Feeding Schedules 101

GK members,im compiling a comprehensive feeding schedule for MJ plants and i have included most of the best known nutes for both soil and hydro and both organic and chemical.If there are any i have missed then feel free to add a post with your feeding schedule.I have also attatched a chart for ph levels,etc.Dont really know whether this should be in beginners or in plant problems section,it could be a sticky in either so im putting this here and in the members submission area and i'll leave it up to y'all where it should go eventually or snick and the rest of the mods will redirect it elswhere.Iv done this due to the increasing amount of PM's and posts i read that enquire about feeding schedules and ph charts,etc so hopefully this will be a big help to a lot of beginners,etc.Peaceotleaf:​

1~Bio Bizz Hydroponic & Soiless Recipe​

(Click here for printable version PDF 300k)


For best results add 1 part pre-mix to 20 parts soiless mix

ALL VALUES ARE PER GALLON
PH WATER TO 7.0 BEFORE ADDING BIO BIZZ PRODUCTS
rooted cuttings - 18 or 24 hours of light root juiceDo NOT use Root Juice until the plant has rootsweek 18mlvegative stage - 18 hours of lightroot juicefish mixweek 18ml4mlIf Yellowing occurs,
Foliar spray 12ml / gallon Fish Mix & Water once per week
Do not spray when high powered lights are onweek 28ml8mlweek 38ml8ml
Transition to flower: (hardest time of a plants life)
All transplanting should be done. Make sure daytime temp is around 80°. Very important that nighttime temperatures stay above 70°, this will improve your internodal spacing & reduce stretching. First week of flower keep your lights at least 24” above plants
flowering stage - 12 hours of lightbio growbio bloomalg-a-micfish mixtop maxweek 14ml4ml8ml4mlweek 2 4ml4ml8ml4mlweek 38ml8ml8ml4mlweek 48ml8ml8ml 4mlweek 512ml12ml12ml4mlweek 612ml12ml12ml 16mlweek 716ml16ml16ml16mlweek 816ml16ml16ml 16mlweek 9rinse with ph balanced fresh water & 12ml Top Max for entire weekIf going 8 weeks of flower, skip week 5
Ripening stage:
Use fresh water only for minimum 7 days Lowering temperature in dark cycle during last week will promote higher crystal & resin production.
If your plants become stressed at any stage:
Some stresses can be caused from: lights being too close / over fertilization / insect infestation / temperature fluxuation Raise the lights to 24” , water plants with fresh water for 2 waterings, when plants show signs of growth again, continue with regular feeding program.
Ensure that your plants dry out between watering.

2~Sensi Grow & Bloom Custom Recipe​

Featuring Advanced Nutrients
(Click here for printable version)



ALL VALUES ARE PER GALLONrooted cuttings - 18 or 24 hours of light Sensi Grow ASensi Grow BB-52 Day 1 - 26mlDay 3 - 76ml6ml6mlvegative stage - 18 hours of lightSensi Grow ASensi Grow BB-52Fulvicweek 110ml10ml6ml8mlweek 213ml13ml6ml8ml Transition to flower: (hardest time of a plants life)
All transplanting should be done. Make sure daytime temp is around 80°. Very important that nighttime temperatures stay above 70°, this will improve your internodal spacing & reduce stretching. First week of flower keep your lights at least 24” above plants

flowering stage - 12 hours of light Sensi Bloom ASensi Bloom BB-52FulvicLiquid
CarboloadBud BloodBig BudBloom Boosterweek 113ml13ml8ml4ml1.5 gramweek 213ml13ml 8ml4ml 2gram week 314ml14ml6ml8ml4ml2gramweek 414ml14ml6ml8ml4ml 2gram week 515ml15ml6ml4ml1gramweek 615ml15ml6ml 4ml 1gramweek 716ml16ml6ml4ml1gramweek 8rinse with fresh water for entire 8th weekIf going 9 weeks of flower, repeat week 4 twiceIf going 7 weeks of flower, skip week 4

Ripening stage:
Use fresh water only for minimum 7 days Lowering temperature in dark cycle during last week will promote higher crystal & resin production.
If your plants become stressed at any stage:
Some stresses can be caused from: lights being too close / over fertilization / insect infestation / temperature fluxuation Raise the lights to 24” , water plants with 12 ml / gallon of B-52 and water for 2 waterings, when plants show signs of growth again, continue with regular feeding program.

Ensure that your plants dry out between watering. Once a month pass a lot of water (2X usual amount) through pot for removal of salt buildup

3~Dutch Master One Part
Hydroponic & Soiless Recipe
(Click here for printable version PDF 153k)
​

ALL VALUES ARE PER GALLONrooted cuttingsgrow onemax growpotash +zonefolitech growpene-tratorweek 110ml4ml1mlvegative stage - 18 hours of lightgrow onemax growpotash +zonefolitech growpene-trator week 130ml4ml 1mlspray 2 times week 240ml4ml 1mlper week week 340ml4ml6ml1mlfor all veg weeks flowering stage - 12 hours of lightflower onemax flowerpotash +zonefolitech flowerpene-tratorfeminizerweek 140ml4ml6ml1mlspray 2 timessprayweek 240ml4ml6ml1mlper week week 340ml4ml6ml1mlfor first 4sprayweek 440ml4ml6ml1mlflowering weeks week 540ml4ml6ml1mlweek 640ml4ml6ml1ml week 740ml4ml6ml1mlweek 8rinse with fresh water for entire week
Dutch Master Zone is for hydroponic systems, ignore if in soiless mix


DO NOT USE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE WITH DUTCH MASTER PRODUCTS

4~Holland Secret By Plant Life Products
Hydroponic & Soiless Recipe
(Click here for printable version PDF 200k)
​

ALL VALUES ARE PER GALLONrooted cuttingsweek 1use 20ml prop-o-gator with fresh water for entire weekvegative stage - 18 hours of lightbada
bangbada
bingbada bloomfulvicsuper Bveg boom+stick n sprayfield of greensweek 14ml6ml2ml15ml8ml8ml4ml spray5ml sprayweek 29ml12ml6ml15ml8ml8ml4ml spray5ml sprayweek 39ml12ml6ml15ml8ml8ml4ml spray5ml sprayflowering stage - 12 hours of lightbada
bangbada
bingbada bloomfulviccarbo blastbud boom+bud startbud

boomweek 19ml9ml9ml15ml1g16mlweek 29ml6ml12ml15ml1g16ml0.5gweek 39ml6ml12ml15ml1g16mlweek 410ml7ml13ml1g16ml0.5gweek 510ml5ml15ml1g16ml1.5gweek 612ml6ml18ml1g16ml1.5gweek 710ml5ml15ml1g16ml1.5gweek 8rinse with fresh water for entire week

5~Bio Canna Vega & Flores recipe

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ALL VALUES ARE PER GALLONvegative stage - 18 hours of lightBIO
VEGAFOR MAXIMUM RESULTS:
Use Bio Canna Earth Mix as your growing mediumweek 14mlweek 26mlweek 38mlTransition to flower: (hardest time of a plants life)
All transplanting should be done. Make sure daytime temp is around 80°. Very important that nighttime temperatures stay above 70°, this will improve your internodal spacing & reduce stretching. First week of flower keep your lights at least 24” above plants
flowering stage - 12 hours of lightBIO
VEGABIO
FLORESBIO
BOOSTweek 18ml
100% SKAL – EKO certified organic nutrient range, Bio Canna is a set of products for the true organic purist.
With impressive grow and bloom nutrients derived from
all natural sources, it is when Bio Boost is added that the range really comes into its own.week 28ml week 312ml8mlweek 4 14ml10mlweek 516ml12mlweek 6 16ml14mlweek 716ml14mlweek 8rinse stage14mlIf going 9 weeks of flower, repeat week 4 twiceIf going 7 weeks of flower, skip week 4

Click Here for the Official Bio Canna Flyer (1.8 MB)

6~Liquid Life Nutrients By Grotek
Hydroponic & Soiless Recipe
(Click here for printable version PDF 153k)
​

ALL VALUES ARE PER GALLONrooted cuttings - 18 or 24 hours of light growbloom week 11.3ml1.3mlvegative stage - 18 hours of lightgrowbloombud fuel week 15.25ml2.65mlweek 28ml4ml week 310.55.2510mlflowering stage - 12 hours of lightgrowbloombud fuelblossom blastercarbo maxmonster bloomfinal flushweek 12.5-5ml5.25ml10ml1gweek 22.5-5ml5.25ml10ml0.4g1g week 32.5-5ml5.5-10.5ml10ml1g1.2gweek 42.5-5ml5.5-10.5ml 0.4g1g1.2g week 52.5-5ml5.5-10.5ml10ml1g1.2gweek 61.3-2.6ml5.5-10.5ml10ml 1g1.2g week 71.3-2.6ml5.5-10.5ml5ml1g1.2gweek 8 8ml Manufactures recommended hydroponic formulaFor liquid life grow & bloom during flowering they suggest a range (see week 3)
If your plants are healthy use the full amount, if plants are struggling use smaller amount
Just be sure to keep the ratio the same ie. week 3
use 2.5 grow & 5.5 bloom or 5 grow & 10.5 bloom
This is a good recipe for the "feed, feed & flush" method in soiless mixes
​

"All the above nutrients and additives and a whole lot more can all be purchased and viewed at http://www.progressive-growth.com .Personally i use the 100% all organic range of nutes and additives from bio-bizz(available from www.drchronic.com aswell) with bio canna soil which is pre mixed with all organic mix like worm castings and guano,it also comes with vermiculite,dolomite and perlite so just add nutes and water and your ready to go,assuming you got the correct equipment,all MJ cultivation equipment can be bought from this site and its all in US and Canadian dollars."

Well here are the charts I could find...
Fox Farms, General Hydroponics, Dutchmaster, IONIC, and Botanicare Pure blend Pro.
Lists the BASICS needed to use em (and a few of the extras-- but there ARE more!) and both a weekly schedual (dirt & hydro IF you change the water weekly) and Phasic feeding for bubblers.
Phasic shedules can be followed for soil-- but do not work as well!

Hope this helps!!!

7~BOTANICARE PURE BLEND PRO SCHEDULES

PRODUCTS:
PBP Grow= $18 (usd)
PBP Bloom=$18 (either soil or hydro formula)
Cal-Mag Plus= $18
Liquid Karma= $20

PHASIC:

Week 1: 7.5 ml PBP Grow + 5ml Liquid Karma
Week 2: Add: 7.5ml PBP Grow + 5ml Liquid Karma + 6ml Cal-Mag Plus
Week 3: Add: 10ml PBP Grow
Day 1 12/12: Drain & Refill reservoir ADD: 25ml PBP Bloom + 5ml Liquid Karma + 6ml Cal Mag Plus
Week 5: Add 2ml PBP Grow + 2ml Karma + 3ml PBP Flower + 2mlCal-MagPlus
2 weeks before harvest, flush.

WEEKLY:

Week 1: 7ml PBP Grow + 5ml Liquid Karma
Week 2: 15ml PBP Grow + 6ml Cal Mag Plus + 10ml Liquid Karma
Week 3 &4: 25ml PBP Grow + 7ml Cal Mag Plus + 10ml Liquid Karma
Week before 12/12: 15ml PBP Grow + 15ml PBP Flower (soil formula) + 7ml Cal Mag + 10ml Liquid Karma
Week 1 of 12/12 : 25ml PBP Bloom + 7ml Cal Mag Plus + 10ml Liquid Karma
Week 2&3: 30ml PBP Bloom + 7ml Cal Mag Plus + 10ml Karma
Week 4: 20ml PBP Bloom + 10mg PBP Grow + 7ml Cal Mag Plus + 10ml Karma
Week 5 &6: 30ml PBP Bloom + 7ml Cal Mag Plus + 10ml Karma
Week before flush: 15 ml PBP Bloom + 6ml Cal Mag Plus + 6ml Karma
(repeat if not ready for flush)

8~DUTCH MASTER SCHEDULE

Products:
ONE Grow= $9 (usd)
ONE Flower=$9
MAX Grow=$16
MAX Flower=$16
Silica :$22 (strengthens plants cellular structure and increases blooming)

Optional Suppliments:
Penetrator: $25 (Used with foliar sprays, allows the plant to absorb & use foliar sprays to max)
Folitech Grow & Flower $32 each (Foliar sprays developed to maximize photosynthesis in veg & blooming in 12/12)

PHASIC: (per gallon)

Week one begins when clones are rooted & planted, or when seedlings have 3 sets of true leaves

Week One: 14tsp One GROW + 2tsp Max Grow
Week 3 add: 4 tsp One GROW + 1tsp Silica
Day 1 of 12/12: Flush & refill adding: 18 tsp One Flower + 2tsp Max Flower + 1 tsp Silica
Week 5 of 12/12: 4 tsp One Flower

WEEKLY: (per gallon)

Week 1: 14tsp One Grow +2tsp Max Grow
Week 2: 16tsp One Grow + 2tsp Max Grow
Week 3: 18tsp One Grow + 2tsp Max Grow
Week 4*: 20 tsp One Grow + 2tsp Max Grow + 1tsp Silica
* use this until 12/12 if vegging longer!
Week 1, 2 & 3 of 12/12: 22tsp One Flower + 2 tsp Max Flower + 1 tsp Silica
Week 4: 20 tsp One Flower + 2 tsp Max Flower
Week 5: 14tsp One Flower + 2tsp Max Flower
Week 6: 12tsp One Flower + 2tsp Max Flower + 1 tsp Silica (if need more time till flush, repeat weeks 5 & 6)
When You flush: add 1tsp Silica to 1 gallon of water and use as the final flooding after you flush them well!

9~FOX FARMS SCHEDULE

Product list:

Grow Big--$16
Tiger Bloom--$16
Big Bloom --$16
Open Seseme--$23
ChaChing--$23
Beastie Bloom --$23
And the Optional : Bush Doctor Sledgehammer--$26

There is a 3-pack available for $65 of Open Sesame, Cha Ching and Beastie Bloom IF you can find it!

The last 4 Products are used in small quantities and only at specific times during the grow -- so if you know someone who wanted to go in on the 3-pack with ya, it would be worth it!

Here's the FoxFarms Feeding Schedule for Soil... Hydro is MUCH more complex, unless you use bubblers—then you can follow a Phasic feeding schedule (At end of weekly schedule!)

FOX FARMS FEEDING SCHEDULES


WEEKLY FEEDING- per Gallon
Sprouting and week 1--BigBloom 2TBS
week 2-- 2tsp Grow Big + 2TBS Big Bloom
Week 3--3tsp Grow Big + 2TBS Big Bloom
Week 4--JUST 3 tspGrow Big + 1/4 tsp Open Sesame
Week 5 same as week 4 unless going 12/12--

Week 5- OR--day 1 of 12/12-- 2 tsp Tiger Bloom +1TBS Big Bloom + 1/2 tsp Open Sesame
Week 6--same as above
Week 7-- 2 Tsp Grow Big + 2 tsp Tiger Bloom +1TBS Big Bloom + 1/4 tsp Beastie Bloom
Week 8-- 2Tsp Grow Big + 2 tsp Tiger Bloom +1TBS Big Bloom + 1/2 tsp Beastie Bloom
Week 9-- 2 tsp Tiger Bloom +1TBS Big Bloom + 1/4 tsp Cha Ching
week 10-- Same as above
Week 11--2 tsp Tiger Bloom +1TBS Big Bloom + 1/2 tsp Cha Ching


At beginning of week 11--Check Trichomes-- Flush if ready.. otherwise, continue as with week 11 every week until you flush!


Also recomended--but not a nessesity--
Bush Doctor Sledgehammer (prevents lock-out)
use 2 drops per gallon of water between feedings starting in week 4 of 12/12

PHASIC SHEDULE: (per gallon)
(follow this for bubblers, OR you can use these amounts when watering in soil—but is not as good as the weekly schedule for soil!)

New Clones, or when seedlings get 3 sets of leaves- 1tsp Grow Big + 2tsp Big Bloom
Week 3 of veg (unless going 12/12) – ADD 1tsp Grow big + 2 tsp Big Bloom
4 Days Before going 12/12- Add ¼ tsp Open Sesame
Day 1 of 12/12— Drain Reservoir & refill. Add 2 tsp Tiger Bloom + 1TBS Big Bloom + ½ tsp Open Sesame
Week 3 of 12/12—Add ¼ tsp Beastie Bloom
Week 5 of 12/12—Drain and refill reservoir Add 2 tsp Grow Big + 1 tsp Tiger bloom + 1 TBS Big Bloom + ¼ tsp Cha ching
3-5 Days Before harvest-- Drain and refill reservoir add 2 drops Sledgehammer


10~GENERAL HYDROPONICS SCHEDULE

PRODUCTS NEEDED:
GH Flora Grow=$10 (USD’s)
GH Flora Bloom = $10 (choose hydro blend or soil growing blend!)
GH Flora Micro= $15


WEEKLY FEEDING SCHEDULE:
Week 1 (rooted clones or 3 leaf-sets on seedlings) : 2.5 ml EACH Grow, Micro & Bloom
Week 2: 5ml Grow + 2.5ml Micro + 2.5ml Bloom
Week 3: 10ml Grow + 5ml Micro + 3ml Bloom
Week 4 until 12/12 : 12ml Grow + 6ml Micro + 3ml Bloom
Week 1 of 12/12 : 6ml Grow + 6mil Micro+10ml Bloom
Week 2 of 12/12: 3ml Grow + 7ml Miccro + 12ml Bloom
Week 3: 3ml Grow + 8ml Micro + 14ml Bloom
Week 4: 3ml Grow + 8ml Micro + 16ml Bloom
Week 5: 2..5 Grow + 7ml Micro + 18ml Bloom
Week 6: NO GROW + 6ml Micro + 20ml Bloom USE UNTIL FLUSH!
Flush 10-14 days before harvesting

Bubbler Nute Schedual

This is for the Basic 3-Part General hydroponics nutes…
Flora Micro, Flora Grow, and Flora Bloom
There are supplements available, and will be discussed at end of nute schedule.


Day one—(seedlings or new clones not completely rooted)
2.5 ml Flora Grow + 2.5ml Flora Micro + 2.5 ml Flora Bloom

Day 7 Add: 12.5ml Flora Grow + 7.5ml Flora Micro + 2.5ml Flora Bloom Per Gallon & Top-off reservoir

Keep at this level entire Grow period—
Keep reservoir to fill line of water—
ONLY ADD nutes if vegging MORE than 5 weeks—


Extra vegging: Add 5ml Flora Grow + 2ml Flora micro + 2ml Flora Bloom ONLY ONCE!


When You go 12/12—empty & rinse reservoir, then refill and add…
5ml Flora Grow + 7.5ml Flora Micro + 15ml Flora Bloom

DAY 30 add: 1ml Flora Grow

On Day 40 of 12/12--add 10ml Flora Micro + 15mg Flora Bloom


SUPPLIMENTATION
General Hydroponics also makes supplements. These are optional products. Some people swear by them, others report little noticeable difference. Try them if you like; you may see some worthwhile results.

Floralicious: Concentrated bioactive microbial, marine, mineral, and plant extracts. Contributes to aroma and flavor
Comes in Grow and Bloom formula-add 5ml to your current nutes schedule.

KoolBloom: Concentrated additive that makes for bigger and more blooms, increases essential oil production.
Add 1.5 grams during last 2 weeks of bloom

CHI: Foliar spray made from Chitin (a marine extract) Makes the plant insect resistant!
Use ONLY as a foliar spray!!
Use 210ml per gallon throughout Veg & bloom cycle…use only every other week, and stop 3 weeks before Harvest!!

Diamond Nectar: Premium Fulvic Acid allows the plant to break-down and use nutrients more efficiently.
Add 40ml during Veg cycle (only once!) and 40ml during 12/12 cycle(only once!)


Florasheild: Natural microbial enzymes that keep your reservoir clean and aids against fungus & disease.
Add 37ml per gallon during each stage... can also use double-strength to sterilize tools!

Flora Kleen: Used as a pre harvest or emergency flush! Follow bottle directions.

11~IONICS SCHEDUAL:

Ionics has made their nutes SO SIMPLE to use!
You basically use the same amount whether doing soil or hydro-- phasic or weekly feeding!

PRODUCTS NEEDED:
IONIC GROW=$14.00 (USD)
IONIC BLOOM=$14.00
IONIC BOOST=$14.00

Also Suggested:
NITROZYME=$19.00
FOSSILFUEL=$17.00


SCHEDULE:
From 3-leaf stage to day 1 of 12/12: Feed Weekly Using 4 tsp per Gallon of IONIC GROW.
It is also recomended to also add 2TB nitrozyme and 4tsp Fossil Fuel.

Phasic--same amounts per gallon when you fill reservoir!

4 days before going 12/12-- it is recomended that you flush your plants with ph adjusted water. at least 2 gallons per 5-gallon planter.


From day 1 of 12/12: feed weekly using 4tsp per Gallon of IONIC BLOOM.
It is also recomended to also add 2TB nitrozyme and 4tsp Fossil Fuel.

Phasic: Day one of 12/12- dump & refill reservoir using same amount
per gallon!


Week 3 of bloom (after they actually SHOW): Add 3/4 tsp per gallon of IONIC BOOST to the 4tsp per gallon of IONIC BLOOM.
It is also recomended to also add 2TB nitrozyme and 4tsp Fossil Fuel.

Phasic: Week 3 of Bloom add 3/4 tsp per gallon of IONIC BOOST to
the reservoir and top-off with water as needed.

FOLIAR FEEDING: IONIC recomends using 1/2 tsp per quart of EACH:
NITROZYME + FOSSIL FUEL in addition to 1/2 tsp of IONIC GROW or IONIC BLOOM as a foliar spray every week

SUPPIMENTATION:
GREENFUSE ROOT= $20.00 (USD)
GREENFUSE GROWTH=$20.00
GREENFUSE BLOOM=$20.00

These Suppliments can be added to the above schedules as follows:

"ROOT"= 3/4tsp per gallon in water from time seed planted until has 3
sets of leaves

"GROWTH"= 3/4tsp Per Gallon to All GROW feedings

"BLOOM"= 3/4 tsp per Gallon to all Bloom feedings.HOPE THIS IS A HELP GKers:thumbsup:otleaf:

PS: I HAVE ATTATCHED A FEW USEFUL, ALTHOUGH 2 OF THEM ARE UNRELATED,CHARTS AND DIAGRAMS.The 1st is a very good chart and the others are useful for lighting queries.(the last one is what your bud will look like if you follow the feeding schedule properly along with correct lighting but iv explained all the other details needed for a grow in my closet grow room 101 thread in the FAQS.)



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The Importance of nutrient and water control.Defficiency problems.


NUTRIENT CONTROL


Remember nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPIO? These macronutrients are the primary ingredients needed in soil to ensure a healthy marijuana crop. In addition, the secondary supplements Ca (calcium); Mg (magnesium); and S (sulfur), or CaMgS for short can be used to promote plant growth and health, and are also part of the macronutrient group. Secondary supplements are generally found in soil, but not always in sufficient amounts. There are eight additional plant micronutrients: iron (Fe), Boron (b), chlorine (CD, manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co) and molybdenum (Mo). These eight micronutrients are less important for good plant health, than are NPK and CaMgS. Check your soil bag to see if it contains micronutrients.


The nutrients and nutrient levels in your soil can be monitored using either electronic or manual nutrient testers. Most growers however do not have the luxury of such expensive items and have to control everything by hand, using judgement. Don't despair! Growers the world over have successfully tended to plants long before the invention of electronic readers. The key to nutrient control is to plan your feeding in advance of growing your plant. This way, everything else you feed to your plants is simply a supplement to the plan. You can always adjust your plan for future grows of the same strain based on what you learn the first time around. Remember though that each strain is different and will probably require changes to the following basic routine.


1. For seedlings, use a soil with an even NPK ratio, such as 10:10:10 or 5:5:5. No nutrients should be added, but if you do find that need to, add them in very small doses (no more than l/8th of the strength of what it says on the bottle).


2. After germination do not feed for three weeks, unless seedlings show signs of yellowing. In either case, feed them a dose of NPK with an even ratio (10:10:10) or a higher N than P and K ratio (20:10:10) at 1/4 of what is recommended on the label for the first week and continue this once a week until calyx (pre-flowers) show on the plant.


3. If your plant shows any yellowing, increase the feeding strengths until yellowing stops. Increase in small steps from 25 to 33 percent before trying 50 percent or higher. If plant health does not improve, consult chapter 13 on problem solving a nutrient deficiency.


4. In the second week of growth you should be adding secondary nutrients to your plants. Mix secondary nutrients at 1/4 strength of what it says on the bottle. Continue adding secondary nutrients once every other week.


5. Once every 2nd week add micronutrients at 1/4 strength of what it says on the bottle.


6. As soon as calyx development shows, switch to a food with a higher P than N and K ratio (10:20:10). Continue to feed your plants as usual, exchanging the older vegetative food for this new flowering food.


Remember that cannabis burns easily and does not need full strength nutrients.


It is better to increase the frequency of your feeding rather than the strength of your foods if you discover that your plant needs more food.This may be more time consuming, but it reduces the risk of plant burn immensely.


Some plants require more foods in higher doses than others do. The frequency of your feeding and food strengths will vary from strain to strain; however the basic elements of these foods and their composition will not. Your plants need NPK as the basic building blocks of their diet. You need to know how to select for these in soil and you need to know how to keep them in your soil type. Some soils also diminish in nutrients more quickly than others do because of the soil's composition and its nutrient- and water-retaining qualities. Whenever you select a soil type for cannabis try to find one that has an even NPK balance like a 10:10:10. It is easier to maintain this balance if you use a balanced NPK vegetative growth feed. If your soil is higher in P or K then it is hard to balance it using other foods.


FOR EXAMPLE:


A soil type of 10:20:10 needs to be balanced back to 10:10:10 or else the high levels of P will cause the plant problems accessing the other N and K nutrients that it also needs for vegetative growth (also a condition known as 'Nutrient Lockout'}. In order to balance it back you need to wait until the next time you feed and only add 10:0:10 to the soil. This is because you would expect the remaining nutrients in the soil to be already high in levels of P. The hard part is finding a. bottle of nutrients that have 10:0:10 on the label. So in order to avoid this problem we select a balanced soil in the first place.


Growers mainly have four types of nutrients at their disposal: vegetative primary nutrients, flowering primary nutrients, secondary nutrients and micronutrients.The list below contains classic examples of food types that you may find or work with.


1. N1010:K10-This is an example of a balanced vegetative primary nutrient pack.


2. N1020:K10 -This is an example of a flowering primary nutrient pack.


3. NQ20:K10-Tnis is an example of a flowering food without N.


4. N10O:K10-This is an example of a vegetative food without P.


5. N1020:K20-This is an example of a flowering food that is not suitable for cannabis because of its equal P and K values but lower N values.


6. al:Mgl:Sl -This is an example of a balanced secondary food.


7. Ca2:Mg3:S4 -This is an example of a secondary food.


8. N1010:K10:Cal:Mgl:Sl-This is an example of bottle of food that contains both primary and secondary nutrients.


9. N10O:KO -This is a pure N supplement.


10. NO10:KO -This is a pure P supplement.


Micronutrients are sometimes listed in ratios like NPK values but it is more common to just find micronutrients measurements.


One good brand of micronutrient that is used by nearly every grower is called Formulex®.


Growers ensure that at least some secondary nutrients are added to the soil mix or in with feeding routine because some secondary problems are hard to find. Ca problems are awkward to detect because a Ca deficiency only stunts growth and does not appear to display anything else usually associated with a nutrient disorders like: leaf discoloring, rusting, blotching, leaf curling or any other chlorot-ic condition that one would expect.To solve problems like this, growers always try to prevent instead of cure. Ensure that your soil or feeding routine has some sort of secondary nutrient plan incorporated into them.


Professional growers get their supplements in separate packs of N, P and K.That way they have total control over their primary macronutrients. Using these separate packs, they can mix vegetative foods, flowerings foods, pure l\l, pure P and pure K supplements — whatever they want and in whatever strengths they want - 20:10:10, 20:5:5, 5:20:5, etc.


Problematic Nutrients


Recalling that some strains may require more of a certain nutrient than others, we know that a balanced food might not have enough of that nutrient to allow the plant to grow without expressing a nutrient disorder. You may have to first identify the strain's 'problematic nutrient(s)' before finding a suitable feeding product. Mg is a common problematic nutrient, which means that many strains are more likely to experience a Mg nutrient disorder. In order to correct this you would have to use either pure Mg, a secondary nutrient feeding product or preferably a secondary nutrient product with higher Mg to Ca and S ratios.


Problematic nutrients are on the increase with stabilized plant breeding. As breeders develop strains for certain characteristics — flowering times, potency, yield, colors etc. — they sometimes accidentally stabilize other traits like nutrient requirements, smell or taste. Some breeders point out when their strains need more K or Mg, and this is worth taking into consideration when choosing your strain and feeding products. However be suspicious of breeders who claim that you should lower doses of a specific nutrient or range of nutrients. They could be telling you to do this in order to justify the floral and leaf color display that was published in the seed bank catalogue. Nutrient disorders can bring out nice colors in your plants, but you may be sacrificing yield and potency in favor of van image' by not allowing the plant to thrive in optimal conditions. Lack of K can bring out red hues all over your plant. With some strains this can even turn the bud purple. A few common CaMgS problems and treatments are described next.


MACRONUTRIENT DISORDERS: A ROUGH GUIDE


Most micronutrients are used by the cannabis plant in such small quantities that the role they play in plant functionality is quite limited. Also micronutrient disorders are extremely rare with cannabis plants unless you are using a completely neutral substrate with no added nutrients. Most loam soils already contain micronutrients so you do not need to add much, if any. Good growers, however, will always top up on low doses of micronutrients because they know that prevention is better than cure.


Macronutrients on the other hand are very important plant nutrients used widely by the plant throughout its grow. This guide will explain how these macronu-trients work and how to spot macronutrient disorders in your garden.


Nitrogen (N)


Like most plants, cannabis uses N more than any other nutrient — especially during the vegetative growth stage of the life cycle. N directly helps the plant to create chlorophyll, which is used in photosynthesis for the production of plant energy. Without sufficient levels of N, cannabis plants turn a pale yellow-green, starting with the bottom leaves and gradually moving up to the top of the plant. Eventually the leaves wither and fall off. Lack of N also stunts plant growth.


Phosphorous (P)


Like most plants, cannabis uses P during photosynthesis to create chemical compounds essential to plant growth, especially floral development during the flowering phase of the life cycle. Lack of P causes plant veins to turn red and also stunts plant growth. Foods that are high in P are also called xBloom'foods.


Potassium (K)


K assists the plant's chemical synthesis and overall metabolism. Some chemical synthesis processes are used to help fight disease, so lack of potassium can make your plant vulnerable to plant diseases like mold, fungi and wilt. K also assists in seed and stem development. Without sufficient K, stems and branches become weak and break. Necrotic patches develop on leaf tips at the base of the plant and in blotchy patterns in the middle of those leaves. Red stems are a sign of a K problem, but red stems can be a genetic trait in some plants, especially in equatorial strains, and cold temperatures can cause stems to turn red as well. Be careful not to misdiagnose these symptoms as a K deficiency and risk overfeeding your plant.


Calcium (Ca)


Plant cells use and store Ca for cell development. Ca problems are rare and the symptoms are almost undetectable in cannabis, but if left untreated they will stunt growth and eventually cause the plant to wilt. If your plants display stunted growth yet do not display any symptoms associated with a another nutrient disorder then adjust the amount of Ca that you are adding to your plants in the feeding plan. To prevent secondary nutrient problems like our Ca problem here, which are hard to detect, you should top up on all of the secondary nutrients together.


Sulfur (S)


Like K, S assists the plant's chemical synthesis and metabolism. It is also used in the creation of amino acids and proteins. Without S, new growth is yellow and pale looking. The rest of the plant will also eventually yellow from lack of S. It is important to catch S and l\l deficiencies early, before they advance to the stage where it is difficult to detect the actual cause of the problem. l\l disorders run from the bottom of the plant upwards. S starts at new growth formations and spreads from there. A severe case of an S deficiency looks exactly like a severe case of an l\l deficiency, so check your plants regularly to increase your chances of early detection.


Magnesium (Mg)


Chlorophyll is a group of magnesium containing green pigments that occur in plants, giving the characteristic green color to foliage and acting as absorbers of light for photosynthesis. Since Mg is central to chlorophyll production, the plant needs it to carry out photosynthesis. Plants with Mg problems exhibit both yellowing and leaf curl, especially leaves that curls upwards at the base of the plant. This is where the saying — The plant is praying for magnesium' comes from.


Mg problems are the most common secondary nutrient disorder you will come across. To correct this, feed your plant 1/3 of a tablespoon of Epsom salts per three gallons of water every three to four weeks. You should choose Epsom salts from your grow shop instead of Epsom salts from the drugstore because the grow shop version is designed for plant use (easier to break down in water). You also get a lot more Epsom salts for your money if you buy it in a grow shop. If your soil does not contain Mg, you will need to use a feeding product that contains Mg. You should be able to buy secondary feeding products from your local grow shop. They come either in liquid, powder or granular format. Avoid using granules because they take more time to break down in the soil. Granule type foods tend to be ^slow release' foods. 'Formulex' is a good secondary food product that can be used to correct Mg problems.


Micronutrient problems rarely occur unless there is a problem with lockout. Lockout is a chemical reaction that takes place with the nutrients in the soil and can occur if a large amount of one single nutrient is added or if salt gets into your mixture. Old nutrient formulas can also cause lockout. It is simply a chemical reaction similar to a precipitation, which results in the combining of nutrients to form new chemical compounds that the plant can not use. Lockout is hard to detect. If you have problems with a disorder that you can not seem to solve by adding more of the missing nutrient, then you need to consider that this nutrient is locked out. If lockout does occur you will need to flush your soil. Soil flushing is described later in this chapter.


Feeding


Feeding is the process of adding nutrients that the plant has removed back into your soil. We mentioned that you would need a maximum of four feeding solutions throughout your plants' growth. The first is to be used during vegetative growth, the second during flowering and the third and fourth only as needed. Plant food comes in all different forms — from solids, to liquids, to sprays, to powders, to granules.The most common form is liquid and this comes in either bottles or large containers.


You should only feed your plants when they need increased nutrition. Otherwise, you will risk burning them. What this means is that you need to be able to judge when cannabis plants need food. In the previous section we looked at certain nutrient formulas and feeding routines, for example one feeding every seven days at 1/4 strength of what it says on the label during vegetative growth.


Some cannabis strains will need N more than others. You can detect this if your plants start to yellow at the base in first few weeks of vegetative growth. If this happens, reduce your feeding schedule from seven days to five days, then three, and so on until you solve the yellowing. This will tell you how often you need to feed your plants at 1/4 strength. Instead of watering at 1/4 strength* more frequently, you could feed your plants a higher-strength nutrient mixture, but you increase the risk of burning your plants this way. Even though plant burn does not usually kill a plant if you solve the problem quickly, it can stunt and stress growth.


The amount of feed that you'll use is relative to your growing conditions and strain. You should never have to feed cannabis daily. In fact, the most nutrient-consuming cannabis strains should only need to be fed once every five days at 75% strength. Marijuana plants burn easily so never mix your solution at 100 percent. We will note some exceptions to this rule below, but they are very uncommon. In all other situations you should abide by the rule. If the instructions say to use 1 capful of feed per gallon of water, then aim for 1/4 strength by using one cap to every four gallons. If the instructions say to use one capful of feed per two liters of water and you know that your plants need lots of nutrients then go for 1/2 strength by using one cap to every four liters of water.


Try not to reduce the cap size in your feeding equation because 1/4 caps tend to be only enough to feed a plant or two. When you mix plant food you will want to be able to feed many of your cannabis plants as possible.Three-gallon watering cans are best for the job if you have six plants or more. It is possible to burn plants even at half strength, so take care when feeding and observe the behavior of your plants after feeding. If any of the leaf edges crumple up and appear dark green/brown and flaky, then you have probably burned your plants. The only way to solve plant burn is with a soil flush.


There are some situations that call for mixing nutrient solutions at 100 percent strength but these are not common. They are:


1. If you are using 'special' cannabis nutrients. These are manufactured and sold in some European countries and can be legally imported into many other countries. You should still take security precautions when buying and storing these items, however, and make sure that it is not illegal to purchase or own them where you live. 'Special' cannabis nutrients are simply normal nutrients mixed at lower strengths so that they will not burn cannabis.


2. If your solution contains nutrient values of less than 5 percent. Doses of values lower than 5 percent on the bottle need to be mixed at higher ratios for some plants. An NPK value of 5:5:5 contains only 15 percent nutrients in the solution; the other 85 percent is usually just water. At 25 percent strength this nutrient solution will contain low nutrient values, so a more nutrient-hungry strain should be fed a higher-strength mixture. Some strains can use a 5:5:5 solution at 100 percent strength but this is not recommended because of potential plant burn.


3. If your individual plants are extremely large and flowering. Large, outdoor hybrid strains can consume lots of water and nutrients daily. In Australia, there are hybrid Sativa strains that grow to near tree-like proportions. Even though growers take care to ensure that the soil around the plant is rich in nutrients they may need to feed these plants more often to improve bud growth during flowering with a strong bloom mix. A 100 percent solution may help boost the plant but only if the grower is certain that the mixture will be spread evenly around the base. By watering in a circle starting from the base of the plant and moving outwards, the grower can ensure that the strong solution has been distributed evenly to the area surrounding the plant.The soil around the plant will absorb the new minerals at 100 percent strength and the roots will find these as they grow outwards. This kind of 100 percent boost can be good for large plants.


As a final note to this section it would be wise to point out that you should never put food directly from the bottle into your plant's soil.This probably will kill your plant. Always mix it with water first or you could end up having to perform an emergency soil flush.


SOIL CONTROL


As your plant grows through its life cycle; it absorbs minerals from the soil and deposits waste material of its own. We have already stated that cannabis plants need a steady pH level of 7.The removal of nutrients and addition of waste material can cause soil pH levels to fluctuate.


PH


You should check the pH level of your soil at least once every week and one or two days after feeding. A pH test kit can be purchased from most grow shops. Be aware that the electronic test kits can be expensive. pH test kits are unfortunately the only way to test your mixture's pH. If you find that your soil's pH has shifted out of the 6 to 8 range you need to bring the level back to 7. Recall that below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline.There are two ways to adjust the pH of the soil, and these are described below. You can also perform a soil flush. Soil flushing is not recommended except for in extreme circumstances, such as serious pH fluctuations or chemical burns.


++ pH - Bringing Back to Neutral from Acidic


If your soil's pH is too acidic you will want to bring it back to a neutral 7. You can do this using lime (alkaline calcium oxide), a brittle white caustic solid obtained by heating limestone. Lime can be bought in small containers from any grow shop and added to your soil the next time you water your plant. Only add small amounts each time, testing the pH the next day to monitor the effects. You'll find that, over time, you will get to know your soil and what it needs. Advanced growers know by trial and error how much lime they need to use to push acidic soil back to a pH level of 7.


++ pH - Bringing Back to Neutral from Alkaline


If the pH of your soil is too alkaline then you will want to bring it back to a neutral 7 by adding small amounts of any of the following:


• Cottonseed meal


• Lemon peels


• Coffee grounds


• A high-acidity fertilizer


Always introduce small amounts of the substance, checking the pH level the next day and readjusting as necessary. Over time, you'll know what measures to use for different pot sizes and soil mixes.


++ pH up / pH down


Chemical pH products are growing in popularity among professional growers. They essentially act as a chemical agent for adjusting your soil pH and are available in most grow shops. They come in two forms: up and down. There is also a third type of pH solution called a buffer. The buffer solution is always a neutral 7 and is used to calibrate instruments so that they read correctly when you use them to test pH.


Both pH up and pH down come in liquid form. pH down contains nitric acid at roughly 38 percent strength and pH up contains potassium hydroxide at roughly 50 percent strength. Always check the label to make sure.The rest of the solution is usually just water. It is not a good idea to use your pH caps as measuring devices as this could result in foreign elements being introduced into the pH solution.


To adjust pH, read the instructions on the bottle carefully. It is wise to use a clean syringe for measuring how much of the pH up or down formula you need to use but a beaker or plastic measuring jug will do. Carefully add the recommended amount to water and mix well.Then, add this to your soil mixture and check your pH level with a reader. In general, 0.5 ml of pH up or pH down will move the solution by +/-0.1 pH per three gallons of mixture. A normal size syringe will usually drop out anywhere between 0.1 ml and 0.5 ml at a time.


FOR EXAMPLE:


Say you have a three-gallon pot system and your soil tests at a level of 5.6 pH. You need to move this up to a stable 7 so you need to go +1.4 pH by using pH up. Here's how to do it. Simply fill a watering can with three gallons of water and test it using a pH meter to get the reading of the water. If it is 7 then all is fine. If not then you need to balance the water to 7 before adding the +1.4 pH up. So if your water has a pH of 6 then you need to add 2.4 pH up (1.4 pH up + 1.0 pH up) to bring the soil mixture back to 7 after watering. 2.4 pH up roughly translates to about 12 ml of pH up. Use a pH reader to test the end results, which should be +8.4 pH. Simply add this pH-treated water to the soil, which has a pH of 5.6 and it should balance back to 7 again. Check your soil's pH a day or two after treatment to confirm this.


pH is important because low or high pH levels can cause nutrient lockout to occur. pH irregularities can also cause growth stunting, leaf spots and wilting. Always check the pH level of your soil before treating a nutrient problem. Another thing to note is that nutrient formulas have their own pH levels and you can use your pH reader to check a nutrient solution's pH level. You may need to balance the nutrient pH using the method of control we have outlined above. Serious pH irregularities occur in cannabis either when the pH drops below 5.5 in soil or goes above 8. The normal level of 7 induces optimal growth. It must also be noted at this point that the pH level and treatment of hydroponic solutions is very different to soil.


WATER CONTROL


Water your plant at least every second or third day, or better still, as needed. Never let the soil dry out completely for long periods of time. The following method works well with good-sized three-gallon pots:


• Day A - water


• Day B - let dry


• Day C - let dry


• Day D - check soil and water if needed


Your watering schedule will really depend on the size of your pots and soil type. If you pick up your pot when it's dry, then try to pick up the same pot when it has been watered, you will feel the difference in weight. This is one way to judge if your pots need watering.


You can detect signs of underwatering and overwatering simply by observing your plants' leaves. Watch your plants for two to three days after you have watered them. Do the fan leaves point outward to receive more light or do they wilt downward? Wilting leaves can be a sign of either underwatering or overwatering. Check your soil. Is it dry? If so, then add more water. You may find that you need to water every day because your lighting discharges a lot of heat and your soil is a quick-draining kind. If your soil is wet, then leave the soil to dry out until your leaves pick up again. You'll eventually establish a pattern for your plants' watering needs.


Be aware that overwatering will eventually kill your plants. If this happens, you can only let the soil dry out and hope for the best. Using a fan near the surface of the soil is the single best way to help solve an overwatering problem. Transplants are difficult to do with wet soil. If you think you need to perform a transplant because of overwatering then do so — but remember that the soil will be wet and break up easily in your hands. Try and do the transplant quickly and neatly over a short working distance.Hope this is of use to y'all while we are discussing the need for good organic nutrients aswell as the topic of under/over watering and equally important keeping our ph levels optimum.If any of y'all want to see pictures of what all the types of deficciences are then click the link in my signature for icmag.com.Peace y'allotleaf:

 

Cheers for adding some valuable info to the thread,feel free to add more,i did mean to continue adding to this thread but got sidetracked,lol.Cheers

 

foxfamrs schedules>>


Here's a link to FOXFARMS feeding schedules courtesy of SMARMY ARMY,it offers soil and hydro version in a pdf downloadable format complete with pictures and everything,a must read for foxfarms users,cheers smarmy!


http://www.foxfarmfertilizer.com/feedingfox.html