I was lucky to get hooked up with some free samples of botanicare products. Im about to run out and am not sure what the best ferts are. When I started using the botanicare ferts the plants started growing very fast. But what the hell do I know, Im a rookie. Im definately getting some liquid karma as an addative b/c everyone here speaks highly of it. But what do you guys use for veg and bloom?
I keep it simple, start with a soiless medium.....with perlite- then i add 1/3 MORE perlite, then cow manure (black kow, black gold, w/e) then a few cups of blood and bone meal or chicken **** (be careful with this, it will get you soil HOT in PH if your not careful).... and were off!!!!! then a teaspoon per gallon of fish emoulsion and seaweed extract or even just a compost extract tea- the first time ya fert.....being easy on the tea!! then up it to two tablespoons of fish and/or seaweed per gallon the next time. i like to use the fish **** all the way through but its not enough for a COMPLETE balanced diet so i recommend the compost tea which is rich in micronutes alond with the kelp or as said seaweed extract- iv found that a diet of even cow manure extract is sufficent along with the bat chicken or fish **** for outdoor grows TO ACHIEVE BIG BUDS and indoors a tea thats areated overnight and used during the light cycle blow buds up under high intensity grows- add some seaweed or bat-chicken-fish **** and your WELL on your way!!!!!1 ORGANICS FOR ME!
I use specific teas comprised of: *MetaNaturals Calcium, Nitrogen, and Bloom formulas. *BioBizz Bio-Grow and Alg-A-Mic *Fox Farm Big Bloom *Liquid Karma *Indonesian Bat Guano *Cottonseed, blood, feather, and bone meals
Down To Earth 100% Natural Potting Soil . Coir fibre based soil mix contains : worm castings and bat guano . 0.41-0.55-0.31 analysis . Derived from : Fish bone meal , alfalfa meal , blood meal , soft rock phosphate , Langhenite , greensand , kelp meal , seabird guano and bat guano . Includes Endomycrrhiza , which I also add when repotting . Ferts : Down To Earth - Fish & Kelp . 3-1-1 . Maxicrop - Seaweed Extract . Peter's 20-20-20 . Peter's 12-36-14 (african violet food) . Earth Juice Bloom 0-3-1 . Lots of ingredients Earth Juice Catalyst 0.03-0.01-0.10 . Ditto . Down To Earth Micronutrients . All of 'em . Stimulant/VitaminB supplement : Superthrive Rooting hormone : Rootone When and how much ? That would take some splainin' .
My favorite organic ferts are:Metanaturals,Age Old Organics,Floracius Bloom,Liquid Karma,Indonesian Bat guano,Chicken Poop,Earthworm castings,Soluble Seaweed,Fish Emulsion,Mushroom Compost,Cow Manure,Bone Meal,Blood Meal,Dolomite Lime.
a good compost iz good imo. sum eggshellz, chicken blood, & bone meal. watch very closely @ da compost wit da phtester. 4 a few weekz.every1 goes a lil different wit veg fertz (i use fish emulsifier though), but seemz FOXfarm bigbloom iz a growrz norm 4 flower. indonesian batguano iz very good. as trillions said perlite iz good. i dunno **** bout botanicare productz, but i've seen it @ my local hydrostore. otha growrs spoke highly of da ****, but nobody said it made em switch. so i dont really know. good luk.
My gromix is made of coir, claypellets, wormcastings, and horticultural charcoal. For sprouting I leave out the castings. I add some fish fert in the water, only tiny amounts, an/or kelp, with a sprinkling of guano, through veg. For flowering, I leave out half the castings and fish ferts, increase the guano to taste. Keep the kelp handy as a first aid tonic and anti-shock specific. This set-up and routine has saved me gallons of water, thanks to the coir's properties, and also because I use the ferts so sparingly that I rarely have the need to flush the medium, even for harvest. eg
hey EG- and shes right....if you have the proper soil mix, you use ferts sparingly- and only flush (or water with ONLY water) near harvest. but using that soil mix, a beginner can easily drown the plants by overwatering..... do you use any perlite in that mix?? i was just curious!
High Trill, Coir is a unique product which holds almost as much air as it does water. The biggest secret about safe watering is to water only when the plant asks for it. You have to listen carefully by lifting the pot and gauging it's state of dryness. Also, careful watering is essential with any medium. If you water from the top, pour slowly. In a tightening spiral starting at the container wall, and stopping an inch or more before you actually get to the plant base, then continuing on by widening the spiral til back at the wall. Repeat slowly until water just begins to drain. Fini. Never overwater again, ever. If your plants are bottom drinkers, simply let them have all they will absorbe, then set them on a drip-dry base. problem solved. eg
trill, I sorta did, but I guess it was too indirect. Instead of perlite, I use the Heat-expanded-clay-pellets, and the horticultural charcoal, which do a bigger and better job than perlite, which tends to float right out of the coir. The charcoal is a perpetual soil sweetner, and they both are so inert, they help keep the pH stable. eg
High Randy High Are you talking about the airscrubber carbon filter? That's a good one. I can't see how anything they have absorbed from the air could hurt the plants. Unless they have been treated with something to make them catch more airborn impurities/pollens/volatiles. I would sure be tempted to try! Find out how the pellets are processed. This is the kind of interactivity I like! Recycle an organic product to benefit the soil, after it has already done full service in the security department! eg
Charcoal is a good additive for the soil but instead I use perlite and on the bottom of the soil or container I use grodan rocks that also have a stable PH and absorb water to the roots and works marvelous.
I think it would be more, proper root density? As in, if the medium was to dry or to wet, roots get damaged and cant support a strechy plant (with week sunlight or just poor intenseity) plant would get knocked over in a high wind.... OR , Do you mean just the compaction of the initial potted soil didnt settle more once water several times and the plant toppled over.... ? or... the soil doesnt have enough decomposing matter , rather than a light material that has possible floating capability?? im j/w too... now where were you at about the?
Heat expanded clay pellets will hold up your indoor plants just fine if you use enough of them. I dont grow 5-7 foot plants indoors so couldnt tell you how they hold up with a plant that size. Have grown 4.5 feet with no problems using expanded clay pellets in a 5 inch net pot! So they do keep your plants relatively stable believe it or not. The roots grow around and between the pellets grasping on to them giving your plant a firm foothold. If youve ever seen a budding 4'.5" plant growing out of a 5 inch net pot your doubts about clay pellets will immediately dissappear, mine did. Its Good stuff! As far as ferts are concerned Im a firm believer in Botanicare products. Theyre some of the best IMHO. Ive decided to venture out this time and try something different after hearing rave reviews from Mary about hydro Fox Farm ferts so this grow I'll be using: Fox Farm Grow Big Fox Farm Big Bloom Earth Juice Bloom Earth Juice Catalyst Earth Juice Microblast Diamond Nectar(fulvic acid)(Marys suggestion) Botanicare Power Hydroplex- Bloom Enhancer(already use this is good stuff!) Jamaican Bat Guano 1-10-0 The one thing about Botanicare products Ive noticed is they have a good amount of fulvic acid added to them already. Will report back with the results on the ferts above. Wish me luck!
Thanks Herb, starting on a whole new fert regimen did you rub your lucky monkey paw?... Ima gonna need it partner
