watering differences between synthetic nutes and organics

[dustydundee]

So I've been growing probably about 4 years now. Up until this last grow, I've been using the GH trio for nutes with FFOF or FFHF soil. Had pretty good results.

Decided with this last grow, to try my hands at an organic fertilizer and see how that goes. For this last grow, I'm growing me some chocolope. I reused the FF happy frog soil from my last synthetic grow, added some earthworm castings and gaia green organics fertilizer. Top dressed with gaia and castings about a month into it, and just top dressed a 2nd time going into flower. So far, thru veg, the results are significantly better than what I was getting with the GH trio. Greener lusher colors, vibrant fast growing plants, total A+ on the gaia greens. Seems like it is a way more forgiving way to grow than the bottle nutes.

General question, is should you significantly alter your watering style with organics versus bottle nutes? With the GH trio, I let it dry out, then flood it with nutes till 20% runs off, then light watering when it dries, then followed by nutes with 20% runnoff again after it dries again.

With the gaia green organics, I've been watering slightly more often then before, maybe a day sooner then before, and I've been doing that steady the whole way more or less. Just been adding some FF bottle organics, (foxfarm big bloom and foxfarm microbe brew) and have decided to add some calmag too but thats about it. I've generally not let it get as dry as I would with the bottle nutes. Curious to know others' thoughts on how he watering style should be different......

[Smallgrow]

I grow with “organic living soil”. As people often say with organic, your growing soil and the soil grows the plant. Of course there are many opinions on everything in this hobby, but I try to follow the advice of experts.
It seems like the current best practice is to keep your living soil happy you should keep it consistently wet.
Here’s a link from the company that makes the soil I use on the topic.

[OldManGrower]

I have learned far more from my mistakes than my successes in growing as well as life in general.

[Smallgrow]

Defiantly

[Rootsruler]

The only real difference between organic and synthetic nutrients is in the way they were derived to be available to the plant. Once the nutrient is broken down to the ion level it's the same molecule. The plant doesn't discern whether it was synthetically or organically derived.

I've grown in living soil and the only real difference to me was I didn't spend as much on ferts. What I don't like about dry amendments is I can't steer the plant as easily if something comes up.

As far as watering practices, I watered as normal with normal dryback periods. No real difference.

[dustydundee]

so I've read the same about the need to keep living soil damp. I'm real interested in better understanding the water mechanics of the plant between the two different growing styles of nutes vs organics.... It does seem like the plants want more water now with organics then before with synthetic nutes, the leaves start drooping sooner it appears. My concern is by watering more, I'm risking overwatering with organic amendments. I've tried a few times to let them dry out more like I have done with bottle nutes, but the plants don't seem to like it as much and seem to want the water. Has anyone else noticed this trend when switching from bottle nutes to organics?

I've always read that you need to let the plant dry out and if you keep it wet, the roots will start to rot. I've always let the plants dry out with bottle nutes before. So how does one manage that risk with organic amendments and the need to keep it damp? Seems like you have two competing interests here...

[Smallgrow]

Defiantly more than one option to grow good results.

90% of my growing has been in “living soil” so I cant speak to the synthetic side, but I’ve also found the plants happier in a consistently watered soil rather than with a bigger dry back. I now use an irrigation system to try and keep it where I want it.

That said, it’s not as if the soil is soaking wet all the time like after a big watering, it’s just constantly damp. So I don’t think root rot etc is really an issue. If it is your soil is probably too wet.

I bought a Blumat moisture sensor a year ago almost, and its been a game changer for me. Really helped me up
my watering game.

It all about the watering….😁

[Rootsruler]

Fertigation. Small, numerous feeds.

The whole idea of drybacks is to keep root rot down but more importantly a drier rhizosphere will promote root growth.

More info here...

https://budbuilders.org/threads/cannabis-high-fertigation-coco-by-aqua-man.207/#post-26841