Problem with bugs and burned leaves (outdoor grow).

Not sure if I should put this in the bug section or not because only one of the two problems is bug related.
Anyway, as you can see in the pictures I have two problems which are probably unrelated to each other.

Problem 1: Some nasty slimy bug eating on two of my plants (the third one experiences no problems). I have placed copperwire around the plants as you can see so slugs shouldn't be able to get past; it has to be something else. Actually I noticed now that you can see a small black bug on one of the leaves in the first picture. What is that and how do I get rid of it?

Problem 2: Nute burn? I have used biotabs in one of the pots and guerillatabs in the other. Amount according to instructions (5 guerilla/3 bio in every 15 litre pot) so I don't get why I have this problem. Notice that the top leaves do not have this problem, only the lower ones.

I'm not a very experienced grower, I should add. I'm going on a vacation abroad in a few days so I hope I can find a solution before then...

Appreciate your help!

Looks like caterpillar damage to me, they'll pay no attention to the cooper strip...

That's not nute burn, that's a nute deficiency.

That's a beetle in the pic. Just move it on (without killing it).

I hate to disagree with moerlot, he knows his stuff. The bug damage does look to me like caterpillars. The yellowing leaf tips is caused by root rot. By the looks of it. The little black bug didn't hurt your plant so let him go on his way.

The soil does look like it's overly damp (green algae forming on surface) hence the root rot. Good spot.

Merlot said:

The soil does look like it's overly damp (green algae forming on surface) hence the root rot. Good spot.

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Thanks Merlot!

New fresh pictures. The nute burn/nute deficiency/root rot or whatever it was seems to no longer appear on new leaves or spread on the old affected areas so I feel pretty cool about that now. What really worries me is the continued bug attack. I never see any bugs around when I'm there so I don't understand where they come from.

Also, why do some of the leaves sort of bend?

OK 1st, your root rot is still there and spreading. Your watering way to much or it cant drain properly. Plus I feel you have very high humidity. Where are you growing?, it looks like the middle of a mulch pile. Your 1st new pic looks like white fungus at the bottom of your main stem, if it is that's very bad.

You don't have enough copper wire to protect it, it should look more like this.



Your getting slug and caterpillar damage. That last pic the leaf is curling because there is a caterpillar living inside it. I can see it's webing. My suggestion would be to add more wire and move your plant somewhere different if you can. Hold off on watering for 4-5 days.

Hotboxbudz said:

OK 1st, your root rot is still there and spreading. Your watering way to much or it cant drain properly. Plus I feel you have very high humidity. Where are you growing?, it looks like the middle of a mulch pile. Your 1st new pic looks like white fungus at the bottom of your main stem, if it is that's very bad.

You don't have enough copper wire to protect it, it should look more like this.

View attachment 3446231

Your getting slug and caterpillar damage. That last pic the leaf is curling because there is a caterpillar living inside it. I can see it's webing. My suggestion would be to add more wire and move your plant somewhere different if you can. Hold off on watering for 4-5 days.

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Thanks for your helpful information!

What looked like fungus seems to be remnants of an eaten leaf. Unfortunately I forgot to check on that while at the growsite. It was pouring down and I just wanted to get it over with asap. You see that is the problem where I live. This summer has been the coldest and rainiest for years. Anyway, I removed that piece of shit centipede and made up some sort of crude draining system. I lifted up the smartpots and placed sticks at the bottom under them to create airspace while they are still somewhat in the ground (for stability). They are placed in a clearcut by the way.

I really wish I had more time to fix this but the plane goes tomorrow unfortunately. I hope this will work for the next 10 or so days.

Get some bricks, or a couple breeze blocks.

Do you need to hide this grow??

Merlot said:

Get some bricks, or a couple breeze blocks.

Do you need to hide this grow??

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Yeah I try to keep it as stealth as possible.

The sticks should help, but what I would do is transplant them into new soil to try and avoid what could turn into root rot. That algae growing on top of your soil is what concerns me. In most cases means they are getting WAY to much water and if left unchecked will cause root rot and that = dead plant.

Hotboxbudz said:

The sticks should help, but what I would do is transplant them into new soil to try and avoid what could turn into root rot. That algae growing on top of your soil is what concerns me. In most cases means they are getting WAY to much water and if left unchecked will cause root rot and that = dead plant.

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I don't have any new soil readily available but what if I mixed it with hydrograins? If that would work, how much (in percentage)?

StrangeLights said:

I don't have any new soil readily available but what if I mixed it with hydrograins? If that would work, how much (in percentage)?

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From what you have said about the rain I would go 50/50 or about 1 cup of the hydrograins. Mixed in, not just on top. If you do uproot them and pull away as much soil as you can without damaging the roots. She might look a bit poorly for about a week, and she might need a bit of nutes after she recovers from the transplant.

Just a word of warning, if your not experienced with transplanting, it could do some serious damage and kill it. So its up to you, just don't want to be blamed if she dies.

Update. They survived and are now big healthy plants I may post pictures later.

not bad not bad man, also indeed at first looked like caterpillar damage, id have chickenwire and all round my plant, depending on area (like mine) there can be tons or deer and rabbits in the area and they can do mad damage, i cam home yesterday to find a rabbit ate almost my whole little one footet leaving five leaves, and a couple branches gone off my four footers, better safe then sorry.. also for the little yellowing before may be a slight potassium def, id personally give her a little veg nute feeding but its no real bad def.

Pics as promised.

thats a sick job on the chicken wire amd the plant man, good thing you have it up now before muxh wildlife get too sttracted to her, nice flowers and gl on the rest the season man