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 mad capper
old head
Registered: 01/02/11
Posts: 30
Last seen: 13 years, 3 months
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 old grower learning new tricks 
#573052 - 07/18/11 06:41 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
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hey guys back in the grow room after a 12 year break and ready to try some new products, new to me that is. I have always used a soilless mix and its very basic 1/3 peat and 1/3 verm and 1/3 perlite and then 2 tbs dolo lime for PH. Then i would throw in earthworm castings for good measure. I used Earth juice line of ferts and Neptunes fish emlusions both veg and flowering formulas and sometimes Maxicrop to switch it up.
I always just used tap water that had set out a couple days and mixed nutes in and watered with every third watering being plain water. That method served me well for many grows. Im looking to stay along those lines , just using different slightly different medium and the FOX Farm trio.
Im half way through my first grow in years and its been a humbling experience. I have had some nute def issues due to lock out from PH issues, i think.
I have noticed alot more importance on water quality and adjusting nute solutions before feedings these days. Honestly i never checked PH past those cheap soil probes back then and grew very healthy plants. I think the dolo lime and earthworm casting buffered the nute solution when it hit the medium.
This time around i used coco coir, perlite and verm (1/3 of each). I skipped the lime because coco is neutral and didnt include earthworm casting, but now realize those were mistakes. Also been using tap water that has been set out with Earth juice grow, alternating that with Alaska fish emulsion 5-1-1. also have not been adjusting the nute solution.
As a result been seeing some nute def and slow growth. so i need to catch up and make some changes. First off water: gonna use distilled water now and adjust nute solultion with Earth juice PH up or down before feeding. Also changing my medium to 1/3 happy frog 1/3 ocean forest and 1/3 perlite and use the Foxfarm nutes for flowering. Plan on transplanting to 3 gallon grow bags with this strategy.The Fox Farm potting mixes are loaded with just about everything i need it appears in conjunction with their nutes, think ill be okay. Any input on any of these products would be great.
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*constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil ~ jerry garcia*
Mad Capper's Moonshine Tek under construction lol
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sveumy
seeker of enlightenment
Registered: 11/07/10
Posts: 201
Loc: its cold
Last seen: 3 years, 11 months
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Re: old grower learning new tricks [Re: mad capper]
#573860 - 07/22/11 06:17 AM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
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Just a suggestion that I have found works well for me. I went to Walmart a bought two 5gallon water jugs for $7-8 each. I then pay a dollar per 5 gallons to fill them with RO water provided from the machines. The ph is very high around 9 or so but when a must solution is mixed in it quickly drops. You will need to buffer the ph but that's not to difficult. This has worked well for me so far. This is in a soil system so I am not sure what all would change with your application but it might be something to consider. Very inexpensive.
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mad capper
old head
Registered: 01/02/11
Posts: 30
Last seen: 13 years, 3 months
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Re: old grower learning new tricks [Re: sveumy]
#574158 - 07/23/11 12:57 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
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thanks for the tip bro. I was thinking of doing just what you said. I called walmart and checked on the price and its only 37 cents per gal. so 7.40 for ten gals is def the way to go. I have those big jugs (he he sounds funny) already cause i make moonshine. As far as the ph up and down, I was thinking of just goin with the earth juice products because they're organic and I may just stick with the earth juice nutes too since I know how to use them. Also, noticed that a lot of guys have to dilute the recommended dose of the fox farm nutes, which I guess could be a good thing since ur nutes will last longer......I have used the bloom, I think it was the tiger bloom, years ago. Do you know anything about fox farm? What nutes do u use? I just started some more seeds and I put them in happy frog with 30% more perilite....but the mix seems a little rich. My seedlings are dark green and shorter than usual....so as far as that goes, I think next time I'll use the fox farm light warrior.
Off topic, but if you like moonshine, and you're on the shroomery, hit my signature, and check out my tek!! Thanks again!
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*constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil ~ jerry garcia*
Mad Capper's Moonshine Tek under construction lol
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Pernicious
Stranger Danger
Registered: 05/12/11
Posts: 463
Loc: East Coast
Last seen: 12 years, 7 months
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Re: old grower learning new tricks [Re: mad capper]
#575037 - 07/28/11 07:23 AM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
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lol i love shine so i think i might just hit up that tek of yours. i have always been scared of blinding myself though if i tried making it myself.
other then that i love foxfarm but i always found their trio nutes to be just overkill. the only foxfarm product i use is their big bloom. as for everything else i try to stay completely organic using things like bat guano's, Kelp Concentrate, natural humatates and fungal/bacterial cultures (products like myco madness,great white, tarantula) and earth worm castings.
and as for my soil mix its usually made up of whatever i have laying around the house usually a mix of organic black earth/wormcastings/verm/oystershells/peatmoss
in fairly even portions going really light on the oyster shells they are just for aeration and to add some calcium to the soil. my girls usually dont need a feeding more then once every week or two with that mix and i find using natural tea's goes alot further then any products i have used in the past and the nutrients seem to release slower and more evenly as well. kinda like eating whole foods compared to junk foods.
as far as a ph adjuster i have never had to bring it up so to bring it down i just use aluminum sulfate or elemental sulfur(though this can be hard to find hence the aluminum sulfate)
i dont know im fairly young but i still think the old beats the new in regards to organics. the only really new products i use are the microbials just cause of the massive difference they make in my plants health. once you go hydroponic its a completely different ballgame though just due to how easy it is to flush and cleanse your plants when doing hydro/aero/fog
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mad capper
old head
Registered: 01/02/11
Posts: 30
Last seen: 13 years, 3 months
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Re: old grower learning new tricks [Re: Pernicious]
#575151 - 07/28/11 06:55 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
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Thanks for the info and tips. I think im going to go back to my old medium of peat moss / verm / perlite equal parts with 20 % earthworm castings added, along with dolo lime. Then add humic acid and then earth juice ferts. I have been cosidering swithing back and fourth my nutes between E J and home mixed teas. I was looking at the organics for beginners thread and they have some easy recipes for teas with guanos, kelp, castings and other great stuff. I want to give these teas a whirl. I think you have a good point about the teas feeding longer and more evenly, makes sense.
Honestly i never used to pay alot of attention to PH after the intial adjustment with dolo lime ,especially since i transplanted plants relatively quick. I start plants in 16 oz solo cups , they stay there 2-3 weeks, then 1 gal grow bags for 3-4 weeks and into 5 gallon grow bags for 7-8 weeks, but flushing last 2 weeks anyway. Like i said, think the humates and lime do buffer PH spikes and read something to that effect in that thread.
I never used the humic acid in the past ,still havent yet. I have heard good things about liquid karma. I used Nitron A 35 which had enymes and microbial stuff going on in it or as a result of it being added lol!! Also used superthrive suppose to be loaded with hormones, dont know if it was snake oil or not.
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*constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil ~ jerry garcia*
Mad Capper's Moonshine Tek under construction lol
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Pernicious
Stranger Danger
Registered: 05/12/11
Posts: 463
Loc: East Coast
Last seen: 12 years, 7 months
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Re: old grower learning new tricks [Re: mad capper]
#575211 - 07/29/11 06:21 AM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
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yeah theres nothing wrong with your soil mix at all and if it works for you why fuck with it?
i have never used any of those humic acid products but when it comes to microbial products i swear by myco madness as a great all around it qualifies as completely organic too which is a bonus other products dont have. something i just tried for my new grows is a product GH makes called rare earth. since i started using this i have noticed a substantial difference in their health and tolerance to any kind of abuse they go through. and they bounce back quicker from mistakes then any grows i've seen before.i dont know if its directly due to the slicates and leonardite in the product but its the only thing ive done differently as far as feeding is concerned. i don't know i have had great success with this product and really recommend it to anyone.
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sveumy
seeker of enlightenment
Registered: 11/07/10
Posts: 201
Loc: its cold
Last seen: 3 years, 11 months
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Re: old grower learning new tricks [Re: Pernicious]
#577496 - 08/10/11 04:05 AM (13 years, 3 months ago) |
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I appoligise for not getting back to you sooner. work has been crazy and I just got back from vacation. Took a vacation after harvest with the fiancee.
Anyways, I am more then happy to help with the water ideas. I know most people are looking for a good quality source of water with out having to pay an arm and a leg.
As far as nuets go, I am a new grower and I haven't had too much experience with a variety. I personally use the botanicare line. Its organic and from what I have seen if you fallow the recomended doses there isn't much adjusting required. I personally use Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil on recomendations from this forum. I have been very pleased with the results.
Harvest this time around was very light. I am a little dissappointed. They were doing very well and about 5-6 weeks in My ac stopped working. I live in SE AZ and the heat was too much. I scoarched the tops. Days were hitting 110 and were only cooling down to say 95 at night when the lights came on so the temps were just too high. Once every thing was repaired I nursed them back to health but those 3 days really hurt them. Pulled 4 zoies out of 3 ladies.
Moonshine. I can honestly say I haven't had the chance to try it. but it is definately and interesting concept behind it all. I fear I would blow myself up if I attempted it. Not to mention I prefer my alcohol with out setting fire to my liver.
You may beable to make a canna shine version. I think tch is alcohol soluble. (correct me if I am wrong) If you soaked trimmings and popcorn buds in the shine you may have something there. If it works I want royalties on the cannashine name. LOL
and thats enough stoned ramblings for tonight.
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