I'm new to this forum and growing all together, I thought would give it a try bc why pay the man for something I can do myself!! I'm hitting a huge wall understanding soil requirements and nutrients. So I have completed my pc grow box (oh yea, it's awesome) and I can germinate no problem, but from there I get confused. I have a large bag of MG Organic from what I've read will do the trick for at least 2 weeks. What I don't know is when can I add peralite and how much, etc... Also about the nutes like N-P-K and ph levels. I know the ph should be around 6.3-6.8, right? Where do I get the specific nutes and how to add them, or better question is how do I know which one I need and how much of it do I need? I'm going insane thinking how I'm going to F this up bc of the damn nutes ferts ph, basically feeding them, lol. Any clarification to help me out with my grow would be much appreciated!
no nutes at all until a week or 2 into veg at least. i recommend fox farm ocean soil. the forums are littered with people with problems from mg. i don't use any nutes until i start flowering. ph between 6.2 and 6.6 during seedling. you can go up as high as 6.8 or so once seedling stage is over, but i stay around 6.5.
Thatguy, is right, most guys starting out always over do the ferts, buy quality organic soils, if really in doubt, spray the leaves with a water fert solution, during bud, adding fert to soils ain't ever been a good idea for me, I like to re-use my soils later, in the veggy patch....lol peace "V"
i recently used flushed old fox farm for my seedlings mainly cause i was broke.. they didn't do as good as i have done with fresh fox farm. i just transplanted them a couple of days ago into some fresh farm and they really liked it... in just a day they got greened and started fattening up.
Yo man do they naturally stay around that pH or do you have to manipulate the pH of the nutes? If so how the hell do you go about doing that? I've heard u can buy pH+ and pH- for grow stores but is it really that essential to have the pH perfectly where u want it?
yes... ph is one of the most important things to get right. get a ph meter. you can find one online or in a hydro store or maybe landscaping shop or pet store. you can get the ph+ or - in a pet store. probably will only need - though.
Yeah! a ph meter or a ph gardeners kit, is a good investment, I use that later like when I invest in a new type of soil/mix. But most soils are tested for ph neutral before they are bagged, I've done it 1-2 times in 4 years...lazy but no big deal, don't buy the most expensive or the cheapest, just mid range like what folks use to grow tomatoes or what not.... peace "V"
Thanks for the info from everyone. Let me clear something up for myself, the veg stage starts right when the it brakes the soil, right? It becomes the flowering stage after enough growth and i decide it's too big for the micro grow space and swith the lights to 12/12. And it's flowering? Thank for the solid info on ph, and can someone explain the nutes in more detail like with N-P-K?
nah..for about 8 or 9 day after the bean breaks ground it'll be in the seedling stage, after..it'll be in veg. switch the lights, and switch the hours to 12/12 well NPK is Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and potassium. these are 'macronutrients' that plants use. as well there are 7 other 'micronutrients' the plants also need, they're called micro because plants need the least of them. during veg phase the N should be more than the P, and equal to or more than the K. during bloom..can't really say. I know my nutes have N and K higher than P, but K is more than N. what are your specific questions on nutes?
Check my blog out. I would cut the Mgrow with something. I had a huge problem with drainage and getting oxygen to my roots with straight Mgrow, (caused death to plant). I cut my Mgrow with 50 / 50 combination Mgrow and Coco fiber. This mixture is working perfect. No problems with to much water or drainage. The Coco fiber helps to absorb the extra water until it's needed, and lately my plants have been using so much water they become droopy!!! I really like using organic nutes like Fox Farm or Pure Vida(using now). Soil is hella important so if you could afford a great bag buy it, it's made for growing weed. (Fox Farm soil) Hope this helps! Good Luck! @@. One other thing, If the soil has "run off", like to much water at once. It runs off super quick, won't let you flood the pots and kill the oxygen to your roots (over-watered)
Ok, so how to add these nutes? Let's say I start out with a foam cup and plain Jane organic soil for the first ten days! Simple enough, but now when and how do I add the specific nutes npk and how to do I know which one they need the most? Also where can I get these nutes? Do they come separate or mixed? In a soil form or liquid? Sorry for the noob questions but I am really twisted on this subject! Also I though you were suppose to keep the 18/6 on for the veg and then switch it to 12/12 when your ready to flower, roughly 12-14 weeks from germination, is this not right?
Depending on how big your pots are determines the amount of nutes you put in. Google the Lucas Formula, that seems to be the one most people start out with. You can get the nutes from pretty much any hydroponics shop, they do come separate but there are ones that come in packs too. You have to mix the nutes (liquid form) with water before mixing them into your soil.
depends the type of nutes. I use a tea (liquid) Its got everything my plants need in one dose, typically the NPK as well as the micronutrients are all contained in just the right amounts for each feeding (if you have some really good stuff). So the guesswork of how much to use is taken away and is simply a matter of a ratio of nutrients:water. Like I mentioned in the post you quoted the ratios of N-P-K are listen there..however nutes all have the right ratios. You can get them online from many stores.. htgsupply.com Welcome to GrowSmart Indoor Garden Centers and even Ebay. though be careful with ebay, because they could be old..and thus the nutrients might not be all that well. every nute I know of is in liquid form. yes 18/6 is good and 12/12 is correct. I can't really say the timline..I dont know what type of light system your planning on using