Espoma Bio-Tone?

[FinestKind]

Hey all... I'm trying to get some more microbes in my life, and I'm wondering about the application rates any of you have had success with? I use Pro-Mix BX as a base, and I'm transplanting clones next week...they recommend 1 cup per 1 gallon container, just wondering how anyone else uses it?

Thanks.

FK

 

[Carl Carlson]

I just started using the Bio-tone Starter Plus.

You are using the original Bio-tone Starter?

Where did you get "1 cup per gallon"?

Here is a link to the label, with the same instructions as for the Starter Plus:

http://www.espoma.com/p_consumer/pdf/products/biotone.pdf

Potting mixes - 3 cups per cubic foot

1 cubic foot = 7.33 gallons

 

[Tactical Farmer]

1 Cup - thats not good.. lol

Im not sure whats in the BX - is it pre-amended peat basically ?

A cup of EWC - 1/2 to 1 TBS Biotone per gal is what im thinking to get rooted clones going for a couple weeks till there ready for a hotter transplant mix.

 

[FinestKind]

I just started using the Bio-tone Starter Plus.

You are using the original Bio-tone Starter?

Where did you get "1 cup per gallon"?

Here is a link to the label, with the same instructions as for the Starter Plus:

http://www.espoma.com/p_consumer/pdf/products/biotone.pdf

Potting mixes - 3 cups per cubic foot

1 cubic foot = 7.33 gallons

In that case, 7.33 gallons/3 cups= 2.44 cups per gallon (!)

I think I was reading the directions for transplanting trees and shrubs.

1 Cup - thats not good.. lol

Im not sure whats in the BX - is it pre-amended peat basically ?

A cup of EWC - 1/2 to 1 TBS Biotone per gal is what im thinking to get rooted clones going for a couple weeks till there ready for a hotter transplant mix.

Pro-Mix BX has mycorhizae, peat, pearlite and lime....

I was hoping you'd say 1/2 to 1TBS per gallon... sounds more reasonable to me.

FK

 

[Sam the Caveman]

I used 2 cups per 4.5 gallons of coco/mushroom compost with cottonseed meal/blood meal/lime/bone meal/kelp meal/diatomaceous earth. I did go light on the amendments.

My plants were already sick when I transplanted them, so I can't say much about how it works other than my plants are growing now, whereas before they were in stasis/declining healthwise.

 

[Sam the Caveman]

I did find that the instructions were a bit weird

1 cup per 1 gallon
2 cups per 5 gallons
4 cups per 15 gallons

thats not a linear application rate

 

[vanzman12]

In that case, 7.33 gallons/3 cups= 2.44 cups per gallon (!)

not trying to be a dick but your math is a little off there.

it should go like this: 3 cups/7.33 gallons= .409 cups per gallon

always look at what you want to end up with, here it is cups over gallons so you divide the amount of cups by gallons, not the other way around

 

[Tactical Farmer]

FK - Its especially important to get a mellow mix cooking so the biotone is more avaliable to work when the clones get in there.

Or it may take a week or more before it kicks in to be of much use.

 

[staff11]

Been using it for awhile now at 3 cups per cubic foot as per instructions (with LC#2). Some strains can handle it better than others from seed/clone. Might be a bit too hot for starting fickle strains but I haven't had much of a problem. You will need to supplement in flower though. A couple of guano teas here and there or top dressing.

FK - Its especially important to get a mellow mix cooking so the biotone is more avaliable to work when the clones get in there.

Or it may take a week or more before it kicks in to be of much use.

Yeah I usually try to let it go at least two weeks. I would say the longer the better. On my next round I have about 30 gallons of recycled mix LC#2 mix that had the Biotone added in. I amended it with a bit more EWC, lime and starter plus. Been sitting for about a month now, and will be the first time I have used recycled mix. Hopefully things will go well.

 

[Tactical Farmer]

Bio-tone plus is bad ass stuff - kicks in pretty quick for a dry fert too.

Lowes should be marking it down soon since winter is coming - good time to stock pile it.

 

[cheifstrongleaf]

I've been using it for about 3 years now and apply as follows -

One 4lb bag per bale of Promix BX (I also add varying rates of cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal, earthworm castings, rabbit manure compost, algamin, glacial rock dust, soft rock phosphate, bone meal, blood meal, perlite, parboiled rice hulls, and sometimes some coco coir)

I also top dress throughout Veg and early flower with about 1/2 cup to 1 cup per 3-5 gallon container depending on what the plants look like.

From what espoma says it was designed so plants use it up very quickly. I've had really good results using it.

 

[FinestKind]

Thanks everyone for your responses... now I just need to sort it all out for my own individual usage! I guess I should make clear that the main reason I want to use it is to get some microbial life in my soil, not to finish out my entire run with it. I uses the Earth Juice line of liquid ferts, and just want to establish a healthy colony off the bat... I must say, I am impressed with the amount of Myco fungus in the Starter Plus- way more props/gram than in, say, the EJ Rooter's Myco... for what it's worth.

FK