I bought some stuff today to start my first grow. I bought a generic brand potting soil with nothing mixed in it (no added fertilizer or food release nutes), miracle gro brand perlite, PH/Light/Moisture meter, and a small bottle of liquid miracle grow I think NPK is 8-6-7. Thinking of buying a different food (Osmocote 19-6-12) which is a pellet form. Questions: After germination then I put my seed in soil, should I add a small amount of lime right away or wait and test the Ph to see if needed? Also should I add the food right away or wait (saw both mentioned)? Lastly is the food different than fert? (They start to blend together in topics)
mix the lime with the soil before planting your sprout. the lime will MAINTAIN the pH, so it will make it easier to adjust. and food? like nutrients? well, NEVER GIVE NUTRIENTS TO YOUR SPROUTS. wait until they get their 2nd set of real leaves (not the oval ones or the little 3 fingered ones). then give them only a quarter of the recommended dosage of nutes, nutrients, food, what have you, then gradually work your way up. and nutes are definitely different than food. fert's is the soil. fertilizer. if I'm not mistaken. some ferts already have nutes in them, so be careful in what you plant your sprouts in.
Thanks for the reply. Sorry it's been a few days, I've been getting things together. About to mix up some soil for my germinated seed: 50% Soil 30% Perlite Test the Ph then add soil or lime accordingly. Is this ratio ok?
if you can add vermiculite for when they're older, I would recommend it. as for ratios, I'm sorry man. the way I put in my perlite is I moderately add some in, then I mix it all together until it looks good. I'd say you can't really have tooooo much perlite, unless it's something stupid like 90 perlite 10 soil. you know better than that tho haha. and add a cup of lime to every bag of soil if I'm not mistaken. but pH won't play a factor until they're older. don't worry about the time man. time is all we got!
I feed seedlings immediately after the first spiked set emerges, the single leaf set after the cotyledon. Many people burn their seedlings, but that is an over feeding problem, not a timing problem. Seedlings grow better and faster with nutrients available to them in the medium from the very beginning of their lives.
really? how much of the dosage do you have to cut before you burn the little babies? I'd be too afraid to do that man.
I start off about 1/8th strength until they get a few leaf sets (only takes a few days), then move up to 1/4 strength.
haha wow, an 1/8? I would imagine that wouldn't even phase em, but then again I've never tried it! might just try that the next grow I start up. thank you for correcting me, man.
You will be surprised at the growth increase just from 1/8th strength. They really take off after that. I also hit them with beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae immediately along with some sugars to feed the bacteria. That combo is killer for seedlings.
I fed mine for the first time last night on day 13 out of the soil. They are starting to develop the second set of true leaves. I watered with 1/2 distilled water, and 1/2 distilled with jacks 20-20-20 at 1/4 strength. This puts it about about 1/8th strength total. In my case I was noticing a slight slowing in growth and some signs of yellowing that looked like nitrogen deficiency in the leaves. A little over 12 hours later, and into my next light cycle, the plants overall color is vastly improved and they seem to be just fine with what I gave them. This is with basic soil, no nutrients already in it. Try as we want, I dont think plants don't give a shit about our idea of a schedule. They dont care that johnny down the road was able to go a month without feeding, they will show you signs when they need food, light, more or less water, and so on. Now I am a newb to this growing thing, and not an expert by any means. I may end up killing my whole crop by over nuting, so take anything I say with a grain of salt.
Nitrogen is the first number in the npk Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium. The veg fert I chose is balanced at an equal 20-20-20, and my flowering is heavier in phosphorous and lower in nitrogen at 10-30-20. Nitrogen heavy ferts ar ppretty common. I have one I picked up from walmart for some tomato plants before I had done any reading. It is sold as a vegging fert and is at 12-4-4. From what I have read, I honestly dont know what the optimum levels are. Most I have read say more nitrogen is better for veg, but ok to be cut back once flowering. I have also read a contrary point that higher nitrogen levels are needed in the late flowering stage to help continue leaf development all the way to harvest. You will read quite a bit of people that say it is ok, accepted, and perfectly normal to have leaves severely yellowing in the late stage of flowering. This from my understanding if contributed to the plant throwing its energy into the budding process. On the other hand I have read a counterpoint that states this yellowing is more due to neglect to the plant because of the conventional wisdom to use nutes that are neglecting the need for nitrogen, often using phosophorus levels that are really not needed. Now, understand I am a newbie. When it comes to expierience I have none. That leaves me in the same position as quite a few new people here. We have to choose who to believe out of all the people in all the forums we visit. I am a seeing is believing kind of person in life. Given that I dont know anyone on here personally, I give more credit to varying views when backed up with phots of good plants. With the issue of verts, you can find photos from both sides of the isle that are quite simply amazing plants. That leaves me at a bit of a conundrum as to which way to go with things at times. In the end, us newbies just gotta guess at this shit and see what happens.
haha we already spoke yesterday my friend. you don't remember me? d: and once again, thank you for the advice. you always post some legit shit<3
IF it's an N deficiency that is not caused by PH or salt buildup, then yes, adding more general NPK fert will clear it up, but be sure it's not PH or lockout related or you will only exasperate the problem by adding more NPK.
well, sir, it is a pH problem. might be lockout, might be nute burn..IDK. it's working it's way UP from the bottom so I'm saying N lockout. any idea on how to repair this?/:
I'm having a hard time checking my Ph (sample cup I made) my Soil Master meter I bought doen't get a reading in the cup (it's only around 5 inches of soil) and I noticed when I stick it in my bag of soil, the further I push it in, the Ph readings change
Curious about this as well. I have the same problem with a meter I borrowed from a friend. From what I have read on different reviews, my problem is that it is a just a cheap ass meter that evidently everyone has this problem with.