FF nutes have an every watering dosage, Grow Big is 1tsp/gal, and a heavy feeding dosage, GB is 2-3tsp/gal. I have been using the 1tsp/gal dosage on some 5 week olds and things seem to be fine, no nute burn. When/how would I need to use just plain water? Im worried, they will starve in between feedings because it takes about a week or more for the pots (6" square) to dry out completely and the soil mix (50/50 mix FFOF/Perlite)probably has very little if any nutes left by now. Should I flush the pots every 3rd watering or so, then feed using 1tsp/gal immediately after they have been flushed so they dont starve?
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FoxFarms Every Watering Dosage - When to use plain H20?
- Thread starter kalikush
- Start date
B00st3d
Member
They wont starve, Growbig is sum potent stuff so be careful. I personally have never fertilizied a plant in the first 3 or 4 weeks of veg in almost 10 years of growing. Usually the soil mix has enough to last at least 4 weeks esp the FFOF. I wouldnt even feed it anymore until u start flowering. You only need to flush once in a while , maybe every several weeks or so tops IMO. The problem with that FFOF is that it doesnt drain for shit and it stays dry on top but in the middle its still wet which makes it hard to determine when it needs water sometimes. Im phasing out the FFOF since it doesnt drain really at all. I find that I get worse salt buildups with the FFOF and with perlite/promix/ewc I get no salt buildup at all. Id say u gotta def flush less with a simpler soil mix then FFOF. just my 2 cents
Albert Hofmann
Member
feed with every other watering using their schedule to start with.
Eli Bloom
Member
kalikush- FF offers 2 feeding schedules...there's the one on the back of the bottles, which i think is for if you were to be using that by itsself, there's another one (i got it at the hydro store), which includes their full line of nutes and requires feeding only every other watering...if you can't find it i'll type it up for you...cuz i'm THAT cool. lemme know
p.s. i don't understand why you would want to flush if you're worried about them becoming nute def.
p.p.s. you guys should mix some hydroton in with you're ffof to help break it up...that's what i do w/ sunshine 4, and i get amazing drainage all the way through. the roots LOVE it too, they wrap up all around that shit.
p.s. i don't understand why you would want to flush if you're worried about them becoming nute def.
p.p.s. you guys should mix some hydroton in with you're ffof to help break it up...that's what i do w/ sunshine 4, and i get amazing drainage all the way through. the roots LOVE it too, they wrap up all around that shit.
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JoeRocket2
Member
I use a 50/50 mix of FF OF and chunky pearlite and it seems to drain pretty well.
2 cents
2 cents
Yer usein 6" pots with 5 week old plants and the soil is cut in half with perlite and it takes a week er more for them ta dry out? Are these pots the lil square pots or nursery pots? They should be dryin out alil faster than that? do ya have plenty of drainage holes in em? I use FFOF soil cut at 30% and mine need water every 3 days (in flower) but I have a TON of holes in the bottoms.The only thing that holds the water in is the soil itself.This way there is no way of over watering and there's LOTS OF AIR.......The thing about growing in soil is that if you have a problem with nutes; too much or not enough,the plant will tell you.The cool thing is that it will do it slowly so you have plenty of time to correct it.So you can relax alil bit.In veg the soil will purdy much carry it fer the first sevral weeks.After that GB about every third watering will give her all she needs without building salts up in yer soil.If yer worried about salt build up now,go ahead and flush em.Make sure ya have plenty of holes in the bottoms tho,so it goes right through.Then like you said,a dose of GB on the last one.If ya have anymore questions/problems jus hollar,always glad ta help! Good luck and take care...BC
2 cents
Yer usein 6" pots with 5 week old plants and the soil is cut in half with perlite and it takes a week er more for them ta dry out? Are these pots the lil square pots or nursery pots? They should be dryin out alil faster than that? do ya have plenty of drainage holes in em? I use FFOF soil cut at 30% and mine need water every 3 days (in flower) but I have a TON of holes in the bottoms.The only thing that holds the water in is the soil itself.This way there is no way of over watering and there's LOTS OF AIR.......The thing about growing in soil is that if you have a problem with nutes; too much or not enough,the plant will tell you.The cool thing is that it will do it slowly so you have plenty of time to correct it.So you can relax alil bit.In veg the soil will purdy much carry it fer the first sevral weeks.After that GB about every third watering will give her all she needs without building salts up in yer soil.If yer worried about salt build up now,go ahead and flush em.Make sure ya have plenty of holes in the bottoms tho,so it goes right through.Then like you said,a dose of GB on the last one.If ya have anymore questions/problems jus hollar,always glad ta help! Good luck and take care...BC
jdubz206
Member
B.C. said:
i have an issue with FFOF draining as well. i'm flowering in 1 gallon grow bags. the clones were vegged to about 6-8" before they went in t flower. i mix ffof with 1/3rd perlite and line the bottom 1-2" of the grow bag with hydroton for drainage. it takes 3-5 weeks for the plants to suck up the water. i'm going back to mjr blend, i like it way better and it's cheaper.
B00st3d - I dont think the 50/50 mix would last 4 weeks. They were started in plain soil without nutes, then put into the 50/50 mix when they showed signs of being hungry (about 2 weeks later) so they probably been in the mix for 3-4 weeks now. 1 was just given plaing water and yellowed quickly, the others were fed 1tsp/gal right off the bat. I didnt notice any nute burn, but the one that got plaing water looked deficient until recently, like 3rd watering. The 50/50 mix seems to drain pretty well, I sifted out the dust in the perlite tho.
Eli Bloom - I’ve seen the printed schedule but from what I remember, the dosage is way potent. I think it recommends feeding the the bloom nutes during veg too. I’ve tried their suggested dosages before and now I start off light and work my way up. I want to flush because I thought you should use only plain water every other or every third watering. I’ll look into hydroton but I think the 50/50 mix works well for drainage.
B.C. - These are the square pots from the hydro store and I agree, they are taking a while to dry out. They were transplanted into this mix only a couple weeks ago so the roots are still filling out and temps have been high 70’s. They seem to drain well but I didn’t put more holes in the bottom of the pots. I actually did over water them in the beginning but got a kitchen scale now to figure out the completely dry weight. Still figuring it out tho. I agree, soil is much more forgiving.. Some plants started yellowing when put into the new soil and given plain water, the others did fine with 1tsp/gal right after transplant. I don’t know that Im too worried about build up yet but a lot of people say to only use nutes every other or every third watering. Im guessing this is a must if using heavy nutes but Im unsure since I’ve only been using light dosages..
jdubz206 - try the 50/50 mix and use chunky perlite if you can find it, if not, sift the dust from the regular stuff. Seems to drain well but the soil strength is probably pretty weak when cut that much.
Eli Bloom - I’ve seen the printed schedule but from what I remember, the dosage is way potent. I think it recommends feeding the the bloom nutes during veg too. I’ve tried their suggested dosages before and now I start off light and work my way up. I want to flush because I thought you should use only plain water every other or every third watering. I’ll look into hydroton but I think the 50/50 mix works well for drainage.
B.C. - These are the square pots from the hydro store and I agree, they are taking a while to dry out. They were transplanted into this mix only a couple weeks ago so the roots are still filling out and temps have been high 70’s. They seem to drain well but I didn’t put more holes in the bottom of the pots. I actually did over water them in the beginning but got a kitchen scale now to figure out the completely dry weight. Still figuring it out tho. I agree, soil is much more forgiving.. Some plants started yellowing when put into the new soil and given plain water, the others did fine with 1tsp/gal right after transplant. I don’t know that Im too worried about build up yet but a lot of people say to only use nutes every other or every third watering. Im guessing this is a must if using heavy nutes but Im unsure since I’ve only been using light dosages..
jdubz206 - try the 50/50 mix and use chunky perlite if you can find it, if not, sift the dust from the regular stuff. Seems to drain well but the soil strength is probably pretty weak when cut that much.
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G
Guest
B.C.---ROFLMAO. No overkill at all, that is Tough Love.
Screw studying, cracking the books, finding a Mentor, establishing good order and disciplines, and applying knowledge built upon the basics of growing.
Reminds me of the J.J. Wentworth scam artists on the television, " it's my money.....and I want it NOW".
BC, you're good dude....Really Good------I like your philosophy.
My Respects Amused One,
TyStik
Fast track pot growingLOL
Screw studying, cracking the books, finding a Mentor, establishing good order and disciplines, and applying knowledge built upon the basics of growing.
Reminds me of the J.J. Wentworth scam artists on the television, " it's my money.....and I want it NOW".
BC, you're good dude....Really Good------I like your philosophy.
My Respects Amused One,
TyStik
Fast track pot growingLOL
Hey B.C. I have to agree with Ty-Stik, definately not overkill.. I actually, really appreciate the time you took to respond! 
I like the idea of having a soil mix that cant be over watered, I was going for that type of mix myself. I think the 50/50 mix is on the right track but my seedling mix could have used a lot more perlite. I think that may have something to do with the time it takes to dry out as that seedling mix holds TONS of water. They were just 16oz'ers but most of the root mass is probably still in there for even now when they are weighing very light and most of the soil is dry, they are not wilting as much as I would think.
I might take a look at the bottom of the pots and maybe add a couple more holes if needed.
Again, thanks for the response =)
And
"Fast track pot growingLOL"
I dont know if one exsists either but, it doesnt have to look like 'homegrown' forever
I like the idea of having a soil mix that cant be over watered, I was going for that type of mix myself. I think the 50/50 mix is on the right track but my seedling mix could have used a lot more perlite. I think that may have something to do with the time it takes to dry out as that seedling mix holds TONS of water. They were just 16oz'ers but most of the root mass is probably still in there for even now when they are weighing very light and most of the soil is dry, they are not wilting as much as I would think.
I might take a look at the bottom of the pots and maybe add a couple more holes if needed.
Again, thanks for the response =)
And
"Fast track pot growingLOL"
I dont know if one exsists either but, it doesnt have to look like 'homegrown' forever
Well thanks,makes me feel like what I'm doin is worth while.I posted that before Kalikush edited his responce which didn't included me.So at first I thought he might have thought why is this tard tellin me this redundant shit for.LOL Oh well I'm glad it helped. BC
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B00st3d
Member
I have some in a FFOF/promix/ewc/perlite even blend as well as a FFOF/Perlite 50/50 blend, as well as several other blends and I can never get good drainage except for my plants that have only 25 percent FFOF or less. I have 2 fuill bags here collecting dust. So I been using it sparingly in my new mixes just to kinda ammend the soil you could say. I dont know about your 50/50 mix of ffof and promix but when mixed 50 50 with perlite it still just drains ok for me. Then I water my babies that are in cococan/perlite and the water goes right thru em , no comparison. I like my mix of good ole promix/perlite/ewc/vermiculite actually. I think my yield with the FFOF were a lil better but its such a pain in the ass to flush. Takes like 30 minutes for one plant to flush, so unless you have everything in a tray with a drainage plug u can pull, it becomes time consuming. Im glad your gettin good drainage with your promix/ffo blend tho. And as far as feeding goes, I can pnly speak from my experience, I dont usually ever feed anything during veg and I get some monster bushes that usually yield between 5-6 ounces under 600hps. Good luck with your grow
B.C. said:
LOL I had to go do something in the middle or responding to everyone so I just posted what I had so far. You got a really quick response time!
B00st3d - I guess my mix doesnt drain super fast like you are talking about. But its soil and it seems if it goes through too fast, the water doesnt saturate all of the soil. Yea and I guess you gotta leave em sit for a few minutes after watering in a tray but hey its a labor of love right?
Sorry it isnt working out for you, hope the coke/perlite works better
Buzz Lightyear
Member
When you apply the fertilizer water to the container, ensure that you get alot of runoff. 20% or more of what you apply should pour out the bottom. This will prevent excess salt buildup. You should not need to use plain water. If your only watering once a week (infrequently), you make the fert water stronger than if you were watering 2-3x a week. 1 teaspoon grow big 6-4-4 per gallon of water gives you about 75ppm nitrogen. This is weak. You might experiment and try a heavier dose.
Happy growing icmag!
Happy growing icmag!
I was wrong on the pot size too, they are only about 5" across, not 6".
Buzz- I have been using about 1/2 gallon of water per pot to make sure all the soil is fully saturated and I get a lot of runoff. I think I could get away with using only a 1/3 gallon per pot and still get decent runoff. I'll try this out next watering.
I guess its also strain/pheno dependant on the nutes. The sativa and indica pheno have been getting the same nutes strengh but one is yellowing the other is not. I might try a little heavier dosage next watering.
I think if I really want to flush it, I can with plain water and give a light dosage with the last water.
Buzz- I have been using about 1/2 gallon of water per pot to make sure all the soil is fully saturated and I get a lot of runoff. I think I could get away with using only a 1/3 gallon per pot and still get decent runoff. I'll try this out next watering.
I guess its also strain/pheno dependant on the nutes. The sativa and indica pheno have been getting the same nutes strengh but one is yellowing the other is not. I might try a little heavier dosage next watering.
I think if I really want to flush it, I can with plain water and give a light dosage with the last water.
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Eli Bloom said:
haha that made me lauph.
heres the chart you were talking about:
http://www.planetnatural.com/planetnatural/images/ff-feed-soil.pdf
I've been going by the bottle not the chart.
What would you recommend to help with the poor drainage, and what mixture? Totally feel you on the getting dry on the surface but not in the middle, had to deal with that. I basically just look at the plants and they start to droop, I know its time.
Also what would you reccomend for a micro neut suppliment? My last 2 grows had def issues, saved my current one w/ Fish and Poop, CalMag and they are going great but I'm curious if I should just keep it in rotation for all grows?
Thanks for any advice
turtlejoint
New member
FFOF
FFOF
i use a 70/30 mix of FFOF and Light Warrior and i wouldnt change a got damn thing. I like the way that it drains in this consistency and my plants only had a buildup issue because I was feeding them veg nutes during the 1st few weeks while there were already plenty of nutes in the soil (im on a botanicare regimen with a little hygrozyme, wet betty and pot of gold thrown in for good measure) anyway i flushed them and they were fine. right now i am on a 2 nutes one water rotation meaning i water with fresh water once for every two nute waterings. I mist every day to aide in humidity.
my 2 scents.
FFOF
i use a 70/30 mix of FFOF and Light Warrior and i wouldnt change a got damn thing. I like the way that it drains in this consistency and my plants only had a buildup issue because I was feeding them veg nutes during the 1st few weeks while there were already plenty of nutes in the soil (im on a botanicare regimen with a little hygrozyme, wet betty and pot of gold thrown in for good measure) anyway i flushed them and they were fine. right now i am on a 2 nutes one water rotation meaning i water with fresh water once for every two nute waterings. I mist every day to aide in humidity.
my 2 scents.
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FAT MAT
New member
i use ff liquid nutes and i have ff soil also. my results seem good so far. i use only half of the recomended dosage the feeding schedule suggests because i started to get burnt leaves but all settled nicely when i cut to half the dosage. the next time around im going to go with ff light warrior and half ffof. the light warrior is a good light mix that runs off a little to good for me. so i figured if i mix it with a slightly heavier soil it should hold the moisture as well as have a good run off. as far as the nutes go, i only feed to an every third watering schedule. is this a good direction to take? i know trial and error is the best method but some good advice is good also. cheers.
