soil, transplanting and nutrients

[NuggetMan]

From a 1st timer to now thru 11 grows, I have had issues using different soils as compared to using FF Ocean Forest. Home Depot was my only source for replenishing my soil needs and I began to notice I was having more issues with deficiencies with the different soils as compared to Ocean Forest. I try to stay as "organic" as possible so I don't use the other soils they have, especially Miracle Grow. The last I used was Kellogg's Premium organic outdoor planting soil which I though was the best they had to offer. Things were doing good, then I noticed my leaves were turning yellow. The issue came down to a Cal-Mag issue. So I treated them as such and then noticed they were starting to look healthy again. I have only used Veg nutes 1 time, and flowering nutes 2 times, So now I am getting close to harvest within 6 weeks or so (Sativa takes longer) and they are looking very nice!

But when I first started, of course I used FF Ocean Forest but did not have the understanding that the soil was already good to go by itself for the 1st 30 days and started to use the schedule that FF has. Yeah, the grows were decent but wanted better of course. So this grow I am only going to use very little of FF products and see if my results turn out better using less nutes than the schedule shows. At least I know now what I am working with and re-doing the way I use the nutrients at a much less rate this time around.

The 1 thing I can say is I give them water and molasses for the last 2-3 weeks before harvest and never had to "flush" them, and the smoke was from good to excellent, burned clean and if it was choker, it was good choker!!!

 

[NuggetMan]

This go round using FF O/F from seed thru veg. After 30 days gave ph 6.2 - 6.4 water only, then 1 feeding of FF Big Bloom and Grow Big between week 4 - 5 of veg. Just before going into transition week before flower (I do have some already showing sex) I transplanted my girls into bigger pots using FF O/F. My question is: Do I have to wait another 30 days for the soil to settled down OR when can I start giving FF flowering nutrients? I am trying to keep the nutes at a minimum just from my experiences during the last few grows and waiting to see if I get better results. Has anybody come across this situation? And if so your recommendations???

 

[kingfish]

I change from Big Bloom to Tiger Bloom AND Big Bloom for the first two feedings after I flip to 12/12. Then I stop feeding Big Bloom to cut down on the Nitrogen for the rest of the flowering stage.

 

[MeestaFeesha]

Similar to kingfish, I stuck with Big Bloom throughout the grow, switching to Tiger Bloom from Grow Big at signs of flower (outdoor). Not waiting to add nutes after transplants, I have been using Happy Frog which isn't too far off from OF. In my opinion, you should be good to use them.

 

[NuggetMan]

During my transition week in the middle I give it BB (cause it is organic and very weak), GB for it's last Nitrogen boost, TB for transitioning to flower, and Open Sesame to help start bud production. From here, no more Nitrogen, Second feeding I go BB/TB/ then Beastie Bloomz just 1 time around flower week 2-3. Third feeding is BB/TB/ then Cha-Ching just 1 time around flower week 4-5. I finish off with just water and molasses until harvest time around week 8 to 10 depending on what I am growing.

But back to my original question, will it make a difference because I transplanted in fresh FF O/F soil, and it not needing nutrients for 30 days??? Oh, in case I forgot to mention, when the transplanting was completed, I only used plain ph water at 6.4 (drinking water), no nutrients were used at this time.

 

[MeestaFeesha]

I do not think it will matter if you use nutrients now. I do not use OF myself, although I believe (but am not sure) that the soil does not carry enough nutrients in it alone to negate using nutrients added to your soil. If I were to be in your shoes I would still feed every other watering instead of waiting.

We do things a bit differently though, I pump as much nutrients as I can and back off if I see signs of burn. At the moment you're saying that you are attempting to use less, if that's the case you could wait 30days and see how it turns out.

 

[NuggetMan]

Yeah, there are the pro's and con's, I know in the past I did give it nutes but didn't look at it from that prospective, at least when I started out. I may wait and just go ahead and hit them with the "transition formula" I have used in the past and go from there, later on and just see what happens. Maybe being to perfectionist after 10 grows from different ways of growing. I have had my greats and my flops, so still a work in progress, but getting better...

 

[SoOrbudgal]

LOL NuggetMan welcome to the club. I am a conservative also with NPK tend to underdo but i'm pushing it abit more these folks here have given me the confidence to try and experiment with feedings, grow techniques it's so different from our early days. I've grown our own weed outdoors for a couple decades at least way new ways indoors now. I've just been doing indoor for 3 seasons now but will always go outdoor in summer, soil is in my blood . Good Luck and welcome to the GWE forum.

 

[NuggetMan]

Thank you very much, appreciate it! All of mine has been indoors since I started. Believe me, I have done my fair share of research and trial/error. So much fun! At least my successes were more than the few I was disappointed in which is a plus!

 

[NuggetMan]

So today I watered with what I call my "transition formula" and had very good success with it in the past "If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?! 1 Gallon Ph 6.4 water- 1TBSP of Big Bloom, 1TSP Grow Big, 2TSP Tiger Bloom, and 1/4 TSP of Open Sesame. Now just to keep an eye out and see what happens next...

 

[SoOrbudgal]

NuggetMan if it works for you then go for it. I got some old grow ways that's hard for me to change cause they work. But if it breaks GWE will help try and figure it out :smile:

 

[NuggetMan]

UPDATE: so transition period went very well, did some plant LST and defoliation where needed, and already three weeks into flower. I have kept the nutes to one round of BB, TB, and 1/4 tsp of open sesame, then just plain ph 6.4 water, and I must say they are really looking good. They just got their second nutes feeding yesterday of BB, TB and 1/2 tsp of beastie bloomz. A lot of bud points and starting to bulk up. Looking good!

 

[SoOrbudgal]

Good news NuggetMan look forward to hearing about big buds

 

[NuggetMan]

UPDATE: so this coming Saturday I will be six weeks into flower and I do have to admit, they are looking very nice, with the exception on one that I think is very old school weed from who knows where. All I know is it is lanky, tall, bit like a bonsai! this one have been very weird as I have never seen a plant like this one before! I will try to post a pic of this one, seeing is believing. and I have only used flowering nutes only three times in six weeks and all my others are bulking up really nice. Four more weeks to harvest time, one more nute feed to do, then water and molasses from there on out.

 

[SoOrbudgal]

Can't wait to see the " weird one"

 

[NuggetMan]

Found the right place to post my pics, curious???
I put more in there... BTW I also have one called "Only Six Weeks Old". Take a look.

 

[NuggetMan]

Now I am at seven weeks of flower, I decided to skip the last flower nutes feeding and am using water and molasses only from here on out. I need to bring my ppm down now as the last check showed between 1200-1400 for all my plants Since I have time now before harvest, I will be keeping an eye on the ppm's as usually I leave it around 300-400 before I pick. I have gone as low as 120ppm but ran into a problem of affecting my end results such as not as aromatic, the flavor and smell went down but it did NOT affect the buzz. So getting as clean as possible is something to be further researched, but to this point in time I have had no issues with "dirty weed" and have had some that turned out as "bomb store quality".

 

[NuggetMan]

8 weeks into flower, 1st major flush was completed this last Friday and got the ppm's down between 750-550 depending on the plant. Today I have noticed my buds have really "exploded", meaning they really did bulk up in size and weight, so heavy I had to prop a lot of the branches up because of this. Now I do have to say that as far as Fox Farms nutrients go, for this grow, less was actually better than my usual feeding schedule I used to go by and I am really amazed at how well this grow is turning out, actually 100% better than my previous grows. I just started grow #12 and will try this again to see if I get the same results, if so, I'm sticking to this because by far, this has really been the best I have done yet!!! Here are some of my top buds... enjoy!