Experienced Grower Advice

Comnconnection

Comnconnection

Member
Hi All! I’m starting this thread because as my home state of MN just legalized it and many more to follow, I know there will be alot of new growers out there looking for help. This thread is for those new growers who are looking for help and for those top notch grade A experienced growers who can offer valuable advice. It’s not for the mid grower to offer up unverified information.
As a CO resident, a horticulture major, and a commercial grower, I understand the need for accurate information, good communication, and first principle thinking. I am hoping to attract like minded growers for intelligent conversations and real solutions for the newbies posting questions in this thread.
 
Last edited:
Comnconnection

Comnconnection

Member
big bud man 413 said:
Fox farm has gone down hill.
Click to expand...
tstick said:
I'm with you. I don't know what happened on this run, but the mix I made using FF as a base soil, seemed to create an extreme acid pH in the mix. I am in the middle of trying to get things back to normal, but I think next run will be Roots Organic or some other kind.
Click to expand...
Yeah, roots organic is where it’s at. I’ve run many side by sides and roots always comes out with better structure and slightly higher yield.
 
tstick

tstick

Well-Known Member
Comnconnection said:
Yeah, roots organic is where it’s at. I’ve run many side by sides and roots always comes out with better structure and slightly higher yield.
Click to expand...
I just got done adding several TBSP of lime and a small bag of bio-char to the FF base mix (FFOF and FFHF) to try and calm it down (up?) to a better pH. My poor plants are starting to look a bit better, but there must have been some kind of blueberry fertilizer in the bag or something! I can't imagine what would create a runoff of ~4.0!
 
Comnconnection

Comnconnection

Member
tstick said:
I just got done adding several TBSP of lime and a small bag of bio-char to the FF base mix (FFOF and FFHF) to try and calm it down (up?) to a better pH. My poor plants are starting to look a bit better, but there must have been some kind of blueberry fertilizer in the bag or something! I can't imagine what would create a runoff of ~4.0!
Click to expand...
That's rough man, hope they turn around. A blueberry fertilizer premixed in bag? I've never heard of that before, lol. Biochar can be hit or miss, personally id air on the side of less is more there, or maybe even not at all. Also id add some oyster shell which is not only a great pH buffer, but also a great source of calcium and chitin. Your plant may be responding well to the top dressing because lime gives it calcium and magnesium. And because Runoff EC in soil isn't quite the same as in soilless because of the complex food web that is happening in there, it can be misleading. I did the exact same thing when i moved into soil from soilless. If they did look good before, your environment is good, their in strait ocean forest and happy frog, not amended, you havn't been feeding it or feeding very little, and your water pH has been between 6.3-6.8 or so, id say they have to be hungry. Could be water source too, check EC of input water, make sure its not high. I can't tell you how many times I would mix up what I thought was a hot soil, only to see the plants crush it and need more, which I would mistake for over feeding, pH, bad soil mix i made, light stress, or some other thing. 2ml Cal-Mag and 5ml pure blend grow or bloom (Soil Version) and maybe some silica/karma/vitamino if you want to get fancy, would probably snap them out of it unless they are bigger, might need more. You can use bio bizz or teas or other organics too, they just need to have the full range of micros and macros. Or transplant to a bigger fabric pot with roots organic original, or the ocean forest (because its not bad, i just think roots is better) and either amend the soil for veg/flower or start liquid feeding after a couple weeks. Hope that helps homie!
 
Last edited:
Comnconnection

Comnconnection

Member
IMG_0246 2.JPG

I've really come to love and respect soil a great deal. It has become a great teacher in many ways for me. I spent last summer on the western slope of Colorado living out in the field watching the soil and the land transform from spring to almost fall. I saw the water table from incoming water push water up hill and and in weird ways, I saw seeds growing so well in what looked like clay that they outpaced the greenhouse and amended soils. I saw how by simply digging holes water collects and life follows. I know its basic permaculture information, or even just intuitive, but it really humbled me and calmed me down, we know so little about so many things. Here are a few pics of trying to control mother nature in a sealed environment with no pests or fungi, where all soil is sterilized then reinnoculed. Here is me bumpin 2000watts of Quantum bad boy 16 bulb t5 fluorescents over an amended soil mix of leafy greens, lol. There is some ocean forest and happy frog in there. These plants are were only given water I recycled out of the air and filtered.
 
Last edited:
Charles U Farley

Charles U Farley

Well-Known Member
Comnconnection said:
View attachment 5340665

I've really come to love and respect soil a great deal. It has become a great teacher in many ways for me. I spent last summer on the western slope of Colorado living out in the field watching the soil and the land transform from spring to almost fall. I saw the water table from incoming water push water up hill and and in weird ways, I saw seeds growing so well in what looked like clay that they outpaced the greenhouse and amended soils. I saw how by simply digging holes water collects and life follows. I know its basic permaculture information, or even just intuitive, but it really humbled me and calmed me down, we know so little about so many things.
Click to expand...
For me, there's just nothing like getting your hands in real honest to God dirt. Even though I know my wife would love it if I would get into hydroponics (it'd make the house a hell of a lot cleaner) but there's just something so magical about cannabis growing in soil.

Since I don't get caught up in all the measuring of pH, EC, runoff, various and assorted fertilizer ratios for various periods of time, etc., I find cannabis plants teach me more than any school ever did.

You learn how to take care of what takes care of you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top