I have no nitrogen in my medium LOL

[PhoenixFlower]

I just did a soil slurry test and I have almost no nitrogen in my medium. You can see in the picture I have some potassium still.

So question. What do I do? I just recently flipped to a 12-12 schedule. It's my understanding that in flower, the plant uses great deals of P&K but no so much nitrogen. I just flipped, but do you think my plants will be fine? Or do I need to amend my soil anyway?

 

[420hobbygrower]

They'll definitely need some nitrogen in flower imo, but see what others have to say.

 

[Aqua Man]

What form of nitrogen is that test for?

im guessing ammonium/ammonia.

if thats the case you want to test nitrates because beneficial bacteria will convert ammonium to nitrate extremely fast. Which is actually a good sign that these bacteria are present

 

[SchwiftyGrower]

Aqua spitting knowledge

 

[Homesteader]

The change from veg to flower is very taxing in terms of nutrients. I personally have very good luck adding a couple tablespoons of fish hydrolysate even if my soil has nutrients that are still available.

 

[SchwiftyGrower]

I give a balanced feeding of NPK and following the schedules based off the nutrient brands I use. Most of them will have some form of nitrogen. I will personally remove fan leaves that are in the way or light penetration and air flow but I like healthy leaves up to the end of harvest

 

[Shaded_One]

What does your plant tell you. This can easily be answered by looking at your leaves and not stressing over slurry tests.

 

[PK1]

in flower plants also use calcuim and they stretch another few feet. Some companies have their calcuim combined with nitrogin which imo plants do need minro nitrogin during flower. specially in the beging of flower.

 

[Aqua Man]

in flower plants also use calcuim and they stretch another few feet. Some companies have their calcuim combined with nitrogin which imo plants do need minro nitrogin during flower. specially in the beging of flower.

Almost all synthetic ferts are salts… when they are broken down into ionic form (dissolved in water) they are no longer in salt form but ions…. Eg nitrate Sources can come from calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate etc etc etc. basically a nitrate is a nitrate no matter the source it came from.

eg. calcium nitrate dissolved break down into seperate calcium and nitrate ions. This is why several different sources are used in making fertilizer to get the ratios we want.

plants can only take up nutrients in ionic form which basically means thay must be dissolved in water. If they precipitate out as or remain in mineral salts form they cannot be used by the plants.

Thats how organics work. some nutrients remain bound as solids and are slowly broken down over time into mineral salts and then ionic form which plants can take up.

This is where CEC plays a role in the media for storage of nutrients long term

 

[PhoenixFlower]

What form of nitrogen is that test for?

im guessing ammonium/ammonia.

if thats the case you want to test nitrates because beneficial bacteria will convert ammonium to nitrate extremely fast. Which is actually a good sign that these bacteria are present

I'm not entirely sure. It's a HOLD ALL soil test kit from Walmart that ran me like $10 or $15, it says it tests for nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. I did as the test directed though, I tested both the N and the K from the same soil sample I pulled from the soil.

 

[PhoenixFlower]

What does your plant tell you. This can easily be answered by looking at your leaves and not stressing over slurry tests.

My plant tells me it needs N, or that it will. The leaves are getting alarmingly lighter looking.

But I'm hesitant to add more seeing how as I've been told incessantly to do everything in my power to feed as little N as possible during flower. I feel like I'm at the precipice of something either really awesome or really bad depending on the next move I make. If I wait, it could be the best thing, but if I don't, I might risk damaging my leaves and those are needed for optimal energy absorption in flower.

What to do?

 

[Aqua Man]

My plant tells me it needs N, or that it will. The leaves are getting alarmingly lighter looking.

But I'm hesitant to add more seeing how as I've been told incessantly to do everything in my power to feed as little N as possible during flower. I feel like I'm at the precipice of something either really awesome or really bad depending on the next move I make. If I wait, it could be the best thing, but if I don't, I might risk damaging my leaves and those are needed for optimal energy absorption in flower.

What to do?

Plants consume the most nitrogen in early flower… have pictures?

There is no rules to what a plant needs…. It needs what it needs and nutrients are a complex topic. It could be a simple PH issue, nutrient ratio issue, lighting issue, bugs, environmental stress etc etc etc thats causing a lack of anything. Maybe even a mistaken diagnosis.

But in the end a plant needs what it needs not what the internet says it should need

 

[PK1]

Almost all synthetic ferts are salts… when they are broken down into ionic form (dissolved in water) they are no longer in salt form but ions…. Eg nitrate Sources can come from calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate etc etc etc. basically a nitrate is a nitrate no matter the source it came from.

eg. calcium nitrate dissolved break down into seperate calcium and nitrate ions. This is why several different sources are used in making fertilizer to get the ratios we want.

plants can only take up nutrients in ionic form which basically means thay must be dissolved in water. If they precipitate out as or remain in mineral salts form they cannot be used by the plants.

Thats how organics work. some nutrients remain bound as solids and are slowly broken down over time into mineral salts and then ionic form which plants can take up.

This is where CEC plays a role in the media for storage of nutrients long term

thats the best discription ever. Thanks for taking the time!

 

[Madmax]

I still think plants use and need n through flower more than what people think

 

[PhoenixFlower]

Plants consume the most nitrogen in early flower… have pictures?

There is no rules to what a plant needs…. It needs what it needs and nutrients are a complex topic. It could be a simple PH issue, nutrient ratio issue, lighting issue, bugs, environmental stress etc etc etc thats causing a lack of anything. Maybe even a mistaken diagnosis.

But in the end a plant needs what it needs not what the internet says it should need

it's most pronounced on that leaf right there. those are two different plants btw, the one on the left and the one in question on the right

but if you look here you can kind of see the lighter shade is more pronounced throughout the entire plant

see how the plant on the left is a darker almost forest green kind of colour whereas the plant to the right is almost lime green?

 

[Aqua Man]

View attachment 1281738
it's most pronounced on that leaf right there. those are two different plants btw, the one on the left and the one in question on the right

but if you look here you can kind of see the lighter shade is more pronounced throughout the entire plant

View attachment 1281741
see how the plant on the left is a darker almost forest green kind of colour whereas the plant to the right is almost lime green?

Are they the same genetics? Possibly different intensity of light? Drinking mire or less? All of those and a lot more can affect the nutrient needs

yeah id increase the nitrogen for the lighter ones but they look pretty dam good otherwise.

 

[Aqua Man]

My general observation is that you dont want to change your vegetative nutrient ratios until after week 3 of flowering

 

[Madmax]

Bang on.ive always done exactly that taught this through the older grow friends here late 80s.what they said about outdoors ive brought indoors.

 

[PhoenixFlower]

Are they the same genetics? Possibly different intensity of light? Drinking mire or less? All of those and a lot more can affect the nutrient needs

yeah id increase the nitrogen for the lighter ones but they look pretty dam good otherwise.

Same genetics, same light intensity, everything is the same. The thing is, I've noticed this plant and this plant alone seems to literally excel at almost everything compared to the other three plants. It grew the fastest, the best looking. It's sort of a special plant if I do say so myself. I don't know why.

Okay so I've got a 7 3 3 fertilizer, how much should I add in that'll take me close to week 3 of flower? I don't want to add too much of the N fertilizer. I can whisk the pellets into a cup of water to make a liquid fertilizer for instant nutritional uptake.

The directions say to add 4tbsp. for the size of pot I have, for 6 weeks. For 3 weeks, I'd assume it's 2tbsp, so maybe 1tbsp. of fertilizer, maybe less? What do you think?

 

[Aqua Man]

Okay so I've got a 7 3 3 fertilizer, how much should I add in that'll take me close to week 3 of flower? I don't want to add too much of the N fertilizer. I can whisk the pellets into a cup of water to make a liquid fertilizer for instant nutritional uptake.

The directions say to add 4tbsp. for the size of pot I have, for 6 weeks. For 3 weeks, I'd assume it's 2tbsp, so maybe 1tbsp. of fertilizer, maybe less? What do you think?

Hard to say but nitrogen is a fairly quick remedy so i start at 1-2 and see how they look in a few days to a week