I'm doin my first grow right now. Made some uneducated impulse buys at first, and have been using that stuff, but all in all i'm trying to go the organic route. I'm using Dr.Earth organic potting soil (Eco-pure forest humus, peat moss, worm castings, chicken manure, aged bat guano, kelp meal, and micro-active seaweed extract... not sure of %s) with perlite. I had a nitrogen issue a few weeks ago and topfed two tablespoons of Espoma Plant-tone which has worked pretty well. I'm switching to 12/12 today and my question is what sort of fertilizer should i use from here on out? And when should I start? any input appreciated! thanks
Kelp meal, alfalfa meal, worm castings. Top dress now so that the organic matter has a chance to start breaking down into a soluble form for the plant to use when it needs it. At this point, the plant has probably used up what little nutrients were in the soil. The castings are really important. I'd cover the surface of your soil evenly and lightly with kelp/alfalfa. Then cover with a handfull (maybe two) of EWC. Water in. wak
i was just at my local shop looking for stuff. they didn't have any straight up kelp/alfalfa meal or EWC... though, i picked up some FF Big Bloom. can i use this alone? am i an idiot should i return this if i don't plan on using it in conjunction with other FF stuff?
I was just at my local shop looking for stuff You won't find most of the goodies we use at a standard hydro shop. As far as returning it, that depends on you and what kind of gardening you'd like to do. I have no doubt that it will work. Good luck! J
this is my first grow. i'm basically looking to experiment with what i can get and see what happens. i'm only doing one plant right now under CFLs. i chose the big bloom because it's supposedly the only FF fert that's all organic. if i can just use this for flowering, i'd be happy haha
I don't know. I don't use manufactured "nutes" that come in plastic bottles. Even if they claim to be "organic". There is no truth in advertising. Most of it's just fancy labeling and gimmickry designed to get you to spend money on stuff you don't really need. Try your local feed store or nursery for kelp, alfalfa, EWC. Hydro stores are geared towards those that grow with chemical fertilizers. If the other stores in your area don't have organic amendments, then FF nutes might be your only recourse. If that's the case, post again in the organics section, and specify that your're looking for opinions on the FF organics line. There are folks around here using these products. In fact, I think that there are better alternatives out there for bottled "organic" nutes. But, alas, I am unaware of what they are. Sorry I couldn't be more help. wak