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Early flower top dressing

B

BigCatDiaries

New member
Wondering what everyone out there does in the first 2 weeks of flowering to give the ladies a jumpstart,

I did a bat guano, bone meal top dressing that I will be following up with a non heavy phosphorus tea drench and foliar.

During my non organic days this would be the time I added Keep or MOAB at the beginning of flower phase.:woohoo:
 
D

DocTim420

The Doctor is OUT and has moved on...
If it were me, I would limit my top dressing ingredients to be those that are faster acting...and mix copious amounts of the slower acting nutrients/fertility (those that breakdown/decompose longer) into the grow medium itself.

Bone meal takes an incredible amount of time to decompose and is it not very mobile in soil. Phosphorus uptake by plants requires the plant's roots to be in the immediate surroundings of phosphorus source. In other words, phosphorus can be on the soil surface (top dressing) but if the roots don't "see it", then neither will the plant.
 
D

DocTim420

The Doctor is OUT and has moved on...
MOAB (0-52-32), is basically a blend of MPK (Monopotassium Phosphate 0-52-34) & MAP (Monoammonium phosphate--various NPK), packaged in tiny jars with cartoon characters and sold for outrageous prices. Amazon sells 5 lbs of MPK for around $20 and sells 5 lbs of MotherOfAllBlooms for around $100.

LOL, I guess the cartoon characters on the label is what makes it work better.
 
O

Orrie

BigCatDiaries said:
Wondering what everyone out there does in the first 2 weeks of flowering to give the ladies a jumpstart,

I did a bat guano, bone meal top dressing that I will be following up with a non heavy phosphorus tea drench and foliar.

During my non organic days this would be the time I added Keep or MOAB at the beginning of flower phase.:woohoo:
Click to expand...


Healthy plants growing in a healthy living soil need very little to complete the flowering phase. That is what I focus on.

Question on the non heavy phosphorus tea drench you will be using.

What is it exactly?
 
P

Philmore Jars

Member
DocTim420 said:
MOAB (0-52-32), is basically a blend of MPK (Monopotassium Phosphate 0-52-34) & MAP (Monoammonium phosphate--various NPK), packaged in tiny jars with cartoon characters and sold for outrageous prices. Amazon sells 5 lbs of MPK for around $20 and sells 5 lbs of MotherOfAllBlooms for around $100.

LOL, I guess the cartoon characters on the label is what makes it work better.
Click to expand...

I find this to be true of most grow products once you research them a little . Thanks for sharing the info :tiphat:
 
S

St. Phatty

Active member
I use high Phosphorus bat guano, and worm castings that are high in NPK.

In the water bucket ... if I'm motivated.

But the soil is good anyway, and the plants get watered even if I'm not motivated.
 
O

Orrie

only seven strains of 'Pro-Biotic beneficial soil microbes' ?
good thing they threw in some extra ecto to make up for it


I got this from the link to the Dr. Earth product-

Ingredients: Alfalfa meal, fish bone meal, feather meal, potassium sulfate, soft rock phosphate, seaweed extract and seven strains of Pro-Biotic beneficial soil microbes, PLUS Ecto and Endo Mycorrhizae.


.
 
Last edited:
L

low_and_slow

Member
Myco product, tbspn molasses per gallon, pinch Epsom. Chlorine free water. Handful of ewc if it's an N hungry varietal. Just a little snack for the microbes.
 
D

DocTim420

The Doctor is OUT and has moved on...
I think the question is, "what dry fertility/nutrients DO NOT break down/decomposes fast"?

And the answers will include:
Alfalfa Meal
Bone Meal
Chicken Manure
Kelp Meal
Rock Phosphates
Sulfate of Potash

If the question is, "what dry fertility/nutrients DO break down within 60 days or so?", and the answers will include:
Bat Guanos
Blood Meal
Seed Meals (Neem, Soybean, Linseed, Cottonseed, corn/gluten, etc)
Feather Meal
Fish Meal

Of course a goodly dose of Rock Dust also will feed the microherd living just under the soil surface.

A trick I use is mix about a cup or two of potting soil with my top dressing fertility, then work it thoroughly into the soil surface before watering with about twice the normal amount of liquid. The insures the "new" top soil is thoroughly moistened/wet...since a dry top dressing does very little to help the process.
 
E

Easy7

Active member
Veteran
Really depends on the variety or strain. What else you have done with the soil, and will be doing.

Indoors does not need much. Outdoors top dressing is a great way to be ahead. With all the rain, competing plants and huge amount of Earth.
 
D

DocTim420

The Doctor is OUT and has moved on...
Easy7 said:
Really depends on the variety or strain. What else you have done with the soil, and will be doing.

Indoors does not need much. Outdoors top dressing is a great way to be ahead. With all the rain, competing plants and huge amount of Earth.
Click to expand...

If one starts with the time it takes (under normal conditions) for a specific nutrient/fertility to fully decompose and compare that with the time our plant's nutrition needs subside...there is a gap.

Of course, the premise is that most organic nutrients are nearly/fully consumed/decomposed around 75 days (2 & 1/2 months).

Example. Assume veg time is 45 days and flower time is 70 days, which means nutrition for no more than 115 days will be required. That means around Day 30 in flower (75 days since transplant) the nutrients in the grow medium should be nearly exhausted...and adding more on Flower Day 30 is...well, kinda late to the party.

What if one top dressed on flip day? Hmm, wouldn't that allow the top dressing fertility to push beyond Flower Day 30? But not too much I say, as who wants a nutrient loaded grow medium on harvest day?

How much to top dress? Well that is probably different for each gardener, since all strains, growing environments and techniques are NOT the same. In my garden, top dressing with 40-50 grams (1/4 cup or so) of finely ground blend of fertility/nutrition works for me.
 
E

Easy7

Active member
Veteran
Best to use less but organics are very relaxed.

I don't worry with outdoor plants at all. Even indoor methods of watering highly influence fertilizer leaching into soil. It can be quicker than what you imagine.

My veggie garden just chugs along
 
G

growinthehills

Member
MedResearcher said:
Solution grade seabird guano, and liquid kelp (Either liquid or soluble seaweed powder). Organic bloom booster!


Mr^^
Click to expand...

This sounds like a page from my book. A tsp of solution grade seabird guano per gallon and 1/4 tsp of soluble kelp powder. Also the regular top dressing formula worm castings mixed with your favorite amendments.
 
B

BigCatDiaries

New member
The tea consists of molasses, fish emulsion, kelp, EWC, small amount of azomite, soybean meal, alfalfa meal, Bokashi, forrest floor humus, compost, and whey protein

This is my first run with organics, I think I need to put my trust in the microbiology that already exists in the rich soil and be more particular in the timing of any organic additives. I know that being patient is important in gardening and if I just let the microbes do their business they will rewards me.

Thank you all very much for your input!
 
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