justsayknow
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Some hybrids that decided they absolutely refuse to wait for autumn.
Chitral Kush x Aussie Bushweed
Chitral Kush x Aussie Bushweed
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[MEGA]Community Growing advice, tips, tricks, & experiences Part 5 (2012-2013)
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drug_mentor
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The ph is above 7, there are definitely some nutrients that lock out at that stage. Everything that I have read suggests that cannabis does not like a ph above 7, and most things I read tend to recommend a range between 5.5 and 6.5 or 6 and 6.5. I can certainly see the sense in what people are saying that flushing the medium will remove the nutrients, but if it can't access those nutrients due to alkaline soil and that is the only way I am aware of to correct it (are there any better or easier methods for correcting/adjusting my soil ph?) feeding it wont make a difference. As I said, I have fed these plants and it did not make a difference, which lends credibility to my hypothesis the soil ph is locking out nutrients.
Based on these facts it seems to me the best course of action would be to flush the soil until I achieve a ph between 6 and 6.5 and then feed with a high P bloom fertiliser later that day or the next day, or am I missing something?
You are correct that yellowing is often a sign of N deficiency but there is slight yellowing on my plants the main thing you notice is purple spots and streaks on the leaves, I have looked at many nutrient/pest problem type charts in the last week and can say with certainty based on the photographs that my plant has a P deficiency, it is also showing signs of an iron deficiency.
You are also correct at where my plant is in terms of sets of true leaves, but it should be pointed out that these plants have only been outside for a week and up until that point were 4 and 5 weeks old under an 80W lamp, they grow more slowly and more compact in these lighting conditions, the plants have also had a nutrient deficiency showing for the better part of two weeks now which affects their growth. I don't believe they are rootbound, the leaves do not have that droopy look that plants have when they are rootbound and the roots aren't poking out through the bottom of my container much as they did when I let them become rootbound slightly in their last containers, I can see a couple roots and they are still white.
Can anyone answer my questions about flushing alkaline soil and how to tell if a plant is recovering from nutrient deficiencies, please, I am starting to get kind of desperate as time is ticking away.
I just flushed two of my plants, again, with 2.5 litres each of water (125mm containers) with a ph of 6, my soil prong ph tester thing is still showing them to have a ph of between 7.2 and 7.5, so either flushing doesn't have an immediate impact (which makes little sense to me), I am doing it wrong or flushing cannot fix this problem. Is there anything I can add to the soil that would work quickly to lower the ph? I read about stuff like peat moss being used to acidify soil but everything seems to be about incorporating it into a soil mix, not using it as an ammendment after planting. Could anyone recommend any products that will sort this problem and in what sort of quantity I would use them, or explain to me why my flush is not working, or even just outline the series of steps that they would take in my shoes to sort this issue.
I would also like to know if it is possible for me to top my plants now, even though they are not growing under ideal conditions? As I mentioned I have already let it get late and I have some serious height considerations and do not want to put it off further.
I am going to work on finding my SD card and putting it into my phone so I can take some photographs, however, the likelihood is they will be poor quality as they will be off a camera phone. I am seriously freaking out because nothing I have done seems to be making the issue better and I am starting to get paranoid that, if anything, they might be making my issues worse. The plants look fairly far off dead but they are looking worse as each day goes by, if someone would PLEASE answer my questions ASAP I would be eternally grateful!
Based on these facts it seems to me the best course of action would be to flush the soil until I achieve a ph between 6 and 6.5 and then feed with a high P bloom fertiliser later that day or the next day, or am I missing something?
You are correct that yellowing is often a sign of N deficiency but there is slight yellowing on my plants the main thing you notice is purple spots and streaks on the leaves, I have looked at many nutrient/pest problem type charts in the last week and can say with certainty based on the photographs that my plant has a P deficiency, it is also showing signs of an iron deficiency.
You are also correct at where my plant is in terms of sets of true leaves, but it should be pointed out that these plants have only been outside for a week and up until that point were 4 and 5 weeks old under an 80W lamp, they grow more slowly and more compact in these lighting conditions, the plants have also had a nutrient deficiency showing for the better part of two weeks now which affects their growth. I don't believe they are rootbound, the leaves do not have that droopy look that plants have when they are rootbound and the roots aren't poking out through the bottom of my container much as they did when I let them become rootbound slightly in their last containers, I can see a couple roots and they are still white.
Can anyone answer my questions about flushing alkaline soil and how to tell if a plant is recovering from nutrient deficiencies, please, I am starting to get kind of desperate as time is ticking away.
I just flushed two of my plants, again, with 2.5 litres each of water (125mm containers) with a ph of 6, my soil prong ph tester thing is still showing them to have a ph of between 7.2 and 7.5, so either flushing doesn't have an immediate impact (which makes little sense to me), I am doing it wrong or flushing cannot fix this problem. Is there anything I can add to the soil that would work quickly to lower the ph? I read about stuff like peat moss being used to acidify soil but everything seems to be about incorporating it into a soil mix, not using it as an ammendment after planting. Could anyone recommend any products that will sort this problem and in what sort of quantity I would use them, or explain to me why my flush is not working, or even just outline the series of steps that they would take in my shoes to sort this issue.
I would also like to know if it is possible for me to top my plants now, even though they are not growing under ideal conditions? As I mentioned I have already let it get late and I have some serious height considerations and do not want to put it off further.
I am going to work on finding my SD card and putting it into my phone so I can take some photographs, however, the likelihood is they will be poor quality as they will be off a camera phone. I am seriously freaking out because nothing I have done seems to be making the issue better and I am starting to get paranoid that, if anything, they might be making my issues worse. The plants look fairly far off dead but they are looking worse as each day goes by, if someone would PLEASE answer my questions ASAP I would be eternally grateful!
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drug_mentor
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So I got some photos of my plants.
Plant one
Plant two
Plant 3
Plant 4
Plants 1-3 are from the same seedstock, plant 4 is a different kind, both are plants that mates of mine grew out last year with no issues.
Wish they were bigger but this is the size they came out, I am not sure how to change it. Basically, the first two plants the lower leaves are yellowing and have big brown spots, these started out as smaller brown/purple spots/streaks in the middle of the leaves which I identified to be a phosphorous deficiency from looking at a number of photos. The tips of most the leaves are showing some yellowing and some are brown and/or curling, this I believe to be a sign of zinc deficiency. Also, it is kind of hard to see in my photos, but in the middle of the leaves, more pronounced near the base of the leaves towards the stem, the colour is paler than the outer parts of the leaves, I have concluded that this is a sign of iron deficiency.
Plant 3 just has some yellowing on the lower leaves, but there are a few purple spots to indicate that P deficiency is likely a factor.
Plant 4 looks to be suffering from N deficiency more than anything, which I suspect may be my fault and a result of flushing the plants several times. I don't know if you can see it in the photos this small but near the centre of the lowest set of leaves (single bladed ones) there is purpling near the central stem, which indicates P deficiency, also there was some yellowing before I flushed the plants at all.
I read that P locks out of soil anywhere between 7.5 and 8, I believe that it is most easily accessed under 7 though, but my plants should now have access to P to some degree at least (after I feed obviously, since I have flushed the soil several times). However, it seems clear to me that the ph is too high at between 7.2 and 7.5 and this is causing my iron and zinc deficiencies. If anyone could provide their expertise on this and what I should do to rectify this I would be grateful. I am up past when I was meant to be and still have a number of things to do before bed, after work tomorrow I will work on making the most relevant of those photos a larger size if that is necessary or helpful in aiding people identify my problems.
I should add that there has been some rather cold nights here, in the cases of plants one and two I feel the purpling was very dark and looked distinctly like P deficiency, I would concede on the latter two plants the purpling is minimal and less deep and that could be caused all or partly by the colder than usual night temperatures. Also, I have read that phosphorous is taken up by plants less effectively in colder temps, this has been a really cold spring and that could account for why my plants were showing signs of P deficiency without *quite* having a ph too high to lock it out completely.
Plant one
Plant two
Plant 3
Plant 4
Plants 1-3 are from the same seedstock, plant 4 is a different kind, both are plants that mates of mine grew out last year with no issues.
Wish they were bigger but this is the size they came out, I am not sure how to change it. Basically, the first two plants the lower leaves are yellowing and have big brown spots, these started out as smaller brown/purple spots/streaks in the middle of the leaves which I identified to be a phosphorous deficiency from looking at a number of photos. The tips of most the leaves are showing some yellowing and some are brown and/or curling, this I believe to be a sign of zinc deficiency. Also, it is kind of hard to see in my photos, but in the middle of the leaves, more pronounced near the base of the leaves towards the stem, the colour is paler than the outer parts of the leaves, I have concluded that this is a sign of iron deficiency.
Plant 3 just has some yellowing on the lower leaves, but there are a few purple spots to indicate that P deficiency is likely a factor.
Plant 4 looks to be suffering from N deficiency more than anything, which I suspect may be my fault and a result of flushing the plants several times. I don't know if you can see it in the photos this small but near the centre of the lowest set of leaves (single bladed ones) there is purpling near the central stem, which indicates P deficiency, also there was some yellowing before I flushed the plants at all.
I read that P locks out of soil anywhere between 7.5 and 8, I believe that it is most easily accessed under 7 though, but my plants should now have access to P to some degree at least (after I feed obviously, since I have flushed the soil several times). However, it seems clear to me that the ph is too high at between 7.2 and 7.5 and this is causing my iron and zinc deficiencies. If anyone could provide their expertise on this and what I should do to rectify this I would be grateful. I am up past when I was meant to be and still have a number of things to do before bed, after work tomorrow I will work on making the most relevant of those photos a larger size if that is necessary or helpful in aiding people identify my problems.
I should add that there has been some rather cold nights here, in the cases of plants one and two I feel the purpling was very dark and looked distinctly like P deficiency, I would concede on the latter two plants the purpling is minimal and less deep and that could be caused all or partly by the colder than usual night temperatures. Also, I have read that phosphorous is taken up by plants less effectively in colder temps, this has been a really cold spring and that could account for why my plants were showing signs of P deficiency without *quite* having a ph too high to lock it out completely.
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the toad
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@drug mentor, if your growing in potting soil i cant imagine the ph or nutrients being too far out of whack unless the water your adding is extremely alkaline, or youre adding too much fertilizer... Test the water before you add any nutrients to it and adjust the ph of the water if needed... Measuring runoff is not accurate imo...
Fertilizer = salts = alkali/base
Pure water is more acidic than water with nutrients added.
On a side note tho
My biggest problem when i first started in soil was overwatering... And thats kinda what my plants looked like... Once i learned to let the soil dry out my plants did a lot better... Less is so often more when growing canna.
I just watered my transplants (1" rockwool clones to 10"pots) yesterday.... The first time since i transplanted them 3 weeks ago
Fertilizer = salts = alkali/base
Pure water is more acidic than water with nutrients added.
On a side note tho
My biggest problem when i first started in soil was overwatering... And thats kinda what my plants looked like... Once i learned to let the soil dry out my plants did a lot better... Less is so often more when growing canna.
I just watered my transplants (1" rockwool clones to 10"pots) yesterday.... The first time since i transplanted them 3 weeks ago
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freehugs
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Hey drug_mentor, I am not able to respond to all of your posts right now, but I will try to by latest tomorrow!
I'll also post a pic of the chart I was referencing.
And dude, every single one of those plants looks overwatered. They are all curling downwards and have yellowing leaves. Do you test them by picking up the plants to determine if they need water? That could honestly be your problem right there.
I'll also post a pic of the chart I was referencing.
And dude, every single one of those plants looks overwatered. They are all curling downwards and have yellowing leaves. Do you test them by picking up the plants to determine if they need water? That could honestly be your problem right there.
Hoes call me santa
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Nice plants justsayknow, yea mine is indoor, under a 400W hps.
drug_mentor
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In regards to looking overwatered, it does not surprise me at all they look overwatered as I have flushed them with a lot of water three times in the last week and it has rained 3 or 4 days as well (although they were in a greenhouse for a lot of that time). Prior to that, I have honestly been letting the soil get bone dry 90% of the time before rewatering, as I know that cannabis likes dry feet so to speak. I have a tendency to get really involved in projects that I am into and I know this is a common mistake that beginner growers make, I really have been making a conscious effort not to do this though as I know my buds will suffer in the end.
There are some nutrient deficiencies going on for certain, the photos may not show them the best due to their small size. I have to go out shortly but will work on resizing a few of the photos that showcase these deficiencies the best when I get back. I cannot believe that I am wrong about these deficiencies, as iron and zinc get locked out of soil above a ph of 7 and they look exactly like the photos of those deficiencies, I definitely had P deficiency but I think between dropping my ph slightly and the weather getting a bit warmer the plants probably will uptake P without issue on their next feed.
I am starting to think that flushing was unnecessary, and the best course of action may be to just treat my plants as normal but making sure to give them water and nutrients adjusted to the right ph and the problem will fix itself over time, although obviously I will follow the advice I am given here!
Was planning on topping plants one and two in the next few days, that shouldn't stress them out too much despite the deficiencies and overwatering should it? Also, I read that if you take two nodes down instead of one, you get four cola instead of two (I know this can be achieved with "FIM'ing" as well), can anybody confirm that is correct? I am not so concerned about getting 4 colas instead of two, but because I really wanted to top my plants a week or two ago I would rather take an extra node just to keep them squat, so long as my plants wont suffer.
EDIT - I have re sized my pictures on image shack but for some reason whenever I post them here they come out the same size as before. Will play around with it a bit but at this stage am not super optimistic I can get it working.
There are some nutrient deficiencies going on for certain, the photos may not show them the best due to their small size. I have to go out shortly but will work on resizing a few of the photos that showcase these deficiencies the best when I get back. I cannot believe that I am wrong about these deficiencies, as iron and zinc get locked out of soil above a ph of 7 and they look exactly like the photos of those deficiencies, I definitely had P deficiency but I think between dropping my ph slightly and the weather getting a bit warmer the plants probably will uptake P without issue on their next feed.
I am starting to think that flushing was unnecessary, and the best course of action may be to just treat my plants as normal but making sure to give them water and nutrients adjusted to the right ph and the problem will fix itself over time, although obviously I will follow the advice I am given here!
Was planning on topping plants one and two in the next few days, that shouldn't stress them out too much despite the deficiencies and overwatering should it? Also, I read that if you take two nodes down instead of one, you get four cola instead of two (I know this can be achieved with "FIM'ing" as well), can anybody confirm that is correct? I am not so concerned about getting 4 colas instead of two, but because I really wanted to top my plants a week or two ago I would rather take an extra node just to keep them squat, so long as my plants wont suffer.
EDIT - I have re sized my pictures on image shack but for some reason whenever I post them here they come out the same size as before. Will play around with it a bit but at this stage am not super optimistic I can get it working.
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justsayknow
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To get 4 colas wouldn't you repeat the process on the two tips that appear after the first topping? I've never done it but I've seen other people that repeat it several times. Not sure on how long you wait after each topping . Also not sure that it is any better for height restriction than tying down. I had a pic on here somewhere of the last plant that I topped and it still sent two long slender crowns up above the fence. It was a sat dominant strain though.
justsayknow
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They are dwarfs but they look and smell nice. Hopefully will get some pollen on them.
freehugs
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Damn I must have been baked when I replied to that one. Of course they were over watered, you flushed lol. Well man everything you are saying sound legit to me. If you are worried about your soil ph, what if you transplanted them with some compost or peat moss? That will lower the ph.
drug_mentor
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I was thinking of using something like peat moss but I wouldn't have the slightest clue how much to use and I would guess it takes quite a while to really take effect.
I think my best course of action at this point is to let the pots dry out completely, transplant the plants into larger pots (was planning on going from 125mm to 290mm) and then water them with water which I have added a half dose of some organic fertiliser (Charlie Carp Natural, NPK is 10-2-6 going by memory) and a half dose of liquid seaweed/plant tonic (seasol brand) to and PH'd to a ph somewhere between 6 and 6.5. Does that sound like a good course of action to you guys? In particular I am unsure if it is a bad idea to mix liquid seaweed and my fertiliser, or if a half dose of each might be too much? I also plan on topping my plants either the day before or the day after transplanting, depending if the pots are dry enough tomorrow to transplant or not.
I think my best course of action at this point is to let the pots dry out completely, transplant the plants into larger pots (was planning on going from 125mm to 290mm) and then water them with water which I have added a half dose of some organic fertiliser (Charlie Carp Natural, NPK is 10-2-6 going by memory) and a half dose of liquid seaweed/plant tonic (seasol brand) to and PH'd to a ph somewhere between 6 and 6.5. Does that sound like a good course of action to you guys? In particular I am unsure if it is a bad idea to mix liquid seaweed and my fertiliser, or if a half dose of each might be too much? I also plan on topping my plants either the day before or the day after transplanting, depending if the pots are dry enough tomorrow to transplant or not.
Artificial Emotion
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drug_mentor, I hope you don't mind me saying but I really think you're overcomplicating things. I doubt pH adjusting your water will have any affect on the problem, nor is the pH of your tapwater likely to be the cause.
My conclusion, based on what I can see from the photos, is that they need a good feed. If your medium is not good you can and should transplant, but all you would need to do is to use a good organic grow fertiliser designed for cannabis (one with an NPK of 5-3-3 is more appropriate). This is unless there is something extremely wrong with your tapwater, but the probability of this is small. I'm not saying it isn't possible but 99% of growers have just fine tap water. Look at the tomato growers in your area and ask yourself if they are they able to grow without adjusting the pH of their water. If not then you may have an issue but otherwise, as they say, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.
I have never adjusted the pH of my tap water and my plants do just fine. My outdoor plants where grown in containers this year in straight tap water this year and I suffered no issues whatsoever. In all the places I've lived I've never had any issues with my tap water either.
Hydro growers should adjust their pH but people you'll be glad to know people growing organically in compost do not have this same requirement. I really hope this helps
My conclusion, based on what I can see from the photos, is that they need a good feed. If your medium is not good you can and should transplant, but all you would need to do is to use a good organic grow fertiliser designed for cannabis (one with an NPK of 5-3-3 is more appropriate). This is unless there is something extremely wrong with your tapwater, but the probability of this is small. I'm not saying it isn't possible but 99% of growers have just fine tap water. Look at the tomato growers in your area and ask yourself if they are they able to grow without adjusting the pH of their water. If not then you may have an issue but otherwise, as they say, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.
I have never adjusted the pH of my tap water and my plants do just fine. My outdoor plants where grown in containers this year in straight tap water this year and I suffered no issues whatsoever. In all the places I've lived I've never had any issues with my tap water either.
Hydro growers should adjust their pH but people you'll be glad to know people growing organically in compost do not have this same requirement. I really hope this helps
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drug_mentor
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Can I ask what you think would of caused it then? Since out of the bag the soil is the right ph, it just seems to me if the only things that have been added to the soil are perlite, tap water and cannabis seeds, and the tap water is a high ph, I just don't see how that isn't far and away my most likely culprit.
A week ago I fed my plants and it made no difference to their health, I believe because certain nutrients were locked out of the soil due to the ph. It makes sense to me that adjusting the ph of the water I give the plant its nurtients through would make them more available to the plant, I am willing to accept the possibility I am incorrect though.
I appreciate your advice and I do plant to transplant as soon as possible. I always read it was best done when the soil is dry, and the only time I did it with slightly damp soil it did break apart on me a little. It just does not want to stop raining where I live right now, so it is likely to be a few more days before I am able to do that. I don't really want to feed them in the meantime, since my multiple flushes lead to over watering last week I feel I should let the medium dry completely before I intentionally add any more water to it.
A week ago I fed my plants and it made no difference to their health, I believe because certain nutrients were locked out of the soil due to the ph. It makes sense to me that adjusting the ph of the water I give the plant its nurtients through would make them more available to the plant, I am willing to accept the possibility I am incorrect though.
I appreciate your advice and I do plant to transplant as soon as possible. I always read it was best done when the soil is dry, and the only time I did it with slightly damp soil it did break apart on me a little. It just does not want to stop raining where I live right now, so it is likely to be a few more days before I am able to do that. I don't really want to feed them in the meantime, since my multiple flushes lead to over watering last week I feel I should let the medium dry completely before I intentionally add any more water to it.
Artificial Emotion
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Have you successfully grown a healthy crop to completion (i.e. to harvest) using that soil before? Have you done so with the nutrient before? Or are they both new? I would bet it's probably something to do with the nutrient or additive(s) you've used. I would transplant to a fresh soil medium in a potting mix with a proven track record and use a more appropriate organic fertiliser - one designed for use on cannabis specifically with better NPK values. I don't know what is available where you live but Biobizz fishmix works and it's available in most countries. There are better organic fertilisers such as Plant Magic Oldtimer grow and bloom, which is the cheapest and best quality I have seen, but whether you can get that I do not know. Really though, if you are using a potting mix it should already provide sufficient nutrients for a large part of the grow period. Even a multipurpose compost should provide nutrients beyond your plants' current state of development.
If the pH of your soil is off, adjusting the pH of your tap water probably won't be enough to correct the issue. I would try and get away from using hydroponic principles in organic growing.
I understand you have had some issues with watering. I take it you are trying to use the 'wet/dry' method and are allowing the soil to dry out between waterings but so much you damage the roots? I agree you are right to allow the soil to dry out if you've been flushing it with water.
I would suggest an experiment. Take opposite approaches with half the plants to use the process of elimination. I do think the pH adjustment is a bit of a red herring though.
Read this reply post written by Oltimer1 on UK420, as it is relevant:
To give a bit of context his previous post in that thread was this:
If the pH of your soil is off, adjusting the pH of your tap water probably won't be enough to correct the issue. I would try and get away from using hydroponic principles in organic growing.
I understand you have had some issues with watering. I take it you are trying to use the 'wet/dry' method and are allowing the soil to dry out between waterings but so much you damage the roots? I agree you are right to allow the soil to dry out if you've been flushing it with water.
I would suggest an experiment. Take opposite approaches with half the plants to use the process of elimination. I do think the pH adjustment is a bit of a red herring though.
Read this reply post written by Oltimer1 on UK420, as it is relevant:
To give a bit of context his previous post in that thread was this:
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the toad
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For the record i dont check or adjust my ph either... Did with hydro but i just use plain tapwater and every couple watering maybe add some compost tea, about 1-2tsp./gallon of water... In just regular organic veggie potting soil from the local nursery...
Farmers say the local water is very alkaline... But they water 40 acres of tomatos with it in my back yard and they grow perfectly... I may try adjusting it but i havent had any issues that seemed water related cept adding too much of it... Only other real issue ive ever had was spidermites when i brought in someone elses plants without knowing what they were...
If theres only a couple plants you may wanna just get fresh soil and transplant them into fresh "dry" soil and when they dry out to the point of wilting then just use plain water or a very dilute/mild organic tea solution... Fresh potting soil should have all the essetial nutrients... Just dont "flush" them out by watering to where it runs out of the pots
Farmers say the local water is very alkaline... But they water 40 acres of tomatos with it in my back yard and they grow perfectly... I may try adjusting it but i havent had any issues that seemed water related cept adding too much of it... Only other real issue ive ever had was spidermites when i brought in someone elses plants without knowing what they were...
If theres only a couple plants you may wanna just get fresh soil and transplant them into fresh "dry" soil and when they dry out to the point of wilting then just use plain water or a very dilute/mild organic tea solution... Fresh potting soil should have all the essetial nutrients... Just dont "flush" them out by watering to where it runs out of the pots
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Artificial Emotion
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I think my tap water registers at just under a pH of 8, but my plants always look great. Again, I would strongly advise contacting local tomato growers. If they use a hose throughout the summer and don't have any issues, your tap water is almost certainly fine. Chances are this is the case.
justsayknow
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My friend was using that seasol with good results but he used the power feed made by the same company as his fertiliser. I'm pretty sure charlie carp says something like "for best results don't mix with other fertilisers". I reckon at half doses it might not matter much though.
drug_mentor
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AE I Have not used this soil or fert before but my friends have used the soil and there are a number of accounts of people using the fert I am using for cannabis. Still, you have a lot more experience and knowledge than me and I am going to take your advice and drop the idea that water is my problem. I wish I had read that quote you posted before pumping litres of ph'd water through my babies.
Since I am waiting for the soil to dry out so I can transplant, would it be a good idea to give a foliar feed in the mean time? This seems like a decent way to get nutrients to the plant without wetting my soil. Since most of my deficiencies seem to be trace elements, I was thinking I could use a seaweed extract/plant tonic that has trace elements instead of an actual fertiliser, my reasoning for that is I was going to give them a nice feed with ferts once I transplant and I don't want to risk burning them. Does this sound reasonable? Or am I as well to go ahead and foliar feed with a fertiliser?
Neither of the fertilisers you mention are available in Aus to my knowledge AE, I certainly haven't seen them and a quick google search seems to yield results with UK based companies. I know the NPK rating I have isn't ideal for cannabis, it is actually the closest one to correct I could find, believe it or not most of the rest have even less P in them than this one... If any Aussie growers can recommend a good organic liquid fertiliser for cannabis it would be great. In the meantime I will try and stop by some nurseries and see if they have anything with an NPK ratio similar to 5-3-3.
Since I am waiting for the soil to dry out so I can transplant, would it be a good idea to give a foliar feed in the mean time? This seems like a decent way to get nutrients to the plant without wetting my soil. Since most of my deficiencies seem to be trace elements, I was thinking I could use a seaweed extract/plant tonic that has trace elements instead of an actual fertiliser, my reasoning for that is I was going to give them a nice feed with ferts once I transplant and I don't want to risk burning them. Does this sound reasonable? Or am I as well to go ahead and foliar feed with a fertiliser?
Neither of the fertilisers you mention are available in Aus to my knowledge AE, I certainly haven't seen them and a quick google search seems to yield results with UK based companies. I know the NPK rating I have isn't ideal for cannabis, it is actually the closest one to correct I could find, believe it or not most of the rest have even less P in them than this one... If any Aussie growers can recommend a good organic liquid fertiliser for cannabis it would be great. In the meantime I will try and stop by some nurseries and see if they have anything with an NPK ratio similar to 5-3-3.
ShaggyFin
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2013
- Messages
- 751
This is my first time to start from clones (instead of from Texas seed, and Texas seed clones), as well as my first time to start with genetics that didn't come from a bag of smoke. And my first time to have money to spend on a grow. Not much, but money.
Strains:
Blue Dream, Ice, Golden Goat, Sour D X OG Kush, Sasquatch, Thai Lights.
Got some Fox Farm "Grow Big".
I'll be using it on most of my plants, the others (maybe after this grow, maybe a few in this grow) will get RCs and I hope to find one that will work better than Fox Farm I might do a few mixed plants also.
I got some "Grow Big" from amazon, and I can't believe what's in it. Not saying it's bad for the plant, just can't believe that they are getting away with selling us more than 80% water. And 8 EASILY found minerals (basically all of them are just metals, in minute amounts).
I have decided that next grow, I'm making my own fucking nutrient blend. I thought there was something special here.
I am still going to buy the other two Fox Farm nutes and use them, then next grow I will compare results between Fox Farm and home blends.
So far here is the list of what will go into my home made nutrients. I checked and all of them are usable by plants.
Potassium Nitrate
Boron Nitrite
Calcium Phosphate
Magnesium Powder
Now I just have to look up minerals (Iron, Copper, etc) and wait till I get flower nutes to see what the difference is, then order those and I can make my own powder Fox Farm (basically). Plus I will add Research chems to a few plants nutes to see what happens.
Here is the rest of the materials for my "Grow Big" knock off:
Ammonium Phosphate
Magnesium Phosphate
Zinc Oxide
Iron Chelate
and
Copper Chelate
I also found a source for bulk chelated metal powder once I can afford it:
Copper
Iron
Zinc
Boron
Manganese
Magnesium
Why do people not tell people about Nematodes ALL the time?
$20 on amazon, you get 7 million+ and they eat most bad bugs, including flies and fleas. So it's not just good for the garden, good for the house and your pets in general.
@EVERYONE
Get some, and put them in your dirt, I am.
You know earthworms are good right? These are like Micro-worms. Please go forth to the plant problems sections and share this knowledge.
I was just looking some other stuff up on amazon and I found Earthworms and Lady bugs.
$6 for lady bugs, $20 for Earth worms.
Get both, and put the lady bug feeding dish under one of your plants. Then let all the ladybugs go outside (like throw them away basically, unless you can make a cage for them) except like 5 or 6, then put them near the feeding tray.
Separate the earthworms between buckets and moisten the soil so they can dig in, maybe loosen it up before you put them in.
And if you get the nematodes I'm guessing they will keep the lady bud population in check, so that you don't get a house full. But the lady bugs will keep mites and stuff away from your plants while the Earthworms recycle the soil.
I am still reading the book on Microbes, but I learned that Bacteria is the main thing needed. So I ordered some Petri dishes, some Agar, and 2 books on classification of bacteria. So I'll use the Microbe book I'm reading, plus the identification books to grow bacteria that is beneficial to the grow. Then I will let it loose in the grow in mass amounts (not too much, but more than most people would get naturally).
And I'll add Agar to my soil before I put it in the 5 gallon buckets.
Then Nematodes and Earth worms will be what I order after buckets and soil. Then I'm sure I'll learn more from this microbe book before I get any of this stuff, so I'll have more stuff to order.
And I found a few textbooks that will be extremely beneficial in this pursuit, so I will get them at some point. I need to get a better flower light first though.
Then sometime in the future I will start making my own nutes as well.
Good natural soil contains:
30-50% sand
30-50% silt
20-30% clay
5-10% organic matter
This is a test to find out how much of these you have in your soil:
Get the soil you want to test and put some in a quart jar (like a handful or two). Mix in 2 cups of water, and a table spoon of water softener. Wait for them to separate, then measure the layers with a ruler to see what percentage of each there is.
I just realized that my nutrient blend won't have an Ammonia content, so I decided that Ammonia Carbonate will be added to the list.
And it says it can be made by mixing Ammonia and CO2, so I am thinking of (safely) putting some dry ice into some ammonia and see if that works. It just says they have to make "contact".
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justsayknow
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2004
- Messages
- 1,270
^What species of nematodes were they? The only ones I know about are the native aussie ones and they tend to cause problems with certain crops. Usually solonaceaus type crops. I am interested in the idea of beneficial nematodes but would bet they are heavily restricted in certain areas ie australia.