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Indoor tree start problems...

 
Posts: 11
Location: Central Iowa Zone 5a
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I started a PILE of trees indoors this over this last winter. Everything was going great until I started fertilizing them with some high nitrogen bat guano fertilizer that I inherited from a friend. They've been on a steady decline since.

I applied the guano as a fresh brewed tea twice over the span of two weeks.

Once I started seeing adverse affects, I flushed everything thoroughly with tap water and pruned back any bad looking areas.

It's been about two weeks now and they seem to still be on the decline.

You can view photos of the blackberry, pagoda and persimmons here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/grvz1aipu7p6fxh/7ENY2ecG4u

Any experts in here that can help? Thanks!
 
pollinator
Posts: 755
Location: zone 6b
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The one picture almost looks like spider mites. If you look very closely do you see any sort of webbing on the undersides of the leaves?
 
Leo Ziebol
Posts: 11
Location: Central Iowa Zone 5a
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Thanks for looking! I don't see any signs of spider mites. We do have a HUGE fungus gnat problem that we are treating with azamax. Can they cause this kind of problem?
 
pollinator
Posts: 1528
Location: zone 7
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find the highest quality compost or wormcastings you can find. add some to the top soil about a 1/4 inch. and water in, do this when they need watering, part of the problem seems to me that your watering too much( aka fungus gnats)

start giving them daylight outdoors little by little if possible, you want them in the sun soon without shocking them.
 
Posts: 8933
Location: Ozarks zone 7 alluvial, clay/loam with few rocks 50" yearly rain
2406
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I think that does look like too much water and too much nitrogen....I would probably try repotting a few and check on the roots. Maybe a better drained potting mix also...I add a lot of sharp sand to my homemade mix. I am pretty sure most young tree starts don't need much nutrition until they are planted out. The leaves look familiar enough I am sure this is something i've had happen in the past
 
Leo Ziebol
Posts: 11
Location: Central Iowa Zone 5a
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Thanks for all of your answers! I'm REALLY pleased to hear it's not a hopeless situation. I'm pretty attached to these little guys!

I definitely got overzealous when I inherited a friends' grow room gear...

Once again, LESS seems to be MORE!
 
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay, I sleep all night and work all day. Tiny lumberjack ad:

World Domination Gardening 3-DVD set. Gardening with an excavator.
richsoil.com/wdg


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