TJ's First Grow - LED - Strawberry Cough

[TJTrouble]

Question: My seedling has just pushed through the dirt; when should I consider my first fertilization?
Currently I am using RODI with a cal/mag additive that seems to also has 3.0% nitrogen. I am mildly concerned about too much nitrogen if I am always watering with that additive, PLUS the complete fert system which contains another 4% nitrogen [various forms] plus phosphate and pot ash.

Any guidance/advice is greatly appreciated! Don't feel like messing up my first seed by guessing. It's a shame the website for this 'house brand' of ferts from my local hydro isn't complete and has pretty well no information.

 

[Tony Urban]

Question: My seedling has just pushed through the dirt; when should I consider my first fertilization?
Currently I am using RODI with a cal/mag additive that seems to also has 3.0% nitrogen. I am mildly concerned about too much nitrogen if I am always watering with that additive, PLUS the complete fert system which contains another 4% nitrogen [various forms] plus phosphate and pot ash.

Any guidance/advice is greatly appreciated! Don't feel like messing up my first seed by guessing. It's a shame the website for this 'house brand' of ferts from my local hydro isn't complete and has pretty well no information.

My understanding is that you dont need to start fertilizer feeds until a few weeks in. When you start the feeding, it should be light, like 1/4 strength or about 200 to 300 ppm. I am not sure about the other questions, I have a habit of regurgitating information I have read a few times in this forum but no experience to back it up, my seedling just poked out of the soil myself. I wont be using bottled nutrients so, even less help there lol

 

[KevinL]

My understanding is that you dont need to start fertilizer feeds until a few weeks in. When you start the feeding, it should be light, like 1/4 strength or about 200 to 300 ppm. I am not sure about the other questions, I have a habit of regurgitating information I have read a few times in this forum but no experience to back it up, my seedling just poked out of the soil myself. I wont be using bottled nutrients so, even less help there lol

Keep in mind, he is using coco medium, (correct TJ) so unlike soil, it does not have nutrients to last a few weeks. I personally don't use coco, yet, but I would double check with someone who uses coco. I think you start feeding in the first week.

 

[KevinL]

Everything looks good otherwise TJ, nice little setup. It should get you a decent yeild and great bud, which is all that matters! Lol

 

[AtmozFear]

Question: My seedling has just pushed through the dirt; when should I consider my first fertilization?
Currently I am using RODI with a cal/mag additive that seems to also has 3.0% nitrogen. I am mildly concerned about too much nitrogen if I am always watering with that additive, PLUS the complete fert system which contains another 4% nitrogen [various forms] plus phosphate and pot ash.

Any guidance/advice is greatly appreciated! Don't feel like messing up my first seed by guessing. It's a shame the website for this 'house brand' of ferts from my local hydro isn't complete and has pretty well no information.

I've been growing for seven years, and my last grow was actually with Dutch Passion Strawberry Cough. It doesn't matter that you are using an inert medium (coco); you NEVER fertilize until ten days from visible sprouting, not from seed. After ten days from visible sprouting, use a light fertilizer solution. Don't water or feed again until the surface becomes dry. Don't worry about too much nitrogen in your all-purpose fertilizers... in fact, I would ONLY use an all purpose, balanced solution - not one specifically intended for veg stage yet.
Some people would look at my plants when I started out years ago and said to me, "Wow, your plants look healthy, they're dark green"...this is not a good thing, especially at the point where leaves appear "puffy" - this indicates too much nitrogen. If you only use an all purpose, light solution, and only water(feed) when you can tell the surface is dry, you should be able to add just enough nitrogen, not over or under.

Also, remember your roots love air as much as water!

 

[TJTrouble]

Keep in mind, he is using coco medium, (correct TJ) so unlike soil, it does not have nutrients to last a few weeks. I personally don't use coco, yet, but I would double check with someone who uses coco. I think you start feeding in the first week.

That is correct. Strait coco coir; devoid of nutrients but naturally acidic. Although, I will mention I was advised by my local hydro to adjust the ph of my water to 6 before providing it to the plants. Is that necessary/best practice?

 

[AtmozFear]

That is correct. Strait coco coir; devoid of nutrients but naturally acidic. Although, I will mention I was advised by my local hydro to adjust the ph of my water to 6 before providing it to the plants. Is that necessary/best practice?

That's BS... you don't need to ph plain water when there is very low ppm (under 200)... I read this in August 2017 High Times issue.

 

[AtmozFear]

You are getting very bad information from your hydro guy. Coco coir is almost absolutely ideal ph.

 

[TJTrouble]

You are getting very bad information from your hydro guy. Coco coir is almost absolutely ideal ph.

I appreciate the help; I only ever trust sales staff so much. I understand they want to make a sale, keep their business running, and ultimately sell me as much as possible while not being outlandish, but if I don't truly need to do something, I shouldn't be pitched it. I think that will be my last visit to that shop, and the last time I use their line of ferts.

He tried to sell me a bottle of acid, to which I explained I have an entire jug of muriatic acid that I use for all sorts of aquarium related tasks, and if I have to lower the ph of my water, I can use that rather than spending money on their brand of ph down.

If I don't have to fool around with the acid at all, that is even better. RODI water is pretty well devoid of all minerals and adapts/takes on the properties of the soil quite quickly because of that. So I figured the naturally acidic coir would keep the ph near optimal without me having to mess with the ph of the water. I appreciate you confirming that for me!

Snapped a shot of my MONDI monitor (RH has dropped a few points since this morning) along with my sprout. I suppose I should count this as day 1 of the sprouting process? Day 10 I can start with a mild dose of ferts. I only have veg specific and bloom specific ferts, so I will simply cut them down to half or maybe even quarter dilution for the first little while. When should I start exploring full dosages of ferts?

Thanks!

 

[AtmozFear]

No problem! You don't have to mix the Bloom and Veg together, just use the Veg. I am just speaking for myself because I use General Hydroponics Flora-series three-part fertilizer. It's simple, cheap, common, and extremely effective. But the next best thing is a Veg fertilizer, rather than mixing a Veg and a Bloom. I would start using full dosage of nutes after two feedings of low strength, taking into account that you had spaced those two feedings by visible surface dryness. Then, kick it up to normal strength. Use the same ratios.

 

[TJTrouble]

No problem! You don't have to mix the Bloom and Veg together, just use the Veg. I am just speaking for myself because I use General Hydroponics Flora-series three-part fertilizer. It's simple, cheap, common, and extremely effective. But the next best thing is a Veg fertilizer, rather than mixing a Veg and a Bloom. I would start using full dosage of nutes after two feedings of low strength, taking into account that you had spaced those two feedings by visible surface dryness. Then, kick it up to normal strength. Use the same ratios.

Both the veg and bloom ferts are 2 part. One contains primarily (3%) nitrogen, and the other 1% nitrogen mixed with phosphate and pot ash. I'm supposed to add them in equal parts in water to use as a single dose. So just use both and dilute further than instructions recommend? Or should I just forego part A that has the bulk of the nitrogen?

 

[AtmozFear]

Yes, you should just use both and dilute further than the instructions recommend. When you water, make sure there is some runoff... don't worry about wasting a little.

 

[SwAggNiFiCeNt]

You are getting very bad information from your hydro guy. Coco coir is almost absolutely ideal ph.

So no need to ph plain water till we start using nutes.? Jus5 for clarification. Tj and I are doing the same set up almost and at the same time

 

[TJTrouble]

So no need to ph plain water till we start using nutes.? Jus5 for clarification. Tj and I are doing the same set up almost and at the same time

If you're using RODI, or another form of 0 TDS water, you dont have to adjust the ph of the water prior to use. Coco coir is naturally acidic and unless your water has a higher ph than neutral, or high mineral content (gh/kh) that would make it difficult to lower the ph with the coco coir alone, you should be good to go.

That is how I understood it.

 

[AtmozFear]

So no need to ph plain water till we start using nutes.? Jus5 for clarification. Tj and I are doing the same set up almost and at the same time

The higher the ppm's, the more ph matters. These are High Times' words in this month's issue. Water with low ppm's does not need to be ph'd. Now, if you're soaking a medium like rockwool, which is alkaline, that is a different story. Coco coir is slightly, if at all, acidic, but I've never heard of soaking or preconditioning coco coir in any way.

 

[AtmozFear]

Strawberry Cough, my previous grow:

 

[AtmozFear]

I honestly did not mean to divert attention... I really wanted to show you what this strain looks like grown from clones.

 

[TJTrouble]

I honestly did not mean to divert attention... I really wanted to show you what this strain looks like grown from clones.

In my 2 x 2 x 5 tent, would it be worth doing a SCROG for a single plant? I've been tossing that thought about since my tent came with a screen.

 

[AtmozFear]

I did a SCROG with those very plants I showed you, later in that grow. I would say definitely you should try it... you gotta see what some people do with galvanized metal fencing with one plant... they spread out all the branches and make a completely flat horizon of buds, sometimes in the twenties.

 

[SwAggNiFiCeNt]

In my 2 x 2 x 5 tent, would it be worth doing a SCROG for a single plant? I've been tossing that thought about since my tent came with a screen.

I think you should. Mine is 2x2.5 and I made one from pvc and some rope n screws. Super super easy.