When to add ferts?

[sandbar]

I planted my seeds in 20 oz Styrofoam cups and 15/21 of them have popped through the ground so far. I am planning on keeping them in the cups until I transplant them into their own plot in the ground.


Q: Based on the size of my containers (each one is 20 oz), what size should I let the plants get to before I transplant?

Q: At what point should I start to add fertilizers? (I plan on using time release)


Thanks for your help!

 

[sandbar]

bump!!

 

[jackel]

id plant outside may 10th, leaving them in the cups till then. add ur time release to the ourdoor soil.

 

[Guest]

Hi sandbar.

That 20oz cup will be fine for 30 35 days. After that, you could see some real root problems

I wouldnt put any ferts on seedlings unless they are showing some serious deficiencies. They are babies and cant really handle it. When you transplant, place a circle of fert around the plant about 10-12" from the plant. This will give the plant a couple of weeks to stretch out some roots and start utilizing the fert you placed out there for them.

I wouldn't use more than a 3 mo time release. Too much nitrogen at the end of july can cause some real problems with flowering and potency and theres no way to remove the petrolium based time released fert once it is leached into the soil.

Thats my thinking. good luck
sb

 

[sandbar]

Hi sandbar.

That 20oz cup will be fine for 30 35 days. After that, you could see some real root problems

I wouldnt put any ferts on seedlings unless they are showing some serious deficiencies. They are babies and cant really handle it. When you transplant, place a circle of fert around the plant about 10-12" from the plant. This will give the plant a couple of weeks to stretch out some roots and start utilizing the fert you placed out there for them.

I wouldn't use more than a 3 mo time release. Too much nitrogen at the end of july can cause some real problems with flowering and potency and theres no way to remove the petrolium based time released fert once it is leached into the soil.

Thats my thinking. good luck
sb

Thanks a lot sb, what type of fertilizer would you recommend? I'm not too keen on time release so I could use some advice.

 

[Ajunta Pall]

You can use any hydro fert that is high in nitrogen. At two weeks I usually give my seedlings around a cap full of BC Grow per quart. Then I add some Super Thrive and water them. I hold off for a week to ten days before doing it again. So far this hasn't failed me yet.

 

[Guest]

Hi Sandbar. I generally don't add any ferts at all until I have transplanted and see a little new growth and roots take hold, then I start using mostly fast acting/ water solubles, mainly nitrogen. I use Epsoma products which I consider at the top of the fert heap. Excellent products for cannabis and at a reasonable price. They perform as well if not better than any of the high priced brands sold for cannabis and are available at a low price at any home and garden store or online.

In areas that I grow where the soil is relatively fertile or I have preconditioned the soil to be that way, I will just add a ring of co mpost in a circle around the plant under my mulch. This creates a manure tea leach each time it rains.

Those are my 2 primary fert approaches. Sometimes however, Ill just pour on a double dose of MG. it works too but again, waiting until the plant is a bit established before application is important. Little babies cant handle and usually dont need ferts.

 

[sandbar]

Ok SB, I do have Espoma locally that I could get...

http://homeharvest.com/orgfertespoma.htm

The 5 - 3 - 3 is probably what I want, I am guessing I could just mix it with the topsoil when I transplant, but since you know a thing or two about these ferts could you send me your recommendation?

What type would be best for the new transplants, what is the best way to apply it, and how much should I use?

Thanks a lot sb & Ajunta

 

[sandbar]

bump!!!