Calcium

[Douglas.Curtis]

A 1000w grow literally requires less than 12 egg shells and a pint of vinegar, for a years worth of organic calcium foliar spray.

Eating 4 omlettes, and waiting 10 days for water soluble calcium, is probably your least expensive option here.

 

[Rico Swazi]

citric acid acts as a chelator and as such would be a better choice over acetic acid,





cheapest is not always the best

feed the soil and not the plant



this says it better than I can

The facts around foliar treatment viability become more complex the more closely they are examined, and even world-renowned plant scientists disagree over what works and why.


What is generally agreed upon is that foliar spraying is not a substitute for root-based nutrient applications, and it is considered much more effective in the case of micronutrient feeding, simply due to the fact that only tiny amounts of micronutrients are necessary for plants, making a foliar application, with its limited systemic reach, more plausible. Foliar spraying, in contrast with root-based feeding, does not allow for any storage of nutrients for later use by the plants; it only treats a temporary shortage at the leaf surface level.


In particular, the micronutrient iron (Fe) is the most widely recommended nutrient for foliar use. This is because, among the seven essential micronutrients, iron is the least soluble and easily binds up in soil, so foliar applications of iron act as a complementary approach to the soil solubility problem. There are kelp supplements that are enriched with iron, and other bio-stimulants can also be mixed into foliar recipes in order to gain multiple advantages with one application. The pH of the solution should be adjusted to 5.9-6.1, which is the same pH that cannabis prefers in the root zone.


In sum, the jury is still out when it comes to the efficacy of foliar nutrients applications with cannabis. The fact that it is such a fast-growing crop makes it more heavily dependent on stored nutrients, and less likely to gain lasting improvement from nutrient sprays. In the case of microbial or pesticide treatments, however, foliar spraying is known to be very effective because absorption into leaf tissue is not a requirement of success.

https://www.marijuanaventure.com/a-deeper-look-at-foliar-spraying/






I'm hoping the OP will be growing food as well which is why I went with the big bag

 

[Guest]

Biomin liquid calcium from Safergro and some Epsom salts mixed in water.
http://www.safergro.com/products/biomin-calcium/

 

[trichrider]

https://www.amazon.com/Down-Earth-O...ocphy=9033283&hvtargid=pla-471033330131&psc=1

• Down to Earth Oyster Shell is a one pound box of all natural fertilizer and is listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for use in organic production
• All-natural and high-quality source of the essential plant nutrient calcium, helping prevent calcium deficiencies that can dimish plant development
• Ancient oyster shells are carefully harvested and then ground into small, medium and coarse particles, providing a sustained release of this valuable nutrient
• With 35% calcium, Oyster Shell is great for use on lawns, outdoor containers, vegetable gardens, flower beds, trees, shrubs and row crops/acreage
• Calcium is very important to the biological processes of growing plants and aids in improving structure of soils and building optimum tilth

works a treat and pretty cheap at about $8.00

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

citric acid acts as a chelator and as such would be a better choice over acetic acid

Interesting, I'd like to test the difference between the two., Thanks for sharing. I have quite a bit of citric acid around here. lol

Interesting about the foliar being transient in effectiveness, also good info. Ty

 

[ambertrichome]

They mainly use Citric Acid to Chelate Vitamins/ and Minerals, and is the industry standard.

Chelate means to Hook. The CA Hooks the other molecules, and makes them more bioavailable. Transfer across the cell membrane is more efficient.

Anthony Pescetti was Coinventor of Chelation, and was the Inventor of Time Release.

 

[G.O. Joe]

Dolomite only has a pH in the 9 range and not anywhere near 14.

Well, a lot of products in the stores - not the Espoma products - are hydrated lime, not limestone. Derived from limestone, sure. But even the limestone products, something powdered or with fast acting on the label might not be the best choice. The limestone in promix is chunky and peat is particularly acidic.

 

[ambertrichome]

Promix BX-HP has both Calcitic, and Dolomitic Lime at a rate of 2/3 Calcitic to 1/3 Dolomite.
Clcitic raises the PH faster, and Dolomite keeps it stable of a longer period.

 

[Rico Swazi]

Interesting, I'd like to test the difference between the two., Thanks for sharing. I have quite a bit of citric acid around here. lol

Interesting about the foliar being transient in effectiveness, also good info. Ty

You are welcome and I wish you luck. I did a few tests years ago throughout my garden and found the efficacy of either process very low indeed

my [anecdotal] observations were it wasn't enough for proper plant nutrition compared to a properly amended soil


you might find this helpful also

https://logicalgardener.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=270

 

[CrushnYuba]

Don't drive yourself nuts with eggshells. It would take a ton of egg shells.
One of the best calcium sources that i don't think has been mentioned is soft rock phosphate. Calcium phosphate ( same as egg shells). 20% calcium with a little p. Ph neutral. 50lb is 20$. Already a fine powder.
My chicken manure pellets have 2x as much calcium as nitrogen. That's my main fertilizer source. You can grow good weed with just chicken manure pellets and langbeinite.

 

[Rico Swazi]

Agreed. I had 20 laying hens at the time. No shortage of egg shells nor customers. Sold them for two bucks a dozen if they promised to bring back the cartons preferably with the shells in them. I tried roasting them on the barbie, sun drying, carefully removing the membranes, all that jive... didn't work for me.

Only six chickens in the flock now. I buy the crushed oyster shells and powder for them giving me some fairly good homemade manure in return (lump style not in pellet form, )




Curious as to what brand of chicken manure pellets you are using Crushn?

 

[G.O. Joe]

20% calcium with a little p

Without actually doing the math, it looks like at least as much phosphate by weight as lime. Nerds who write books with titles such as Principles of Plant Nutrition (get) say it's a variable product with variable results, depending on the composition of the rock, the soil, and the crop.

 

[h.h.]

Interesting, I'd like to test the difference between the two., Thanks for sharing. I have quite a bit of citric acid around here. lol

Interesting about the foliar being transient in effectiveness, also good info. Ty

Citric acid is tribasic while acetic is monobasic.
Three replaceable hydrogen ions vs. one. It’s stronger.

 

[CrushnYuba]

Without actually doing the math, it looks like at least as much phosphate by weight as lime. Nerds who write books with titles such as Principles of Plant Nutrition say it's a variable product with variable results, depending on the composition of the rock, the soil, and the crop.

I don't think that lime has any phosphate usually. Cal-phos is labeled as 0-3-0 with 20% calcium. But from what i understand there is allot more P in it then that. It's just not available. It's really like 20% P but it takes like 5 years for it to be released.

Rico swazi: i use shutzman nutri-rich. It's 4-3-2 with 7% calcium. It's 12$ for 50lb. Pretty well rounded fertilizer.

 

[G.O. Joe]

I don't think that lime has any phosphate usually. Cal-phos is labeled as 0-3-0 with 20% calcium. But from what i understand there is allot more P in it then that. It's just not available. It's really like 20% P but it takes like 5 years for it to be released.

By lime I mean the calcium content of this soft rock phosphate, also known as apatite, expressed as CaO. If the phosphate isn't released then the calcium isn't either - the calcium is the insoluble part, requiring acids other than phosphoric to split up the mineral.

 

[Rico Swazi]

Rico swazi: i use shutzman nutri-rich. It's 4-3-2 with 7% calcium. It's 12$ for 50lb. Pretty well rounded fertilizer.

stutzman , parent company is J & D Fertilizers, LTD. in Canby near me....
, NOP OMRI don't mean much other than they paid the fee to get listed

One concern has always been the heavy metal content of their product(s)

they are rather tight lipped about any testing that has been done.

https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/fertilizercommon/Default.aspx?ProductApplicationId=4246&CompanyId=1396


Antibiotics and adulterants being another , all allowed under very loose NOP regulations IMHO

You can grow good weed with just chicken manure pellets and langbeinite.

That may be true for production however

The best cannabis I ever had the pleasure of indulging was a clandestine grow where they received no ferts or feed of any kind.


incredible head stash

 

[CrushnYuba]

I have never seen heavy metal testing on chicken manure. It's just not required. I guess it's possible that it contains heavy metals. Most manure i see for sale doesn't even have npk analysis.

Plants need nutrients to grow. It has to get into the grow medium somehow. I could say that i don't use ferts or feed of any kind in my chicken poo weed. All i give is water. But i amend with poo before i plant. Not really different then if you use a soil that already has it in there.

 

['Boogieman']

I use espoma chicken manure pellets and like it over all the other chicken manure pellets I have tried.

 

[40degsouth]

Hi everyone, hope you're all well.
CrushnYuba, there's plenty of heavy metal in chicken manure!!!!!
Calcium is a metal!!

 

[zzzybil]

oyster shells @ feed store 50 lbs for 10 bucks - half for the chickens , half in the rain barrel. plants LOVE the rain tea........... like church love -