Sup GC, I've recently picked up some Fox Farm Big Bloom. I didn't have the money for any of the other ones (namely Grow Big). So, the package says to start using when the first signs of flowering reveal themselves. Do I take this literally and wait until I see the first pistils, or can I start using it when the lights switch to 12/12? Or, can I just start using it during the vegetative cycle? Or is the NPK ratio just too far off to do any good? Thanks.
As soon as I am off work I will run home and type up Fox Farm's nutrient schedule for you. I pulled it from either an Urban Garden magazine or a hydroponics catalog, I cannot recall which at the moment. It is VERY detailed on scheduling and I know you could benefit from it. If I were you though I would wait for the pistils to come out before using it so you know your plant is going to be blooming soon and of course to see that it is a female. If you wait until then, you will know the plant is for sure flowering and would need those nutrients more than if you started it during vegetation. -Sweedy
Check the fox farm feeding schedule. Ive read about people using it at partial strength from the minute it sprouts.Depends on your growing medium as well.
Thanks a ton Sweedy, that would be great and I'd really appreciate it. If there is one thing I am not too strong on yet, it's feeding / fert schedules. As far as growing medium is concerned, I am presently using some Miracle Gro Time Release stuff (had nothing else available when I started). In the future I will use Fox Farm Ocean soil, along with FF nutes
Good choice on your future soil. I've never personally used Miracle Grow, but I have heard several sob stories from people who have. Stick with Fox Farm, stick with organics As far as fert/feed schedules, this article I have has a diagram that goes from Day 1 to yield (by the week) and tells you exactly what to do. -Sweedy
Yes, MG Time Release is a nightmare. Basically I am experiencing constant lockout, N deficiency, and terrible drainage. My first bagseed grow ended in terrible defeat (it was outdoors/indoors and just succumed to the stress). I fully agree with the au naturaul grow techniques and am more than excited to get them started. The prob of course is creating the proper environment for indoor growth... cash is extremely tight! But I figure with the proper FF soil and nutes, I will see much better results.
I grow a ton of plants indoor/outdoor and it doesn't seem to stress them a bit. I do not use anything MG though, time release nutes means I do not control when the plant gets fed. After a while you learn to listen to the plants and you start to understand what they need and when they need it just by looking at them. On the third morning since watering you notice the plant sagging just a touch do to a slight lack of turgid pressure so you give it a healthy watering. Or you notice the green is just a bit off and you know instantly it needs some N. To the OP: If you do not feed it some serious N before you go into flower it will likely hurt your yielld as the plant will be cannibalizing fan leaves in week 5 instead of week 7, so don't be such a cheap fucker and cough up the $20 for the grow-big ;-)
Haha thanks for the encouragement... Actually, I wanted to buy the 3 pack of Fox Farm, but basically I didn't have the cash on me. So, I'll see if I can make it over to the other shop today to return my Big Bloom and pick up the 3 pack. $48 for nutes is way more than I expected to spend, but realistically, I am sure there will be enough there for me for a LONG time, since I only grow one lady at a time! Thanks for the info, I'll look into Nitrogen feeding more seriously.
i started using the bigbloom 1/2 strength the day i started 12/12 and now my girls are flowering beaultifully. havent had any problems so id say its ok. but im no expert this is just from my own expirience so you may want some more opinions. hope this helped gl with your grow.
Seeing as you are soil based, Fox Farm recommends 2 Tbl >> gal from when you first plant your seed and until you switch from 18 hour lighting to 12. From the beginning of flowering until yield, they recommend 1 Tbl >> gal each week. With their schedule, you will want to feed your plant every other watering. To everyone else, this information is for SOIL systems. -Sweedy
no need to mate. you can get it right off Fox Farm's website here. OP- I'd recommend some Tiger Bloom as well since the Big Bloom, as I understand it, is geared more towards keeping the soil microbes happy and active (which helps plant growth) and less towards ensuring the plant receives the proper macro and micronutrients, which Tiger Bloom contains. I haven't heard of anyone going through all of flowering just on Big Bloom, but perhaps someone can prove me otherwise. Just a thought.
I picked up some Grow Big for the meantime, and I must say I am incredibly impressed with the results. The 3 pack also included Tiger Bloom and Big Bloom, and a handy feeding schedule. So I'll follow that. Thanks for the help all!
