Grow taking longer than expected

tinkr1168 said:

I am using Pro Mix HP with LEDs, FF Big Bloom, Grow Big, and Tiger Bloom, adding Fish Sh!t every other feeding. My medium isn't drying out fast enough for me to water more than once a week. My babies look good, but I still feel like they are moving along slowly. I'm wondering what I can do to help them? I have CaliMagic, but have not used that, and also just got some Rhino Skin to help the stems/roots strengthen up, haven't used that yet either. Not using them is due to me trying out FFOF and being freaked out by all the nutes in it, the strong smell was enough for me to not want to use anything lol. If anyone can help me out, I would appreciate it.

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Also, I am adding extra perlite to my Pro Mix.

Pictures or it’s like it never happened, what type pot are you using, what type exhaust, what’s your growing environment, what’s the RH?...
Welcome to the farm btw.

Dan789 said:

Pictures or it’s like it never happened, what type pot are you using, what type exhaust, what’s your growing environment, what’s the RH?...
Welcome to the farm btw.

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Hello, and thank you. I am using fabric pots, I am using fans, in grow tents, humidity is right around 40-45.

Waiting is the hardest part..........

JWM2 said:

Waiting is the hardest part..........

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Yes, it is. Just feel like I'm missing something lol. Not sure when to put different nutrients together, when to not, etc, etc.

Someone told me to give Fish Sh!t every feeding, Rhino Skin all the way through veg and flower, and I don't even know about the CaliMagic. I've been reading forums all over and am leaning towards being more confused. Also, I feel like I need to be watering/feeding more than once a week, but the soil is just not drying fast enough for that.

There are plenty of nutrients already in most soils. Almost all new growers error by using too many nutes.

BudBogart said:

There are plenty of nutrients already in most soils. Almost all new growers error by using too many nutes.

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So, should I just automatically add the CaliMagic? I'm going to add the Rhino Skin next feeding, and I have a couple babies in flower. Any suggestions on the nutes for the first weeks of flower? I don't like the Canna products, and that was the only one suggested to me.
Was thinking Open Sesame, Beastie Bloom, and Cha-Ching, since I am using the other FF products, but have heard some things about burning.

tinkr1168 said:

So, should I just automatically add the CaliMagic? I'm going to add the Rhino Skin next feeding, and I have a couple babies in flower. Any suggestions on the nutes for the first weeks of flower? I don't like the Canna products, and that was the only one suggested to me.
Was thinking Open Sesame, Beastie Bloom, and Cha-Ching, since I am using the other FF products, but have heard some things about burning.

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Sorry, I have never used any of those products. You can buy inexpensive test kits that test your ph, the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium amounts in your soil.
Your ph will tell you if the plants can make use of available micro and macro nutrients in the soil. Too many nutrients added will have an opposite effect to what you want. I usually add some bone meal to the soil when it starts flowering to increase available phosphorus compared to available nitrogen.
Other than that, I watch my plants grow, and only add stuff when the plants indicate a need. Good luck.

More of something necessary isn’t better, I’m with @BudBogart on this...

BudBogart said:

There are plenty of nutrients already in most soils. Almost all new growers error by using too many nutes.

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This should be at the top of every grow forum. Plants are living things, you can't just pump them full of crap and expect them to make magic. It's like pumping a baby full of steroids and expecting it to grow up like Arnold. Instead you get a mutated monster who dies from a million health ailments before his 12th birthday.

I've been growing in Promix for decades, and you shouldn't have any problems with it. I only use general 20-20-20 nutes, or a blooming mixture, with no need for all of that other stuff. Where does the FF come in..as a fertilizer or as an added component to the Promix? I mix about 20% composted manure in my Promix to provide enough Iron, micronutrients, Calcium, Magnesium, and Nitrogen. Too much nutrients can cause all kinds of problems later down the line. What type of strain are you growing, and what is the actual wattage of the LEDs that you are using? I've noticed that LEDs sometimes produce shorter plants, along with the current genetics which favors shorter plants.
The two biggest problems with growing, OK, 3 biggest problems, are not enough light, too many nutes, and not having patience to just let the plants grow without force feeding them like a goose! You wouldn't give a baby a pizza to eat...maybe a bite or two, but not a big ol cheesy pizza. FWIW, FF soils are pretty hot already and I answer more posts that seem to indicate overfeeding from FF soils and other nutes being added, than any other posts. A lot of those soils are designed for BIG plants and don't always work well for newer plants or less experienced growers.

Jesus dude stop adding all that stuff without the first hand knowledge you are very likely to do more harm than good. The best thing a new grower can do IMO is grow with the basics and conquer those challenges first and then after a grow or 2 start looking at things to increase your quality and yields. If you start throwing everything under then sun at it you will never gain this first hand knowledge and never improve you grows because you will never be able to single out what it helping and what is hurting your grows. The most important part of a grow is keeping plants healthy and that will impact your quality and yields much more than any tiny advantage a supplement will give you.

Make it easier on yourself. Start simple. Address the issues as they come up and learn from them. There will be plenty without all that extra stuff. I'm not trying to discourage you but I can't think of any variable I have not changed that didn't need some tweeking. The more you add the harder it becomes. You will have enough to worry about on your first grow with lighting, media, base nutes, watering, air temps, root temps, humidity, CO2, air flow and the ever changing needs of the plants as they grow. Once you get that down then and only then are the little things going to make any difference.

First grows can be tough and you sound like you are willing and able to research and tackle it. If you get something to smoke and a buncha of knowledge from your first grow you have succeeded.

tinkr1168 said:

I am using Pro Mix HP with LEDs, FF Big Bloom, Grow Big, and Tiger Bloom, adding Fish Sh!t every other feeding. My medium isn't drying out fast enough for me to water more than once a week. My babies look good, but I still feel like they are moving along slowly. I'm wondering what I can do to help them? I have CaliMagic, but have not used that, and also just got some Rhino Skin to help the stems/roots strengthen up, haven't used that yet either. Not using them is due to me trying out FFOF and being freaked out by all the nutes in it, the strong smell was enough for me to not want to use anything lol. If anyone can help me out, I would appreciate it.

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Could you be adding to much nutrients? Maybe your plants are on a lockout. Are you also adjusting your PH accordingly to the soil and also checking the PH after adding the plant food to your water?