really no the case.
Be comfortable, enjoy it or you will be wasting your $$
Lights should be about 19inch above plant on average

[SlingShot]

We measured the soil quality yesterday. pH was OK at 7.0.
Using my meter, it came up less than ideal.
My wife did the chemical analysis and said I was on the low end of K and P but the N was very low. I had thought I was in a “too much N” condition.
I mixed up a batch of flow time nutrients and watered them in last night.
Lo and behold, the yellow leaves were gone!!! The worst of them became greenish-yellow.
I did not know they would turn back green.
Better gardening through chemistry.

I also bought Neem Oil. Home Depot carries it. I mixed it as advised, 1oz per gal oil and 3 drops soap. The soap acts as an emulsifier so the oil goes into solution. Sprayed all the leaves, underside and on top. Whatever was eating them, quit.
Crises alleviated - for the moment.