Osmocote, my favorite plant food - easy peasy, complete

[Old Uncle Ben]

I have a bunch of the products similar to Jobes organics. It's the stuff that stinks and claims to have microbes and what not in it. Some come as pellets, and others it's all the ground up beaks and feet just thrown in a bag (Dr. Earth).
Is there any way this could included in a "formula" with the osmocote?

Ag labels for herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. come with caveats, warnings as to what to can and should not use them with. They also recommend doing a trial plant to see if phyto-toxicity shows.

What's in those other products and why do you think you NEED them? Because you have them in stock and want to push your plants?

UB

 

[Brother Nature]

I doubt it the pH will be effected to any great degree.

Plants are looking good, good job!

Thanks mate. From looking through my previous notes, I had this same issue with my non-osmocote grows and generally a lot earlier. Have been looking at the soil amendments I'd been using and the 'bio-fert' I'd added to the mix has a whopping 25% calcium rating. I'm now thinking I don't have calcium deficiency but calcium antagonism as the symptoms I've seen in the past and this grow were more related to mg, fe, and k, I had also tried adding more calcium in past grows to negative effect. If anything the osmocote seems to have helped in this run.

Wanted to address some of the previous comments I'd seen about too much N and urea effecting yield and taste. This run of Zkittles has the best smell, structure and yield of the many runs I've done with this plant. Yield is doubled easily and the structure of the buds is much better, taste and high will be the decider, but so far, I'm really looking forward to the final product.

I also had a plant I had added osmocote to about 3 weeks into flower, a small amount top dressed, and she went through full senescence and is one of the strongest plants I've smoked in quite some time. Phantom Cookies Black Domina x Green Poison, had me giggly and tripping on words after only a single bong load last night. Shared some with another heavy stoner mate and he went quiet for a few hours...

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Thanks mate. From looking through my previous notes, I had this same issue with my non-osmocote grows and generally a lot earlier. Have been looking at the soil amendments I'd been using and the 'bio-fert' I'd added to the mix has a whopping 25% calcium rating. I'm now thinking I don't have calcium deficiency but calcium antagonism as the symptoms I've seen in the past and this grow were more related to mg, fe, and k, I had also tried adding more calcium in past grows to negative effect. If anything the osmocote seems to have helped in this run.

Wanted to address some of the previous comments I'd seen about too much N and urea effecting yield and taste. This run of Zkittles has the best smell, structure and yield of the many runs I've done with this plant. Yield is doubled easily and the structure of the buds is much better, taste and high will be the decider, but so far, I'm really looking forward to the final product.

I also had a plant I had added osmocote to about 3 weeks into flower, a small amount top dressed, and she went through full senescence and is one of the strongest plants I've smoked in quite some time. Phantom Cookies Black Domina x Green Poison, had me giggly and tripping on words after only a single bong load last night. Shared some with another heavy stoner mate and he went quiet for a few hours...

Yeah, less is more. There's been times when I didn't add Ca and the plants did just fine. Forums are an interesting study in individual and group psychology. Some one starts some "gotta have XYZ" crap and the rumor mill runs with it. I remember when Mg was The Thing. Now folks are fixated on Ca, abusing it, and their plants show it.

Love those leaf colors. Got the same thing with some indicas early this year. Am hydrating indicas now. Sowed some, 3 have popped recently. Will feed them Os. again.

Like you, the smell is incredible and STRONG. I put an oz. in a large ice chest for about 3 hours, can STIll smell it.

Here's a re-vegged Lapis Mtn. Indica just before harvest.

Good luck,
Tio

 

[Brother Nature]

Have just purchased my next grows ferts and medium, $50ish for roughly 16 plants from veg through flower. Pretty hard to beat that when a just a small bottle of cannabis specific flowering nutes costs roughly the same and you'll be lucky if it lasts the run. Have some karma testers to run soon as well so this will be a well documented grow using my soil mix, osmocote, and only water.

Was starting to dislike the soil runs but this has brought the horticulturalist back out of me and I'm getting excited about it again....

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Have just purchased my next grows ferts and medium, $50ish for roughly 16 plants from veg through flower. Pretty hard to beat that when a just a small bottle of cannabis specific flowering nutes costs roughly the same and you'll be lucky if it lasts the run. Have some karma testers to run soon as well so this will be a well documented grow using my soil mix, osmocote, and only water.

Was starting to dislike the soil runs but this has brought the horticulturalist back out of me and I'm getting excited about it again....

Pretty funny, eh! I bet I spend all of a buck to feed 4 plants in 3 gal. pots all said and done.

The waste of money on crap products around here is outrageous.

 

[alvin88]

Well Im sold for my outdoor grow. Ive been rocking Foliage Pro indoors for years and love the ratio. For outdoor I've been using a 15-15-15 granule, but it requires reapplication every 2-3 weeks. Osmocote seems like the perfect blend I've been waiting for amd didn't know about.

I have a couple questions.

Is it possible to load a pot with the recommended amount, and then transplant? Or do you need a well established plant first?

And also, how many times a year in a full outdoor season (6-7 months) would be sufficient? Once at transplant and once towards end of veg?

I have 12x 300 gallon pots

edit: gonna have my morning smoke and read through the depth of this thread and hope to find d more answers. Thanks to anyone that helps thou!gh

 

[piper]

ha ha

this reminds back in the day at CW, i used to grow in miracle grow just to piss people off because they said not to do it, my pics proved otherwise, it's not rocket science ..

no, i don't use it normally, i use pro-mix & jacks 20-20-20 for veg and jacks 10-30-20 flower
gypsum and epsom salts for calmag

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

ha ha

this reminds back in the day at CW, i used to grow in miracle grow just to piss people off because they said not to do it, my pics proved otherwise, it's not rocket science ..

no, i don't use it normally, i use pro-mix & jacks 20-20-20 for veg and jacks 10-30-20 flower
gypsum and epsom salts for calmag

I'm still pissing people off!

Those were the days. Sure you heard Shabang and some of the others in his tribe got busted big time. Silk Road stuff.

Such fun,
Uncle Ben

 

[therevverend]

Great thread. I have an old grower buddy. He's been a dedicated organic grower for decades. But he always get tempted. Ask me what would happen if he did a little 'experiment', add Osmocote and blow up his buds for maximum profit. I always think of him and laugh a little when I see the stuff on the shelf at Fred Myers.

 

[SenyVinter]

You're absolutely onto something with Osmocote! It's like plant food magic that keeps your green buddies happy and healthy.

And hey, not only are your plants thriving, but you've also got some fine cannabis on your hands. That sweet flavor and smooth smoke sound amazing!

Thanks for sharing the tip about where to get Osmocote in bulk. It's always good to know where to find the best deals. By the way, if you ever need a break from gardening and find yourself craving something yummy, you can always search for irish breakfast near me. It's a delightful way to treat yourself.

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

You're absolutely onto something with Osmocote! It's like plant food magic that keeps your green buddies happy and healthy.

Used it for 40 years. Gonna use it again for my new garden.

 

[Brother Nature]

Quick update on my harvest with Osmocote. Out of the 5 plants I used it on, the return was just over half a pound (10.5 Oz's). The Zkittles is definitely more potent than the last round, but it got the right nute profile this run so makes sense. One thing I noticed is the lack of P in the Osmocote I used, it definitely showed later in flower and the added BioPhos didn't seem to get absorbed at the same rate so I am seeing deficiencies in the more picky plants. Stem sizes also didn't impress, but I would put that down more to my watering and timing in veg and up potting than the nutrients used, had the same issues in the non-osmocote plants.

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

You're absolutely onto something with Osmocote! It's like plant food magic that keeps your green buddies happy and healthy.

And hey, not only are your plants thriving, but you've also got some fine cannabis on your hands. That sweet flavor and smooth smoke sound amazing!

Thanks for sharing the tip about where to get Osmocote in bulk. It's always good to know where to find the best deals. By the way, if you ever need a break from gardening and find yourself craving something yummy, you can always search for irish breakfast near me. It's a delightful way to treat yourself.

Missed this one, looks delish! I'm a foodie, need to visit Ireland for a different culinary twist.

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Quick update on my harvest with Osmocote. Out of the 5 plants I used it on, the return was just over half a pound (10.5 Oz's). The Zkittles is definitely more potent than the last round, but it got the right nute profile this run so makes sense. One thing I noticed is the lack of P in the Osmocote I used, it definitely showed later in flower and the added BioPhos didn't seem to get absorbed at the same rate so I am seeing deficiencies in the more picky plants. Stem sizes also didn't impress, but I would put that down more to my watering and timing in veg and up potting than the nutrients used, had the same issues in the non-osmocote plants.

Sorry to hear about this. Never heard of a Osmocote food that doesn't include P. Was it a low light, low stretch winter mix for greenhouses perhaps? High P foods induce stretch contrary to the crap you read in these forums that lay it on too much N.

My NPK is 15-9-12 with micros. Doesn't get any more complete, balanced and easy as that. See my link @Brother Nature. They are exploding. Am giving them plenty of pure water only.

Grow hard,
Uncle Ben

 

[Brother Nature]

The one I was using was a 12-2-8, it didn’t affect all plants only the picky c99 I’ve been running. It could be due to something else too, my tent is only a 1.2m squared space and has a cmh and 300w led in there currently which seems to be overkill for some plants as well as it’s now mid summer here so heat and humidity could be contributing factors. All in all I’m super happy with the results of the osmocote grow, just need to tweak it a bit more to my current setup and I’ll be laughing.

 

[i.love.scotch]

Lapis Mountain Indica by Cannacopia! Wow what a throw back. That was one of my first plants I grew.

Very cool info on the Osmocote. It's been nice to see our use of fertilizer come back down to earth after the 'dozen bottle' nutrient line trends of decades past

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Lapis is a strange brew. Contrary to indica paradigms it has a clear high, very pleasant with no paranoid stuff going on.

 

[Tomatoesonly]

The one I was using was a 12-2-8, it didn’t affect all plants only the picky c99 I’ve been running. It could be due to something else too, my tent is only a 1.2m squared space and has a cmh and 300w led in there currently which seems to be overkill for some plants as well as it’s now mid summer here so heat and humidity could be contributing factors. All in all I’m super happy with the results of the osmocote grow, just need to tweak it a bit more to my current setup and I’ll be laughing.

Shows just how low that P can go for alot of grows.
My eyes have been opened at just how simple Osmo can make things. I've got plants now that look so much better than anything I was messing with in the past.
Took an assload of clones, because you know they die off and some make it some don't, except this time. Used "osmo-soil", now I have an entire flat of super healthy clones. My heart is gonna hurt when I have to cull them to make room.

 

[Brother Nature]

Yeah I'm loving how happy it makes my clones and seedlings..

 

[Ca++]

High P foods induce stretch contrary to the crap you read in these forums that lay it on too much N.
Uncle Ben

The whole world used to believe this. N availability is a crop steering tool, and it's abundant supply tells our plant it can keep competing for the sun. Conversely, a low supply says get flowing because you need to finish. This connection made it look like N fueled stretch.

This forum is up to date

Peters canna food switches from grow to bloom at 12/12, but only for a couple of weeks to initiate flowering. Then it's back to the grow. As we would like to call it. It's an unusual step, but one you can probably appreciate.

P can build some good supporting structures, but we need N to put something on them. Science aside, these are reasonable goals.


I also run more N than most, but recognise a number of bloom feeds carry a lot more than the guaranteed (see: minimum) analysis on the label. So higher N use isn't that unusual. It's almost like selling us a second bottle of the same stuff. Which I know you like the sound of