Dealing with common problems

Possible Causes:

Light is too far from plants

Solution: Ensure light is proper distance from plant canopy. For LED, 3.5 inches above; for fluorescent, 4 inches above; for MH, 1-2 feet.

Excess nitrogen

Solution: Avoid fertilizing. Flush soil with water.

Plants are crowded

Solution: 

Ensure plants are spaced appropriately. Check spacing for different plants under the individual plant section.

Plants have too much water

Solution: Ensure proper drainage for containers. Ensure plants are not in standing water. Avoid over-watering, allow soil to dry.

Possible Causes:

Not enough time has passed

Solution: Check your seeds for ‘Days to Germination’. You might have to wait a bit longer for those particular seeds to sprout.

Soil is too dry

Solution: Make sure your seeds stay moist while you wait for germination. So, water!

Soil is too wet or waterlogged and seeds have rotted

Solution: If this is the case, you may need to replant as seeds will have rotted.

Your seeds are too old, or have gone bad

Solution: You can try a ‘germination test’ to see how viable your seeds are.

Temperatures are too cold

Solution: Seeds will not sprout if temperatures are too cold. Ensure there is no draft near your seeds. If needed, you can wrap your seed tray in a towel or place a heat mat under your tray.

Possible Causes:

Dry soil

Solution: Keep soil evenly moist. Try to bottom water seedlings when growing indoors.

Damping off (fungal disease)

Solution: Avoid over-watering and use only sterile planting mix.

Soil too wet so roots/stems rotting or can’t access oxygen

Solution: Let soil dry out.

Fertilizer burn

Solution: Ensure proper amounts of fertilizer used and follow fertilizer directions. If too much fertilizer has been added, you may need to dilute the amount of fertilizer by removing some soil/fertilizer mix and adding soil only.

Possible Causes:

Lack of moisture in soil

Solution: Water deeply, thoroughly. If using automatic watering containers, ensure that the water reservoir under planting containers are full. If soil if too dry, you may need to water from the top again to re-activate the wicking property of the soil.

Soil is too wet or waterlogged, lack of water drainage

Solution: Let soil dry out. Do not water and use an oscillating fan. Improve drainage on your containers.

Root Rot (fungal disease)

Solution: Ensure that you are using fresh soil in containers. Do not overwater.

Vascular wilt (fungal disease affecting tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and potatoes)

Solution: These are soil borne diseases which are less common indoors (unless carried in from outdoor soil/plants). Eliminate affected plants and the soil they are planted in. Ensure that fresh soil is used in planting containers.

Insect Infestation

Solution: 

Possible Causes:

Insufficient light

Solution: Ensure plants are placed under the grow lights, or are receiving full sun for at least 12 hours a day.

Temperatures are low

Solutions: Ensure that plants are not receiving a draft. If placed near the window, you can insulate the window with a few sheets of newspaper, or move the garden away from the window.

Nutrient deficiency

Solution: Yellowing leaves can be a sign of nutrient deficiency. Check to ensure you have applied the correct rate of fertilizer. If in doubt, try adding vermi-compost.

Too much water

Solution: Reduce watering until soil dries.

Insects or disease

Solution: Check your plants for signs of pests. Make sure to look underneath the leaves. Give the plant a shake a see if you see any bugs. If you do - look in the section for Top Controls for Garden Pests add link when written.

Possible Cause:

Viral disease

Solution: Remove and destroy infected plants. Remove plant debris.

Possible Causes:

Fertilizer burn

Solution: Ensure that proper fertilizer rates are always used. Fixing over-fertilization is possible, but can take time for plants to restore their health. You will want to ‘leach’ the fertilizer from the soil. For container grown plants, use room temperature distilled water and fill the container to the top edge. Allow all the water to drain from the plant. Large containers will take quite a while to drain so have patience. Repeat this at least 4 times. Excess fertilizers will be washed from the soil and drain into the bottom of the container. Discard this excess water from the bottom reservoir.

Possible Causes:

Lack of pollination

Solution: If you are seeing no fruit after setting flowers, ensure that your plants are pollinating.

This is a common issue for many people who start their plants from seed. The good news is that this white fuzz is harmless to your plants and people; however, it is probably an indication that your soil is too wet. Soil that is too wet will eventually hurt seedlings. Once you restore the conditions, the fuzz will disappear, or you can simply remove it by scraping it with a knife or spoon.

Possible causes:

Too much water

Solution: Refrain from watering until the soil in your seedlings has dried. Try to water seedlings from the bottom of the seedling container, not on top of the soil. This not only encourages the roots to grow deeper, it also helps alleviate mold and fungus because the surface of the soil is not constantly moist, so it cannot grow.

Not enough light

Solution: Ensure seedlings are placed in direct light and receive 12 hours of light each day.

Not enough airflow

Solution: Increase the airflow around your seedlings. You can do this by having a fan running nearby for at least a few hours a day. Not only does this help prohibit fungal growth, but it also results in sturdier seedlings.

Presuming you haven’t been using any herbicides near your plants and your plants appear otherwise healthy, leaf roll on tomato plants is quite normal. It tends to be more frequent on lower or outer leaves. Just ignore it. If your plants exhibit other symptoms of problem, there are some pests and diseases that will also roll the leaves but, more often than not, it isn’t caused by disease in indoor gardens

Any stress, such as lack of water, over-watering, temperature change, reduction of light or relocating of a plant can result in leaf and/or flower drop. It is a very common initial reaction to a stress placed on the plant, which makes this symptom on its own difficult to diagnose the cause. If the cause is not drought or over-watering, the plant may slowly adapt to the new location. Leaf drop is often a certainty when plants are brought indoors after being summered outdoors. Less light, lower humidity and hot air from indoor heating will result in leaf and/or flower drop.

Possible causes:

Improper watering

Solution: Check your plants to see if they are too dry or too wet. Adjust your watering accordingly.

Fluctuations in temperature

Solution: Sharp drops in temperature or temperatures that are too hot can cause plants to drop their leaves.

Pest issues

Solution: Pests can also cause plants to drop their leaves, so inspect plants regularly. Use sticky traps as a first warning sign for pests!

Too little or too much light

Solution: Too little light can result in leaf drop, in the same way too much light can cause this in houseplants. Ensure your plant is placed under the right intensity.

Humidity

Solution: Sometimes conditions that are too dry can cause leaf drop. You may want to place plants close together to conserve humidity or use a humidifier.

Possible Cause:

Sunscald

Solution: Plant leaves turning white is often the first, and sometimes the only sign of leaf sunscald in plants. You can think of this problem as plant sunburn damage and you won’t be far off from the truth. Be sure to ensure lights are kept far enough from plants, and be careful not to shock plants.

Possible Causes:

Heat

Solution: Lettuce is considered a cool season vegetable. When temperatures are too hot in the garden, lettuce begins to mature and a bitter taste results. This is a natural process and is the most common reason for bittnerness of lettuce plants.

Too dry

Solution: Lettuce leaves need lots of water to remain full and sweet. Water regularly and water well. Don’t let your soil become bone dry. You can try mulching the soil to keep roots cool.

Too much nitrogen

Solution: Studies have shown that bitter lettuce can be the result of too much nitrogen. Lettuce needs proper nutrients, but ensure you don’t overdo it.

Possible Cause

Yellowing of the leaves is known as chlorosis, which is decreased chlorophyll production in the plants.

Possible causes: