Mega Crop opinions

[InTheShed]

Have you done slurry tests Weasel? A lot of the MC issues I've come across end up with the pH of the medium out of whack.

Also, don't oyster shells have to be broken down by the microbes in soil during cooking in order to be available to the plant? I'm no organic grower but that's what I thought.

 

[Weaselcracker]

I’ll do some slurry tests. Good idea. But given that I’ve been through about eight fresh bales of Promix and a few of Sunshine Mix over the last year, I would not have expected them all to be faulty. And the fact remains that before and after I switched away from the MC, the plants were good, in the same soil.

I’m no organic grower either. A friend who is an actual genuine botanist told me the calcium from the oyster shell is mainly available as a soluble nutrient, not through microbe poo. But I’ll double check that. I only did two plants with OS and they both seemed better than the ones without- though still maybe a bit weird. Powdered oyster shell is over 98% calcium carbonate. I could use lime though instead.

Is that what you are using to tweak your soil mix PH as you mention above? Dolomite lime- or ‘agriculture lime’ (calcium carbonate)?

 

[InTheShed]

I ended up with 4 bags of "spoiled" ProMix HP so anything is possible.

To correct pH that is either too high or too low you need to change the nitrogen content of the nutrients you are using. Megacrop is almost entirely nitrate, which raises the pH of any medium over time.

I had to switch to a different nutrient with more ammoniacal nitrogen to bring the pH down to where it should be. Then I go back to MC.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Spoiled how?

What did you use for the NH3?

Thanks.

 

[InTheShed]

Sold beyond their use by date.

Jack's 20-10-20 will work but there are no small bags, so I went with GrowMore 20-10-20 Orchid fertilizer. Same ingredients as Jack's but much cheaper for a small jar!

 

[Weaselcracker]

Thanks. I wouldn’t be super surprised if the local promix bags were all from one original shipment since it is a bit of a faraway backwater. I’ll check the info on the old bags. Having said that I’d be surprised if they were old enough for the lime to stop working in the bag. And other factors make me think the blame lies with the MC, or the grower, more than with the soil. But you’ve given me some things to think about.

 

[InTheShed]

I don't have the info on my phone but I'll let you know tomorrow all the things that change when ProMix gets old.

 

[InTheShed]

Here you go @Weaselcracker, from my contact at PremierTech:

"The date on the packaging is the date of manufacturing. We recommend to use the product within one year of this date, since product can change with age. Because the peat moss used in making the product has some naturally occurring bacteria and fungi (not harmful), these microorganisms can biodegrade some ingredients over time. The product does not go bad, but it is different from when it is manufactured. Some of the changes that can occur with time include nitrogen drawdown, biodegradation of the wetting agent and elevation of pH. These changes are conditional depending on product storage over time. The warmer the storage temperature the more likely changes will occur."

 

[Buds Buddy]

I ended up with 4 bags of "spoiled" ProMix HP so anything is possible.

To correct pH that is either too high or too low you need to change the nitrogen content of the nutrients you are using. Megacrop is almost entirely nitrate, which raises the pH of any medium over time.

I had to switch to a different nutrient with more ammoniacal nitrogen to bring the pH down to where it should be. Then I go back to MC.

I guess this explains where at a certain point in my grows things start looking dark green with leaf down curl / slightly hooked. Seems like it happens right about the 4 - 5 gr. per gal. mark for me. I've just been backing off the MC some when that happens.

 

[Rheaun]

Spoiled how?

What did you use for the NH3?

Thanks.

Has anyone heard if any of the versions of MC have been bad batches, or somehow crappier than other versions? The plants here look nice. I’ve seen a couple MC users with great looking plants, some with mediocre ones.

I’m trying to think of a reason why Mega Crop has seemed so underwhelming for me. I feel like I’ve kicked at the mega crop can in most possible ways now. Feeding more, feeding less, with and without calmag, with and without added oyster shell, occasional flushing, etc. My plants and finished bud have just been mediocre at best, and usually worse. Mega Crop has got me by for the last year, so I can’t really hate it, but I sure don’t feel much love for the stuff.
Pretty much any other nutrients I grew with in the past have given me nicer plants.

I like having nice plants.

Now that I stopped using it as of a few weeks ago, veg growth is faster and healthier, and the flowering plants are losing the deficiencies and are vibrant and happy looking again, and even smell way better. .

I’ve been mailing the mega crop away to forum members. I’m saving enough to do one last kick at the can. Some last side by side experiments, which will be in my usual Promix HP with myco, using rainwater.
High/low feedings, calmag vs no-calmag, maybe some added oyster shell for calcium.

If anyone has any thoughts about this post, or experiments they think I should try then let me know.

The water content in your medium is probably the problem, need irrigation events with runoff management (*think hydroponic solution flowing) . More ammendments won't really help.

 

[Inky66]

Here you go @Weaselcracker, from my contact at PremierTech:

"The date on the packaging is the date of manufacturing. We recommend to use the product within one year of this date, since product can change with age. Because the peat moss used in making the product has some naturally occurring bacteria and fungi (not harmful), these microorganisms can biodegrade some ingredients over time. The product does not go bad, but it is different from when it is manufactured. Some of the changes that can occur with time include nitrogen drawdown, biodegradation of the wetting agent and elevation of pH. These changes are conditional depending on product storage over time. The warmer the storage temperature the more likely changes will occur."

Thanks Shed, keeping in mind it’s a living organism....I need to take a break from all this learning, it’s not even 7am yet! My heads gonna splode!

 

[732002]

Here you go @Weaselcracker, from my contact at PremierTech:

"The date on the packaging is the date of manufacturing. We recommend to use the product within one year of this date, since product can change with age. Because the peat moss used in making the product has some naturally occurring bacteria and fungi (not harmful), these microorganisms can biodegrade some ingredients over time. The product does not go bad, but it is different from when it is manufactured. Some of the changes that can occur with time include nitrogen drawdown, biodegradation of the wetting agent and elevation of pH. These changes are conditional depending on product storage over time. The warmer the storage temperature the more likely changes will occur."

This is concerning, I'm using promix HP and MC and they both raise PH over time.
I thought the peat in promix would lower PH?

I have been adding some organic dry fertilizer in addition to MC. I should do a comparison grow
MC vs Dry organic (dr earth tomato, veg and flower girl)

 

[InTheShed]

This is concerning, I'm using promix HP and MC and they both raise PH over time.
I thought the peat in promix would lower PH?

I have been adding some organic dry fertilizer in addition to MC. I should do a comparison grow
MC vs Dry organic (dr earth tomato, veg and flower girl)

Straight peat is hard to grow in as it's very acidic, so it's buffered to around 5.8, and it remains stable with a balanced nitrogen nutrient. MC is almost entirely nitrate-based, which will raise through pH of any medium over time.

If you're looking for a dry fertilizer, give Geoflora a shot. It's organic and they're a sponsor here, and folks are having food results from using it by itself.

 

[732002]

Thanks, will start alternating with Jack's 20-10-20, Getting low on MC so was about to buy more fertilizer anyway.

 

[InTheShed]

Thanks, will start alternating with Jack's 20-10-20, Getting low on MC so was about to buy more fertilizer anyway.

Jack's is missing most micronutrients, so that approach might leave you showing some deficiencies. Another approach would be to use MC and then switch to Jack's for two waterings every 6-8 weeks.

 

[732002]

Jack's is missing most micronutrients, so that approach might leave you showing some deficiencies. Another approach would be to use MC and then switch to Jack's for two waterings every 6-8 weeks.

Thanks, I'm going to try dry organics for next run, 4-6-3 for veg and 3-9-4 flower, available at big box store
$12.50/4#

 

[Rheaun]

Jack's is missing most micronutrients, so that approach might leave you showing some deficiencies. Another approach would be to use MC and then switch to Jack's for two waterings every 6-8 weeks.

Megacrop website says something about comparing to Jack's but not the 10-20-10 you mention and they say MC is meant to be used with weekly teas or veganics style. Nothing about using 10-20-10. If it's phosphorous you're trying to fix try proper pH down that will be metabolized somewhere close to these parameters:

 

[InTheShed]

Megacrop website says something about comparing to Jack's but not the 10-20-10 you mention

To be clear, the Jack's (or Grow More orchid fert) is 20-10-20, not 10-20-10. It's not comparable to MC in a few ways:

First is the NPK ratio, second is that MC has the micronutes that Jack's doesn't, and third that MC is 95% nitrate nitrogen where Jack's is much more balanced. The balanced N is why I used it to lower the pH of my ProMix. Nitrate N will raise the pH of your non-hydro medium where ammoniacal N will lower it.

If it's phosphorous you're trying to fix try proper pH down

I don't think anyone needs more phosphorus than MC gives you! I'm assuming that's a hydro chart above?

 

[Stunned]

What's the thinking behind the Mega 2 part system?
Is it superior in any way to the regular product?

 

[Weaselcracker]

Have you done slurry tests Weasel? A lot of the MC issues I've come across end up with the pH of the medium out of whack.

I have now.

Promix slurry

• Weaselcracker
• Jan 10, 2021

The pH is lower than a bit lower than I expected. but maybe it’s OK? Whenever I did a slurry test for sunshine mix it was always in the mid sixes.
The three bags of Promix I have around are all the same batch # and still have six months left on the date.