Nutrient help...experts needed!

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
So this is my first grow and I am exactly 3 weeks today from when the seed sprouted through the soil. I have been reading everyday for as long as I can about nutrients. Organics, liquids, etc... Anyways I am looking for some advice as to what nutrients are best. I know people are going to be biast but I just want some advice. As I am a gardener outside of bud, I have some fertilizers laying around the house. They consist of blood meal (12-0-0), bone meal (0-10-0), bat guano (9-2-1) and some hydrated lime for ph balance. I just wanted to know if I could use these in my grow? If posmarch 21st.jpgsible, do I just fertilize like most plants and scratch some of this in the soil? Please any advice is welcomed...attached are some pictures.

march 21.jpg
 

Mother's Finest

Well-Known Member
Some of the best organic fertilizers include Bone, Blood & Kelp meals; Maxicrop soluble seaweed powder; Bat & Seabird Guanos; Fish Emulsion; Worm Castings and Palm Bunch Ash (0-0-30).

Liquid ferts need to be given to the plants manually, i.e. with a watering. Solid ferts should either be mixed into the soil or made into teas to fertilize manually. Some very experienced growers use no ferts and apply all nutrients as needed. This method provides more control over what the plants get. Others mix as much into the soil as possible and go without manual feedings for as long as they can. This way is usually less work.

Top dressing isn't the best way to fertilize. First off, not alot of the nutrients soak into the water at each watering. Secondly, the fertilizers on the soil surface usually don't soak up water or drain very well, making it more difficult to water.
 

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
Some of the best organic fertilizers include Bone, Blood & Kelp meals; Maxicrop soluble seaweed powder; Bat & Seabird Guanos; Fish Emulsion; Worm Castings and Palm Bunch Ash (0-0-30).

Liquid ferts need to be given to the plants manually, i.e. with a watering. Solid ferts should either be mixed into the soil or made into teas to fertilize manually. Some very experienced growers use no ferts and apply all nutrients as needed. This method provides more control over what the plants get. Others mix as much into the soil as possible and go without manual feedings for as long as they can. This way is usually less work.

Top dressing isn't the best way to fertilize. First off, not alot of the nutrients soak into the water at each watering. Secondly, the fertilizers on the soil surface usually don't soak up water or drain very well, making it more difficult to water.
Very good to know. I recently just read "subcools super soil" and was thinking about giving that a try next time around. As a beginner with this bud plant I just want to keep it simple and learn as I go. I've made a bat guano tea before but have never tried it with bone meal or blood meal. is it basically the same concept? Sorry for all the questions I just like to suck up knowledge lol
 

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
Just a quick couple of things.

Snag some kelp meal. All that other stuff is good, I use them also, but all read 0 for K and K is really important especially in flowering.

Dolomite or Garden lime. I would snag some to add to your mix as a cal/mag source, besides the pH thing. I don't mess with hydrated, a bit too hot for me. Does hydrated supply calcium? Curious, since you use so little compared to Garden or dolomite lime. Or, is it mainly just for pH?

I garden also.

Wet
 

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
remember to read Sub's soil recipe to the letter and dilute it if you plant into it.
I've read that more then once. I am just a little skeptic as to trying it since this is my first grow with bud. I was thinking Organic teas or liquid fertilizers. Seems easier for me to control. If you guys think otherwise please send some advice. I'll post pics once my lights come back on. She is a little baby right now (3rd week from seed)
 

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
Yes, it's the same concept. Sorry for not replying sooner.

No problem. As you stated in an earlier comment, would you advice me not to use teas(top dressing) and use more of the "subcools" soil mix?? I just bought a TDS tester so now I can measure the PPMs more accurately. Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to get my first yield with the least amount of mistakes possible.
 

Mother's Finest

Well-Known Member
Teas are made by soaking solid ferts in water until the nutrients dissolve, filtering the solids back out and leaving the nutrients in the liquid. They're different from top dressings. We reccomend against regular top dressing because of substances with poor drainage characteristics piling up on top of the soil. Teas don't have that problem, though.
 

Silky Shagsalot

Well-Known Member
when you're starting out growing, it's best to use the k.i.s.s. method (keep it simple stupid, lol!) a good all around fert is pure blend. there's a veg and a flower mix, get both. mixing your own, and super soil mixes are far from simple, and not cheap.
 

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
Teas are made by soaking solid ferts in water until the nutrients dissolve, filtering the solids back out and leaving the nutrients in the liquid. They're different from top dressings. We reccomend against regular top dressing because of substances with poor drainage characteristics piling up on top of the soil. Teas don't have that problem, though.
I thought you meant top dressing as pouring the nutrients on top of the soil. Sorry for the misunderstanding but thanks for the clear up! ha ha I have made and used teas before in other plants so that might be my best bet for my first time. If not I guess I'll just go with some name brand stuff. thanks for all the advice but I have one more question for you. What would you recommend the best NPK values for veg and flower? +REP for the help
 

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
when you're starting out growing, it's best to use the k.i.s.s. method (keep it simple stupid, lol!) a good all around fert is pure blend. there's a veg and a flower mix, get both. mixing your own, and super soil mixes are far from simple, and not cheap.

Thanks for the advice and for the examples of a good fertilizer. Price isnt too much of an issue as I want to do the best I can the first time. Not expecting anything spectacular but not wanting to grow shwag! Ha ha
 

Silky Shagsalot

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the advice and for the examples of a good fertilizer. Price isnt too much of an issue as I want to do the best I can the first time. Not expecting anything spectacular but not wanting to grow shwag! Ha ha
money isn't an issue when keeping things simple. keeping things simple is the issue. for your first time, do less to get more. personally, i'd go with coco.
 

Wolverine97

Well-Known Member
I've read that more then once. I am just a little skeptic as to trying it since this is my first grow with bud. I was thinking Organic teas or liquid fertilizers. Seems easier for me to control. If you guys think otherwise please send some advice. I'll post pics once my lights come back on. She is a little baby right now (3rd week from seed)
It doesn't get any simpler or easier than just add water my man. Yes, it's easier to "control" things when giving liquid foods but if you don't know what you need to control that doesn't help you very much, does it?
 

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
march 28.jpgHere are some pics... what could be wrong with this little girl? All of her new leafs march 28th.jpgare nice and green but it seems that all of the older leaves are turning yellow/brown but only on the tips. Tips appreciated on how to cure.

yellow.jpg
 

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
Top dressings are pouring the fertilizers on top of the soil. When you used the phrase, "teas(top dressings)", we took that to mean that you considered top dressings and teas to be the same thing. Our previous post was just to point out the difference.

Palm Bunch Ash is found here: http://www.planetnatural.com/site/organic-potash.html
y
I'm sorry for the misunderstand but thanks for clearing it up. I'm gonna start by giving her some bat guano tea next week. Also, is that by any chance a baby hedgehog?? ha ha my friend was telling me he thinks its a dank seed you came across, but i believe its a hedgehog lol...anyways sorry to get off subject I was just curious.
 

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
Thats awesome. came back last night from a mini vacation and my lights were off. Not sure how long but I think I'm just gonna have to put her into flower. Any advice?? Also my new growth is having a lime green color in the middle of new leaves, any ideas??
 
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