Super phosphate 0-20-5. Any one using it?
- Thread starter mr.india
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Countryfarmer
Active Member
Here is some information on nitrogen that may help you: http://www.internationalhempassociation.org/jiha/jiha4207.html
While NPK and the various needed micronutrients are absolutely necessary for plant growth, you must balance the needs of the plant with the needs of the humans who will consume that plant. Excessive nitrogen fertilization can lead to its own problems with nutrient lockouts, but even below that level you can be reducing the THC content of your plants. You want to measure your ppm and give the plants enough nitrogen to ensure they grow healthy without causing the reduction of THC. I also cut all nitrogen out of my last fertilization, and give no fertilization in the last two weeks of growth.
As to K, it has a proven negative correlation to THC. But K is absolutely necessary to maintaining plant functions throughout the growth. The benefit of K (and P as well) is that it is held in the soil longer than N. So, if you are using a balanced N-P-K formulation throughout your growth, then going into the last few weeks of growth you should have adequate K already in your soil.
As to applying a super phosphate, I would only do so the last one or two feedings prior to your flushing schedule. You can side dress a plot of 100 square feet with two pounds of the triple phosphate I am using and not overfertilize. Just read the instructions on the package. The problem with P is that it holds to the soil very strongly, hence why it is so difficult to get phosphate into your plant processes. If you are growing in a native clay soil, as I am, you have an additional problem as clay binds strongly to phosphate. That is why I chose to hit my plants with a super phosphate. I knew the majority of the P would end up being bound up by the ions in the clay, so using a heavy phosphate fertilizer was a way to ensure that some of the phosphate made its way into the plant processes.
Really there is no panacea. There is no magic combination of N-P-K that works in every soil and for every plant. Each plant's genetics play a part, the area of the world that plant evolved from plays a part, sun, water and especially soil, all play a part. Since I am growing in an amended clay soil, I know that I have issues with both P and K "clinging" to my soil, so I have to take that into account when fertilizing. Someone growing in a sandy soil would have a completely different problem.
mr.india
Active Member
great info thts what i was looking for..
How frequent you use superphosphate?
Can it be used in foliar feeding?
I also read that before applying superphosphate some of the lime should be used to get a balanced PH..
mr.india
Active Member
tht really rocks!!
I am amazed.. Dont it get burned?
Countryfarmer
Active Member
Foliar feeding is a bandaid approach. While it has its place, you should never rely on foliar feeding to get necessary nutrients to the plant cells. There is a body of work that suggests that foliar feeding done in a much diluted form on a regular basis can help support even greater plant growth: http://www.ecofarm.co.nz/Articles/Advancing+Eco+Agriculture+Provides+Complete+Nutrition+by+Rebecca+Brown.html
Keep in mind, these results are when everything else in the soil is correct. Most people use foliars to help supplement a temporary deficiency in plants due to some sort of lock-out or because they need to get moisture to the plant cells immediately. I used foliars some throughout my grow for both reasons, and might even hit the leaves directly with some diluted phosphorus due to my clay soil problem.
As to frequency, I hit my plants with a triple phosphate once. And that was my last feeding of the growing cycle for them if I don't do the abovementioned diluted foliar. If so I will only do one or two of those (depends on finishing time on the plant - I have two that are being very slow).
litljohn
Well-Known Member
if you feed it at the lower strength its fine but if you go to crazy it will burn your plants just like any other nute.at full flower i run my nutes at about 1350 ppm.that s with all my nutes combined
mr.india
Active Member
i am going to try foliar feed with SP in evening..
I also had some slow growing plants, i was going to throw them but i thought to do experimenting with them.. I used fresh human urine in 1:20 ratio and feed them, in just 2 days their leaves turned to dark green and they were looking healthy and happy.. really urine works great.. thts how i saved my 2 plants
Countryfarmer
Active Member
Urine is rich in ammoniacal nitrogen and other nutrients. Studies also have shown that the phosphorus present in urine is more easily utilized by plants than soluble P fertilizers.
mr.india
Active Member
Superphosphate is SUPER!!
Yesterday at evening i tranplanted a plant to a bigger pot and sprinkled 2teaspoon superphosphate under 6inch deep of new pot and 1 teaspoon to topdress and i get awesome result in just a night.. Today morning i observed transplanted plant it has produced new roots at the bottom of the soil and is looking very happy all its leaves are pointing upward..
Yesterday at evening i tranplanted a plant to a bigger pot and sprinkled 2teaspoon superphosphate under 6inch deep of new pot and 1 teaspoon to topdress and i get awesome result in just a night.. Today morning i observed transplanted plant it has produced new roots at the bottom of the soil and is looking very happy all its leaves are pointing upward..
mr.india
Active Member
what should be the frequency of using superphosphate as top dressing in flowering period?
Countryfarmer
Active Member
If you are using it as a top dressing, one good application should do you.
mr.india
Active Member
thnx for the quick reply my ganja guru..
i am growing sativa, plants are 2 month old and are in pre-flower stage.. It will take more 3 months to complete the flowering stage.. So just a single application is needed in the whole flowering stage (3mnths)?
I am going to read your grow journal.. Should be interesting
Countryfarmer
Active Member
Wish I was a guru.thnx for the quick reply my ganja guru..
i am growing sativa, plants are 2 month old and are in pre-flower stage.. It will take more 3 months to complete the flowering stage.. So just a single application is needed in the whole flowering stage (3mnths)?
I am going to read your grow journal.. Should be interesting
This is my first outdoor grow. I have just read a ton and when I found conflicting information I went to the scholastic journals for their input. It is amazing how much information is actually out there. Europe has done a fair amount of testing on ganja, and there is a veritable ton of scholastic work on different soil types and growing conditions that are applicable to most any plant, including weed.
If you have 3 months to go, then you want to continue with a balanced fertilization approach. When I told you one and done, I was mistakenly assuming you were close to finish.
If you are at the beginning of your flowering stage of life, you might want to switch to a 15-30-15 or similar formulation. Start with the higher phosphate formulations about mid-way through your flowering. About that time I would begin cutting back on the balanced formulation a little at a time until my last couple of fertilizations were phosphate only.
I say this for two reasons. Nitrogen formulations that are higher in ppm are proven to result in lower thc content (read the article I posted earlier in this thread). So, you want to begin scaling back nitrogen the further you get into flowering and eventually cut it out completely in about the last 2 to 3 weeks of the plant's life. Let the plant begin to use up its nitrogen reserves during this period of time.
And potassium has also been shown to have a negative correlation to thc content. So it too should be reduced, or even discontinued, late in flowering. You have to determine from your soil type which route you should go with potassium.
If you have a heavy clay or clay loam soil type, then the soil is going to naturally be nutrient rich. The problem with clay is that it doesn't like to give over the P and K it holds. The more clay your soil has, the stronger those bonds. Unlike nitrogen though, potassium does a better job of staying in your soil. Nitrogen likes to escape if not locked into the soil. So, if you have been using a balanced fertilization medium, you should have enough potassium already in your soil and be able to allow it to deplete along with the nitrogen reserves.
But that depends completely on your soil type. If you have been using a very sandy soil, you don't have a whole lot of any of the main nutrients fixed in your soil. Along that spectrum, from sandy to clay, you have to either guesstimate the amount of nutrients locked in your soil, or have it analyzed. Personally, I just guesstimate based on my knowledge of my soil type, follow the package instructions and increase or decrease as the plant tells me.
I know that I am growing in a heavy clay soil. Because of that, I know that most of the phosphate I put into my soil is going to end up getting bound up by the clay ions and not make its way down to my root zone. Also the platelets that clay soil forms is going to inhibit movement to my root zone. So, I hit it with a heavy phosphate (triple) formulation.
That might not be the best route to take if you are using a sandy soil. You may burn your plants.
You really have to look at your entire growing equation (plant genetics, soil type, water, etc) and determine your individual fertilization needs. But you should keep in mind that excessive nitrogen fertilization (not even to lock-out levels, but higher than the plant requires) can lead to lower THC levels, as can too high of potassium. But both are needed up to the very end of flowering. But if your soil retains nutrients well, you can probably do away with all N and K feedings during the last two to three weeks of your plant's growth cycle.
mr.india
Active Member
i have black soil.. its a bit loamy, before germinating i had mixed 30% cow manure to repair the soil.. I have total 8 plants, 1 of them is budding its around 3 n half month old and 6 feet tall.. Beautiful !! Other 7 are 2months old and have just shown sex they are 3 feet tall.Wish I was a guru.
This is my first outdoor grow. I have just read a ton and when I found conflicting information I went to the scholastic journals for their input. It is amazing how much information is actually out there. Europe has done a fair amount of testing on ganja, and there is a veritable ton of scholastic work on different soil types and growing conditions that are applicable to most any plant, including weed.
If you have 3 months to go, then you want to continue with a balanced fertilization approach. When I told you one and done, I was mistakenly assuming you were close to finish.
If you are at the beginning of your flowering stage of life, you might want to switch to a 15-30-15 or similar formulation. Start with the higher phosphate formulations about mid-way through your flowering. About that time I would begin cutting back on the balanced formulation a little at a time until my last couple of fertilizations were phosphate only.
I say this for two reasons. Nitrogen formulations that are higher in ppm are proven to result in lower thc content (read the article I posted earlier in this thread). So, you want to begin scaling back nitrogen the further you get into flowering and eventually cut it out completely in about the last 2 to 3 weeks of the plant's life. Let the plant begin to use up its nitrogen reserves during this period of time.
And potassium has also been shown to have a negative correlation to thc content. So it too should be reduced, or even discontinued, late in flowering. You have to determine from your soil type which route you should go with potassium.
If you have a heavy clay or clay loam soil type, then the soil is going to naturally be nutrient rich. The problem with clay is that it doesn't like to give over the P and K it holds. The more clay your soil has, the stronger those bonds. Unlike nitrogen though, potassium does a better job of staying in your soil. Nitrogen likes to escape if not locked into the soil. So, if you have been using a balanced fertilization medium, you should have enough potassium already in your soil and be able to allow it to deplete along with the nitrogen reserves.
But that depends completely on your soil type. If you have been using a very sandy soil, you don't have a whole lot of any of the main nutrients fixed in your soil. Along that spectrum, from sandy to clay, you have to either guesstimate the amount of nutrients locked in your soil, or have it analyzed. Personally, I just guesstimate based on my knowledge of my soil type, follow the package instructions and increase or decrease as the plant tells me.
I know that I am growing in a heavy clay soil. Because of that, I know that most of the phosphate I put into my soil is going to end up getting bound up by the clay ions and not make its way down to my root zone. Also the platelets that clay soil forms is going to inhibit movement to my root zone. So, I hit it with a heavy phosphate (triple) formulation.
That might not be the best route to take if you are using a sandy soil. You may burn your plants.
You really have to look at your entire growing equation (plant genetics, soil type, water, etc) and determine your individual fertilization needs. But you should keep in mind that excessive nitrogen fertilization (not even to lock-out levels, but higher than the plant requires) can lead to lower THC levels, as can too high of potassium. But both are needed up to the very end of flowering. But if your soil retains nutrients well, you can probably do away with all N and K feedings during the last two to three weeks of your plant's growth cycle.
Yesterday, i purchased 'HUMIC ACID' its organic powder (95% humic acid, 100 types of trance and some growth hormones), it quickly repairs clay soil and microbes, increases plant uptake N and P majorly.. I have mixed 1 teaspoon of HA to 5 gallon water and watered my plant today morning..now waiting for the results..I will share my experience with it.. Will also upload many pics today.. Keep in touch!
mr.india
Active Member
UPDATE:
Humic acid is just great for both plants and soil.. Till now i have used it for 2 times with water.. My plants have turned to dark green colour within 24 hrs frm the application time.. The soil that i have is bit clay mix and i am using big smart pot and previously water never comes from the holes at the bottom of the pots cos of clay.. but within 2 application of Humic acid my soil is looking real fluffy and improved its drainage.. it means more O2 to roots..
If you are doing it in organic way.. One should consider buying humic acid and applying to soil in the interval of 15 days
Humic acid is just great for both plants and soil.. Till now i have used it for 2 times with water.. My plants have turned to dark green colour within 24 hrs frm the application time.. The soil that i have is bit clay mix and i am using big smart pot and previously water never comes from the holes at the bottom of the pots cos of clay.. but within 2 application of Humic acid my soil is looking real fluffy and improved its drainage.. it means more O2 to roots..
If you are doing it in organic way.. One should consider buying humic acid and applying to soil in the interval of 15 days