Osmocote, my favorite plant food - easy peasy, complete

[Astro1]

Osmocote + a little Miracle Grow recycled potting soil with steer manure and California sunshine.

 

[goingrey]

It's good to see folks like you come on the forums with genuine real advice. Too often I see people on forums spout complete nonsense when it comes to growing anything. I genuinely cringe every time I see people touting cannabis specific nutrients with pretty labels and unicorn farts. As if these plants are some uber special creation needing something no other plant on earth does. I actually got banned from Rollitup for mentioning that with liquid nutrients they're mostly paying for water. (Yeah seriously..had my posts deleted and then banned). Don't get me started on Advanced Nutrients Have been growing for 20 years. Been using osmocote in all my soil mixes. I've even used it in my indoor coco grows. Its insane how much stoner grower mantra there is out there based on complete verbal regurgitation of previously stated myths. My biggest pet peeve is seeing the "infirmary" posts where people tell you what's wrong with your plant based on the leaf output when more often than not its pure plant torture by the grower playing with 12 bottles of liquid ferts and creating a toxic root zone pretending to be chemists and microbiologists.

Grow on and big my man!

Osmocote might be a good deal but it's not available for me.

But re paying for water... from what's available to me...

Terra Aquatica (used to be General Hydroponics in Europe) DryPart bloom (like Maxibloom) for 42e/kg, and NovaMax bloom (like FloraNova bloom) for 24e/l.

DryPart bloom suggested dose 2g/l. The bag is 1000g / 2g/l = 500l of solution. At a price of 42e / 500l or about 8 cents a litre.

NovaMax bloom suggested dose 2.5ml/l. The bottle is 1l / 0.0025ml/l = 400l of solution. At a price of 24e / 400l or 6 cents a litre.

So the bottle is actually cheaper in these surely comparable fertilizers. Are dry fert users paying for bulking agent?

But maybe there are other benefits? Shelf-life? Certainly no dripping down and crystalizing on the side of the bottle.

 

[Astro1]

One way or the other...your premixed bottled nutrients were at one point or another dry salts. So wherever and whomever it was that mixed those from dry nutrients for you by adding distilled water was able to make a profit and pay for shipping. Have you looked at miracle grow or similar? In the US a 10lb bag of miracle grow is less than $28. (NPK 24-8-15). The plants I posted got 4 table spoons of osmocote and one application of miracle grow. I expect I would probably need to feed them one or two more times before harvest. (Miracle Grow suggests 1table spoon per gal). I doubt I will ever run out of my 10lb bag of it.

 

[goingrey]

One way or the other...your premixed bottled nutrients were at one point or another dry salts. So wherever and whomever it was that mixed those from dry nutrients for you by adding distilled water was able to make a profit and pay for shipping. Have you looked at miracle grow or similar? In the US a 10lb bag of miracle grow is less than $28.

Sure but the dry fertilizers aren't just salts bagged up. They do something to make it consistent. Perhaps dissolve it in water that they then evaporate.

Shipping water around does seem inefficient, but hey, I also drink soda... even bottled water (never still at home, but still).

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

It's good to see folks like Old Ben come on the forums with genuine real advice. Too often I see people on forums spout complete nonsense when it comes to growing anything. I genuinely cringe every time I see people touting cannabis specific nutrients with pretty labels and unicorn farts. As if these plants are some uber special creation needing something no other plant on earth does. I actually got banned from Rollitup for mentioning that with liquid nutrients they're mostly paying for water. (Yeah seriously..had my posts deleted and then banned). Don't get me started on Advanced Nutrients Have been growing for 20 years. Been using osmocote in all my soil mixes. I've even used it in my indoor coco grows. Its insane how much stoner grower mantra there is out there based on complete verbal regurgitation of previously stated myths. My biggest pet peeve is seeing the "infirmary" posts where people tell you what's wrong with your plant based on the leaf output when more often than not its pure plant torture by the grower playing with 12 bottles of liquid ferts and creating a toxic root zone pretending to be chemists and microbiologists.

Grow on and big my man!

Logical minds think alike.

Troll it Up is a farce. I too got banned. As is the narrative with so much media today seems if it doesn't fit their (twisted and stupid) narrative you get censored.

Grow hard!

Uncle Ben

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

So the bottle is actually cheaper in these surely comparable fertilizers. Are dry fert users paying for bulking agent?

No, we're paying for pure salts such as potassium nitrate, potassium phosphate, iron sulfate, etc. . Peters is a good example. It dissolves quick and completely.

 

[goingrey]

No, we're paying for pure salts such as potassium nitrate, potassium phosphate, iron sulfate, etc. . Peters is a good example. It dissolves quick and completely.

Do you mean Jack's 10-30-20? Also not available to me but just out of interest I looked into it and yeah, seems like a nice deal at about 3 cents for a liter of solution at 1.0 EC. Not sure what EC the TA suggested doses were but they said "no more than" so possibly higher, and there are cheaper bottle brands available, so I think we are still in the same ballpark.

Not saying Jack's is a scam, just saying they are making a product to make a profit and not just selling you the raw ingredients at cost. Surely no surprise to anyone, but when the product is in a bottle with water, some seem to think it becomes a scam and people using the product are idiots...

Or if you meant Jack's Elementals then that is pretty cool but also quite advanced, most people aren't on that level, me included, though I hope to some day be. They aren't bagging them up out of charity either though, that much is certain.

And of course, how much of the production cost of a gram of bud is fertilizer? Especially indoors not much.. But sure in a big hydro grow with frequent rez changes I suppose it can add up to real money.

 

[goingrey]

Actually now that I think about it a lot of the cheapest fertilizers I've bought have been bottled.

From the supermarket...

Easy to find good ones for veg. Not always so for flowering.

 

[Bio boy]

Uncle Ben do you also fertilise on top ?
this dude says ya need to ? and it won’t last entire grow ?

 

[Astro1]

A 10lb bag of Miracle grow form the home improvement store is about ~$28 here in the US. 32 table spoons per pound of miracle grow. A 10lb bag will make 320gal of feed or about 1200L so at about 2.3c per liter for max dosage which I would never use repeatedly as it would burn most plants. I apply 1/4-1/2 strength every two to three weeks to my osmocote fortified soil by feeding 5gal to each 20gal pot. So a 10lb bag lasts pretty much forever and will produce practical feed at about a penny per liter. I also use it on my lawn with a pump sprayer, on veggies, chilies and citrus.

As far as the video just posted...I've grown plants completely on osmocote in coco it works...in fact all my exotic house plants are all osmocote and dirt only and they do just fine. I don't use osmocote exclusively for weed now only because I've noticed it would sometimes not be enough during rapid growth phases and stretch but I never tried additional dosing of it to see. So now I use osmocote as a base soil amendment to fortify my soil and use miracle grow when I need instant action.

Also I've never tried the pro versions of osmocote sold in bulk, which may be more concentrated etc than the store bought osmocote+ (the pink stuff). Here is a Philodendron in recycled dirt and osmocote+. This is about a year old (from a tiny 2in plant) and sits in an east facing window that doesn't get much direct sunlight after noon. Still doing quite well and will probably go into a bigger pot and some more osmocote when I get around to it.

 

[goingrey]

A 10lb bag of Miracle grow form the home improvement store is about ~$28 here in the US. 32 table spoons per pound of miracle grow. A 10lb bag will make 320gal of feed or about 1200L so at about 2.3c per liter for max dosage which I would never use repeatedly as it would burn most plants. I apply 1/4-1/2 strength every two to three weeks to my osmocote fortified soil by feeding 5gal to each 20gal pot. So a 10lb bag lasts pretty much forever and will produce practical feed at about a penny per liter. I also use it on my lawn with a pump sprayer, on veggies, chilies and citrus.

As far as the video just posted...I've grown plants completely on osmocote in coco it works...in fact all my exotic house plants are all osmocote and dirt only and they do just fine. I don't use osmocote exclusively for weed now only because I've noticed it would sometimes not be enough during rapid growth phases and stretch but I never tried additional dosing of it to see. So now I use osmocote as a base soil amendment to fortify my soil and use miracle grow when I need instant action.

Also I've never tried the pro versions of osmocote sold in bulk, which may be more concentrated etc than the store bought osmocote+ (the pink stuff). Here is a Philodendron in recycled dirt and osmocote+. This is about a year old (from a tiny 2in plant) and sits in an east facing window that doesn't get much direct sunlight after noon. Still doing quite well and will probably go into a bigger pot and some more osmocote when I get around to it. View attachment 18870562

Now $30 for 10lb is cheap

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Do you mean Jack's 10-30-20? Also not available to me but just out of interest I looked into it and yeah, seems like a nice deal at about 3 cents for a liter of solution at 1.0 EC. Not sure what EC the TA suggested doses were but they said "no more than" so possibly higher, and there are cheaper bottle brands available, so I think we are still in the same ballpark.

Not saying Jack's is a scam, just saying they are making a product to make a profit and not just selling you the raw ingredients at cost. Surely no surprise to anyone, but when the product is in a bottle with water, some seem to think it becomes a scam and people using the product are idiots...

Or if you meant Jack's Elementals then that is pretty cool but also quite advanced, most people aren't on that level, me included, though I hope to some day be. They aren't bagging them up out of charity either though, that much is certain.

And of course, how much of the production cost of a gram of bud is fertilizer? Especially indoors not much.. But sure in a big hydro grow with frequent rez changes I suppose it can add up to real money.

You're over thinking this.

Cannabis specific foods are a scam, Jack's is not.

If you're into liquids and can get it, Dyna-Gro Foliage Pro is a great value and packs 16 elements. Used it for decades on everything including orchids and as a foliar spray on my vineyard. The 9-3-6 is all you need for cannabis from start to finish. You DON'T need bloom foods, don't fall fall for the hoax. All vendors will sell you anything they think you're willing to buy. Capitalism is about making money. FWIW, Dyna Gro didn't do the "cannabis" label thing until a few years ago.

https://dyna-gro.com/product/foliage-pro/

UB

 

[Rgd]

have not used Osmocote since the mid 70’s..it worked..

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

have not used Osmocote since the mid 70’s..it worked..

Of course it "works".

 

[ledo]

Wow mate! I'll be moving to upstate NY soon and was thinking I would have no chance of a late flowerer.

Last year was highly unusual and nighttime Dew here begins its onslaught early Sept at the latest - but that plant killed it last year into Nov (snowed once or twice BF harvest) which is awesome and it was exceptional smoke & oil made from it too…

Same spot different plants this year, fence is 8 feet tall

2 plants there ^

 

[goingrey]

You're over thinking this.

Hehe for sure. That's why we are here. A deep interest or even passion for the subject.

The 9-3-6 is all you need for cannabis from start to finish. You DON'T need bloom foods, don't fall fall for the hoax.

Some strains do better with a high N fertiziler, some worse.. Indicas better, sativas worse (as a rule of thumb). Outdoors I have grown without specific bloom fertilizer, I know it's possible. Indoors I'm happy to pay the extra couple of cents per liter of solution, might as well make the most of the leccy.

 

[Doug Dawson]

Good to see another familiar face @Old Uncle Ben

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Good to see another familiar face @Old Uncle Ben

Howdy! Stay safe brother!

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Last year was highly unusual and nighttime Dew here begins its onslaught early Sept at the latest - but that plant killed it last year into Nov (snowed once or twice BF harvest) which is awesome and it was exceptional smoke & oil made from it too…

Same spot different plants this year, fence is 8 feet tall

View attachment 18870905

View attachment 18870906

2 plants there ^

Nice clean layout there. Love the fence and the backyard.

Happy harvest - assuming the shorter days of August will soon induce a flowering response.

UB

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Uncle Ben do you also fertilise on top ?
this dude says ya need to ? and it won’t last entire grow ?

I mix slow release prills only in the last inch of the backfill by plopping them on the top and scratching it in with my fingers.. Nothing wrong with mixing it up in a large batch, I just figure the salts flow downward which will catch all the roots, so why not just treat the last of the backfill.

Same with outdoors.

UB