Ok. I'm in Veg and have been (stupidly) using Sta-Green Moisture Max potting mix. I didn't realize they had time released ferts so after a month or so I started feeding them 1/2 strength FF nutes only to wake up to crunchy burned leaves after a few feedings. In the process of flushing now and I'm going to transplant to bigger containers for my upcoming bloom. My question is: Should I go with a soiless mix of say perlite, verm, peatmoss or use the ferts in a FFOF mix? I already have FF Tiger Bloom and Grow Big so It would make sense to me to control the nutrients manually from here on out. Perhaps I just answered my own question buy any further advice would be appreciated.
Ok let me rephrase my question. Is it best to use soil with fertilizer or without fertilizer when transplanting to bigger pots right before flowering? I want to use the liquid fertilizers that I already have.
It's all personal preference, really... It's certainly easier to just rip open a bag and dump it in a pot. But then you run the risks of not knowing the exact nutrient levels right away. Usually you can just get a feel for what your plant needs, but it may take a little time. If you go the nutrient free route, you know exactly what is there and can better judge how your plant is reacting. I think a lot of people use bag soils and are fine. If you are the DIY type of person and macronutrient nazi, you may want to mix your own and keep it perfect to you and your plants liking.
Thanks for the reply. I bought a bag of Promix BX. At this point in the game it doesn't make sense to invest in the 4 or 5 bags of FF soil I would need for the transplant. A word of caution to those using potting mixes with the time released fertilizers (MG, Sta-Green, etc) I burned the hell out of my plants feeding them 1/2 strength FF Grow Big. I PH my R/O water, add cal-mag, feed once/week, water 2-3 times/week and my temps are a solid 75deg under a 400w MH. I've used Bacco potting mix in a previous grow and had no problem with adding organic liquid nutes (smells like doo doo) but this Sta-Green Lowe's crap has caused me all kinds of problems. Lockout from PH fluctuations, nute burn, stunted growth. I blame it on cheap soil.