[Homebrewer]

Originally Posted by keeper1981

As the title says, if you use all all the expensive cannabis marketed nutrients and additives with lame names and fancy bottles and pictures, why do you use them?

I think we all started out this way because it's kinda fun to play mad scientist. There is a sense that each additional bottle is going to make the plant pump out a little more yield and ooze more resin, I think it appeals to us on a very deep level. It's not just growing at that point, it's a craft. I think that same mindset is why the organic crowd is a little loony sometimes.

[Mikell]

If you watch, all they did was to change the obsession with silver bullets in a bottle to silver bullets in a bag.

"Bruh you have to use aloe and willow tips, it's the bomb"

Replacing words like weight and frost with primary and secondary metabolite production.

Same shit different pile.

[Trich_Tyson]

I don't.
But it's easy to understand why.
Marketing is a huge part. But i think a lot of it is because they tell you what to do.. You buy bottles with a little pamphlet that tells you the exact recipe to use for every week.
They think growing weed is gunna be easy, and they don't wanna research, just be told what to do.
some peeps get lucky.. they provide a decent enough enviro, and maybe have a bit of a green thumb, and it works..

but for peeps like me, i needed to learn a little about nutrient uptake, understand salts and fertilizers, and make decisions based on knowledge and evidence.

Bare minimum is the only thing that works for me.. whether it be a simple one part (i.e. maxi, foliage pro, V+B) or jacks/cal nit.

I always say.. these plants are dead simple to grow, and they can thrive on a wide range of nutrition.. that said learn what RATIO of nutrients works best for you, dial your program into those RATIOs and stick to it, varying strength as needed.. from there you can work on things like speeding vegetative growth, or increasing flower size..

minimize variables, and don't rely on a precise "recipe" to determine your outcome.

BTW i am speaking to nobody lol.. just to the thread title.

[progro]

I used to use heaps. I loved my additives and I used them religiously. Hygrozyme, fulvic, seaweed, foliar, carbs, vitamins, silica, bennies, pk boosters, bud blood, calmag, finishers, triacantonol, kool bloom etc, the list goes on. I got sick of the money I was spending on the pretty labeled bottles and I got real sick of off the shelf nutrients. I started to find that unless I used a company’s entire line I’d usually get deficiency’s. Then I discovered the sterling work that Glow, Yosemite Sam, spurr, avenger and dizzle kush did in regards to optimal nutrition for cannabis ( those guys are the bomb! ) The high P myth was busted, optimal ppm ranges were distinguished and my brain exploded! I read everything on manic botanix, ( which is Glows website ) unlearned everything I’ve learnt in the last 25 years of growing, I researched, read and re read everything I could find on formulating and I’ve never looked back. Seriously no comparison. Quality and quantity like I haven’t seen for a long time. I ran Yosemite Sams recommendation:
N. P. K. Ca. Mg. Si
VEG: 150-24-150-170-65-25
BLOOM: 110-60-170-165-60-25

Ended up with 5.4 lbs from 2 plants with a 1000watt CMH over each. They were grown in 65 litre builders buckets for 4 weeks of veg with a 50/50 coco perlite mix. I grew Cherry bomb from bomb seeds and I must say that the pheno I got from a freebie seed is exactly as described. Running the same strain again. So the only additives I use are silica, fulvic acid and trichodermia. I foliar feed with seaweed, triacantonol and some boron when I switch to 12/12. That’s about it. If you can get the environment close to optimal and supply optimal nutrition you’ll always do well. Yield does not come in a bottle. Environment first and foremost, good nutrition and don’t overwater!!! Water coco once a day unless you’ve cut it with perlite. A 50/50 mix will allow frequent fertigation during lights on and that’s when you can really crank out some bud but if just straight coco then once a day is a go. By the way, low P in veg ie, 24 ppm keeps the plants shorter and stockier during grow and if kept at that level during the first 2 to 3 weeks of flower will limit stretch considerably but more importantly give you nice and compact flower structures.

[beta]

I agree with everything you said except for this bit:

Originally Posted by progro

...and don’t overwater!!! Water coco once a day unless you’ve cut it with perlite. A 50/50 mix will allow frequent fertigation during lights on and that’s when you can really crank out some bud but if just straight coco then once a day is a go.

Coco already drains just as fast as pure perlite. Cutting your coco with perlite does nothing for its drainage ability, it just means less medium. I water up to 12 times per day with pure 100% coco and get great results.

[hazyfontazy]

Originally Posted by progro

Ended up with 5.4 lbs from 2 plants with a 1000watt CMH over each. They were grown in 65 litre builders buckets for 4 weeks of veg with a 50/50 coco perlite mix. .

pics ?

[progro]

Originally Posted by beta

I agree with everything you said except for this bit:



Coco already drains just as fast as pure perlite. Cutting your coco with perlite does nothing for its drainage ability, it just means less medium. I water up to 12 times per day with pure 100% coco and get great results.

True mate but I use large pots so I should’ve been more specific with watering I was just giving a general guideline for anyone new to coco. Canna actually state to water once daily with coco but each to their own. Small pots no probs but larger pots water less. I find with the perlite added gives a nice airy mix which the plants and roots love. Also if you run into any problems ie, nute lockup then having an airy mix allows for quick recovery after flushing.

[progro]

Originally Posted by hazyfontazy

pics ?

There you go mate. I’ve had some issues with this run with a hot summer, faulty ph tester and high P levels from lots of ph down. This all happened during the first 2 weeks of 12/12 so I had one plant lock up and the other stretch like a mofo, out of control they were. Once I realised though, the damage had already been done. Under control now but should’ve been better. When all that happened is when I realised that ph down adds P to the mix. Lol I know, rookie mistake but I kicked myself for overlooking it which means that my last run had P levels in excess of 120ppm.... so much for my low P grow. So now what you see have just gone 6wks flower, they’ll go 9 and I’m using only ph down for my 60ppm P. I’ll source some sulphuric acid for the next run as well as keep using the citric acid as I currently do with the phosphoric which will give me precise control next run. Currently running Glows formula
132-60-250-190-55-25-115
N P K Ca Mg Si S
Which is used from week 4 flower onwards.

[Cannabean]

Originally Posted by progro

I used to use heaps. I loved my additives and I used them religiously. Hygrozyme, fulvic, seaweed, foliar, carbs, vitamins, silica, bennies, pk boosters, bud blood, calmag, finishers, triacantonol, kool bloom etc, the list goes on. I got sick of the money I was spending on the pretty labeled bottles and I got real sick of off the shelf nutrients. I started to find that unless I used a company’s entire line I’d usually get deficiency’s. Then I discovered the sterling work that Glow, Yosemite Sam, spurr, avenger and dizzle kush did in regards to optimal nutrition for cannabis ( those guys are the bomb! ) The high P myth was busted, optimal ppm ranges were distinguished and my brain exploded! I read everything on manic botanix, ( which is Glows website ) unlearned everything I’ve learnt in the last 25 years of growing, I researched, read and re read everything I could find on formulating and I’ve never looked back. Seriously no comparison. Quality and quantity like I haven’t seen for a long time. I ran Yosemite Sams recommendation:
N. P. K. Ca. Mg. Si
VEG: 150-24-150-170-65-25
BLOOM: 110-60-170-165-60-25

Ended up with 5.4 lbs from 2 plants with a 1000watt CMH over each. They were grown in 65 litre builders buckets for 4 weeks of veg with a 50/50 coco perlite mix. I grew Cherry bomb from bomb seeds and I must say that the pheno I got from a freebie seed is exactly as described. Running the same strain again. So the only additives I use are silica, fulvic acid and trichodermia. I foliar feed with seaweed, triacantonol and some boron when I switch to 12/12. That’s about it. If you can get the environment close to optimal and supply optimal nutrition you’ll always do well. Yield does not come in a bottle. Environment first and foremost, good nutrition and don’t overwater!!! Water coco once a day unless you’ve cut it with perlite. A 50/50 mix will allow frequent fertigation during lights on and that’s when you can really crank out some bud but if just straight coco then once a day is a go. By the way, low P in veg ie, 24 ppm keeps the plants shorter and stockier during grow and if kept at that level during the first 2 to 3 weeks of flower will limit stretch considerably but more importantly give you nice and compact flower structures.

Great info! Thanks!

[oldbootz]

I grow in 200 liter tubs. I make a soil mix once for each tub and re-use it forever. Each new planting I add some amendments to the top and it slowly waters in over time. This is the most hassle free and cheapest way to grow that I have found, and the soil gets better over time as the amendments break down properly.

My mix is cut heavily with perlite and coco so it drains well and I usually do a watering once every 4-5 days in early veg and every 2-3 days in flowering when the plants are bigger. I used to foliar spray epsom salts on some indicas I was growing but these sativas that I grow now don't need it. These days its just plain tap water that I use, never check for pH (its high like 7.8 last time I looked).

All the bottle nutrients I purchased over the years just sit in a dusty cupboard.