The never ending abuse of Phosphorous to enhance flowering

[jcj77d]

A common mistake for growers when they reach the flowering stage is to start hitting the plants with a high P fert like 10-60-10, continuing to use this blend exclusively, and when their plants start experiencing a deficit of N or micros as reflected by the dropping of lower leaves and chlorosis, they wonder why. Plants flower as a response to long nights, not because of fert blends high in P. A ratio of 10-60-10 is WAY to high in P. The plant will only take what it needs and compete for other elements that may be more important at the time.

You may have heard that too much N can inhibit flowering. No question about it, exclusive use of a plant food that is rich in N such as blood meal, a 5-1-1 blend, or ammonium nitrate may inhibit flowering especially if the phosphorous level is low, but most balanced blends have sufficient amount of P to do the job. Manufacturers/horticulturists will give you element analysis and what effect the elements have on plant growth, but remember this does not necessarily mean you will get better yields. Using a high P fert exclusively during flowering can actually work against you. It's an abundant amount of healthy leaves going into 12/12 that produce a lot of bud, not high P ferts.

I rotate fert blends as the plant *requires* them, not because it is "the thing to do." For example, when your plants are going thru the stretch phase during early flowering, they may need more N, especially if you're getting some yellowing in the lower/mid leaves. Give up the cannabis paradigms, and give them what they need. Go back to mild high P fert when the stretch ends, maintaining the foliage in a healthy state of growth until harvest for maximum yields. A 1-3-2 blend such as Peter's Pro Blossom Booster, 10-30-20, is one of the best flowering blends on the market because of several factors - it is higher in nitrate N and Mg. It is sold under the Jack's Classic label. An added benefit of Peter's blends is their use of high quality, very pure salts that will cut down on root burn.

[Smellysocks]

I had a hard time finding a good flowering fert yesterday, but came across this Orchid Bloom Booster stuff that's 11-35-15 and seemed alot like the ratio of 1-3-2 that you go for, and I picked it up.

Would you concur that this NPK ratio is your idea of good, for flowering?

[joxter]

nice write up man!

[jcj77d]

Originally Posted by Smellysocks

I had a hard time finding a good flowering fert yesterday, but came across this Orchid Bloom Booster stuff that's 11-35-15 and seemed alot like the ratio of 1-3-2 that you go for, and I picked it up.

Would you concur that this NPK ratio is your idea of good, for flowering?

yea it looks like an good npk ratio, just look at the package & make sure it has micro nutes & Mg (Magnesium) in it, if it doesnt have mg in it use 1tsp of epsome salt to 1gal. unsulfered molassas is good for beafing up buds too, 1tsp per gal.

[joxter]

Originally Posted by jcj77d

yea it looks like an good npk ratio, just look at the package & make sure it has micro nutes & Mg (Magnesium) in it, if it doesnt have mg in it use 1tsp of epsome salt to 1gal. unsulfered molassas is good for beafing up buds too, 1tsp per gal.

would that molasses work for growing in pure coco, using lucas formula? or is molasses just for organic soil grows?

[SlowcalaToker]

Originally Posted by joxter

would that molasses work for growing in pure coco, using lucas formula? or is molasses just for organic soil grows?

Better for the organic soil grows but works just as well in any system, you just have to cut the mix down proportionaly. I use 1-2 tablespoons per gallon in my *almost* organic grow, buf you are in soiless media, 2 teaspoons should do you. Hydro would be 1 teaspoon per gallon to keep from gunkin your shit up.

I love molasses, I only wish I had discovered it earlier in this grow. My buds have really plumped up in the past 2-3 weeks. I can't wait 'till my flush is over....


Sorry 'bout the hijack, I just love the molasses!!

[dexorated]

what about FF big bloom that is 1-3-7... why is there so much K?

[Uncle Ben.]

Originally Posted by joxter

nice write up man!

Yeah, it was a nice write up, took me about an hour after editing and all..... and your buddy stole that ditty word for word from me.

Hi, this it the real Uncle Ben and I'm not happy with this thief and wannabe.

jcj77d, if you're going to plagarize my work, then you best give me credit for it. Now....be a good boy and tell the members here where you got that post from.

Sorry folks as this is my first post here, but I just hate posers and thieves. If you're wondering how I found this, it was because I did a Google search on Peters Blossom Booster which I've been advocating since the CW/OG days. That search gave me a hit to this thread.

Here is a thread you might find interesting at PG where I normally post.
https://www.planetganja.com/highsoci...t=68903&page=8

To admin, please redo my handle as I first had a problem with registration using <uncle ben=""> regarding a wrong email account I gave and had to go back and add a period to the end of my name to get here now. Email account being <raptor19@operamail.com>raptor19@operamail.com, my email account I've had for my 10 years of posting to cannabis forums.

Thanks,
The REAL Uncle Ben and the real author of alot of what you're reading here.
</raptor19@operamail.com></uncle>

[SmknVTEC]

Look folks, when we post shit here on the web, pictures and words, it is out there for all to see, use, take, etc. Unless there is a copywrite it is public domain.

[AugustWest]

Originally Posted by Uncle Ben.

Yeah, it was a nice write up, took me about an hour after editing and all..... and your buddy stole that ditty word for word from me.

Hi, this it the real Uncle Ben and I'm not happy with this thief and wannabe.

jcj77d, if you're going to plagarize my work, then you best give me credit for it. Now....be a good boy and tell the members here where you got that post from.

Sorry folks as this is my first post here, but I just hate posers and thieves. If you're wondering how I found this, it was because I did a Google search on Peters Blossom Booster which I've been advocating since the CW/OG days. That search gave me a hit to this thread.

Here is a thread you might find interesting at PG where I normally post.
https://www.planetganja.com/highsoci...t=68903&page=8

To admin, please redo my handle as I first had a problem with registration using <uncle ben=""> regarding a wrong email account I gave and had to go back and add a period to the end of my name to get here now. Email account being <raptor19@operamail.com>raptor19@operamail.com, my email account I've had for my 10 years of posting to cannabis forums.

Thanks,
The REAL Uncle Ben and the real author of alot of what you're reading here.
</raptor19@operamail.com></uncle>

good info man.. you should be thanking jcj77d for sharing such good information with fellow growers.

[Moosehead]

jcj77d - Thanks for posting this very informative thread. While anything not copyrighted is public domain, the polite thing to do is to say where you found the piece that you posted. Saves a lot of hurt feelings. Thank you Uncle Ben for writing this info.

[Uncle Ben.]

Originally Posted by SmknVTEC

Look folks, when we post shit here on the web, pictures and words, it is out there for all to see, use, take, etc. Unless there is a copywrite it is public domain.

Being a part of Public Domain is NOT the issue, common courtesy and decency is. I don't care if you plagarize every FAQ or post I've written in my 10 years of posting at cannabis forums, just give credit where credit is due. Have the decency to add, not delete the author's name. It's the honorable thing to do.

Now, one of the posters gave him (jcj77d) a high five for what he felt he had originally drafted and rather than set the record straight, he played along. That's a cheap shot in my book.

BTW, this isn't the first time this has happened. I think this was the same guy that posted my Plant Moisture Stress FAQ at 420UK too. And since we're here "sharing" information, here it is. Has this one been posted anonymously here too fellas?

Plant Moisture Stress - symptoms and solutions

Quite often I hear groans from folks having leaf problems: “Help, my leaves are cupping and the leaf edges are turning brown!”, or, “My plant's leaf tips are curling down and turning black ....what's wrong?” Unless insect damage has occurred or the plant is suffering from a severe case of calcium deficiency, the plant is trying to tell you that it is water stressed. It's hard to tell *exactly* what the culprit is, and unfortunately the “solution” the grower chooses many times is not the right one. A mis-diagnosis only serves to make matters worse by promoting further decline. I’ll try to cover some of the more common causes that can induce these common symptoms and try to offer a few simple solutions. The ultimate and correct solution is in the hands of the grower.

1. Over-fertilizing - the most common cause of leaf cupping aka leaf margin rolling, leaf margin burn, and leaf tip curl/burn is the overzealous use of too much plant food in relationship to factors such as plant vigor, rate of growth and plant requirements. The first unit of a plant to show moisture stress is the leaf at its margins and/or tips, reflected by margin rolling (cupping) or burning. A hard, crispy feel to the leaf frequently occurs as well, as opposed to a soft and cool feel of a happy leaf. When you have a high concentration of salts in solution (or in the root medium) compared to lower salinity levels found in the plant’s tissue, water is actually drawn out of the plant across the root gradient in order to fix the ppm imbalance. IOW, this is a natural, osmotic response that serves to equalize salinity levels on both sides of the root’s epidermal gradient. Back off on the amount and/or frequency of plant food. Too much plant food can also burn the roots, especially the sensitive root tips and hairs, which then creates another set of problems. Note for the bio folks - as soil dries, the concentration of the remaining salts rises further exacerbating the problem. Leach (flush) your pots once in a while with unadulterated water to get rid of excess salts in the pot and keep the pot evenly moist at all times.

2. High Heat - the plant is losing water via it’s leaves faster than what can be replaced by the root system. The leaf responds by leaf margin cupping or rolling (up or down) in order to conserve moisture. A good example is reflected by the appearance of broad-bladed turf grass on a hot summer day, high noon, with low soil moisture levels - the leaf blade will roll in (in order to conserve moisture) and the grass will take on a dull, greyish-green appearance. Upon sunrise when moisture levels have returned to normal, the leaf blade will be flat. Lower the heat and concentrate on developing a large, robust root system by practicing sound plant culture. An efficient and effective root system will go a long way to prevent heat induced leaf dessication and leaf margin curling. One short episode of high heat is enough to permanently disable or destroy leaf tissue and cause a general decline in the leaves affected, which often occurs to leaves found at the top of the plant located near HID lamps. The damaged leaf (usually) does not recover, no matter what you do. Bummer in the summer. The grower is left to observe new growth for indications that the problem has been corrected.

3. High Light - yes, it’s true, you can give our faves too much light. Cannabis does not receive full sun from sunrise to sunset in its natural state. It is shaded or given reduced light levels because of adjacent plant material, cloudy conditions, rain, dust, twilight periods at early morning and late afternoon, and light intensity changes caused by a change in the seasons. Too much light mainly serves to bleach out and destroy chlorophyll as opposed to causing leaf cupping, but it often goes hand-in-hand with high heat for indoor growers. Again, back off on the light and concentrate on developing/maintaining an efficient and robust root system.

4. Overwatering - this practice only serves to weaken the root system by depriving the roots of a proper gas exchange. IOW, the roots are not getting enough oxygen which creates an anerobic condition causing root decline and root rot with the end result showing up as leaf stress, stunted growth, and in severe cases, death. <gasp!> Alot of times folks think the plant is not getting enough plant food (which it can't under such adverse conditions), they add more nutes for a "curative", and just add insult to injury.

5. Underwatering - not only is the plant now stressed due to a low supply of adequate moisture, but carbohydrate production has been greatly compromised (screwed up). Step up the watering frequency, and if need be, organic growers may need to soak the pot from the bottom up until moisture levels reach an even consistency throughout the medium especially with mixes that are heavy in peat. If severe, a little surfactant (liquid Ivory dish soap) added to the drench will help return the organics back to a normal moisture retentive state. If the pot feels light to the lift - it’s time to water. Don’t wait until the soil pulls away from the sides of the pot or leaves droop before you water. Contrary to what you may have heard, annuals like cannabis (and potting mediums) should not be subjected to wet/dry cycles.

Happy gardening,
Uncle Ben</gasp!>

[Uncle Ben.]

Originally Posted by Moosehead

jcj77d - Thanks for posting this very informative thread. While anything not copyrighted is public domain, the polite thing to do is to say where you found the piece that you posted. Saves a lot of hurt feelings. Thank you Uncle Ben for writing this info.

Thank you,
Uncle Ben

[unoit]

HIGH All, yes I agree UB....jcj77d when you c/p someone else's work at least give credit to who wrote it. UB has a lot of info out there for us Growers and Credit should be giving to those that put it on the internet for everyone to read and use. Thanks for many years of your devotion to our Sacred Herb UB

[AugustWest]

Originally Posted by Uncle Ben.

Now, one of the posters gave him (jcj77d) a high five for what he felt he had originally drafted and rather than set the record straight, he played along. That's a cheap shot in my book.

<gasp!> </gasp!>

you're correct man no doubt..
i do think it was only posted to help others out and not to piss anyone off or to blatantly take credit for others work (even though it was common info that is found in any good grow book) .. at least it was solid information being posted and not the usual bullshit thanx for sharing man.

peace