FF, haven't used Ripen... but the name makes it sound like KoolBloom, which in liquid form is a 0-10-10 ripener fert. The powder form is a 2-45-28 which functions as a flower hardener/finisher. So, I'll start using the liquid in like week 6 of bloom, and then slowly start incrementing the powder in the middle of week 7 all the way to the end of week 8, then start a 7 day flush using the FloraKleen to get all that stuff out.
Also, I change my reservoirs weekly, and almost every week I'll run a little bit of mild strength FloraKleen through for about an hour, drain it out fill it with plain RO, run it for an hour, drain it out, and finally refill it again with RO and my new weeks nutrient solution. Taking these extra steps will astound even the best growers, the next 3-5 days growth is markedly visible, almost exponential. This works because the FloraKleen loosens up all the old ferts/salts off the roots so they can eat again, and eat they will! The other advantage to this is that you can run an overall Higher EC. Higher EC=Higher Yields, provided you can thoroughly flush em out weekly. Plants really want lots of fresh nutes, but if you don't loosen up the old nutes/salts they have trouble assimilating the new stuff. Really it just doesn't make any sense to not flush out the old nutes before putting in the new, theoretically your just compounding problems, pouring money/nutes down the drain, because the plants can't eat it anyways. Have you ever noticed your plants just kind of stop growing even though nothing appeared to be wrong? I can guarantee it's a salt/fert buildup on the roots. With this method you will always see new growth everyday, and as soon as that aggresive growth starts to taper, you know it's time to flush again with FloraKleen, which ends up being about every seven days. I think Zyme helps somewhat with this salt buildup problem too.
Good Post, Hererisssh.
