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Oscmocote questions

H

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
I am a guerrilla grower only looking for some nute advice. I grow both in the ground and in containers filled with promix in the marsh/swamp.

I'm not new to this I have been growing for over 20 years but I'm hoping an old dog can still learn some new tricks.

I have been using Oscmocote slow release for around the last 6-7 years. I know many people hate chem ferts but it suits my style of growing.

I just pick up what ever the big box stores have. What I see most often is the 10lb bag of the 19-6-12. I have had great results no complaints but wanted to see if i could improve.
I did a little research here at IC mag and online and I see a couple of other choices which I have listed below

Please keep in mind I never grow in the same hole and I never keep my promix for a second season. I dump all my promix and remove all my containers every season. A guerrilla in my neck of the woods cant afford to leave any evidence around. Yes it a lot more work but it has security advantages.

The differences in the various Osmocote choices are small is this really going to affect my yields or plant health that much with my style of growing?


Osmocote Indoor/Outdoor
Feeds up to 4 full months
19-6-12

Osmocote Plus
15-9-12
15 9 12 +minors formula 5-6 month. The nutrients are encapsulated within multiple layers of polymeric resin. Water vapor penetrates the shell and dissolves the nutrient core into the surrounding soil/media. Guaranteed analysis: Total Nitrogen 15, Phosphate 7, Potash 12, Magnesium 1,Sulfur 2.3, Boron .02, Copper .05, Iron .45, Chelated Iron .23, Manganese .06, Molybdenum .02, Zinc .05

Osmocote Vegetable
14-14-14
 
Scrappy-doo

Scrappy-doo

Well-known member
Osmocote Plus is prob the best of the 3 because of the micronutrients. The ratios will be good until they start to flower, then something with less N would be ideal.

Since it's a 5 to 6 month release formula, one thing you could do is put it in a sock or pantyhose first and then into your soil with the top sticking out, so that when they start flowering you can just pull it out and replace with a more suitable bloom formula. When/if you need to flush you can then just pull the replacement sock out.
 
H

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
scrappy-doo
Thanks for the input.

I apologize I should have been more specific with my info and question.

I dont top feed. --When I grow in 5 gal containers I mix 1 cup of osmocote in through out the whole container/soil. This is something I learned from other swamp growers. Mixing through out the whole container seems ( just anecdotal experience) to help release the ferts better than top feeding. As you know osmocote is released via moisture and soil temp. When you mix through out the soil you seem to get a nice even release through out the season. Top feeding can be feast or famine.

In a 5 gal bucket I average 4 ozs per plant. Thats almost dead on every time.

In the ground I usually go down to 1/2 a cup. I again mix the ferts thoroughly through out the hole so I get good even fert release throughout the season. As you would expect the plants are larger than if they were in a container. I cant give a average yield from planting in the ground because in my experience it can be all over the place from 4ozs to 8 ozs and up.

I was looking for anecdotal experience with someone who has switched from one formula of osmocote to another but all input is good.

I know they have a pro version of osmocote but what is the difference besides the NPK ratios?
 
stoned-trout

stoned-trout

if it smells like fish
Veteran
great for veg ,,sucks ass for flowering ,,,I hope you are using something diff for flowering ...or your plants aren't gonna be all they can be.....I would use the +++ and then find something for flower...way too much nitrogen for the flower phase..depends on how long your plants veg for before flowering...you want that shit gone by flower if possible as that much n aint so good for flower...if short I would go with the 4 month one and add something soluable or different at flowering time....yeehaw
 
H

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
Stoned-trout

Thanks for the input. What does +++ mean? Are you referring to Osmocote plus ?

Have you used various types of the osmocote and seen any differences in your plant health or yield?
Did you get more than 4 ozs per 5 gal of soil when using a flowering fert later in the season?
 
stoned-trout

stoned-trout

if it smells like fish
Veteran
yes plus is better but lasts longer and might be around when flowering occurs...and yes using a flowering fert/ booster def helps the end product...I don't use that stuff anymore but I once did...yeehaw..my rule of thumb is minimum 1 0z per gal unless ya got real low yielding strain or aint planting in enough sunlight
 
Kygiacomo!!!

Kygiacomo!!!

AppAlachiAn OutLaW
hamstring said:
I am a guerrilla grower only looking for some nute advice. I grow both in the ground and in containers filled with promix in the marsh/swamp.

I'm not new to this I have been growing for over 20 years but I'm hoping an old dog can still learn some new tricks.

I have been using Oscmocote slow release for around the last 6-7 years. I know many people hate chem ferts but it suits my style of growing.

I just pick up what ever the big box stores have. What I see most often is the 10lb bag of the 19-6-12. I have had great results no complaints but wanted to see if i could improve.
I did a little research here at IC mag and online and I see a couple of other choices which I have listed below

Please keep in mind I never grow in the same hole and I never keep my promix for a second season. I dump all my promix and remove all my containers every season. A guerrilla in my neck of the woods cant afford to leave any evidence around. Yes it a lot more work but it has security advantages.

The differences in the various Osmocote choices are small is this really going to affect my yields or plant health that much with my style of growing?


Osmocote Indoor/Outdoor
Feeds up to 4 full months
19-6-12

Osmocote Plus
15-9-12
15 9 12 +minors formula 5-6 month. The nutrients are encapsulated within multiple layers of polymeric resin. Water vapor penetrates the shell and dissolves the nutrient core into the surrounding soil/media. Guaranteed analysis: Total Nitrogen 15, Phosphate 7, Potash 12, Magnesium 1,Sulfur 2.3, Boron .02, Copper .05, Iron .45, Chelated Iron .23, Manganese .06, Molybdenum .02, Zinc .05

Osmocote Vegetable
14-14-14
Click to expand...

hey hamstring i have found a bit better recipe with oscomote plus. i add azomite &ag lime and down to earths humic acid to the soil. i find when i add this with the oscomote i get bigger frostier plants then just oscomote plus by its self. the reason to add 2 rock dust's is for the calcium that oscomote plus is lacking. they use to have calcium in it but changed it for some reason. im gonna try a few of those jobe fertilizer sticks on each hole this year as well and see if that helps the premature yellowing i sometimes get when i use oscomote. i never have no trouble with the end product using oscomote though still get $250 a Oz for guerilla here =)
I cant wait to see those big I bulks this year that u grow :tiphat:
 
H

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
kygiacomo

Hey brother nice to hear from you I will take all the help I can get. So tell an old gurellia more about "add azomite &ag lime and down to earths humic acid to the soil."?

I dont completely understand what you said here. I know what azomite &ag lime are but what do you mean by the last part of your statement? If i add a 1/2 - 3/4 cup of Oscomote per hole how much azomite &ag lime do I need to add?

When you say premature yellow can you explain because my native vegetation is yellow way before my weed. Thats in general of course not everything is yellow. I like my plants to be turning color as the native vegetation does.

Not disagreeing with you but can you explain the benefits of keeping the plants greener longer?

Where do you get your oscomote plus from? I thinking of ordering online to get a 50lb bag for $100 otherwise a 8lb bag is around $27.
 
Kygiacomo!!!

Kygiacomo!!!

AppAlachiAn OutLaW
hamstring said:
kygiacomo

Hey brother nice to hear from you I will take all the help I can get. So tell an old gurellia more about "add azomite &ag lime and down to earths humic acid to the soil."?

I dont completely understand what you said here. I know what azomite &ag lime are but what do you mean by the last part of your statement? If i add a 1/2 - 3/4 cup of Oscomote per hole how much azomite &ag lime do I need to add?

When you say premature yellow can you explain because my native vegetation is yellow way before my weed. Thats in general of course not everything is yellow. I like my plants to be turning color as the native vegetation does.

Not disagreeing with you but can you explain the benefits of keeping the plants greener longer?

Where do you get your oscomote plus from? I thinking of ordering online to get a 50lb bag for $100 otherwise a 8lb bag is around $27.
Click to expand...
humic acid cheletes minerals and nutrients so it makes them more avaliable to the plants. i also have read from numerous people that humic/fulvic acid makes their plants alot more frosty. more nutrients that the plants are able to uptake the bigger and healthier the plants will be.in general 1 cup per cubic foot of soil. i picked up a 50lb bag of ag lime for 3.99 and 44lb of azomite for 20$ at the local hardware store. the premature yellowing i am speaking of means that the the oscomote dont last me 6 months, its good for about 4 months imo.
 
H

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
iTarzan said:
Do you plant and never visit until harvest and that is why you use osmocote?

Or do you check on them?

If you check on them then use flower ferts. If you just rarely go then put these in around August 20. I would try to find them in bulk. I would use 5-6 per bucket. They are 9-12-12

http://www.acehardware.com/product/...40&cp=2568443.2568444.2598677.2602611.1260339
Click to expand...



hey tarzan thanks for jumping in I appreciate the advice. You are correct I visit as rarely as possible. I would like that to be once a month to once every 3 weeks.

I used to be a water soluble guy for 10 years or more. Mixing up ferts every two weeks and lugging two 5 gallon buckets around the plot. I'm a slow learner but I finally got it. Less visits = better security=more harvests.

I am willing to do a top dress of flower ferts if it actually produces more bud. When I was a water soluble guy I would switch to bloom ferts in august but for the life of me I really dont know how much bigger if any my yield was.

I would love to hear some anecdotal evidence from others.
 
H

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
Kygiacomo!!! said:
humic acid cheletes minerals and nutrients so it makes them more avaliable to the plants. i also have read from numerous people that humic/fulvic acid makes their plants alot more frosty. more nutrients that the plants are able to uptake the bigger and healthier the plants will be.in general 1 cup per cubic foot of soil. i picked up a 50lb bag of ag lime for 3.99 and 44lb of azomite for 20$ at the local hardware store. the premature yellowing i am speaking of means that the the oscomote dont last me 6 months, its good for about 4 months imo.
Click to expand...

Thanks brother I will look into it. I appreciate the help. Well if not willing to look stupid you never learn. In your quote below you are saying to add humic acid or that the lime and azomite produce this?

i add azomite &ag lime and down to earths humic acid to the soil
Click to expand...
 
Kygiacomo!!!

Kygiacomo!!!

AppAlachiAn OutLaW
hamstring said:
Thanks brother I will look into it. I appreciate the help. Well if not willing to look stupid you never learn. In your quote below you are saying to add humic acid or that the lime and azomite produce this?
Click to expand...

hey ham we all gotta learn new things and look stupid from time to time. :laughing: the link to amazon is the humic acid i mix into the soil. i also use ful-power fulvic acid but that is for another puropse. get the azomite,ag lime or dolomite lime whatever is cheapest for u. mix all that into each hole and the humic acid cheletes the nutrients in the soil. so in other words mix all 3 things in the soil with the oscomote at the same time and ur done. http://www.amazon.com/Down-Earth-17...8521&sr=8-1&keywords=down+to+earth+humic+acid
 
S

sticky367

Member
I am planning on doing a little patio grow with osmocote plus and coco, might take your advice and add the rock dusts. Interesting thing is I have osmocote plus 5-6 and 10-12 month. Might do some experiments. Some people think that extra nitrogen in flower is bad, others don't. You guys have anything to back up your stance on that?
 
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