are 5gal pots big enough for organic grow?

Aussieaceae

Well-Known Member
Yep. Blood meal is hot. I'd be careful with that. It looks like it's craving K the most, then P. But I'd also add a little N too.

I prefer to use more forgiving amendments that don't get hot, but I do use hot stuff sometimes.

I would want to get a dry amendment that has some extra P in it along with K. Fish bone meal is a good source of P if you don't have too much Ca already. Kelp meal is a decent source for K, but it's really mild.

Both fish bone meal and kelp won't burn your plants, so it's pretty forgiving. I would rather use a slower acting N than bone meal during flower, or at least barely use any at a time so I didn't fry my roots.
Thanks for the advice about kelp, don't use it myself. That's great to know.

I agree to a certain extent, but blood meal is 100% ok as a top dressing, especially No-till. It's one of my favorite amendments.

Heat is not the problem, it's just the nitrogen gas and CO2 escaping + the microbial activity.
It's organic carbon which it needs, so it breaks down properly and doesn't go rank. That's why putting it under the mulch is best. Mulch is carbon all day.

I'm quietly of the opinion K and P was possibily in excess, in the beginning, causing the burn and lockout. By no means disregarding the light either. Wouldn't at all be surprised if it was both.
 

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the advice about kelp, don't use it myself. That's great to know.

I agree to a certain extent, but blood meal is 100% ok as a top dressing, especially No-till. It's one of my favorite amendments.

Heat is not the problem, it's just the nitrogen gas and CO2 escaping + the microbial activity.
It's organic carbon which it needs, so it breaks down properly and doesn't go rank. That's why putting it under the mulch is best. Mulch is carbon all day.

I'm quietly of the opinion K and P was possibily in excess, in the beginning, causing the burn and lockout. By no means disregarding the light either. Wouldn't at all be surprised if it was both.
Thank you. Blood meal is actually hot once you have a healthy herd in your soil. I only use it on corn and other high N needing crops with good active soil. Can burn if you have good soil. One good water or rain and the herd goes ballistic on it.
 

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
Thank you. Blood meal is actually hot once you have a healthy herd in your soil. I only use it on corn and other high N needing crops with good active soil. Can burn if you have good soil. One good water or rain and the herd goes ballistic on it.
Kelp covers more bases and is almost fail safe regardless of herd size. More stable so to speak. Broad range medicine. Blood meal is just to follow up a def after a foliar for immediate results.
 

Aussieaceae

Well-Known Member
Thank you. Blood meal is actually hot once you have a healthy herd in your soil. I only use it on corn and other high N needing crops with good active soil. Can burn if you have good soil. One good water or rain and the herd goes ballistic on it.
Couldn't agree more man. And a small amount to keep the healthy microbe herd fed is very much a beneficial thing. Balance is the important part.
 

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
Thank you. Blood meal is actually hot once you have a healthy herd in your soil. I only use it on corn and other high N needing crops with good active soil. Can burn if you have good soil. One good water or rain and the herd goes ballistic on it.
I couldn't have said it better myself. I was about to explain that.

My shit is crazy active with life. So the hot shit gets hot fast when I add stuff like that. I've been trying to use seabird guano instead of fish bone meal for the P, but even when I barely give it any in flower it burns my pistils a bit. It takes less than a Tbls in my 15 gal pots to piss off my flowering plants for a few days.
 

Aussieaceae

Well-Known Member
Kelp covers more bases and is almost fail safe regardless of herd size. More stable so to speak. Broad range medicine. Blood meal is just to follow up a def after a foliar for immediate results.
I get what you're saying and it's likely great advice for @the native.

Myself I can't stand the price and it's difficult to source.
Wood ashings are my go to for K amendment. Get ample K from the manure too.

i suppose it depends on how you look at things. I want the mulch to break down really fast in my own circumstances.
It's mostly composted cow manure I like and LOTS of it. Blood meal I use like a booster. Plus I usually give the bed chook shit right before stretch. It's continuous.
Matter of a few weeks I'm adding another few inches of mulch. I keep everything layered.
I'm of the believe mulch is the most underrated material out.
 

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
I couldn't have said it better myself. I was about to explain that.

My shit is crazy active with life. So the hot shit gets hot fast when I add stuff like that. I've been trying to use seabird guano instead of fish bone meal for the P, but even when I barely give it any in flower it burns my pistils a bit. It takes less than a Tbls in my 15 gal pots to piss off my flowering plants for a few days.
I have a secret. And it is brand name. Eliminates all the guessing ratios. No 2 plants are the same. You'll never master it. 36 years trying. Clones 99% mastery for that batch. Find a happy medium.
 

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
I get what you're saying and it's likely great advice for @the native.

Myself I can't stand the price and it's difficult to source.
Wood ashings are my go to for K amendment. Get ample K from the manure too.

i suppose it depends on how you look at things. I want the mulch to break down really fast in my own circumstances.
It's mostly composted cow manure I like and LOTS of it. Blood meal I use like a booster. Plus I usually give the bed chook shit right before stretch.
Matter of a few weeks I'm adding another few inches of mulch. I keep everything layered.
I'm of the believe mulch is the most underrated material out.
I dried and steeped bananna peels for K for years. Still do for orchids. But I stated what I use and know. How can I help you with available basics?
 

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
See I don't eat bananas. But I do burn wood. ;)
I use bio char. Burnt wood. Hate the term. Great addition. What kind of wood? I use white oak. Most benificial hardwood here. And instead of burning it. I harvest the fungi between the bark and wood after 2 years seasoning. Then I chop the bark up to small pieces. And use that. That fungus feeds my soil N as nature intended and all the nutrients bio char destroys. Carbon is good in moderation.
 

Aussieaceae

Well-Known Member
I use bio char. Burnt wood. Hate the term. Great addition. What kind of wood? I use white oak. Most benificial hardwood here. And instead of burning it. I harvest the fungi between the bark and wood after 2 years seasoning. Then I chop the bark up to small pieces. And use that. That fungus feeds my soil N as nature intended and all the nutrients bio char destroys. Carbon is good in moderation.
Mostly iron bark and yellow box. I do have to watch it though, because it sweetens my soil.

But spreading some over the manure, then mulching, keeps things pretty neutral.
 

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
Mostly iron bark and yellow box. I do have to watch it though, because it sweetens my soil.

But spreading some over the manure, then mulching, keeps things pretty neutral.
Foreign species to me. Down under? You can learn some powerful delicate growth techniques from your orchid societies. They are native and require pure natural water soluble food. Look into that for root development suggestions. You might be rewarded. Learn the attributes of local nature.
 
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