First grow...Flowering...some basic questions.

This is my first grow....I have a few questions about what to provide my plants with as they go through flowering. I'm trying to stick with a basic organic approach.




The plants are in 20gal fabric pots, outdoors.

The strains...Frosted Cherry Cookies, Tangieland, South Fork Kush, and Slymer .

Soil is roots organics original (Perlite, Coco Fiber, Peat Moss, Composted Forest Material, Pumice, Worm Castings, Bat Guano, Soybean Meal, Alfalfa Meal, Fish Bone Meal, Kelp Meal, and Greensand )

Since the beginning of July.....Once a week I have been giving them a tea made from Dr. earth 5-5-2 (Feather Meal, Fish Bone Meal, Kelp Meal, Alfalfa Meal, Potassium Sulfate, Seaweed Extract), plus worm casting and molasses.

I gave them some alaska fish fertilizer 5-1-1 only once about 10 days ago.

I've also given them a foliar spray with aloe once to twice a week since the beginning of July.

I have been watering them every other day as of the past 3 weeks.(plain water, sometimes with aloe)





My plants started to flower and go into their stretch at the beginning of this month....Some questions.....

I'm curious where to go from here?...any suggestions?

Can anyone suggest a basic organic regimen for flowering?

How much N do they need through flowering? Since most N is not immediately soluble when going the organic route, is this not as big of an issue during flowering when growing organic?

Is it OK to give the plants an aloe foliar spray when flowering?




I was thinking about just top dressing with bone meal and/or a high P guano. And continuing to give them some worm castings tea with a little molasses and occasionally some aloe.

....and/or top dressing and making tea out of Dr. Earth 3-9-4 (Fish Bone Meal, Feather Meal, Potassium Sulfate, Alfalfa Meal, Kelp Meal, Seaweed Extract), along with some worm castings/molasses and occasional aloe.

Is that^ Dr. Earth 3-9-4 something that can be used all through out flowering?

Could FF Big Bloom provide any benefit on top of what I'm thinking about giving them?....Or would that be a waste since I'm already providing similar components?







-Lush


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I personally continue with the vegetative routine for the first 2-3 weeks into flowering before switching to more of a fungal friendly regime.
Know this about the Fungi, most uptake of Phosphate is done by the mycorrhizal fungi but to much Phosphate can retard fungi growth.
Can you see the paradox.
Liquid P is the most harming of fungi.
I prefer low P ratios like 0-4-0 guano or 0-3-0 soft rock phosphate I will rarely use a P source that has a ratio of higher then a 8.
This is but one of the lesson that a organic grower needs to learn.
I find my plants are happiest when given Alfalfa during the veg stage and kelp meal during flowering ,this is a great food source for the microbes.
I also like a fish bone meal yes it is a [3-15-0] mixed with a kelp meal and worm castings as a top dressing [in very small quantities] to induce flowering sites..I think of it as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Top dressing and tea's go far in growing happy plants.
I keep a eye on turgidity in knowing how osmosis works.
This I call plant speak!!!
RatZilla

Welcome to ICMag!!

Welcome to Icmag from me too. Flowering: small amount N with some Ca if you can and alternate with high K ... all as foliar until heads get dense.

Hi,


would agree that first couple weeks is not much change from before. Some strains continue to have a high Nitrogen need for most of flowering; not many, but there's exceptions to most rules. Hopefully a seed provider is kind enough to mention any unusual characteristics for their strains.



It sounds like you have the right idea for the most part. One thing if you have access to it, is that rabbit and goat manures can be immediately used without any fermentation. Rabbit is a *little* more towards Nitrogen--Vegetation, and Goat is a *little* more towards trace minerals--flowering. Neither has a high ratio like 3-9-4, they are mostly just around 2, but they're safe. Some organic purists refuse things like bone meal which may have come from an "impure" animal.


A cal-mag source or Epsom "salt" may be useful.


The pro way looks to be creating your own compost, and pre-mix soil with amendments a month before use. Top dressing is not a complete waste, but it takes time for stuff to work its way down.


As long as the plant is looking healthy, you've succeeded. The nice thing about organics it that it is almost impossible to overdo it. And once you feed a variety of what it wants, it's unlikely that you'll underdo it. I get the feeling you are not going to grab your harvest and say "Damn this really needed four weeks of 20% more potassium" or anything like that. You are probably already doing more than I do, and even using less, shall we say, ingredients, it works fine. Do they look good to you?

Agree, Satyros, about Goat manure being heavier on trace mins. Goats and Deer have about the same diet. They are not grazers, they are browsers. They prefer tree and brush leaves to grass. They eat some grass and will eat very tasty grasses like oats, wheat, and barley. -granger

Hey Organilush(sp?) Welcome i.c. mag. 1st off cheers for going organic. Ok that roots organic sounds like some solid stuff. Imo you might be able to get by with just water at this point. Trace elements may become desired but depending on how big your trees are. Roots has some nice bottled products out there with special high proportions of Ca + Mg among others. So maybe this mix has that taken into consideration. So if any thing Id dosem with some coconut water and molasses ......some occasional aloe and you are at the finish line. Water only for the last 20 days maybe.
Also you are using some monster ass pots.....your set up nice for no till. With something that big you may want to consider layering...get your minerals at the bottom worms in the middle and duff at the top? One last thing Alfalfa teas are awesome not just for their perfect npk but there are digestive properties in the teas that will furthur break down the hidden goodies already inyou store bought mix. Peaceout and Keep it organic!