Questions for organic ACE growers

[Cactus Squatter]

This is my first year growing ACE strains, absolutely loving them, and I’m curious how you all do them when running in organic soil. I’ve had really good results with what I’ve grown so far, but haven’t had a perfect grow yet without a few small issues I’d like to eliminate in the future.

I currently use Happy Frog soil as my base amended lightly with garden lime and run 3 little birds recipe for guano teas for ferts supplemented with foliar sprays of K-Mag or Cal-Mag until flower.
I make a 25 gallon batch and split that between indoor and outdoor plants.
Watering is done by hand as is the tea. I also run a Blumat system to keep things moist while I travel during the week.

With my outdoor plants I see a little bit of Mag deficiency during transition, but it’s always been easily taken care of with a couple foliar sprays.
Indoors, where the flowering transition seems faster, some of the ACE strains have shown a pretty big cal/mag deficiency that’s really hard to bounce back from. I’m not sure if it’s from less Veg time/less time with veg nutes, or if it’s just the speed of transition when flipping to 11/13 and the nutrient demands of the plant overtaking what I provide. I’ve found that if I up my tea amounts to try and combat the issue, that I risk clawing the leaves.

So what do you guys run for your organic soil mixes and ferts for ACE? Do you also see the same deficiencies during transition phase?

(I’m not seeing it at all on KaliChina or Nepjam x Kalichina. They’re absolute perfection growing in this setup).

The tea mix I run is a 25 gallon batch, brewed for 24-48 hours.
3 1/3 cups each of Worm castings, Bat guano(either N or P depending on phase), and Peruvian seabird guano.
Added to that is Molasses and Kelp.

So what are all of your ACE super secret organic grow tricks?

Anyone here use KNF for their grows? I’m thinking about switching over to that next year.

 

[olday]

I run a similar setup in a 4x4. I have noticed that since switching to LED that the cal/mag/sulfur requirements seem to increase. I rotate between cal mag and Epsom salts most watering a and add extra lime in the soil mix. I back off on the N in my soil mix (less worm castings etc…) as the nld types do not love it. I also run an 11/13 light schedule which seems to get them moving along better as well.

 

[Cactus Squatter]

I’ve been wondering if the dual CMH hood wasn’t part of it. It’s definitely more common in that tent than the chamber with a single 315 in it.

 

[Koondense]

I started my indoors with strictly organics and found out that high intensity of light requires mineral additives for successful growing. Actually i grow hybrid now, organic base soil with occasional aerated compost teas, if that is not enough i add epsom salt and combine with calcium nitrate. Sometimes i add fulvic acid and mid strength masterblend, all depending on what a specific plant needs.
Just organics don't work perfectly because indoor plant growth usually requires more food than it can take up by slower organic availability.
Takes some time to figure it out and is necessary to have all of these available at any time. Some control over VPD is essential but sometimes you can't control it enough. Some runs turn out better than others.
Of course it's plant depending so when you find the keeper for effect, production and grow specifics, you find your perfect recipe and never run out of excellent weed

All the best

 

[TexasTea]

I made a couple of big batches of super soil with a ton of different things in it. I just keep recycling it and adding kelp, castings and a little fresh soil mix every once in awhile. Also add more aeration amendments as my rice hulls break down. I do seem to get better results under my cob LEDs if I also give a teaspoon per gallon of cal-mag every watering, plus Recharge microbe mix. Every run gets better it seems like. Also letting pots get a bit light in between waterings and dialing in light intensity. I keep my temps around 81F for the high and keep lights turned way down to keep from burning up my colas.

 

[flylowgethigh]

It depends on the strain IMO. On my 3rd run I had Haze x Kali China and it was a beast, but the Bangi Haze that ended up being shaded by the HKC, not nearly so much. Killer A5 Haze was medium compared to the HKC, actually really good compared to what I was doing before. Same time same tent same soil and water and supplements

I am recycling the soil, and amending it each cycle. Next time I think it will need more carbon, perhaps in the form of bio-char. How do we get 5 carbon to start the terp growth cycle?

Isn't soil just a big mall where the microbes go shopping for ions, to trade with the roots?

 

[Cactus Squatter]

I ended up just bumping my cal mag a little with every watering and the transition issue went away. Now that I’m back in town and can pay closer attention to them everything has been smooth sailing.