organic nutrient question

[Guest]

ok, so righ now i have a soil-less mix and i am using this recipe:

5x spaghnum peat
3x perlite
1x EWC
and 2tbs/gallon of powdered dolomite lime.

watering with 1tbs/gallon of blackstrap molasses in nestle bottled water. i know that the blackstrap is high in K (potassium)

can someone tell me which each of these things i listed above is in NPK and what things can i add into my transplant so i wont have to use any liquid nutrients?

 

[Brastaman]

crab & shrimp compost
kelp
bird shet.

 

[Guest]

anyone else have some info? i would like to know which nutrient each of my ingredient is...

 

[Suby]

Most of the elements you listed (peat, perlite)there qualitfy as a substrate not as nutrients, substrate are the material that will house the the beneficial bacteria, water, and oxygen they have some but so little it's not worth listing.

Worm castings have some N but very little, it is used as a source of beneficial bacteria that will propagate throughout your substrate and chew the ammendments you add into forms that the root system can absorb.

Dolomite Lime is a source of magnesium and calcium which MJ plants need lots of, it's main role however is to maintain you soil ph within a range that is beneficial for soil and thus nutrient activity.

Here is a list of some good and widely available ammendments for you girls.



Sub's

 

[Guest]

what other things should i add to my mix so i wont have to use any liquid nutrients? i want to be all organic from veg through to flower.

 

[Guest]

i am watering with mollasses in my water which is supposedly high in K and has lots of micro nutrients. do you think i should add some blood meal and bone meal into my next transplant?

 

[Suby]

sry for the delay

sry for the delay

Hey C,

Here is what I consider a base mix

60% peat based mix with added perlite (Pro-Mix HP,Sushine Mix,etc.)
30% perlite for proper drainage and oxygen to roots
10% worm castings, they provide some N, micros, and beneficial bacteria

To each gallon of this mix I add:

2 TBS/gal dolomite lime, provides a ph buffer around 7
1 TBS/gal blood meal for N
2 TBS/gal bone mean for P (flowering mix only)
1 TBS/gal kelp meal or ground seaweed for K and trace elements

The most important step is now to compost your soil mix for 2 weeks before using it, you want to wet the mix to create an environment where the beneficials in the soil start munching on the soil elements and creating a stable environment with some nutes ready to go for a well rooted clone.\

Burn1 taught me to wet my mix with LiquidKarma at 1TBS/gallon of water, you may also make your own using the following per gallon of water:

1TBS black strap molasses

it feeds the bacteria like candy and keeps them in high number in your soil, plus in contains micros

1TBS Humic and/or fulvic acids

these are an integral part of an organic food web and already occurs in the peat and worm catings, it's the result of decomposition and acts as a soil buffer

You should wet the mix until you cab barely squeeze a few drops from a fistfull of soil mix.
Let this sit 2 weeks loosely covered, stir it up to keep the mix full of oxygen.
Good bacteria :smile: need oxygen (aerobic) , bad bacteria do not (anaerobic).

At some point in veg you might need to use an organic fertilizer high in N or high N bat guano in a tea , this will depend in how long or how big you veg your plants.
About halfway through flowering you will need some additional nutes, a small boost of N with a healthy boost of P and K is good, a tea of high P guano and liquid seaweed is a good flowering mix.

If you need some tea recipies buzz me .


Suby

 

[Guest]

yeah, some tea recipes would be great. what do you mean tea though? do i put all of this stuff in a tea bag and let it steep and water my plant with it?

 

[Suby]

Everything I listed above you mix into your soil, the molasses and humics I listed later you mix with water to wet your soil mix.
Teas are brews of fertilizer, we call it a tea because usually we use a cloth bag and add sources of nutrients (worm castings, bat guanos, blood, bone or seaweed meal)and tie a knot to keep them inside the bag. ( a few TBS of each )
Then we drop the bag in some water and let the elements in the "teabag" seep into the water, some LiquidKarma and molasses can be added to the water ( 1TBS of each per gallon)
To encourage good bacteria to popluate the tea we put an airstone hooked to an aquarium pump to "bubble the tea.
After 24-48 hrs of brewing it's ready to water your plants and will be full of nutes and a new dose of microbes to chew on them to feed the plants.

Teas are only for later in the grow when the additives in your soil mix have depleated enough to starve the plant of much needed nutrients.

Sub's

 

[Brastaman]

I have always been scared of that bone meal and blood meal stuff. Especially since the whole mad cow disease craze. The hormones they feed animals now in the amounts they do are crazy body lifting status.

Should I fear the unknown?

 

[Guest]

can you brew the tea without the airstone and pump?

this is my soilless mix:

5x spaghnum peat
3x perlite
1x EWC
2tbs/gallon of dolomite lime

do you think next transplant i could mix this in aswell:

1 TBS/gal blood meal for N
2 TBS/gal bone mean for P (flowering mix only)
1 TBS/gal kelp meal or ground seaweed for K and trace elements

and just water with molasses and the 1TBS Humic and/or fulvic acids per gallon?

im reluctant on the tea just because of the air pump and air stone, im on a REAL tight budget.

can you give me a list of things i would need, and the average price for them?

 

[sproutco]

Excellent information and questions everyone. Somebody needed to liven up this forum.

 

[Suby]

Hey Sproutco,

Agreed, we need to stick together 'cause organics are just not what they used to be.
At least people in this forum are civil and respect other people's opinions.
What we really need are some stickies to help the new guys out, to give them some detailed info to munch on as well as an overview.

CurtisD:

That mix is perfect, remember to compost it 2 weeks and stir the mix.

Lowes, Home Depot, etc.

An aistone 3$
An airpump 12$
ProMix 25$
Perlite 8$
Pots and tray 10$
Thermostat/ humidity meter 10$
Bone Meal 8$
Blood Meal 8$

Livestock or Farming Shop

Dolomite Lime
BlackStrap Molasses

Hydroponic Shop

Be weary of anything the vendors say, they are there to make you spend.
Stick to a list when you go in and you'll be cool.

Liquid Seaweed
Kelp Meal
Worm Castings
Liquid Karma or other Fulvic/Humic acid
Dolomite Lime ?
Some High P guano is nice to have on hand also

Prices in these stores vary on geography and such other bullshit, to save order off the net with a secure address, it can be a good way to go.

The thing with most of these ingredients is that they go a long way, you have a complete list here so cut as your budget permits, it is IMHO no more expensive than hydro once you get the basics.

 

[Guest]

suby, you say to use promix... what is promix? is it a potting soil? i want to be soilless... this is my mix

5x spaghnum peat
3x perlite
1x ewc

if i mix in all the other stuff you said, will i be good to go?

isnt blackstrap the same as liquidkarma????

i just looked at the promix, it just peat right? can i substitute the promix with the spaghnum?

 

[sproutco]

Promix comes in different formulations based on peat usually. It is a soilless mix. Promix hp is the most fluffy (hp=high porosity). Fafard mix 3 is also excellent for a soilless mix. It contains composted pinebark as well for disease suppression.

If you use peatmoss in your mix, you should add dolomite to raise the ph and provide calcium and magnesium. Peatmoss is very acidic. Try about 1/4 cup per cubic foot of peatmoss or 2 teaspoons per gallon container of peatmoss. (This would be 5# per 27 cubic foot or 1 yard of soil) Other growers here at icmag may be using 3x this rate.

 

[Suby]

ProMix is just peat with a little lime and some perlite added, using plain peat is fine as long as you use the dolomite lime like Sproutco mentioned.

LiquidKarma is alot more complexe in formulation, it is an organic cocktail of micronutes, humic/fulvic acids, sugar can and molasses, and alot of other things, it bridges the gaps in my opinion and makes things easier for a new grower but you can skip it and just use some liquid seaweed and molasses and a little fulvic acid.

 

[Guest]

do you think i should scratch the spaghnum and just use promix hp instead? or can i use the spaghnum? ive already got my plant (2wks old) in my current mix.

 

[Guest]

ok, so if i understand correctly, i can either use the liquidkarma, or use the molasses with the humic and fulvic acid in it.

can i take the above water recipe and use it as my base, then put the "tea bag" in it?

 

[Guest]

this is what my mix is going to probably be:

5x spaghnum peat
3x perlite
1x earth worm castings

and this is the additives i will add:

1 TBS/gal blood meal for N
2 TBS/gal bone meal for P (flowering mix only)
1 TBS/gal kelp meal or ground seaweed for K and trace elements
2 TBS/gal dolomite lime

in my water i will have:

1 TBS/gal of Blackstrap Molasses
1 TBS/gal Humic and/or fulvic acids

can you tell me which things i should put in my tea? i already have EWC in my soilless mix, but should i still put it in my teabag with the other things? does this mix look alright?

 

[Suby]

ok, so if i understand correctly, i can either use the liquidkarma, or use the molasses with the humic and fulvic acid in it.

can i take the above water recipe and use it as my base, then put the "tea bag" in it?

Exactly, yes.

I like the Promix so if you can find it use it.

As for teas

Use the EWC, molasses, and fulvics as a base, you could water a light tea of this every watering and it would be fine, use 2TBS of each in 2-3 gallons of water and "bubble it" for best results.

When you need to boot nutrient levels in flowering put:

2 TBS of bone meal and
1/2TBS of blood meal
1TBS of liquid seaweed

in a sock or old teashirt and add it to your base mix of molasses , f acids, and EWC.

Sub's