hey everyone I need some advice for my first grow. i started the plants 4-20 and planted them outdoors 5-5. When i planted them 5-5 I used Miracle grow Tomato fert (18-18-21) and I recently watered them 5-18 and used the fert again. Im trying to water them every 10 days but varies a little. I use 5 gallons for about 35 plants right now, will probably increase as the plants get bigger. I noticed about 2 plants had chem burn i believe on the leaves, i didnt know what that was until i just looked on here. I mix the MG at a little bit above half strength but Im thinking I will only use it every other watering now. Does that sound likea better watering/fert sched? Also, Ive seen a lot of people dissing the MG on this forum, Im new and wondering whats wrong with MG and what people are talking about when they say better quality fert. thanks and any suggestions welcome.
Well first off MG ferts are usually synthetic and effect the taste and burn of the final product. They are also really high in nitrogen phosphorus and potash which causes a lot of nutrient burn problems for many growers. There are those who have grown an entire crop and harvested using MG but overall quality of the product decreases when compared to organic fertilizers such as Fox Farms Grow Big, or Fox farms Tiger bloom (for flowering). Second, your nutrient regimen is still a bit much contsidering the high amounts of nutes in the fertilizer. 18-18-21 is a very strong fertilizer and should probably be used at half strength for the grow. You should start with a low amount and see how your plants react. If they can take a bit more than you can increase what you ass in by incriments of 1/8 dose. You should also water your plants ona set schedual to ensure they arent succepted to wilting or withering due to lack of water. If it rains two days in a week, your good with watering. Sometimes one rain storm is required if it puts down a bit of rain. Nutes should be applied once every 3-4 waterings when your dealing with MG since its so strong. If you have any other questions post them here of PM me.
If you use the Miracle Gro Organic product line you will be fine. I used them last year with 3 grows and are using the oganic MG products now with 4 plants. I have used them this year to compare the results with 3 other plants I'm using specific cannabis nutes with. My personal opinion, is that many who use MG products use them incorrectly and too much including too soon with many seedlings. My definition of a cannabis seedling is that the plants do have their second set of fan leaves. The official definition is simply, a young plant. Only when the third set of leaves develop will I nute them and then, i do so VERY sparingly. Bolthero is correct stating that 18-18-21 is too strong. It is. I prepare my soil by mixing lightly, a 5-5-5 into it then watering it lightly, letting it sit for 7 days before placinga gremed bean into it. I will turn it prior to doing so. Thats all I add at that point. In almost twenty years of growing my own this has always worked well. Peace, FG
My girls grow in horse shit but don´t taste of shit. It is a fallacy that plants are somehow flavoured by the ferts used. 18-18-21 will be the same as 6-6-7 when given to the plants - it will be just diluted more. Now I like organic ferts all the way, but use what works for you. I have heard of folks who get great grows using nothing but MG tomato fert. Just DON´T use MG time release compost.
"18-18-21 will be the same as 6-6-7 when given to the plants - it will be just diluted more." this just threw me for a loop. So which is a stronger fert mix, low numbers or high numbers? I was thinking that 20-20-20 was stronger/more portent then 1-1-1?
It is - but you don´t pour the fert neat from the bottle into the soil, nowhere near. You dilute it, plants like their ferts quite weak. The instructions on the bottle tell you how much to dilute it. The 18-18-21 will be added to roughly 3 times as much water as the 6-6-7, so the diluted mix you give your plants will be about the same for each. What is more important is the NPK balance. For vegging you want a high N, lower P and K. For flowering, lower N, higher P and K. If you are real particular (as I confess I am). But I know people who have used Miracle Gro Tomato food all the way.
the miracle grow organics work alright. And it seems like youve nuted it took soon. People usually wait a lot longer. i mean you started on 4/20 its only been a month, id let it go just a wee bit longer.
I didnt mean they would taste like the nutrients, they will just have a more chemy taste to them if they are not flushed right. Ive grown with them before and also with organics like horse shit (btw it works awesome) and i could taste the difference. It was the same PPP strain outdoors and the MG one didnt taste or smell quite as good. Secondly, the burn will be affected if they arent flushed right.