I appreciate any feedback I can get. I hope you can try to answer all of my questions. In a few weeks, I'll begin flowering my first plant. A very proud moment, but also, this is definitely a very important time and it's rapidly approaching. So, here's the deal: I tested my soil close to a week ago (will check again today). I Knew when I bought it that it had some nutrients in it. It showed that it had Surplus of all of the nutrients, so I haven't ONCE fed my plant. Really throws me off, would never do it again. Soiless ftw. Anyway, Can I get a false reading if the soil tester container sat for 20 minutes? How long do suppose the nutrients last in Ocean Forest? I know that you are not supposed to feed the plant a week or two before harvesting so the smoke isn't toxic/tastes bad. My concern is that the nutrients will last the plant's whole life cycle and it'll be toxic bud.And obviously I cannot give toxic bud to my sick, cancer-patient neighbor. It's mostly for him. (and for me of course) Is there something I can do to help adjust the nutrient levels? The plant is perfectly healthy, it's got a few yellow spots, but that's probably from too much water on the foliage (if it was nute burn, I would've seen that weeks ago), but the only thing I can keep thinking about is flushing it out some. Then again that might just make things hard on the plant in a crucial point in it's life.
Thats really something you just play by ear. After about 3 weeks or so for myself no matter what I start nutes. I start off 25%-50% see how it goes and work from there. You also will not create "toxic" bud lol. Yes you should flush or not give nutes last 2 weeks but say you did absolutely nothing will bad will happen. Might taste different but it won't do anything. Quite often the foods we eat they have been given stuff all the way to harvest and were all living to unparalleled ages (my grandma is 95 now). With nutrients theres really no way to know how long it lasts other then looking at the plant and like I said start off at low level nutes then work your way up. The bottles recommended amount should be looked as max.
it depends which amendments are in the soil. You need to look at the package and find out. for example guano's and dolomite's may take several years to begin to break down. There are things to do to improve "what's in there's" performance, but it sounds like you're intent on growing in gravel, so all the pwer to ya. Caution if you apply caustic fertilizer (such as caustic potash) it may oxidize with the dolimite's and burn your plant. Same deal with EDTA, it is a chelator an you'll probably see some burn. However, this does not mean your plant is recieving too many nutes. yellow spotting may be potassium deficincy if you see leaf tips slightly crisp. Good luck.
Thank you for your replies. I shall remember. I am happy to know there wont be anything toxic--just odd flavor. Of course, maximizing the flavor of the smoke is key, along to it's healthiness. But it's what I am figuring about this soil, for it does have bat guano (high in nitrogen), and obviously other things. The nutrients seem long-lasting. From what I read maybe up until middle of flowering cycle. You start giving it blooming fertilizers? What I do not understand is you say 25 to 30%.. how do you measure it? Yea, the back of the container you say. Never been strong with percentages. Perhaps ratios instead. Maybe someone can recommend a nutrient test kit? All it says is it has surplus. Growing is surely something like an art; there is no "one true way."
I can help ya, think of it this way..... If the back of your nutes say that a regular dose is 10 ml or 1 teaspoon with however much water let's say 1 gal. To get a nute mixture 25 or 30% the recommended dose, just add a little less than 1/3 of a teaspoon, or 2.5 or 3 ml of solution to the same amount of water it tells you in a full dose, in this case 1 gal. Something like a 50 % mix, it would be half a teaspoon or 5 ml to the same 1 gal of water. You get the idea. Also I've heard the plant should eat up most of the nutes in 2 to 3 weeks of ffof when it's a heavily cut with perlite or vermiculite, so if you have straight up ffof soil I would say the nutes will last 6 to 8 weeks, right about where you figure too I think, so it might be good to hold off on the bloom nutes right off the hop after 12/12