Osmocote, my favorite plant food - easy peasy, complete

[Old Uncle Ben]

I'm pretty much a "set it and forget it" gardener. I don't play with NPK numbers and if I do it's only on a corrective basis as I pointed out in my link to my garden regarding algae consuming a lot of N, the reason why that plant was rather yellow, first row, middle.

This is gonna sound way too elementary, rather silly for our confused "Defoliate Nation" in their infinite wisdom of cannabis specific bottle addiction LOL ..... but in my case the biggest ass kicker regarding rapid growth is a thorough drench of rainwater. Over night they have exploded, 2nd row which is the one's I soaked up to a point of a good runoff recently. I use that runoff on house plants.

That's all I do is water. Garden takes care of itself.

Pic taken just now, Jan. 10, A.M.

Less is more,
Uncle Ben

 

[Prs2xs]

I'm pretty much a "set it and forget it" gardener. I don't play with NPK numbers and if I do it's only on a corrective basis as I pointed out in my link to my garden regarding algae consuming a lot of N, the reason why that plant was rather yellow, first row, middle.

This is gonna sound way too elementary, rather silly for our confused "Defoliate Nation" in their infinite wisdom of cannabis specific bottle addiction LOL ..... but in my case the biggest ass kicker regarding rapid growth is a thorough drench of rainwater. Over night they have exploded, 2nd row which is the one's I soaked up to a point of a good runoff recently. I use that runoff on house plants.

That's all I do is water. Garden takes care of itself.

Pic taken just now, Jan. 10, A.M.

Hi UB
If I could ask a question please? I have been trying to convert to organic methods during the last 2 or three grows, have been using salt based nutes previously with very few problems, except in the beginning (been at it since '78). During these last grows, the organic mix runs out of steam during flower, and the plants start eating themselves, so I then have to supplement with salts again. I am not referring to any yellowing that might occur as senescence approaches.
I have the Dynagro foliar pro, and have been using a concentration of 1 ml per litre, which is the recommended amount by Dynagro to correct a root bound plant with deficiencies, in this case nitrogen.

Problem is, when mixing at this concentration, it is only registering at 310 ppm (RO water). I have just now increased the concentration to 600 ppm, as I think dynagro may be a little too light on their recommendations??
I notice that you also only use it at 1 tsp/3.8l., yet you don't see the plants starving as I have described?
Thanks!

View attachment 18944463


View attachment 18944465

Less is more,
Uncle Ben

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Hi UB
If I could ask a question please? I have been trying to convert to organic methods during the last 2 or three grows, have been using salt based nutes previously with very few problems, except in the beginning (been at it since '78). During these last grows, the organic mix runs out of steam during flower, and the plants start eating themselves, so I then have to supplement with salts again. I am not referring to any yellowing that might occur as senescence approaches.
I have the Dynagro foliar pro, and have been using a concentration of 1 ml per litre, which is the recommended amount by Dynagro to correct a root bound plant with deficiencies, in this case nitrogen.

Problem is, when mixing at this concentration, it is only registering at 310 ppm (RO water). I have just now increased the concentration to 600 ppm, as I think dynagro may be a little too light on their recommendations??
I notice that you also only use it at 1 tsp/3.8l., yet you don't see the plants starving as I have described?
Thanks!

Nope, but then again It's been a long time since I've used Dyna-Gro Fo-Pro for pot. My girlfriend is raising orchids and watering with 5 ml/gal. every other watering and they are going nuts compared to "her old ways". Flowering now too with multiple spikes and that's in a house with low winter RH and a "high" N food. Bottom line - P and K "boosters" are NOT flowering stimulants....but don't tell anyone.

Your problem may be a root bound condition. Only way to alleviate that issue, if you insist on growing in "small" pots, is to use a root pruning system. I changed over many years ago with much of my plants and that includes cannabis.

I'd do 1 tsp/gal. 3.8L and flush once in a while with R/O water. Kicker is you don't ever want your plants to go without moisture or a complete food. That's the beauty of Osmocote, it's the lazy man's way of gardening while producing beautiful plants, and, beautiful plants (foliage) produce beautiful colas/buds. I'm using the 8-9 month mix as it's the same food I apply to my greenhouse trees so I buy in bulk.

I do both organics and synthetic salts. It's the best of both worlds.

This is worth your time! https://www.gardenmyths.com/what-is-salt/

Good luck,
UB

 

[singlecoiled]

Nope, but then again It's been a long time since I've used Dyna-Gro Fo-Pro for pot. My girlfriend is raising orchids and watering with 5 ml/gal. every other watering and they are going nuts compared to "her old ways". Flowering now too with multiple spikes and that's in a house with low winter RH and a "high" N food. Bottom line - P and K "boosters" are NOT flowering stimulants....but don't tell anyone.

View attachment 18950591

View attachment 18950592

Your problem may be a root bound condition. Only way to alleviate that issue, if you insist on growing in "small" pots, is to use a root pruning system. I changed over many years ago with much of my plants and that includes cannabis.

I'd do 1 tsp/gal. 3.8L and flush once in a while with R/O water. Kicker is you don't ever want your plants to go without moisture or a complete food. That's the beauty of Osmocote, it's the lazy man's way of gardening while producing beautiful plants, and, beautiful plants (foliage) produce beautiful colas/buds. I'm using the 8-9 month mix as it's the same food I apply to my greenhouse trees so I buy in bulk.

I do both organics and synthetic salts. It's the best of both worlds.

This is worth your time! https://www.gardenmyths.com/what-is-salt/

Good luck,

I googled salts to get a better understanding of exactly what they are and found nothing as helpful as the link you provided here... Reading it now, thanks. This is great !

 

[420empire]

I do like osmo too. But in the long run it is not a sutainable solution to use salts, as they are made today.
It would be much better to start digging through the living soil theories imo. I have known garden myths for some years, and the guy has a point regarding plants dosen´t care where the ions is from. What imo he dosen´t quiet get, it is not a way to treat our planet in the long run, I have seen his links and only use few articles.. I have spent some time in academia and the way her present it, is really biased only towards his opinion...Which i find problematic. NPK+ has great use but it is a blessing in the short run. Vermi compost and manures, mychos interaction would be a step towards breaking away from the "crack" salts.
Great thread, and lovely plants you got uncle.

 

[Prs2xs]

Nope, but then again It's been a long time since I've used Dyna-Gro Fo-Pro for pot. My girlfriend is raising orchids and watering with 5 ml/gal. every other watering and they are going nuts compared to "her old ways". Flowering now too with multiple spikes and that's in a house with low winter RH and a "high" N food. Bottom line - P and K "boosters" are NOT flowering stimulants....but don't tell anyone.

View attachment 18950591

View attachment 18950592

Your problem may be a root bound condition. Only way to alleviate that issue, if you insist on growing in "small" pots, is to use a root pruning system. I changed over many years ago with much of my plants and that includes cannabis.

I'd do 1 tsp/gal. 3.8L and flush once in a while with R/O water. Kicker is you don't ever want your plants to go without moisture or a complete food. That's the beauty of Osmocote, it's the lazy man's way of gardening while producing beautiful plants, and, beautiful plants (foliage) produce beautiful colas/buds. I'm using the 8-9 month mix as it's the same food I apply to my greenhouse trees so I buy in bulk.

I do both organics and synthetic salts. It's the best of both worlds.

This is worth your time! https://www.gardenmyths.com/what-is-salt/

Good luck,
UB

Thanks for your reply ub- sorry for the late response as I've been on the road for a few days. I do use a root pruning system- I make my own copper hydroxide paint for the pots and it works well. My plants ARE root bound, and you are right, I need to use bigger pots. I am done with organics now, because the pots get way too heavy if an adequate amount of soil is used per plant, not to mention that they will out grow my space. Thanks for your input!

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Thanks for your reply ub- sorry for the late response as I've been on the road for a few days. I do use a root pruning system- I make my own copper hydroxide paint for the pots and it works well. My plants ARE root bound, and you are right, I need to use bigger pots. I am done with organics now, because the pots get way too heavy if an adequate amount of soil is used per plant, not to mention that they will out grow my space. Thanks for your input!

if you're not getting 100% root pruning out of your concoction, then you need to either buy MicroKote or make it another way. This old post may help.

Microkote used to be made under the brand-name SpinOut by Griffin L.L.C. until SePRO bought the rights. After the re-branding they added other metals labeled as "nutrients". In my opinion this is all marketing; the roots will be stopped and not absorb anything near the Microkote layer - so really the only active ingredient is the chemical that stops the roots from growing further (this chemical is copper hydroxide which was the original ingredient in SpinOut).

Microkote is pricey ($28 for 8oz). But you should be able to make your own.

1) Buy some dry Copper(II) Hydroxide, this is used usually as a fungus pestizide. Interestingly, SePro stuff can be bought on ebay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/CuPRO-5000D...er-Hydroxide-SePRO-3lb-foil-bag-/370622313276), this is probably the same stuff they put into Microkote. Other sources are
KOCIDE 3000 (made by DuPont) or http://kingquenson.en.alibaba.com/productshowimg/424951536-200579235/Copper_hydroxide.html.
2) Dilute the Copper(II) Hydroxide in latex paint. The original SpinOut was made with 13 oz/Gal of Copper(II) Hydroxide (source: http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/28/5/527.6.abstract). Remember to account for the original concentration of dry Copper(II) Hydroxide in the pesticide bag (this is typically 50%, for which you would add 26 oz per Gal of latex paint).

This costs about 10x less than buying the Microkote solution which is over-priced and over-marketed (b/c of those extra additive "nutrients") in my opinion.

Lighten up your soil mix with a lot of vermiculite or #3 perlite (which I don't like).

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

I do like osmo too. But in the long run it is not a sutainable solution to use salts, as they are made today.
It would be much better to start digging through the living soil theories imo. I have known garden myths for some years, and the guy has a point regarding plants dosen´t care where the ions is from. What imo he dosen´t quiet get, it is not a way to treat our planet in the long run, I have seen his links and only use few articles.. I have spent some time in academia and the way her present it, is really biased only towards his opinion...Which i find problematic. NPK+ has great use but it is a blessing in the short run. Vermi compost and manures, mychos interaction would be a step towards breaking away from the "crack" salts.
Great thread, and lovely plants you got uncle.

"Crack salts". No such thing. Salts are salts, ions are ions no matter if synthetic or organic. Salts used in quality soluble fertilizers like Peters, Dyna-Gro or Osmocote are pure and an excellent value. Just because salts like potassium nitrate come from organic sources like manure doesn't mean they're "sustainable". That's hype straight from the pages of I-AM-AN-ORGANIC-WACKO.com sites.

Take a TB of Peters 20-20-20, drop it into a gallon of water, shake. What do you see? Bottom of the jug.

FWIW at a great cost for labor and materials I planted about 14 acres in legumes and a humus builder called elbon rye. So I know organics. It's been reseeding since I planted them 2 years in a row on the farm since 2004. Here's an example of my "organic soil plow". Madrid yellow sweet clover. This popped up in a sandpile. I hit it with my tractor's bucket but you get the idea. It has a very thick, branching, invasive root system, perfect for my land that had been plowed for years for hay production. I wanted something organic to get help with the hardpan.

 

[420empire]

I Think u got me wrong there Buddy. Re read it again. I mean it's not sustainable in the long run.. true ions are ions , no matter Where they are from.
And growing in containers vs. In open soil is another. Thing too.
I too dig osmo, but would rather make my own"osmo".
Build a soil have Some quite cool soil recipes.
Well back on track. What' s the amount of osmo do feed with, and are u mixing with some vermi compost/teas

 

[Captain Red Eye]

After learning the hard way that fish fertilizer was an invitation to critters to dig guerilla plants up, Osmocote became a mainstay in the "hiking bag".

Really appreciated the time release aspect too. Every time it rained, I knew the plants were getting a fresh dose of feed.

 

[Dequilo]

After learning the hard way that fish fertilizer

the raccoons loved me

 

[Captain Red Eye]

the raccoons loved me

Nothing worse than humping in plants to a remote location and returning a week later for a checkup to find them gnawed to the ground or dug up.

 

[Old Piney]

Nothing worse than humping in plants to a remote location and returning a week later for a checkup to find them gnawed to the ground or dug up.

been there before ! in addition to fish emulsion bone meal is also raccoon food. Ive also found that it's best to prepare the spots at least a week in advance of planting . Raccoons are curious and will dig up fresh dug soil just because. I prefer organics I have good results with a little compost some and worm castings mixed in .Then one or two feedings with weak chicken manure tea during veg and that it , the compost and worm castings got the rest . It is possible that Osmocote might rapel digging critters, it kinda repels me but that's just me

 

[Captain Red Eye]

been there before ! in addition to fish emulsion bone meal is also raccoon food. Ive also found that it's best to prepare the spots at least a week in advance of planting . Raccoons are curious and will dig up fresh dug soil just because. I prefer organics I have good results with a little compost some and worm castings mixed in .Then one or two feedings with weak chicken manure tea during veg and that it , the compost and worm castings got the rest . It is possible that Osmocote might rapel digging critters, it kinda repels me but that's just me

Agreed, prior hole prep makes sense.
Under normal conditions, backyard grow and vegetable garden I prefer organic. We rotate 3 large compost bins and have a flock of chickens .

A few years back I headed out to set some "off site" plants in the ground. Didn't quite have enough time release fertilizer in the ol' backpack to get all the plants done. Remembered passing some large piles of dried moose shit on the hike in. Hmmm....cowshit?...moose shit?....hmmm. In the holes it went. Gotta stay flexible!

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

After learning the hard way that fish fertilizer was an invitation to critters to dig guerilla plants up, Osmocote became a mainstay in the "hiking bag".

Really appreciated the time release aspect too. Every time it rained, I knew the plants were getting a fresh dose of feed.

It prevents so many headaches. I've used it for decades on literally 10K or more perennials and annuals. I'll be planting purty perennials in a back bed garden today and they'll get a hit like everything else.

Plus unlike the willy nilly "let's try this and that" this product was designed by pros who understand plant nutrition and came up with a brilliant system of time release based on soil moisture and temps. Plant material is temporarily dormant because of outside influences such as a lack of rain and/or cold temps.....no release.

 

[ThievingDrugCriminal]

"this product was designed by Epstein Island visitors who understand pharma death cult cancer culture race bait war monger guerilla capitalism"

Fixed. Osmocote = Calnit trash product designed by satanic Nazi reptilians to sell pesticides.

You feed ammonium calnit. You have to convert Nitrate to nitrite to ammonium to urea to aminos to peptides to proteins to fatty acids. High conversion failure rate leads to increased spray sales. Internet pot forum growers love spraying plants I've learned. Weed that doesn't do anything. The cofactor for those conversions is missing from your Monsanto fertilizer and enzymes further silenced by mandatory pesticide. Those various forms of nitrogen are the dietary requirement of the various Cannabis pests.

I feed Calhex, I don't spend energy converting Nitrate to nitrite, nitrite to ammonia, ammonia to urea, urea to aminos, aminos to peptides, peptides to proteins, proteins to fatty acids. I don't feed any bug dumber than a grasshopper, scientifically speaking.




How many pests/fungi attack Marijuana for its peptide chains? None. How many feed off of Nitrate? All Ammonia? Most. The internet growers still acting like spraying pesticides on weed is normal and acceptable. Thank God for schedule 3 and the IRS.


Cannabinoids made of carbon. Terpanenenes made of carbon. But carbon based nutes bad. - Internet growers

 

[Captain Red Eye]

Fixed. Osmocote = Calnit trash product designed by satanic Nazi reptilians to sell pesticides.

 

[oldworld]

Ok, so if I were a heathen, lowlife, whatever...

I get some osmocote and some promix. That is all? That seems to be the idea here. I'm gonna do this. How about pot size? Let's say I'm aiming for 1 plant to fill a 3x3 space, 5 gallon? 10? 15?

 

[xtsho]

"this product was designed by Epstein Island visitors who understand pharma death cult cancer culture race bait war monger guerilla capitalism"

Fixed. Osmocote = Calnit trash product designed by satanic Nazi reptilians to sell pesticides.

You feed ammonium calnit. You have to convert Nitrate to nitrite to ammonium to urea to aminos to peptides to proteins to fatty acids. High conversion failure rate leads to increased spray sales. Internet pot forum growers love spraying plants I've learned. Weed that doesn't do anything. The cofactor for those conversions is missing from your Monsanto fertilizer and enzymes further silenced by mandatory pesticide. Those various forms of nitrogen are the dietary requirement of the various Cannabis pests.

I feed Calhex, I don't spend energy converting Nitrate to nitrite, nitrite to ammonia, ammonia to urea, urea to aminos, aminos to peptides, peptides to proteins, proteins to fatty acids. I don't feed any bug dumber than a grasshopper, scientifically speaking.




How many pests/fungi attack Marijuana for its peptide chains? None. How many feed off of Nitrate? All Ammonia? Most. The internet growers still acting like spraying pesticides on weed is normal and acceptable. Thank God for schedule 3 and the IRS.


Cannabinoids made of carbon. Terpanenenes made of carbon. But carbon based nutes bad. - Internet growers

The earth is round

 

[oldworld]

The earth is round

Yes, just like a frisbee. What's that have to do with anything? Did the "birds" tell you?