First timer looking for advice

[CoastalKind]

Really? I've never, ever sprayed magnesium on anything. Magnesium deficiencies are rare, and magnesium toxcities are common in this world. Throw the Epsom salt away, and learn how to compost. Your plants will reward you. Keep using it and you'll soon be a regular at the infirmary forum.

It's true plants need and use magnesium, but in trace amounts. Good organic inputs, and compost has all the magnesium ( and most other trace elements) your plants will ever need.

Yes really, I have had to spray my plants with epsom salt twice this season to ward off deficiency. The plants greened up before my eyes every time. And if you want to stay organic you can pay more for organic epsom salt. It is a naturally occurring mineral. I could have added some other organic amendment to my soil but foliar sprays or available to the plant much quicker, and measuring a tablespoon into a gallon of water is easy and accurate. Why would I do something more difficult, less accurate, and slower? And how do you know I didn't heavily amend my soil and that maybe the variety of plant im growing is especially magnesium hungry? You don't. I didn't want my plants leaves to get magnesium later, I wanted them to get it as quickly as possible so they can get back to growing as best as possible. If I can see they need magnesium I'm going to give them fucking magnesium right then and there.

 

[CoastalKind]

Epsom Salt is bomb.

 

[CoastalKind]

If anyone wants a first rate foliar spray that has plenty of beneficial elements and compounds including growth hormones try alfalfa. A 50lb bag of alfalfa meal cost me $12-14 per 50lb. Organic alfalfa costs more but still reasonable. Here is what alfalfa meal brings to your plants.

http://www.answers.com/topic/chemical-composition-of-alfalfa-1

To use as a spray, put 1-2 cups in five gallons of water and let it sit 1-3 days, strain and use foliar.
to use as feed put 2-3 cups in five gallons of water, and 1 teaspoon of molasses and bubble 30-36 hours then drench feed.

You can scale up or down as needed. As a foliar spray, I see new growth within two days, like clockwork. As you can see in the link one important compound in alfalfa is triacontanol. It's a potent growth hormone, along with many many other beneficial compounds and elements. Take your time with that link and research those listed compounds and elements and decide for yourself if it's worth using.

You know what wasn't mentioned to be in alfalfa meal? FUCKING MAGNESIUM! I actually have a big bag of alfalfa meal that I use but you know what I don't use it for? Magnesium Deficiencies!

 

[CoastalKind]

P.S. you should take a bath in some epsom salt. It is good for you.

 

[CoastalKind]

Coastal - Yeah im used to using epsom salt, ive been growing for years, im just making the switch to organics. You dont think the dolomite lime addition is gonna cover the magnesium?

It may very well cover your magnesium. If it doesn't you know where to turn.

 

[Scrappy4]

Epsom Salt is bomb.

Researching and comprehending really is the bomb!

Myth based gardening isn't.

 

[CoastalKind]

What myth?

 

[UtmostFire]

Epsom salt catfight! Straight up though im trying to avoid epsom salt if i can.

 

[Scrappy4]

What myth?

The whole dolomite lime and cal mag myth in this case is what I'm talking about. Like someone just recently discovered there is even magnesium in alfalfa meal. Congradations! That is called research, well done. Now add two and two to draw your own conclusions. For a hint think why it's considered a trace element in horticulture. And what happens if there is too much.

 

[Red Fang]

I only read the first post so far but this thread is manna from heaven for me (especially as I am getting ready to do a test and do not want to make an utter foolish ass of myself) as I have always used this mix and something always seems a bit off nutrition-wise, no doubt my fault and not "burn-ones". His thread has gotten so big that I doubt I can find an answer there even if it was provided to me. I too mix 20 gallons at a time and hope to get the proportions geared to that for say blood bone meal, greensand and lime and kelp meal. I wonder if adding like 1 cup kelp meal per 20 gallons is way too little for 20 gallons or not. May we help each other? thanks!

 

[UtmostFire]

I only read the first post so far but this thread is manna from heaven for me (especially as I am getting ready to do a test and do not want to make an utter foolish ass of myself) as I have always used this mix and something always seems a bit off nutrition-wise, no doubt my fault and not "burn-ones". His thread has gotten so big that I doubt I can find an answer there even if it was provided to me. I too mix 20 gallons at a time and hope to get the proportions geared to that for say blood bone meal, greensand and lime and kelp meal. I wonder if adding like 1 cup kelp meal per 20 gallons is way too little for 20 gallons or not. May we help each other? thanks!

It says this mix is designed for a very short veg/straight to flower. I veg for a month so i was planning on topdressing with espoma bulb tone when i flip my plants to 12/12

 

[Lapides]

I've always vegged in smaller pots with that LC's Base mix, then transplanted them into their ultimate pot that has LC's + the dried ammendments for flowering.

 

[UtmostFire]

Ok lapides, i didnt know if a plant would make it thru a month veg on ewc and dolomite lime alone like in the base mix

 

[Luther Burbank]

Magnesium has never been considered a trace mineral in agriculture. It's considered a macro-nutrient; if you wanted to nitpick you could call it a Secondary Macro-Nutrient. I've never once seen it listed as a micro-nutrient, let alone a trace. No, most soils don't require much amending for Mg, and yes some soils in the midwest US are plagued by near Mg toxicity. But that doesn't change the amount of Mg used by plants, which is significant. Magnesium isn't some boogie man, and you seem to be mistaking some native soil having enough/too much Mg as plants not needing it.

Check the chart here, which admittedly is a general summation - http://soils.wisc.edu/facstaff/barak/soilscience326/macronut.htm

As you can see Mg and Ca each make up about .2% of the total mass. Go down to the actual trace minerals. Zinc makes up a meager 0.00002% of total mass. Molybdenum, .0000001%.

 

[SpaaaceCowboy]

Hey guys. Looking for a little help from the organic pros! i plan on running LC's Soiless Mix #2:
6 parts Pro Mix BX
2 parts perlite
2 parts earthworm castings
Powdered (NOT PELLETIZED) dolomite lime @ 2 tablespoons per gallon or 1 cup per cubic foot of the soiless mix.


And i plan on running it with this feeding schedule...


1 tablespoon Blood meal per gallon or 1/2 cup per cubic foot of soil mix
2 tablespoons Bone meal per gallon or 1 cup per cubic foot of soil mix
1-tablespoon kelp meal per gallon or 1/2 cup per cubic foot of soil mix
or Maxicrop 1-0-4 powdered kelp extract as directed
(OPTIONAL) 1 tablespoon per gallon or 1/2 cup per cubic foot of Jersey Greensand to supplement the K (potasium) in the Kelp Meal and seaweed extract.

I mixed 20 gallons total soil, all ratios to the tee of what the mix calls for with espoma amendments, and moistened the mix with 1 Tbsp/gal liquid karma, and plan on letting it cook 3 weeks. I plan on watering with plain water and occasional ewc teas. I was planning on vegging for a month, and i read that this mix was designed for one week veg, so i planned on topdressing with ewc and espomas Bulb tone at about week 2 or so of flower as i was told it was a great whole organic flower nutrient. Any advice/criticisms are welcome, im totally new to organics, im just curious if the experienced organic gardener thinks this is an acceptable plan of action. Thanks guys it feels good to be stepping in a more organic direction.

I'm also just getting into organics...We have very similar mediums...

Mine is Pro-mix HP, perlite, WC, lime, and Epsoma Garden Tone...I had some weird stunted runt clone I put in it...The plant was not really growing for weeks...I put it in the mix, topped it, and it took off....Today is day 2 of 12-12....Now I have to figure out what to give it during flowering...I would like to get into tea brewing but I may also topdress...

Subbed to your thread.

here are a few pics of the clone (those other two plants in the pic are almost done, and then I'll transplant her to a bigger pot)

 

[Granger2]

Careful with the cats. You don't want your plants to get fleas. It's sheer torture for them cuz they can't scratch. Good luck. -granger [JK]

 

[ct guy2]

I'm going to stay out of the magnesium debate. I put it into my soil initially and then don't worry about it. What I would add is this:

Don't waste your money on organic versions of minerals. They're inorganic by their very nature and the only difference is one company paid $ for an organic certification and therefore charges more for the product.