Soil, water, and tea questions

[h.h.]

Thanks. I didn't mean to heighten any concerns.

The question I had, though, is, are you layering the various ingredients you described as a tea-source through which your water is passed, or strictly as a potting mulch, or both, or ????

Thanks again.

(*Whether it matters or not, I tried to rep you, and I'm told I can't vote on any more posts today.. when ever 'today' began..)

It would be both. The mulch is decomposing. Adding nitrogen rich top dress to the mulch acts as a catalyst. Oatmeal starch sticks it together. At that point you could add some kelp, vermacompost. a little DE for the critters, seed meals.

I appreciate the rep attempt. Too many reps and folks might think that I know more than I do. That usually gets me in trouble. I try not to solicit them.

 

[moose eater]

Thanks for the clarification.

I assume though that you're not talking about two different reservoirs in the dual purpose, but rather just the plant container, and reserving run-off?

Re. the rep, if you're willing to dialogue, trying to be helpful (or even humorous) that exceeds many persons' willingness, thus I figure the rep is earned. Everybody's got a strong suit. Some more than others.

BTW, everybody in the newer test recipe looks content -except- the GTH#1. Last night she was ready for water, to which I added (per gallon of H2O) 3 ml fulvic acid (Golden Goddess), 3 ml humic acid (a stash of Aunt Engy's H2), and 2 ml cal-mag. All just as sort of a mild (very mild) booster.

Of the various tests, she has the (with lights-off), notably drooping darker leaf of increased N, which I'd already mentioned would come down in the future by 25% to 40% (*She's apparently more sensitive to N than others in the same mix).

There's no obvious clawing at the tips, so she's not in advanced stages of excess N, and only getting water for the most part now.

The Super Lemon Haze and Widow Bomb both look pretty happy, with varying mid-green appearances of health, no droopiness with lights off, nice leaf turgor, etc.

So I'm guessing that GTH#1 is simply a bit more finicky. We'll either get along together, or we won't. I'm willing to change a bit if she is.. At the moment, no divorce attorneys or large sheers in our (immediate) future.

It would be both. The mulch is decomposing. Adding nitrogen rich top dress to the mulch acts as a catalyst. Oatmeal starch sticks it together. At that point you could add some kelp, vermacompost. a little DE for the critters, seed meals.

I appreciate the rep attempt. Too many reps and folks might think that I know more than I do. That usually gets me in trouble. I try not to solicit them.

 

[DocTim420]

...So there's no known/advertised shelf-life for the Sea90?...

Some claim Sea90 is "sea salt", so, what is the shelf-life for "salt"? There is none--it lasts forever...just like Himalayan Salt (the pink stuff that all the foodies love).

 

[moose eater]

Thanks.

Some claim Sea90 is "sea salt", so, what is the shelf-life for "salt"? There is none--it lasts forever...just like Himalayan Salt (the pink stuff that all the foodies love).

 

[moose eater]

As of 'lights on' last night, the GTH#1 seems to be getting past her nose-in-the-air obstinacy to the N levels, and regaining a tone of green to her upper portion more similar to the SLH, though not quite as light as the WB.

Ideally, the amounts involved in each amendment will eventually, through minor adjustments, find a happy medium (pun intended, I guess), where all varieties of cannabis involved would strike a balance, not withstanding later unique expressed needs for nutrient tea, etc.

The whole K, sulfur and mag balance thing being a problem in the past.

The N issue is much easier to balance; simply reduce it, and make up for any later needs with either N tea (EWC/High N guano) or 5-1-1 fish emulsion.

Bloom mixes in the past (early on, before the changes in so many variables <water, quality of amendments, especially guano, etc> made it more difficult to pin-point causes), had very/fairly low levels of N, and only modest to lower amounts of K, which were compensated for with regular addition of kelp meal extract(s) via tea, etc..

As stated, with kelp meal and related extracts falling from a 3 or 4 K value to a 2, and the salinity seemingly increasing over time, while likely possessing similar to original amounts of micro-nutes (??) that can become problems in excess, re. general stability of the plant, the changes in amendments assist in creating further challenges.

For the last bunch of years, I'd been using Green Acres brand dolomite lime (found at Lowe's). It had been a very clear 7 on ph when tested (right where good dolomite should test, in my understanding from my beginnings in this sort of effort)... For years it was an off-white in appearance, verging on beige. This last year it changed to closer to a pure bright white with slightly different consistency, resulting in WAY different hues when tested in a LaMott's soil test tray. Testing the effects on a given batch of soil render similar as original results, but testing the dolomite individually leads to hues of sorts I've never seen before, preceding the noted changes. And I keep my reagents up-to-date regularly, re. shelf-life, storage, etc..

Years ago I had read about bat shit reserves being taxed by the demands of organic gardening. True or not, it caused me to stop for a moment and consider the ironies in this. But the bottom line is that, somewhat logically speaking, with as much as these amendments are sought after by gardeners around the world, there's bound to be frequent changes in sourcing, quality, etc. Who ever thought someone would write about a bat shit shortage??!! ;^>)

Anyway, onward....

 

[h.h.]

While we are all born with infinite knowledge, much of what we know is wrong. I always want to make the point of disqualifying myself in an attempt to explain that I am only here to shed false premises without the misfortune of infecting others. I share my experiences through a broken lens and I leave the expertise up to the experts.

Lack of dialogue. We are structured into a society of students and teachers, when in reality, they are both the same. We are told that if we don't know the answer, that we are to sit down and shut up. Back to infinite knowledge. We know all the answers. Dialog is a filtering process. Sing along with Mitch. Before we can learn, we must know how to teach. We teach ourselves or we fool ourselves.

It's that bat guano thing that we need to move past. Yes, I can preach as I sin. Organics is just the scratching post. my quest, often to the detriment of the plant, is to find sustainable local alternatives.
It's that whole earth thing. Everything is interconnected. As my friend Owsley once told me.(not really) "It's all the same FN thing."

 

[moose eater]

In my early adulthood, I attended an alternative school in the Yukon Territory of Canada, in the mid-70s, that subscribed in part to the contents of your second paragraph. While it was a major spiritual and developmental note in days gone by, I've found many that left there to be hooked on 'what was' in terms of relationship, while forgetting the idealism and dreams that truly fueled that time. I no longer attend those reunions. Too much disappointment and anger. But getting 'hooked on what was' is a human foible, among many.

I appreciate the limitations you describe, and have recently found that at least a couple or three of my primary premises were wrong. Learning from others sometimes inherently involves the risk of taking on some of their incorrect perspectives, as well.

Been a fan of Mr. Owsley for 4-1/2 decades myself.

Folks in this area, in the bush in particular, seeking to create organic planting medium, often/sometimes use loam with composted birch leaves (and similar), bark, etc.

A lot of effort for what can be found in bulk for reasonable money, but then there's the issue of amendments not always being as advertised, too. And real sand near me is a scarcity, thus perlite takes on a primary role inside and out..

Anyway, thanks.

While we are all born with infinite knowledge, much of what we know is wrong. I always want to make the point of disqualifying myself in an attempt to explain that I am only here to shed false premises without the misfortune of infecting others. I share my experiences through a broken lens and I leave the expertise up to the experts.

Lack of dialogue. We are structured into a society of students and teachers, when in reality, they are both the same. We are told that if we don't know the answer, that we are to sit down and shut up. Back to infinite knowledge. We know all the answers. Dialog is a filtering process. Sing along with Mitch. Before we can learn, we must know how to teach. We teach ourselves or we fool ourselves.

It's that bat guano thing that we need to move past. Yes, I can preach as I sin. Organics is just the scratching post. my quest, often to the detriment of the plant, is to find sustainable local alternatives.
It's that whole earth thing. Everything is interconnected. As my friend Owsley once told me.(not really) "It's all the same FN thing."

 

[moose eater]

I'd hypothesized that the lack of turgor in the GTH#1 was due to either/or 1.) High N, with limited immediately available P and only moderately available K in a mix not allowed to 'cook,' 2.) Total dissolved solids/EC in the soil leading a more sensitive sativa to rebel a bit, 3.) General dislike of the array of nutes, 4.) A curse I can't shake wherein trying to re-locate that once upon-a-time metaphysical balance of horticultural 'surfing' as an art form is being denied.

None the less, last night, all of the girls received another boost of the 3 ml each of fulvic and humic acids, 2 ml each of cal-mag, 1 drop Super-thrive Vitamin B, and.... 2 tsp of some (fairly old but usable) Maxi-Crop extract, (per gallon of H2O) though I hesitated for a bit, due to the N component of this, as well as the amount of organic K and micro-nute sources already in the mix.

I abstained from an initial thought of dissolving a small amount of wood ash in the watering, instead of the Maxi-Crop, due to not wanting to raise the ph any at all. That, and the original organic recipe years and years ago had prescribed Maxi-Crop at -every- watering, pretty much.

I'm still hesitant to go that route (every watering with Maxi-Crop) as the make-up of MC has changed a bit over the years, and the soil mix involved is no longer -quite- the same mix.

Anyway, initial survey indicates the GTH#1 is less droopy with lights off, while both SLH and WB are slightly less erect with lights off, but still not droopy.

Whether the organics awakening and beginning a more evenly matched release, or the results of the Maxi-Crop with or without the mix becoming more active, it looks like an improvement. And the reduced leaf size, relative to over-feeding in efforts gone by, is not present yet. Though the WB has not achieved the respectable leaf size the SLH and GTH#1 have.

Of the three varieties, WB has been the slowest to absorb the moisture and feed from her pots, yet has greater turgor than the rest, so I'm not sure she's overwhelmed by the nutes; her color is perhaps the best balanced of them all, despite her up-take of feed and water indicating she has lots to chew on.

The original information from the folks I recalled as addressing themselves as the Marry Danksters, was to feed the teas (High N for veg and high P for bloom) until the start of evidence of burning at the leaf tips occurred, meaning to keep the plants at maximum intake but not much more. Some would argue that if you have fed the plants with organics to the point that these symptoms occur, then you've already gone too far. Though I'd counter that this in part depends on concentration of nutes in each feeding.

Anyway, they're there, they're alive, the internodes at the tops of the stalks aren't outrageously spaced out, premature pistils showing on the GTH#1, and maybe a bit on the SLH, and none of them look like they're in need of the ICU.. So I think, for now, all's well.

Time to clean out the tea buckets, sterilize the air lines for the air pump, score a handful of new air stones, re-sterilize the nylon stockings in a simple bleach and water solution, and prepare to brew some mild bat shit, EWC, and mild ash teas in the near future. (*Need to locate the little 1/4" bungees and nylon no-see-um bug mesh to place over the tea buckets to help keep the pesky fungus gnats from finding a new favorite lounge).

 

[moose eater]

In the current soil regimen, with somewhat more N than I would put into the mix again, as sensitive to increased N as GTH1 seems to be, she still continues -nutrient and H2O uptake more quickly than her lesser affected counterparts, currently the WB and SLH.

GTH1's symptoms say she's over her (optimal bloom) limit in N, though not to the point of burning, etc., Yet she continues feeding and drinking as though everything's satisfactory. From that I currently hypothesize she's got less self-regulation on board where nutrient intake is concerned. Someone else may have a different view.

Currently only fed very lightly once, in terms of standard nutrient application, though I've used boosters (enzymes and carbs) a couple times now.

Limited ram curl in the very top couple leaves on SLH, but she has always stuck her nose in the air fairly readily where N is concerned.

Darker green on the GTH is moderating a bit, I suspect in re. to slowly declining N reserves, and increased availability of P.

The slow waltz of maturation and notes continues onward..

I'll be trying an old time poster's organic bloom mix in the future, before re-trying the current mix with reduced N.

And I may try to replicate the outcomes of the local person who simply mixed 1/3 Fishy Peats/Pete's with 1/3 OF and 1/3 Perlite, with occasional supplementing with Fox Farms Grow Big and Big Bloom (with BB in greater than mere adjunct quantities).

No word back yet from the soil science guy re. the implications of iron-eating bacteria in iron-rich soils, and implications for plants in containers. Probably going to require a follow-up call.

 

[moose eater]

It occurred to me some time ago that with all things in nature/the world being yin & yang, or in theory, more or less equally balanced in one way or another, the up-side of having late-stage nitrogen lock-out in ripening, is the reduced presence of chlorophyll and darker green material in the plants at a time that such things are undesirable. Achieving a sought-after condition, tho' getting there through non-conventional means, sort of. As long as the majority of the life-span hasn't been negatively affected, to the point of reaching full production.

Did another test doobie of GTH#1 last night. Pretty damned potent, with what was described early on by one persons as a "marshmallow fluffy up-beat high," followed by "Whoa!!" and a bit of "good night, already." ;^>)

I suspect she's a keeper, despite her leggy-ness, thinner/weaker stalks than other sativas present, and tendency to drink more N than is right for her. "She can't hold her N." (I've heard worse things said about a female).

 

[moose eater]

Welp..... I guess we're never too old to be struck by the power of epiphany.

It occurred to me last night, when tending to the GTH#1, and peeking in on the WB and SLH, that for some 'sensitive' varieties, there may well never be a maximally beneficial one-size-fits all soil and nute regimen. I can stop pursuing that end. Whew!!! A moment of relief.

What ever happens to soil recipes in the future (and shortly I'll be trying Dank Frank's start-to-finish mix with items I've never used before, having to procure some of them on-line or from Los Anchorage), (and I will also be re-working and posting older recipes again here). I suspect extra allowances or decreases in formulae will need to be made for the GTH#1...

Like a spoiled individual whose behavior is sometimes reprehensible, but who provides other benefits worth looking past the negative, I suspect SHE will get her own regimen.. She wins.. And maybe as a result, I'll 'win.' She's hell to take on a date, but such pleasant company later on....

Lots of (even) organic N in her case (worm castings, blood meal, High N guanos, etc., etc.) leave her as a vining nightmare to contend with, weakening the otherwise adequate (?) levels of P and K, by creating elongated weaker stems, and greater distance between bud sites... So all of that will be re-worked specifically for HER.

Meanwhile both SLH and WB, in the exact same soil, with the exact same nutrient and adjunct regimens, have very stout stem structure, and will even benefit from very slight application of traditional bloom formulas in tea or other liquid form..

I may have to hire an interpreter to properly communicate with the GTH#1.... Right now limited sign language seems to be all we've got going for us.

 

[DocTim420]

Research porosity. Having the right ratio of air/water porosity eliminates about 60% of all problems, imo and from my experience.

The right combination of aggregates is golden--but if they are at the wrong ratios, then that gold will turn to lead.

In otherwords, the grow medium porosity changes with the container size. What is perfect for 5 gallon containers is not perfect for cups or 1/2 gallon containers...and vice versa.

 

[slownickel]

Welp..... I guess we're never too old to be struck by the power of epiphany.

It occurred to me last night, when tending to the GTH#1, and peeking in on the WB and SLH, that for some 'sensitive' varieties, there may well never be a maximally beneficial one-size-fits all soil and nute regimen. I can stop pursuing that end. Whew!!! A moment of relief.

What ever happens to soil recipes in the future (and shortly I'll be trying Dank Frank's start-to-finish mix with items I've never used before, having to procure some of them on-line or from Los Anchorage), (and I will also be re-working and posting older recipes again here). I suspect extra allowances or decreases in formulae will need to be made for the GTH#1...

Like a spoiled individual whose behavior is sometimes reprehensible, but who provides other benefits worth looking past the negative, I suspect SHE will get her own regimen.. She wins.. And maybe as a result, I'll 'win.' She's hell to take on a date, but such pleasant company later on....

Lots of (even) organic N in her case (worm castings, blood meal, High N guanos, etc., etc.) leave her as a vining nightmare to contend with, weakening the otherwise adequate (?) levels of P and K, by creating elongated weaker stems, and greater distance between bud sites... So all of that will be re-worked specifically for HER.

Meanwhile both SLH and WB, in the exact same soil, with the exact same nutrient and adjunct regimens, have very stout stem structure, and will even benefit from very slight application of traditional bloom formulas in tea or other liquid form..

I may have to hire an interpreter to properly communicate with the GTH#1.... Right now limited sign language seems to be all we've got going for us.

What we have seen so far, is that yes, certain varieties demand high Ca. Others demand high Ca and high Mn (not Mg).

Seems that the most difficult varieties which happen to be often some of the best, really require not only high Ca, but they won't tolerate high N. High N will always block Ca uptake.

This plant is also a boron whore. Never seen a plant want this much B. Even though one guy tripled up the right dose and did see some toxicity.

You are learning. Enjoy it. Take notes and take photos.

 

[DocTim420]

What we have seen so far, is that yes, certain varieties demand high Ca. Others demand high Ca and high Mn (not Mg).

Seems that the most difficult varieties which happen to be often some of the best, really require not only high Ca, but they won't tolerate high N. High N will always block Ca uptake.

This plant is also a boron whore. Never seen a plant want this much B. Even though one guy tripled up the right dose and did see some toxicity.

You are learning. Enjoy it. Take notes and take photos.

LOL, everytime I see something like this--how certain strains are finicky and can be fussy pussies when it comes to the tug of war between Ca/Mg/Mn & N--it kinda confirms what was suggested to me a few months ago. Certain cultivars perform better in hydro...while certain ones perform better in non-hydro (soil/organic style). Knowing which style that allows the potential of a particular plant to flourish is the key.

BTW, when using the word "better" I am referring to aroma, taste, flavor, potency and duration of effect. Quality over quantity is what makes something "bestest". Having both is what separates the men from the boys, lol.

 

[moose eater]

Research porosity. Having the right ratio of air/water porosity eliminates about 60% of all problems, imo and from my experience.

The right combination of aggregates is golden--but if they are at the wrong ratios, then that gold will turn to lead.

In otherwords, the grow medium porosity changes with the container size. What is perfect for 5 gallon containers is not perfect for cups or 1/2 gallon containers...and vice versa.

Previous to the decrease in numbers of plants and preceding the introduction of GTH#1, I was running Classic 600s in increased number of pots per 4'x4' area, and augmenting the (mostly organic) soil with a relatively complete array of Fox Farms adjuncts, in reduced concentrations, alternating (typically) one diluted application, then one watering.

I tried alternating with Advanced Nutes on that schedule, but the higher K and lower P in their nutes led to more complications of the N and magnesium variety.

With the first referenced schedule, by the end of the bloom cycle, I was seeing -some- amount of N lock-out, but as stated earlier (here or in another thread) there was a minor benefit from this, as it did OK in finish, as a LATE STAGE phenomenon, as far as reducing N and chlorophyll in the end product, though in contrast to times gone by involving strictly guano tea and maxi-Crop, (with the exception of Dyna-Grow Bloom used marginally in transplant from veg to bloom soils for micro-nute benefits), there has been a noted reduction in presence of AMAZINGLY sticky resin in mass amounts. (*18 to 20 years ago, clipping a mere half-lb. of Dronkers' California Indica, I -loaded- a 35mm film canister with incredible scissor hash, from ONE HALF-POUND!! Another grower called me a liar, but it was true.. and of course, he wanted to know what I was feeding with).

The best -weight- production I got was running the greater number of pots in Classic 600s with organic soil, using FF adjuncts, but by the end, one friend commented I was basically running a 'soil based hydroponic operation' due to the harvest period showing compacted roots, and notably less time between watering.
-------------------------
When the plants have not been over-fed, or over-watered, and I see limp leaves, or reduced turgor, I apply about a cup or so of Hydrogen peroxide to the watering or feeding. (*Though uncertain of the affect on beneficial bacteria and fungi...)

There's gobs of coarse perlite in the soil, to permit aeration, in addition to the occasional hydrogen peroxide. And when I use teas, I aerate with an aquarium pump and air stones.

The OTHER wild card in all of this is the change about 17-18 years ago in water supply, and the noted changes in brewing bat guano teas (*especially the High N guano teas, that more or less completely ceased frothing with visible microbial activity, and went from looking like a living pool of 'wonderful sewage' to an inactive brownish tea with no visible froth of activity. Despite our well water testing as more than acceptable for human consumption. And as many know who've brewed beer, water matters a lot).

Changing ONE variable, and tracking changes is easier to follow. Changing multiple variables at the same time (guanos and water source, etc) and trying to track cause and effect, suddenly becomes much more complicated.

Right now I'm flying VFR only in a way.

 

[moose eater]

What we have seen so far, is that yes, certain varieties demand high Ca. Others demand high Ca and high Mn (not Mg).

Seems that the most difficult varieties which happen to be often some of the best, really require not only high Ca, but they won't tolerate high N. High N will always block Ca uptake.

This plant is also a boron whore. Never seen a plant want this much B. Even though one guy tripled up the right dose and did see some toxicity.

You are learning. Enjoy it. Take notes and take photos.

Thanks.

Addressing the pics issue right off, due to ancient 56k dial-up (the only internet available in my area, short of satellite or hot-shoe through a smart phone), and also other 'concerns' I can't/don't upload pics. Wish I could. Once, ten years ago or so, at this site, I up-loaded pics of our now-deceased giant malamute, but I think that was about it. (*Miss him a lot, and he's buried out back, under a McFarland lilac).

One noteworthy difference at the moment, using the current regimen, and despite the GTH#1 having the features already described, the GTH#1's pistils are showing impressive elongation and grouping, in contrast to the other two varieties, though she was flipped to 12:12 about 3-4 days ahead of the SLH, and perhaps a week before the WB. Her pistils, despite greater spacing between bud sites, are fairly nice right now, whereas the other two are still working on elongation and grouping..

For Boron, in the past, I've heard/read of folks using Borax (*which I often combine with chlorine bleach and H2O for treating a grow area where I'm concerned there may be fungal issues, per previous reading from a fellow who makes a living treating fungus-infected areas). But I've questioned using Borax for boron, both due to the other ingredients in it, and the fact that boron is one of those peculiar micro-nutes that's used in small amounts, and wherein too much reveals symptoms that look a whole lot like too little; efficiency resembles deficiency, thus reading it visually gets dicey. Ideas? Thoughts?

Also, historically, I could tell when a plant is maxing out on nutes, when the pistils go from being vigorous and healthy white, to prematurely tinged slightly darker at the tips. When this results from immobile nutes, in organics, then "it is what it is..."

Another observation has been when nutes have been maxed out but not terminally so, but enough to cause some degree of stress, the trichomes appear prematurely, as does odor. In the current mix, despite pistils being very nice in appearance in the case of GTH#1, there's less odor than with the one mother I previously grew out in stout soil.

The SLH, despite lack of the similar development in pistils, still has the beginnings of the classic lemony smell to her.

WB is in between at the moment, in that regard.

After a substantial amount of experience doing this, I suddenly feel like, in some ways, all of this has cast me back to first grade.. or second grade, maybe.

Anyone got a half-pint of warm milk, a graham cracker, and a sleeping mat? This is humbling.

 

[moose eater]

Been moving more slowly these days. Still some things to get done for winter yet, but that list is shorter now.

Gathered a fair bit of new organic amendments never used by me before, though I've seen most of them around for years. Still intending to do a run with Dank Frank's/Phillthy's start-to-finish (mostly) water only mix, and now have everything for that, to run a trial of Goji OG. A fine specimen to attempt in a balanced organic mix, though I may cut back on it, as she seems to resent too much chow more so than some others..

Had a bag of Doc's Sea90 sent up, as well, so I'll park the Azomite to the side for a bit, and see where this goes from here.

Also had some sodium borate and 99.9% citric acid sent to me, after forgetting to pick them up in the Big City.

After reviewing boron (the sodium borate), and considering the amount of organics I'm already using (especially kelp, bone meal, and green sand), I suspect the boron isn't necessary for now. I may try it at half-dosage w/ a mother or two; those that are least favorite. And I suspect the sodium borate is a much stronger concentration of boron than Borax would be. Still need to research that.

The initially-troubled GTH#1 is stacking on some nice flowers, and is only about 4-1/2 weeks or so in. Her fruity odor now distinctly present, and trichs showing nicely for her age. Her darker green has moderated to a healthy mid-green, her leggy-ness that took off when there was too much N available.. well, that is what it is. Shrinking her back to a tighter plant isn't apt to happen without a magic wand.. & a skilled wizard.

SLH, already holding status as a fairly crystalline specimen of Haze wonderment, while not yet showing the size in flowers I'd like, is more crystalline than ever before, and her blooms are notably getting larger and heavier.. I'll be feeding her with nothing more than 2 ml each fulvic and humic acids, 2-3 ml cal-mag.... 2 ml Pro-Tekt, and maybe just 12 ml of Budswel (yellow) and 2 to 3 ml of Meta-K (per gallon) for her next meal.

The WB is showing more obvious calcium, magnesium, and nitrogen issues in the lower leaves, though her pistils had begun lengthening nicely a bit ago, and buds setting fairly well, after resembling the SLH in delayed expression of the nice longer white pistils I like to see. She is also showing trichs and is slowly developing her distinct scent.

All plants are showing a run-off from plain H2O well water of ~ 6.4 to 6.8. So I added some citric acid to the feed for a couple mothers this evening (first time using that instead of other acidic ph additives), and found it to be WAY strong. Far less is needed to adjust downward to 6 or 6.2 from a 7 or 7.1 in a gallon of H2O than powders and liquids I'd used years ago. Thus far the recipients are surviving fairly well.

ONWARD!!

 

[DocTim420]

Moose, not that I mix things in "cubic yards", but calculate my fertility based in "cubic yards" and then use my cement mixer to make 2 cu ft batches of reclaimed grow medium.

That said, I use Sea90 at the rate of 1lb per cubic yard as a "soil amendment" which is equivalent to about 16.8 grams per cubic foot, or 2.61 grams per gallon of grow medium.

I also use Sea90 at the rate of 5ml/gallon of water for liquid root feeding AND foliar spray.

Every 14-21 days I do service my girls with an "ocean brew": Grow More Seagrow 16-16-16 (1-2 grams/gallon), hydrolyzed fish, seaweed liquid extract and Sea90 (all at 5 ml/gallon rate).

FTR, Seagrow 16-16-16 is NOT OMRI listed or organic approved (it contains a wee bit of urea)....but I like it.
https://www.amazon.com/Grow-More-6094-16-16-16-5-Pound/dp/B00UBY2PEY?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-ffsb-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00UBY2PEY

 

[moose eater]

Moose, not that I mix things in "cubic yards", but calculate my fertility based in "cubic yards" and then use my cement mixer to make 2 cu ft batches of reclaimed grow medium.

That said, I use Sea90 at the rate of 1lb per cubic yard as a "soil amendment" which is equivalent to about 16.8 grams per cubic foot, or 2.61 grams per gallon of grow medium.

I also use Sea90 at the rate of 5ml/gallon of water for liquid root feeding AND foliar spray.

Every 14-21 days I do service my girls with an "ocean brew": Grow More Seagrow 16-16-16 (1-2 grams/gallon), hydrolyzed fish, seaweed liquid extract and Sea90 (all at 5 ml/gallon rate).

FTR, Seagrow 16-16-16 is NOT OMRI listed or organic approved (it contains a wee bit of urea)....but I like it.
https://www.amazon.com/Grow-More-60...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00UBY2PEY

Some place I came across a relatively crude (as all/many things have different weights) conversion for tsp/TBSP to grams or ml.

I measure liquids in ml. Some solids have recipes for concentrates into liquid form, of X amount of soluble to Y amount of (distilled water, etc.). That's be the way I'd probably convert Sea90 to a drench or liquid-type fert. I was thinking of watering with 1/2 tsp Sea90 per gallon of H2O, during feedings.

With the larger pots (classic 2000s), versus the greater number of smaller classic 600s, the watering is closer to 1x/week now, even with buds forming nicely. The GTH#1 was the exception to that during her later veg and early bloom, when it was somewhere near every 4-5 days.

When water uptake slows, but there's no drooping of leaves or other symptoms of 'unhealth' such as prematurely darkened pistils, etc., then I know that plant is at about maximum nutrient level in its digestion of the grub it's working with, and that much more will be unproductive, unless it's a specific nute that is in deficiency.

If it's in deficiency due to a lock-out, and I'm doing basic organics, which can defy flushing sometimes, then I know it's a waiting thing.

On the one hand, I'd like to see happier pistils expressed in the SLH. On the other hand, while smaller than ideal, her buds are decent, and the trich presence is Olympic grade.

I fed a ph'ed mild feed to the GTH#1 mom last night that was tested at a flat 5 or so (screw-up on my part), with run-off being right about at a 6 to 6.2. I'll class that as a 'high-risk and needless experiment.' Or just a moment of thoughtless ignorance that could cost me a prized mother... Thus far she hasn't flipped me the Bird.

Re. the flat NPK properties (i.e. 16-16-16, etc.), in the past, I've typically reserved something like that for veg stage and trying to balance out any inequity in the ferts. (I once upon a time used Peter's in similar numbers), but for many years now have tried to stick to a 2-8-6, 3-12-8, etc., sort of regimen in bloom phase; again, not withstanding deficiencies that might be addressed through amendments versus waiting.

I'll be doing the Goji in Dank Frank's organic water-only mix, as stated, but I'll probably also doctor the latest recipe based on what I observed, starting with (as written initially) reducing the N by at least 25%, and taking down some of the P by just a -hair-; perhaps 3-5% max.


Edit: With the re-worked current recipe, I'll be trying another run of the GTH#1 and the SLH

I neglected to mention previously that I -do- bump a tiny amount of extra N during the 3rd week of bloom, IF they look like they would benefit, or appear to not already be too well-served by N at that time; sort of a final bump before the home stretch, as it were.

Thanks for the input, Doc.

 

[moose eater]

Knowing that I'd earlier stated I'd post a couple of the bloom mixes form the 'production period' a couple years back, I dug through the legal pad that most remaining recipes (bit for a couple) are written in. All of which produced some very odiferous cannabis, with respectable trichome and resin content, but none of which possessed the uber-stickiness of the original batches of purely organic that were fed with guano tea.

None the less, the following recipes come from when I was getting up to 20.5 oz. per 4'x4' area, (*often averaging 15.5 to 17.5 oz. of the better producers per box, and as dismally as 8-9 oz with the excellent quality, but less productive strains I've had, now long eradicated, such as Strawberry Sour Diesel, etc), with 400 watt digital hps, provided by two different companies' ballasts; Hydro-Farm Phantoms (2 boxes), and Luma-tek (2 boxes)

(*Yes, I know -many- folks had major headaches dealing with Luma-Tek. I was more fortunate, and in the ONE case my ballast failed, they were relatively responsible in dealing expeditiously with me, and when I (directly) sent them the bad ballast, they sent me a new one. Albeit lacking in much padding... But all of the ballasts listed above, though retired, still function... Maybe one day they'll be on display at the Smithstonian institute! ;^>)

As written earlier, all recipes were mixed dry in a 275-lb capacity cement mixer, described more thoroughly earlier, and then hydrated IN the mixer, and mixed again, using a piece of poly over the opening of the mixer, held in place with a long, otherwise relatively useless cheaper bungee cord. Ph'ed after the wet tumble, for some amount of assurance.

Anyway, from a bloom recipe with chicken-scratch written all over the side column of it, and dated 12/06/14, then modified on 5/1/15, here ya' go:

(*With 1 part equal to about 5-1/2 to 6 cups (+/-)

35 parts BX Pro-Mix (later changed to 32)

7 Parts Amazon Bloom 'soil' (later changed to 9)

7 Parts Ocean Forest (later changed to 9)

6 parts Wonder Worm EWC (later changed to 5)

5 parts Down to Earth EWC

18 parts coarse to medium-coarse Perlite

4 Heaping TBSP 1-10-0 Seabird Guana (~8 level TBSP) (*later changed to 3 heaping TBSP .5-13-.2 Indonesian Bat Guano & 3 heaping TBSP 3-10-1 DTE bat guano)

14 level TBSP kelp meal (*Later changed to 15)

3 level TBSP blood meal

6 heaping TBSP Steamed Bone Meal (*Later changed to 5)

1 heaping TBSP Alaska Whitefish Bone Meal

1 slightly mounded TBSP Jersey Green Sand (*Later changed to 3)

1-1/2 level TBSP (minus) 0-0-62 or 0-0-50 prilled potash (*Later reduced to 1, and then later reduced to 1/2)

1-1/2 heaping TBSP High N bat guano (either 10-6-2 or 10-3-1, later 9-3-1) (*Later changed to 3 heaping TBSP)

1 heaping TBSP 0-5-0 High P Bat guano (*Later changed to 2)

1 slightly mounded TBSP mycorrhizae of choice (*Back then it was strictly DTE brand; now it's Great White)

1 level TBSP Epson Salts (*Later changed to 2... a mistake, probably)

9 level TBSP clean wood ash (*Later changed to 14)

26 level TBSP dolomite lime (*specifically Green Acres brand, as their dolomite back then tested at a plat 7 ph, likely as a result of slightly more magnesium in the mix)

1 level TBSP Super Sweet

*Hydrated with 6.5 gallons untreated well water, treated with (per gallon)

3/4 tsp Hygrozyme

4 drops Super-Thrive B-1

1 TBSP Fox Farms Big Bloom

1/4 tsp Dyna-Grow Grow (primarily for micro-nutes, etc., while the mix 'wakes up')

1 TBSP Aunt Engy's H-2 humic acid (an Advanced Nutrients Product no longer available, but which I scored a stash of; it possesses higher values in humic acid than most competitors)

3/8 tsp Actinovate anti-fungal as a prophylactic.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The above mix was treated/fertilized intermittently with reduced dilution of (primarily) the relatively full array of Fox Farms products, but alternating with watering plain water, then using FF various components at 1/2 or less dosage, other than for the regular flushing with Sledgehammer (Yucca extract), which was used full-strength every 3-4 weeks or so, and using slightly greater volume of water per watering with the SH. Always watering to some degree of run-off from the pots, which at that time were Classic 600s.

These plants finished nicely, were not as tight as I'd like, typically received great reviews, and the fading at the very end nearly always involved some degree of (albeit opportunistically timed) lock-out.

*Perhaps you can see now why a more basic, more organic, less bottle-fed, more tea-oriented recipe that once worked like a charm 2 decades or so ago brings back longings for days of old...

So, to quote Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."