Brix related question regarding calcium

[GigaGrew]

my soil (compost) is westlands general with john innes no2, 50/50 perlite mix.
with that soil (willl be attempting a perpetual, grow plant in small pot, take the top when i can leave 4 nodes behind, clone top in the next pot) there is enough food to last 4 weeks (and hopefully 4 nodes), i use liquidseaweed/tap water and plain tap water in a 2 to 1( feed it twice with seaweed then the third is just water) almost every other day.

this is what im stuck with. im stocked up and dont really have spare money to change yet. i can however stretch to a spray or two.

what 2 things can i do to this grow to help nudge it in the direction of highbrix?

my first thoughts are a calcium suplement for the soil and maybe a calcium and micro for foliar?

please bear in mind a shit buget of around £10 sterling. (could stretch to 15 if it was really worth it)

some brand names would be good, the kind i can quickly google to get up to speed would rock, but the main stipulation is just the top 2 things you think can work best.

hope you can help!

 

[Droopy Dog]

Cheapest and best solution is to add lime to your mix. Keeps the pH right and provides all the calcium you need. Dolomite lime will provide both Ca and Mg, Calcitic lime, you'll need to add some epsom salts down the road.

DD

 

[GigaGrew]

thanks for the comment. will hold for other guys too, i think there is something very important between the differences in the lime's with high brix.

 

[Budley]

Yeah there is something very important, something to do with cationic availability or something. Don't use dolomite lime, I do know that much, you need to look for Calcium Carbonate, but you have to make sure your ratio is still 7:1 with your Mg. I top dress mine with Jobe's Organic Tomato and Vegetable, not sure how it fits into brix, but the ratios look right to me and it has the beneficial fungi in there.

A question like this really should be aimed towards DocBud though he's the man that knows and answers all my questions.

 

[GigaGrew]

interesting... i already have a very small amount of calcium carbonate in a science kit we bought for the kids that never got used, lol.

I will ask Doc to come here and answer =)

 

[Droopy Dog]

Calcitic lime, AKA 'garden lime', 'agricultural lime' = calcium carbonate.

DD

 

[Vapedogg223]

my soil (compost) is westlands general with john innes no2, 50/50 perlite mix.
with that soil (willl be attempting a perpetual, grow plant in small pot, take the top when i can leave 4 nodes behind, clone top in the next pot) there is enough food to last 4 weeks (and hopefully 4 nodes), i use liquidseaweed/tap water and plain tap water in a 2 to 1( feed it twice with seaweed then the third is just water) almost every other day.

this is what im stuck with. im stocked up and dont really have spare money to change yet. i can however stretch to a spray or two.

what 2 things can i do to this grow to help nudge it in the direction of highbrix?

my first thoughts are a calcium suplement for the soil and maybe a calcium and micro for foliar?

please bear in mind a shit buget of around £10 sterling. (could stretch to 15 if it was really worth it)

some brand names would be good, the kind i can quickly google to get up to speed would rock, but the main stipulation is just the top 2 things you think can work best.

hope you can help!

Sorry of I missed it...I'm out and checking on my phone...but what were you planning before you started thinking high Brix? I had some growing pains then I switched my moms over to a high Brix style grow, so I don't like to recommend switching in the middle.
You'll need more than just calcium... If the ratios are off you'll have problems. The 6/5/3 minerals we have been using are limestone, srp and gypsum. Calcium is a major part of all three, but without the correct amount of phosphorus you'll be in trouble.

If you had the 6/5/3s and something like Azomite, you could top dress and water in with some tea, but otherwise it's a bit like trying to bake cookies with only half the ingredients...you MIGHT end up with something edible, but they aren't going to be anything like the ones in the recipe book.

I'm not really sure about the exchange rate... But I'm pretty sure £10-15 isn't going to get you much...anyway, I'll read through more carefully when I get home to see if I can help.

 

[GigaGrew]

Sorry of I missed it...I'm out and checking on my phone...but what were you planning before you started thinking high Brix? I had some growing pains then I switched my moms over to a high Brix style grow, so I don't like to recommend switching in the middle.
You'll need more than just calcium... If the ratios are off you'll have problems. The 6/5/3 minerals we have been using are limestone, srp and gypsum. Calcium is a major part of all three, but without the correct amount of phosphorus you'll be in trouble.

If you had the 6/5/3s and something like Azomite, you could top dress and water in with some tea, but otherwise it's a bit like trying to bake cookies with only half the ingredients...you MIGHT end up with something edible, but they aren't going to be anything like the ones in the recipe book.

I'm not really sure about the exchange rate... But I'm pretty sure £10-15 isn't going to get you much...anyway, I'll read through more carefully when I get home to see if I can help.

the ball has already started rolling on this grow, its going to be a perpetual by cloning tops after they hit 4 or 5 nodes.

im hoping that some of the things we do in high brix are also compatible with the traditional npk system, such as foliar feeding.

in a couple of months i will have the budget to roll out a full highbrix grow, but untill then im hoping to start adding some of the peripheral tactics to a normal grow.

i may not be able to mineralise my soil properly yet, but im hoping i can assist my plant in getting the most out of what its stuck with.

everything availible to me right now is

westlands compost
liquid seaweed
5-5-5 herb nutes (have not yet used on this grow)
box of potash
box of bonemeal

if i had an N def i probably would have drank lots the day before and then done a urine drink for them 5-1 water-urine.
but ive seen no sign of N def.

im short of micros (except from seaweed)
was going to attempt a 1-3-5 feed when thinking the old way, during flower.

i know my budget is really small, but im also buying lights and they will cost me £30. £20 is my limit this month for feeding systems =/

 

[Vapedogg223]

the ball has already started rolling on this grow, its going to be a perpetual by cloning tops after they hit 4 or 5 nodes.

im hoping that some of the things we do in high brix are also compatible with the traditional npk system, such as foliar feeding.

in a couple of months i will have the budget to roll out a full highbrix grow, but untill then im hoping to start adding some of the peripheral tactics to a normal grow.

i may not be able to mineralise my soil properly yet, but im hoping i can assist my plant in getting the most out of what its stuck with.

everything availible to me right now is

westlands compost
liquid seaweed
5-5-5 herb nutes (have not yet used on this grow)
box of potash
box of bonemeal

if i had an N def i probably would have drank lots the day before and then done a urine drink for them 5-1 water-urine.
but ive seen no sign of N def.

im short of micros (except from seaweed)
was going to attempt a 1-3-5 feed when thinking the old way, during flower.

i know my budget is really small, but im also buying lights and they will cost me £30. £20 is my limit this month for feeding systems =/

Unfortunately I'm not sure what to recommend at this point...high Brix isn't going to be able to happen with your budget at the moment. Potash isn't something that you'd use for high Brix anyway...most soil mixes have too much potassium to start with so you wouldn't want to add any. Bonemeal breaks down slowly and needs beneficials in the soil to make the nutes available to the plant...I didn't see anything about some type of brewed microbe tea, but that's a must for high Brix.

I have to ask...you're serious about the urine? I know it works, but you can burn the plants if you're not careful, and the smell is nasty IMHO...

At this point I think I would stick with what you know until you can afford to go high Brix...If you wait until you can follow Doc's recommendations I can promise you'll be very happy with the results!

 

[GigaGrew]

yeah thats what i mean about the potash, its fine if doing the NPK way but not highbrix.

i think i should just buy a foliar feed that has all the micro's and minerals in it if possible.

Docbud would really be able to answer, that guy has become one with the brix, lol.

Nothing wrong with a bit of wee mate =p its sterile and one of the freshest, most organic ways of providing nutes. i would drink lots before hand to make clear pee (even less urea), but you should really suspend your social conditioning before readin the article

Patrick Makhosi, a soil scientist with Uganda's Kawanda Agricultural Research Organisation, confirms the efficacy of human urine as a fertiliser. He says that applying urine to growing vegetables once every week for at least two months will more than double the yield.

 

[sunnyside58]

I am not saying I know a lot about fertilizers but I do know about cash problems. What I use as a main fert is Miracle gro Rose fertilizer. It has everything important. Cal/Mag/Iron/ and ect. I forgot what else and don't feel like going outside to look but it does have a lot of nutes plants like whether they are vegging or flowering. and it can be used with what you already have.Here are some pics of my plants. You will see it is outdoor and I live in Hawaii so we are getting 13 hours of sunlight during this summer. Aloha. I just thought I would add to everyone else's info. Just trying to help.

 

[GigaGrew]

i will look into that =)

 

[Pierce89]

I am not saying I know a lot about fertilizers but I do know about cash problems. What I use as a main fert is Miracle gro Rose fertilizer. It has everything important. Cal/Mag/Iron/ and ect. I forgot what else and don't feel like going outside to look but it does have a lot of nutes plants like whether they are vegging or flowering. and it can be used with what you already have.Here are some pics of my plants. You will see it is outdoor and I live in Hawaii so we are getting 13 hours of sunlight during this summer. Aloha. I just thought I would add to everyone else's info. Just trying to help.

I think these pics prove that when using the right type and dosage that miracle gro does not kill your plants. Could we please kill that myth.

 

[GigaGrew]

sorry mate, MG myths is a different thread. this topic is pure hibrix, if MG has a place, then it has a place, but spin off conversations elsewhere pls

 

[Jimmycricket]

Well I dont know much about this Hi Brix stuff, but id like to know more.

However like Vapedogg said Azomite should really help to kick it into a hi brix system. Azomite basically has all minerals plants and soil like. I like to use a fair amount with every plant because I feel fairly confident it now gets all the minerals it wants and isnt that the basis for Hi Brix? The plants are able to uptake all these minerals to create hi end healthy food? If its not in the soil to begin with then they cant uptake it. Azomite is cheap too. I bought a small tester bag with a few pounds and I am happy. When it runs out I will be buying a big 40 pounder.

 

[GigaGrew]

only problem i have with azomite is that there is only a finite amount availible...this is not really a method that can be taught to the world at large or we will use up yet another precious resource =/

 

[Curso]

Tea and azomite be the best way to go about like vape said. I don't think you'll be able to hit that on the budget, but you could try what Icemud did and google free samples, I think he ended up scoring a tea. Give him a shout.

 

[GigaGrew]

lol when does one ever stick to a budget

teas and azomite it is...at least until i find a replacement for azomite.

not a fan unless some boffins out there can make a synthetic version.

 

[Icemud]

Here are some items that I have found are great for remineralizing,
Azomite
Zeolite
jersey greensand (it does raise the K though) 0-0-3
glacial rock dust
lava sand (high paramagnetic value)

 

[Jimmycricket]

Hi fellas.

So I have been wanting to add some phosphorous and calcium to my soil. Juding from everything else I use I think they would complete my needs.

Rock phosphate looks good but it is so slow to break down. I was hoping at least for the phosphorous to find something more quick release. The calcium can be slow and steady.

Anyone got some ideas on something? Or a combo of stuff I could use?