What do you guys think about fertilizer diversification?

[bluter]

To me he wanted the lazy man’s approach so I offered up geoflora.

If he wanted to actually build something out of ingredients, I gave him that option too.

Come on man… you know me.

i'm not running you over .. you know me too .. i got more tire tracks than a dragstrip

i was eluding to the nute that shall not be mentioned. a very equally lazy approach.
as for building ..... hmmm. i like it, but it needs the infrastructure. i couldn't get there right now.

 

[bluter]

well, now you've done it. we're all done for

 

[Phillybonker]

I haven’t tried it either. Just hear it’s easy and works from folks I trust on the site.

I like complicated things.

I run a mix of Mother Earth groundswell, Fox Farm Ocean Forest, local Earthworm Castings, #4 perlite, with Mega Crop V3, Mega Crop Sweet Candy, Blue Planet seaweed kelp flakes, URB, Botanicare CalMag+, Botanicare Silica Blast, Neptunes Seaweed Kelp, and some Great White Mica.

There’s a method to the madness.

You guys have got a lot of stuff over there in the US that I wish I could try and far better stuff than we have here in NZ. I'm jealous.

 

[Phytoplankton]

I don't mix organic and non-organic.

I ain't following no template. I want to throw small amounts of lots of different fertilizers in the ground and the plants,microbes, earthworms and whatever else lives in the soil can pick and choose what they want to eat. Where I come in is I will supply them with a large diverse buffet to choose from...at least that's the idea.

From a slighly different perspective, on paper it sounds good, and if it works, you're golden, but if it doesn't, how do you know what is working and what isn't. Which nutes are you going to omit, decrease, or increase? In your case you are growing outdoors, and stealth correct? So, if something goes badly wrong halfway through the grow, you've lost your grow window for that season, and you still don't know exactly where it failed. So what do you do next season? If you copy someone whose already had success, your probability of success will be greater than winging it. Just tying to save you from potentially losing a growing season to experimentation. If you were growing indoors I'd say go for it, since you can start over anytime you want. Now, I don't know if you use different stealth sites, but that could also be problematic too, unless they have the same soils. Also, remember that some organic nutes need to be cooked into the soil for a month or two to get the effect you want. Best of luck to you!

 

[Phillybonker]

but if it doesn't, how do you know what is working and what isn't.

If there is a nute deficiency of some type the plants will let me know, if I'm overfeeding (hard to do growing in the ground) the plants will let me know.

Which nutes are you going to omit, decrease, or increase?

Plants don't care where they get their NPK, Ca, Mg and S from. Those are the only things I need to increase or decrease, not increase or decrease a particular type of nute.

In your case you are growing outdoors, and stealth correct?

Correct.

So, if something goes badly wrong halfway through the grow, you've lost your grow window for that season, and you still don't know exactly where it failed.

I use different grow areas, sure things can go wrong but I won't lose everything.

If you copy someone whose already had success, your probability of success will be greater than winging it. Just tying to save you from potentially losing a growing season to experimentation.

I've already been experimenting with nutes, different nutes, different doses, and guess what? None of it made a difference, they just eat anything and everything I throw at them and keep on growing.

Now, I don't know if you use different stealth sites, but that could also be problematic too, unless they have the same soils.

Next grow the plants will be in the same grow spot in the same soil.

 

[Phytoplankton]

Like I said, best of luck!

 

[SmokingWings]

Fertilizer diversification meaning using a little bit of a lot of different fertilizers.

Pretty much what most of our fertilizer blends already are.

One example is the list of ingredients on the back of the Fox Farms main three liquid fertilizers. They are not one nutrient source mixed with water. Each one has several different ingredients already mixed together; sometimes a mix of organic sources and what are considered in-organics. They are not the only company doing this .Same thing happens with the bags of dry fertilizer blends.

Things like Ocean Forest, Roots Organic 707 and Boogie Brew contain a lot of different ingredients just by themselves.

Yes. Many of the 'potting soils' have the same different ingredients mixed together. The companies might give a different name to certain ingredients but they are the same in each blend. I am thinking of ingredients like coco coir or peat moss or Perlite.

May be a large diversification of different fertilizers is the way to go, idk what do you guys think?

Many growers are already doing it. Example is the grower who mixes Kelp Meal, Worm Castings and a splash of Bat Guano into a jug of water and then 24 hours later pours that onto the soil around his plant.

It is what pro and hobby gardeners have been doing all along. So, go for it.

 

[SmokingWings]

From a slighly different perspective, on paper it sounds good, and if it works, you're golden, but if it doesn't, how do you know what is working and what isn't. Which nutes are you going to omit, decrease, or increase?

Yes, those are good points that we should keep in mind.

Figuring that this massive bombardment of fertilizers actually worked it is pretty easy to see which one stuck to the wall and which ones fell down. Start removing one ingredient at a time for several weeks. If the problem returns it gives an indication of what might have been missing at the start. Figuring it out can take many grows if just several plants are grown at a time or just a few grows if many plants can become test subjects.

Another down side to doing a large dump of fertilizer ingredients all at one time is that sometimes it can lead to some incompatibility problems. Something like an overdose of Nitrogen comes to mind.

 

[Old G]

Most gro diaries I’ve read everyone uses a lot of different fertilizer, I use geoflora top dressing and I have all the FF line, I mix my soil as well , I’m a noobie but I learned quick that a lot can go wrong w your gro, and always have a spider mite spray , you get spider mites doesn’t matter what nutes ur using

 

[cbdhemp808]

I use my own custom made organic soil mixture based on: compost soil, volcanic cinder (mostly black cinder), coco coir, perlite, fresh worm compost from our worm bins, and organic ferts from Down to Earth. The ferts: oyster shell powder, seabird guano, bat guano, dolomite, gypsum, greensand, potassium sulfate. I also add a little biochar if I have some. Of course, all of these in the right ratios.

using a little bit of a lot of different fertilizers.

I'm definitely on the conservative side, but that's a good place to start. I'm not getting great yields yet in my 15 gal. smart pots, so will try increasing, especially N. I also water with a high-N liquid fert that also contains some P, K, and micronutes.

 

[Old G]

I use my own custom made organic soil mixture based on: compost soil, volcanic cinder (mostly black cinder), coco coir, perlite, fresh worm compost from our worm bins, and organic ferts from Down to Earth. The ferts: oyster shell powder, seabird guano, bat guano, dolomite, gypsum, greensand, potassium sulfate. I also add a little biochar if I have some. Of course, all of these in the right ratios.



I'm definitely on the conservative side, but that's a good place to start. I'm not getting great yields yet in my 15 gal. smart pots, so will try increasing, especially N. I also water with a high-N liquid fert that also contains some P, K, and micronutes.

I’ve gotta find some volcanic soil or cinder or however it comes. My nephews live on the North Shore of Oahu, my one grows and has been for 20years . He sends me some now and then and the weed is always next level. I’ve been and the soil is a wild reddish color that EVERYTHING grows beautifully in , pineapples on the side of the road anything and everything is delicious. He uses some nutes as well but generally it’s just that volcanic soil that makes the pot that good. Everyone is always saying you need alittle higher humidity to gro good weed , Hawaiis humidity rarely gets over 5%, so that’s not true . Everyone has their own nutes they use I guess , seems just find what works for you . Thing I like about growing besides the fact it’s probably the most therapeutic thing I’ve ever done, is there’s a lot to learn to get really good at this and I don’t think at any level you get with this that there isn’t more to learn

 

[cbdhemp808]

Black cinder is the one... lots of minerals for the plants. Some areas of Hawaii do have high humidity, others very low – everything from tropical rain forest to desert. The nice thing about Hawaii is the year round growing season. I can get 5 harvests in a year, greenhouse grow. Annual photoperiod cycle is challenging, so photoperiod lighting is necessary – I use night interruption lighting to control flowering. I flower when the plants have grown enough in veg.

 

[SmokingWings]

I’ve gotta find some volcanic soil or cinder or however it comes.

I am pretty sure that what is being talked about is called Basalt.

From a geology website:
"Basalt is a dark-colored, fine-grained, igneous rock composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene minerals. It most commonly forms as an extrusive rock, such as a lava flow, but can also form in small intrusive bodies, such as an igneous dike or a thin sill."

Basalt is the most commonly used stone for making "rock wool".

It is available from several organic or natural amendments businesses the supply soil building materials. Down-To-Earth and Build-A-Soil come to mind and several other companies came up with a basic web page search.

 

[Old G]

Thanx I have to get some of that, he sent me white widow once that was the best pot I’ve ever smoked. I know the majority of the weed is grown on the Big Island in that black soil. I know this because I was gonna visit one time and he told me they were going to harvest and did I wanna come , lol , of course I wanted to go but I never made it. This was 10 years ago when it wasn’t legal all over. He also told me that pot never made it outta California, it was purchased and smoked there. I know where I live I’ve never smoked anything even close to that.The way he put it was it was the straightest stone you’ll ever have, wasn’t that the truth, kinda felt like heaven lol

 

[Old G]

Black cinder is the one... lots of minerals for the plants. Some areas of Hawaii do have high humidity, others very low – everything from tropical rain forest to desert. The nice thing about Hawaii is the year round growing season. I can get 5 harvests in a year, greenhouse grow. Annual photoperiod cycle is challenging, so photoperiod lighting is necessary – I use night interruption lighting to control flowering. I flower when the plants have grown enough in veg.

Are you from Hawaii, if you are your lucky . Don’t mean the weed , more so the lifestyle that the people live, none of the im richer than you bullshit that seems to prevail in the USA now

 

[Old G]

I am pretty sure that what is being talked about is called Basalt.

From a geology website:
"Basalt is a dark-colored, fine-grained, igneous rock composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene minerals. It most commonly forms as an extrusive rock, such as a lava flow, but can also form in small intrusive bodies, such as an igneous dike or a thin sill."

Basalt is the most commonly used stone for making "rock wool".

It is available from several organic or natural amendments businesses the supply soil building materials. Down-To-Earth and Build-A-Soil come to mind and several other companies came up with a basic web page search.

Thank you, I’m only on my 3rd gro and apart from giving alot of my gro to family and close friends, I’d love to gro weed similar to what I’ve smoked. Obviously I can’t mimick the perfect weather they have nor that soil but hopefully I can get close. Before I decided to gro my own , I have a med card and I tried everything a dispensary has , I wasn’t impressed at all . Stuff I’ve grown is even way better than that

 

[Old G]

I am pretty sure that what is being talked about is called Basalt.

From a geology website:
"Basalt is a dark-colored, fine-grained, igneous rock composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene minerals. It most commonly forms as an extrusive rock, such as a lava flow, but can also form in small intrusive bodies, such as an igneous dike or a thin sill."

Basalt is the most commonly used stone for making "rock wool".

It is available from several organic or natural amendments businesses the supply soil building materials. Down-To-Earth and Build-A-Soil come to mind and several other companies came up with a basic web page search.

Isn’t the rock wool what some people grow in, I have to research that. I’ve seen several people say they gro in that, is that used in a self feeding environment

 

[SmokingWings]

Isn’t the rock wool what some people grow in, I have to research that. I’ve seen several people say they gro in that, is that used in a self feeding environment

Yes, same stuff.

Rock wool is also used for insulation in ceilings and walls. When used as insulation I have the feeling it is not washed as clean as what is used for growing.

 

[cbdhemp808]

Hawaii black cinder looks like this, and yes, it's basalt, which is "high in iron, magnesium and calcuim but low in potassium and sodium". I use it in my soil mixture and it's general regarded here as "black gold" for growing any plants. Sometimes I pulverize it to be more fine.

 

[Old G]

Hawaii black cinder looks like this, and yes, it's basalt, which is "high in iron, magnesium and calcuim but low in potassium and sodium". I use it in my soil mixture and it's general regarded here as "black gold" for growing any plants. Sometimes I pulverize it to be more fine.

It looks like black gold I’ll be ordering some today, thank you, I knew how good that soil is I had no clue you could buy it . That stuff looks awesome