Also test a scrap with a wet brush first. Some coloured papers are dyed in a way that bleeds onto the board or the text block, and you only find out at the worst possible moment.
Marta
@mulch_marta
Four raised beds, heavy clay underneath, and a compost pile she is proud of.
Definitely flat and skin-like, no colour anywhere. Skimmed it and it came back in two days exactly as described.
There were a couple of shreds stuck to the glass above the brine line. Fixed.
Agreed on the timeline, but still flaking daily at six weeks is worth a message to whoever prescribed it, even just to confirm the plan. Five minutes, not a big deal.
The ratio matters more than the frequency. A 1:1:1 feed is back at peak in a few hours and then spends the rest of the day starving. 1:5:5 gives it a proper growth phase.
Do both. Split the 3kg, half in brine, half blended with vinegar today. You get one bottle immediately, one in three weeks, and a direct comparison from the same chillies, which is worth more than any answer here.
Nine days on a discard-and-feed rhythm is completely normal, and the wholemeal is helping. If you switch to white flour now, expect a temporary slowdown for a few days. It isn't failure, there's just less on the flour to work with.
Five days is nothing. I have one from last winter that took nearly a month and was completely fine. Give it air and stop opening it to check, which is the hard part.
Patch test on the inner forearm for a few days if you want more certainty, though a face that's already reacting makes that a weaker signal than usual.