Organic nutrients you recommend

I'm sure bas would be fine. There's cheaper options that are basically the same. You can buy and mix the exact same ingredients for less $ and have the option of tweeking things as you learn. Like Ziggy said above , I would use it too but I got some for cheaper, cooking in my utility room and in pots, slightly different based on suggestions and reading, but everyone's going to give you different opinions on that.

 

But is that kind of soil truly water-only in an organic grow or is it wise to add something like Espoma?
 
EDIT: OK, you told me before it isn't water-only but brixfix and others say it is.  Apparently there is some disagreement on this point.  Maybe the plants will survive and produce without Espoma or the like, but they benefit from it?

 

 
It is and it isn't.
 
Think in terms of a cars gas tank. Plants deplete the 'food' just as your car burns gas. Fresh mix is like a full tank and growing mj from start to finish is like a long trip and one tank isn't going to be enough.
 
So, to top of the tank so to speak you either transplant using more fresh mix or, if you are in your final container, you do a top dress and fill the tank that way. You can use individual amendments for the NPK, or something like Espoma that is pretty much complete and proportioned amounts.
 
It's still a 'water only', you just don't have infinite amounts of nutrients in it.
 
Make a little more sense? Water only for sure, but you do need to replace what is depleted.
 
Wet

 

Nice, I get that.  So nothing needs to be done until later in the cycle when the nutrients are nearly depleted.  Is it "more organic" to transplant or top dress instead of using Espoma?  How do you know when it's time to do one of those?

 

I wouldn't worry about nutrition deficiencies until at least after the first plant was finished in it, depending on what the plant looked like through its cycle.
 
Espoma will be useful to have on hand, if nothing else I would suggest a small bag of kelp meal (ascophyllum nodosum) and/or neem seed meal (cake).
 
That's all you really need, provided you find or make a source of quality [vermi]compost.

 

Right on, so if I'm using never-before-planted-in BAS then I may not need to add anything but water throughout the entire process?  And if I do need to add something then I'll know based on how the plant looks and then Espoma should do it?
 
What is the bare minimum time from seed to harvest BTW?

 

Its like this. There's soil recipes that CAN make it all the way with just water. But people tweek it here and there or feed the microherd to give it a boost and get the best out of the grow. You're not going to get the same opinions from everybody. As far as adding something it depends on what you have to start with. That's why we mix our own, if your going to order premixed that's already expensive and says it has everything, why make it more. When you can just buy the stuff you want for cheaper. Either way you still have to mix it. There's no disagreements. I'm not doing water only per say, a few teas here and there, but I probably could. Even with synthetic lines of nutrients you could give 2 growers the exact same products and they're going to do it differently.

 

http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1116550-Easy-Organic-Soil-Mix-for-Beginners
Easy Organic Soil Mix for Beginners

Make your own or order prepackaged, its up to you

 

Correct. Just water the soil and adopt some form of IPM routine; I prefer to use cold pressed neem oil weekly as a foliage application.
 
If you have issues with a plant during a soils initial run please post pictures of said problem so we can get an idea of how best to advise you on a solution. Get kelp and you'll have a wonderful amendment capable of supporting plant development as the sole nutritional input, other than [vermi]compost.
 
 
I would guess around 10-12 weeks, dependent on genetic traits and environment.

 

Is an IPM routine necessary with a micro PC grow?
 
If adding nutrients becomes necessary, you would recommend kelp over Espoma?  Is [vermi]compost already included in BAS?

 

Pest don't care what size plant you have. If your looking for simple and are set on bas, go for it, no need to add, It will get you going. We mix our own to have more control. The teas are for boosts and feeding the microherds.

 

If that's all you're doing then the BAS will be fine.  You're going to be growing something small anyway, so it will get you to harvest just fine.

 

Too easy.   Are pests a concern in an environment like that?

 

 
Neither is *more organic*, it just depends on if you are in your final container or not. If not, transplant. If you are, top dress.
 
Knowing when is purely experience and takes a few grows. For the top dressing anyway, since you need to do it a couple of weeks before the plant needs it.
 
Time to transplant is much more obvious and easy to figure out.
 
Wet

 

yes pest are always a concern. They'll turn a sweet grow into a nightmare in a heart beat. Prevention is a lot less pain and cheaper then trying to salvage a bad pest infestation every time they get in your grow. Remember you're trying to emulate the outside world, which also creates a paradise for all the shit you don't want.

 

Sounds like I need some neem oil.  This stuff is in a spray bottle:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Neem-Organic-Pure-Pressed-Adorable/dp/B00HVO0JAY
 
and this looks super organic:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Neem-Organic-Pure-Pressed-Adorable/dp/B00HVO0JAY
 
Do I just spray the stuff on the soil once a week or so?

 

 
Those are the same link.  But that is fine although I think I've seen it cheaper.  And no, neem oil doesn't go in the soil.  (That's neem meal, but that's another post.)
 
Neem oil is part of an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) that typically uses neem oil, a source of silica, and aloe vera juice to improve the emulsion you are trying to create with water.  Silica is often sourced in ProTekt, AgSil, and one other that I can't recall right now.  Depends on where you are.  Search IPM and NPA hereabouts.  (NPA=Neem, ProTekt, Aloe)
 
Ok, come to think of it, Neem meal is part of the IPM too.  (So no other post.)  It goes into the soil mix and helps prevent soil pests but doesn't harm beneficial bugs.  I think you can scratch some in the top of the soil and then topdress with EWC on an established plant.

 

 
"A Paradise for All the Shit You Don't Want."
 
Band name?  Movie/Book title?  Song?
 
I'm not sure what, but it's something...