Need better numbers with Maxibloom, Help!

[Catfish John]

Hey Snow Crash, Thanks for all of your input. You seem to be very knowledgable and back up your reasoning with facts. I have seen some information on the Vapor Pressure Deficit before on other posts. I really like the idea especially since I recently re sealed my rooms to ensure no leaks. I know alot of people swear by this but it always scares me having big colas with the humidity at70%. I also added a new AC which is bigger and I was also able to take the glass off of my reflectors since I added the new AC. I think this will help getting more lumens to the plant.

I also forgot to mention I am using protekt as a ph up in my current regimen. I like the idea of using the big bud from the onset of flowers. I really feel like this is the main time where I need to add extra elements to help the colas fill in. Then once they are nice and fat hitting them with the hydroplex sounds like a great method. I think I will do a tray like this on the next round.

With all this helpful information I definitely should be able to implement some new strategies that will help me become a more successful grower. Thank yall very much

 

[Snow Crash]

Hey Snow Crash, Thanks for all of your input. You seem to be very knowledgable and back up your reasoning with facts. I have seen some information on the Vapor Pressure Deficit before on other posts. I really like the idea especially since I recently re sealed my rooms to ensure no leaks. I know alot of people swear by this but it always scares me having big colas with the humidity at70%. I also added a new AC which is bigger and I was also able to take the glass off of my reflectors since I added the new AC. I think this will help getting more lumens to the plant.

I also forgot to mention I am using protekt as a ph up in my current regimen. I like the idea of using the big bud from the onset of flowers. I really feel like this is the main time where I need to add extra elements to help the colas fill in. Then once they are nice and fat hitting them with the hydroplex sounds like a great method. I think I will do a tray like this on the next round.

With all this helpful information I definitely should be able to implement some new strategies that will help me become a more successful grower. Thank yall very much

Not a problem at all. I think the big thing to keep an eye on with the higher humidity is air circulation. The plants can't be too cramped and it's better to have more air movement than not enough. As long as there are no stale corners, and the under canopy is ventilated like the upper canopy, then the higher humidity winds up actually being a boon to the plant. When they suffer less transpirational stress the plants immune systems function a lot better. So while you do have an environment that is more hospitable for molds, you also have plants that are better suited to defend themselves and less stressed out (less herming and better yields).

With the CO2 supplementation and the good seal you have another defense against molds and pests. When the lights are off, crank up those PPMS to like 10,000+ for an hour or two and you'll wipe out a lot of stuff without hurting the plants (respiration is mostly shut down at night). Including an Ozone generator is a good step, this will help with disinfection and odor control. Something relatively new to the market is this product called the Cleanlight. This uses a UV-C bulb that does not produce ozone and you just run it over your plants. The radiation kills pathogens and mold, and the UV-C stimulates better photosynthesis. They're still kind of new but the tests are promising and it's a great alternative to pyrethrins and shit like that.

 

[brainzfuxed]

Snow crash how much rapid start do you use and how do you incorporate it into your grow? Ever had experience with rhizotonic?

Thanks brother appreciate all of your input. What nutrient brand mix do you use if you don't mind sharing as well?

 

[Snow Crash]

Snow crash how much rapid start do you use and how do you incorporate it into your grow? Ever had experience with rhizotonic?

Thanks brother appreciate all of your input. What nutrient brand mix do you use if you don't mind sharing as well?

I run RapidStart at 2ml/gallon each feeding until the start of 12/12. Then 1ml/gal every other reservoir change until flower onset. I also use General Organics BioWeed at 2.5ml/gallon once a week until around day 30 of bloom. Both are fantastic at maintaining root health.

I ran Rhizotonic for years. It's good stuff, better than nothing, but good lord is it expensive. And Alkaline. I tried out General Organics BioRoot without much luck, but the BioWeed plants had the biggest root systems I'd ever run. I'm talking huge white roots weaving in and out of the fabric containers. So I made the switch because a $15 quart of seaweed was destroying that $60 liter of Algae.

I have run a lot of base systems and supplements over the years. I think there's a list somewhere around this place where I put it all down, it's like 10 lines and 50+ supplements over time... What I'm running now is a lot easier to manage.

RapidStart
BioWeed
Pure Blend Pro Grow, Bloom, and Bloom Soil (as a "finisher")
Silica (not too brand specific, I'm working through some old Cyco, Mad Farmer, and something else)
Pure Blend Tea
Uncle John's Blend (might consider dropping this for a round, overlaps with the Tea a little)

It's still what, 8 bottles? lol... and that's my "simple" scaled down formula. Sometimes I don't know what to do with myself. I recently ran a test comparing Just the Pure Blend line against the CNS17 All Media line. Pretty much identical results. No pH balancing. I just mixed as suggested and top fed 1x per day. Huge harvest. So once I got the baseline down I picked the Pure Blend based on taste of the final product, and dialed it up with some rooting support, silica for the stems, and an attempt to improve potency.

1-part base nutrients that are period specific have worked wonderfully for me in coco. Static 2-part systems need a dozen supplements to get them dialed as the grow progresses, and 3-part programs... They're okay. I'm probably going to try out the Botanicare Kind 3-Part in the near future.

 

[brainzfuxed]

I run RapidStart at 2ml/gallon each feeding until the start of 12/12. Then 1ml/gal every other reservoir change until flower onset. I also use General Organics BioWeed at 2.5ml/gallon once a week until around day 30 of bloom. Both are fantastic at maintaining root health.

I ran Rhizotonic for years. It's good stuff, better than nothing, but good lord is it expensive. And Alkaline. I tried out General Organics BioRoot without much luck, but the BioWeed plants had the biggest root systems I'd ever run. I'm talking huge white roots weaving in and out of the fabric containers. So I made the switch because a $15 quart of seaweed was destroying that $60 liter of Algae.

I have run a lot of base systems and supplements over the years. I think there's a list somewhere around this place where I put it all down, it's like 10 lines and 50+ supplements over time... What I'm running now is a lot easier to manage.

RapidStart
BioWeed
Pure Blend Pro Grow, Bloom, and Bloom Soil (as a "finisher")
Silica (not too brand specific, I'm working through some old Cyco, Mad Farmer, and something else)
Pure Blend Tea
Uncle John's Blend (might consider dropping this for a round, overlaps with the Tea a little)

It's still what, 8 bottles? lol... and that's my "simple" scaled down formula. Sometimes I don't know what to do with myself. I recently ran a test comparing Just the Pure Blend line against the CNS17 All Media line. Pretty much identical results. No pH balancing. I just mixed as suggested and top fed 1x per day. Huge harvest. So once I got the baseline down I picked the Pure Blend based on taste of the final product, and dialed it up with some rooting support, silica for the stems, and an attempt to improve potency.

1-part base nutrients that are period specific have worked wonderfully for me in coco. Static 2-part systems need a dozen supplements to get them dialed as the grow progresses, and 3-part programs... They're okay. I'm probably going to try out the Botanicare Kind 3-Part in the near future.

Love the info snow crash thank you so much sir! Are you still running hempy bucket style? Do you ever have any algae or worry about root rot problems in the hempy style? What about enzymes? I read many of your posts and your a man of many supplements lol I'm suprised I didn't see any enzymes you r utilizing.

You are stil in coco correct?

 

[Snow Crash]

Love the info snow crash thank you so much sir! Are you still running hempy bucket style? Do you ever have any algae or worry about root rot problems in the hempy style? What about enzymes? I read many of your posts and your a man of many supplements lol I'm suprised I didn't see any enzymes you r utilizing.

You are stil in coco correct?

Hey Brainz,
I'm not running any perlite in my coco. Just the pure stuff. I have reduced my container size down to just 1 gallon as well. For me it's about having a robust root system that fills the entire container and absolutely has to be watered daily, if not multiple times per day.

 

[FlowerFarmer]

Wow Resin thats great! Thanks for sharing all your tips. How many nights do you flood and how long are you vegging? Do you stake or trellis? I am currently staking.

I am using 1000w phantom 2 digitals, with new hortilux bulbs.
4 plants per 3 x3 tray
I have been using 5 gallon pots to finish but I am thinking about switching to smart pots, do you suggest 3 or 5 gallons?
I run mostly Flo and Hells Angel OG, but i have the GG4, cookie wreck, deathstar and a couple more.
Thank yall

Is that 3'x3' your effective canopy size or is the garden taking up more then that? I'd shoot for around 37.5w per square foot to give you that extra garden space. About a 5'x5' or a little bigger, say 5x5.5' depending on your reflector. Increased square footage + possible increased plant count should give you the boost your looking for.

I'd suggest #3 Smartpots vs. the 5s. Even #2 if you increase your plant count to around 9 per light vs. the 4 plants your doing now.

Getting well rooted into the smarts pots and increasing your water frequencies to a few times a day should have you seeing improvements also.

 

[Catfish John]

Hey farmer,
I am using the 3x3 trays because my room is packed. They plants definitely have a wider canopy and go over the sides of the trays but if i had 4x4s I would have any room to walk in between the rows. Thanks for the suggestion on the smart pots, my next round is in 1s right now and i think i will go to 3s instead of 5s so that way i can water as many times as possible per night.

 

[Catfish John]

Hey Snowcrash, I was reading back over this for some notes and I noticed you said you just switched to 1 gallons. I need to put my girls into flower in about 1 week and they are currently in 1 gallons drinking all the water in 24 hours. They are about 2 feet from the pot, would you suggest up potting not to a larger size. My only concern is I wont be able to yield more than a certain amount in one gallons even if i watered multiple times a night. I was thinking about watering once an hour for however many seconds needed (probably 10 seconds to start)..

I also noticed when you posted your nute schedule it didn't include the big bud or hydroplex that you suggested, do you still run those? Thanks again

 

[Snow Crash]

Hydroponics is a different nutrient delivery system. In soil, you need the big root system because the uptake of nutrients is passive and a slower process. In hydro a smaller root system can produce a much larger plant than it does in soil.

This Youtube Video should help explain it better:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5tskhj8gAo

 

[MoPho]

@CJ

SnowCrash hits the nail on the head aaaaagain (I think this guys might know a thing or two lol). According to your first post your IMO temp is too low to be running CO2. If I remember correctly in order for the plants to utilize the extra CO2, temps should be in the 80-85 range. I personally don't run CO2, but do exhaust my air at least 2x per minute. Having tried many different nutes and additives, though there were some differences, nothing huge. I am finally learning about VPD etc and seems like all the experts agree. Higher temps along with the correct VPD and a clean environment does more for the finally yield than nutes/additives. As for myself right now, I stopped worrying too much about what nutes and additives I am adding, more concerned about getting my environment dialed in first. Once I do that then I'll start playing with nutes/add again.

I was adding Great White, but stopped since I run a sterile rez (1ml bleach per gal once a week). But as SC already pointed out its all about the roots roots roots roots roots roots roots roots roots roots roots....Oh did I mention roots? Once you have a good root system everything else will follow. Can't build a skyscraper without a solid foundation, right? IMO smaller pots with coco are better than larger simply because it dries out faster. Drying out faster=more feeding=more fresh nutes=more fresh oxygen and less salt build up. So unless you are growing huge trees even the 3 gallon might be a tad too big.

Not sure if you read the coco tree thread by DJM, if you haven't you might want to give it a go. It's a good size thread, but the first few pages should give you more than you need to head in the right direction. VPD, temps, air flow, container size, feeding schedule etc.

To summarize it up...w/o a dialed in environment, any gain from nutes and additives is minimal. It's like a body builder trying to bulk up with different protein, but not having the right workout routine.

 

[green thumbs]

I run RapidStart at 2ml/gallon each feeding until the start of 12/12. Then 1ml/gal every other reservoir change until flower onset. I also use General Organics BioWeed at 2.5ml/gallon once a week until around day 30 of bloom. Both are fantastic at maintaining root health.

I ran Rhizotonic for years. It's good stuff, better than nothing, but good lord is it expensive. And Alkaline. I tried out General Organics BioRoot without much luck, but the BioWeed plants had the biggest root systems I'd ever run. I'm talking huge white roots weaving in and out of the fabric containers. So I made the switch because a $15 quart of seaweed was destroying that $60 liter of Algae.

I have run a lot of base systems and supplements over the years. I think there's a list somewhere around this place where I put it all down, it's like 10 lines and 50+ supplements over time... What I'm running now is a lot easier to manage.

RapidStart
BioWeed
Pure Blend Pro Grow, Bloom, and Bloom Soil (as a "finisher")
Silica (not too brand specific, I'm working through some old Cyco, Mad Farmer, and something else)
Pure Blend Tea
Uncle John's Blend (might consider dropping this for a round, overlaps with the Tea a little)

It's still what, 8 bottles? lol... and that's my "simple" scaled down formula. Sometimes I don't know what to do with myself. I recently ran a test comparing Just the Pure Blend line against the CNS17 All Media line. Pretty much identical results. No pH balancing. I just mixed as suggested and top fed 1x per day. Huge harvest. So once I got the baseline down I picked the Pure Blend based on taste of the final product, and dialed it up with some rooting support, silica for the stems, and an attempt to improve potency.

1-part base nutrients that are period specific have worked wonderfully for me in coco. Static 2-part systems need a dozen supplements to get them dialed as the grow progresses, and 3-part programs... They're okay. I'm probably going to try out the Botanicare Kind 3-Part in the near future.

At what rate are you Appling the bioweed at? Once a week should be sufficient correct?

 

[Snow Crash]

At what rate are you Appling the bioweed at? Once a week should be sufficient correct?

Once a week in coco. This product does have enough sodium in it to be at least aware. If used daily/regularly, there will be a little buildup and some Cal-Mag shortages. I cut both the recommended dosage and the frequency in half and the results have been great.

 

[green thumbs]

Great info, thank you @snow crash

 

[brainzfuxed]

Once a week in coco. This product does have enough sodium in it to be at least aware. If used daily/regularly, there will be a little buildup and some Cal-Mag shortages. I cut both the recommended dosage and the frequency in half and the results have been great.

Have you ever used floralicious plus?

 

[Catfish John]

Well I am taking everyones advice here and already I can tell a difference. The main thing I have done is dialing my environment and making sure the VPD is where it needs to be. I have upped my humidity about 20% and already the plants are thriving. I also halfed my fulpower as suggested. Thanks snow!

Sourpuss- I took your advice with the kelp and I am using age old at half the dose 2.5 ml/gal.

I recently added a watering system to do the multi feeding as recommended. I am tinkering with watering 30 seconds every 3 hours when the lights are on. I will keep everyone posted as to my yields and health of my plants due to my changes.

 

[Lovesponge]

Hey Catfish. I'm a scrub, but I have an opinion on this for you as I started KISS Maxibloom as well:

I noticed that it raised my ppms too high. I started off in Rockwool, am currently in soil and am weening off synthetic nutes slowly, but surely. 3.5 gallon pots would allow your roots to have more room. Try a food source, kelp is good for fungal life, sugar for bacteria (then again, they eat a lot of different things) so unsulphured blackstrap molasses wouldn't be a bad thing to check into. It'll feed what microbes come from the EWC in your Pure Blend Tea (provided you're using dechlorinated water).

I know nothing about coco coir. But a great way to increase your yield (dependent upon indica/sativa) Day 16, 23, and 30, flush your medium (since I assume coco coir is a sterile hydro medium) with a low EC dosage and let it dry out really nicely before feeding again. Between weeks 2 and 5, the flowers are exploding. So you want tons of oxygen to your roots to help develop. I had issues with yield as well with my Maxibloom/Maxigro (MB does not have manganese) recipe. I will be switching to soil and amendments eventually, my hydro setup and learning will have to wait. I just want to give my plants water and watch them flourish. They may not beat out hydro in terms of yield, but I'm growing for health and taste.

Hope I helped in some way.

 

[Catfish John]

Hey Lovesponge, Thanks for chiming in. I have noticed that the MB does make my ec wayyy to high especially with my additives. I want to lower the Ec but I am not 100% sure the best way to go about it. I am currently doing 7g/gal MB and I want to do less so i can do all the additives and still have my ec be 1.2ish. What is the best way to do this? I have always used ppms but it seems that EC is the more common measurement around here. Should I drop my MB to say 5g/gal? and add on from there?

 

[MoPho]

Hey Lovesponge, Thanks for chiming in. I have noticed that the MB does make my ec wayyy to high especially with my additives. I want to lower the Ec but I am not 100% sure the best way to go about it. I am currently doing 7g/gal MB and I want to do less so i can do all the additives and still have my ec be 1.2ish. What is the best way to do this? I have always used ppms but it seems that EC is the more common measurement around here. Should I drop my MB to say 5g/gal? and add on from there?

1.2 is pretty safe. As long as you don't see any nute burns, I think you are good to go. IME if anything I see some deficiencies running 1.2, I usually run mine at 1.4-1.6. But that might be because my strain are nute hogs. With Epsom and sometimes calmag my ec can reach 1.8 without any doing any harm.

IMO while all the advices given on here are great. The one person you should listen to is your girl(s). She should have the final say on what and how you feed/water her. Just take the advices given as suggestions and never as a rule.

People give you advice with the best intentions however it is given without knowing all the details of your environment, growth rate etc. While the "suggestions" are great it might not fit your situation exactly.

 

[Lovesponge]

Hey Lovesponge, Thanks for chiming in. I have noticed that the MB does make my ec wayyy to high especially with my additives. I want to lower the Ec but I am not 100% sure the best way to go about it. I am currently doing 7g/gal MB and I want to do less so i can do all the additives and still have my ec be 1.2ish. What is the best way to do this? I have always used ppms but it seems that EC is the more common measurement around here. Should I drop my MB to say 5g/gal? and add on from there?

As the guy above me states, if you see no nute burn, you should be alright, but YES! I would lower my MB amount so that your EC (500ppm = 1.0 EC, 250ppm = 0.5 EC, so 50ppm = 0.1 EC) But you're curious as to how to increase your yield.. I would think the Maxibloom would have enough at 7g/gal to give you bigger yield but man... I use 1g-3g/gal in flower, as it progresses. For some odd reason, the only hungry nute whore is my AK-47... She's paling and getting rid of leaves in week 3. So I thought I might need to feed her more. Looks like P and K deficiency. XD (I really need some good trustworthy info... I've been forum diving for half a year or so and the "opinion-based" knowledge KILLS ME, hopefully we can figure this out as a team.