Do indoor plants need fewer nutes?

[Guest]

I keep hearing everyone say to halve the FF nite dosage guidelines. I’ve been going right off the chart for my outdoor grows and they’ve turned out great. Is there something about the artificial light that makes plants use less nutes. Does it have anything to do with smaller pots? I don’t want to over feed but I do want to give the plants everything they can use.

[alltatup]

Hi CT, at least in part it depends on the nutrients. When I used Advanced Nutrients, I was always way under what they recommended because full dose would give nute burn and nute lockout. However, with my current brand, Future Harvest, I use the full dose all the way through without any problems. Same reservoir, same 6 gallons of water...

[Toker1]

It’s really because feeding is strain dependent. It’s a fail safe program (half strength nutes). Better to under do it, effects are easily reversible if you know the symptoms and react in a timely manner. If you over do it, only way to reverse is flush and wait for new leaves to grow in place of the dead ones.
It’s not necessarily about indoors vs outdoors... more like inside a container or in the natural ground. In natural ground the excess nutrients can be washed out past the root zone more easily than inside a container. So over feeding plants inside the natural ground is much more difficult to do when compared to plants that have been artificially planted inside a container.

[SoOrbudgal]

Great explanation Toker1

[Guest]

Thank you both! Great explanations and exactly the info I was looking for.

[OlderNOTwiser]

Keep in mind the FFOF is supposed to be all you need for a month or so. I don't have a ton of indoor experience, but using the same soil and nutrients as you. I found out that when I had two larger plants (gorilla girls were approaching 6 weeks and seemed to have slowed down) getting into that time frame I used about 1/3 strength to be sure. They're in 3gal bags. At that time I had another, bagseed, about 3.5 weeks behind. It is in a 5 gal bag. Any residual water solution after good application on the first two was given to the third one. When I saw all of them perk up (didn't look bad prior but it was noticeable) I realized it was all dependent on strain, temp and humidity. This established a base, for me, to begin tweaking upward until slight tip burn and dial it back just a bit and monitor. I don't do a large nute and water only cycle. I try to keep feeding the soil by using 1/3 to 1/2 strength every time and be sure I get a good dry off in between doses. The first month with OF was pH'd water only and no runoff to use up what the soil offered. When I started the nutrients I started watering to slight runoff initially and then built up over a few cycles to a more proper runoff and monitored pH closely. It took several watering cycles to get the pH where I wanted and the plants seem to agree. Now they're demanding more frequent applications as the pots are dry every few days. No schedule now, only what they tell me they need.

I appreciate the benefit of your experience. Thank you.