Feeding in the preflowering stage?

[Bib4tuna]

I recently started feeding a clone I planted that’s about 3 ft.tall. It’s in very beginning of preflowering stage. When I say preflower I mean it just starting to show hairs so early preflower. I’m using GH Floraduo two part nutes. Should I be doing I be doing half recommendation of strong grow blend or mild bloom blend on directions? I only wonder because since it’s such early stage of preflower would that be considered grow or bloom?

 

[2Bad]

Does it say the doses of each? 5ml? 10ml?

 

[Bib4tuna]

Does it say the doses of each? 5ml? 10ml?

Strong grow blend 2tsp/A & 1tsp/B Mild Bloom blend 1tsp/A & 2tsp/B that’s per gallon. It’s a two part A & B system

 

[Bib4tuna]

I’m afraid if I’m not supposed to do grow blend instead of bloom that it will keep plant in veg stage from too much nitrogen.

 

[2Bad]

So I'd switch to mild bloom once you switch to 12/12

 

[Bib4tuna]

So I'd switch to mild bloom once you switch to 12/12

I’m doing outdoor so there’s no flip. It’s a 3wk old clone. For my area where I live this is time when plants just start flowering outdoor.

 

[Bib4tuna]

So I'd switch to mild bloom once you switch to 12/12

About 15 hrs of light in days right now.

 

[2Bad]

About 15 hrs of light in days right now.

Oh shit you're outdoor I forgot. I'd keep doing veg nutrients until you get to 12/12

 

[Bib4tuna]

Combined N-P-K of A & B is 6-5-10.

 

[Bib4tuna]

Oh shit you're outdoor I forgot. I'd keep doing veg nutrients until you get to 12/12

Ok so stick with strong bloom blend until days reach 12/12?

 

[2Bad]

Strong Grow* Yessir

 

[RootsRuler]

The "rootzosphere" should have enough nitrogen to keep it green for now and the surrounding organic matter should also be able to supply what it needs. If it's just showing flower pistils now it's time to start dosing with more phosphorous. The next 3 weeks are crucial for flower development. You need to make sure your plant has all the phosphorous it can handle right now. A little sulfur wouldn't hurt either. Go with your bloom ferts.

I like to do stepdown solutions meaning a heavy dose on the front end and then decreasing PPM on each watering until I get to just water. For example: Watering #1 - 1200ppm, #2 - 1000ppm, #3 - 800ppm, #4 - Straight water. Continue this cycle to week 6 then. depending on your cultivars maturation rate, feed at 1/2 rate recommended by manufacturer and increase frequency of waterings. In increasing feedings you want to decrease the volume of solution you are giving them so that they don't get overwatered and start to stunt.

 

[PrimoClonesCanada]

I'm of the opinion through lots of experience that plants need veg nutes until around 2 weeks into flowering or else your plants ends up yellowing really early. Usually start Blom nutes when they actually start budding(eek 2 or 3 of flower)
Your not growing organic so you don't need to pump in phosphorus before it needs it. With organics you have to feed it before it needs it so the soil can brake down the organics and make it available for the plants. With salt nutes your feeding it what your watering in as it availableto plant as your watering it in.
Early flower needs tons of N for the stretch, not lots of phosphorus.
I grow organically so maybe I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure you don't want to give your plants tons of phosphorus right at the start of flower( stretching first 3 weeks) as it need nitrogen in abundance at that stage. That's what I used to do when I used salt nutes, if I fed flower nutes at start of flower during stretch at 4 weeks your plants start yellowing.

Just my 2 cents

 

[RootsRuler]

I'm of the opinion through lots of experience that plants need veg nutes until around 2 weeks into flowering or else your plants ends up yellowing really early. Usually start Blom nutes when they actually start budding(eek 2 or 3 of flower)
Your not growing organic so you don't need to pump in phosphorus before it needs it. With organics you have to feed it before it needs it so the soil can brake down the organics and make it available for the plants. With salt nutes your feeding it what your watering in as it availableto plant as your watering it in.
Early flower needs tons of N for the stretch, not lots of phosphorus.
I grow organically so maybe I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure you don't want to give your plants tons of phosphorus right at the start of flower( stretching first 3 weeks) as it need nitrogen in abundance at that stage. That's what I used to do when I used salt nutes, if I fed flower nutes at start of flower during stretch at 4 weeks your plants start yellowing.

Just my 2 cents

Yes. I guess it really depends on the medium and how it holds nutrient. I grow in soil so I like to pre-load. You're right. Liquid fertilizer is much more available initially than organic matter that needs to go through the entire process of breakdown to the molecular level where the roots can effectively take up the nutrient but liquid fertilizer still needs to catabolize into the smaller molecules that make it available to the plant. Is it faster in uptake? Sure. It doesn't need to break down as much but there is still a process that it needs to go through before it can be absorbed. That's why you see companies like Advanced Nutrients chelate their products so that the ionic bonds are already in place for the plant to uptake.

Cultivar is also a factor when choosing how to effectively deploy your nutrient scheme. In my case, I'm growing a cultivar that matures within 8 - 10 weeks. This cultivar, GG4, because of its sativa lineage, naturally stretches in the flower process. By loading nitrogen into the flower stage I'm promoting more stretch which is what I'm trying to control. If I had a large grow room with high ceilings then I can see where continuing nitrogen input at that level would make sense but I'm limited in the space I have to work with. As flower approaches I typically up the PPM with a nitrogen rich solution before flip to keep enough nitrogen available to the plant. Along with the natural organic breakdown occurring at the same time I'm feeding there should be more than enough nitrogen in the soil to get the plant through its stretch phase while phosphorous is doing its thing in terms of flower formation. It's really a balancing and timing act where I'm trying to get enough nitrogen to the plant without promoting the characteristics that I want to control.

Essentially what I'm doing is lengthening the window where flower production is happening rather than more leaf and branch formation. High nitrogen in the soil when flip is in progress is going to slow that process down.

Of course, I could be totally wrong on ALL this and just burping out Broscience so if you have any links with empirical data that says otherwise I would love to review it.

 

[PrimoClonesCanada]

Yes. I guess it really depends on the medium and how it holds nutrient. I grow in soil so I like to pre-load. You're right. Liquid fertilizer is much more available initially than organic matter that needs to go through the entire process of breakdown to the molecular level where the roots can effectively take up the nutrient but liquid fertilizer still needs to catabolize into the smaller molecules that make it available to the plant. Is it faster in uptake? Sure. It doesn't need to break down as much but there is still a process that it needs to go through before it can be absorbed. That's why you see companies like Advanced Nutrients chelate their products so that the ionic bonds are already in place for the plant to uptake.

Cultivar is also a factor when choosing how to effectively deploy your nutrient scheme. In my case, I'm growing a cultivar that matures within 8 - 10 weeks. This cultivar, GG4, because of its sativa lineage, naturally stretches in the flower process. By loading nitrogen into the flower stage I'm promoting more stretch which is what I'm trying to control. If I had a large grow room with high ceilings then I can see where continuing nitrogen input at that level would make sense but I'm limited in the space I have to work with. As flower approaches I typically up the PPM with a nitrogen rich solution before flip to keep enough nitrogen available to the plant. Along with the natural organic breakdown occurring at the same time I'm feeding there should be more than enough nitrogen in the soil to get the plant through its stretch phase while phosphorous is doing its thing in terms of flower formation. It's really a balancing and timing act where I'm trying to get enough nitrogen to the plant without promoting the characteristics that I want to control.

Essentially what I'm doing is lengthening the window where flower production is happening rather than more leaf and branch formation. High nitrogen in the soil when flip is in progress is going to slow that process down.

Of course, I could be totally wrong on ALL this and just burping out Broscience so if you have any links with empirical data that says otherwise I would love to review it.

Well the op is using salt nutes I believe so I don't think he wants to up the phosphorus or hold it back from stretching since he's outside and his plant is rather small but i may be wrong. You may be right he might have enough N in that field he has planted in, it looks like lots of vegetation is growing in the field.

If I were him I would give it veg nutes till it started to actually show buds and stretch is almost over before he switches to higher phosphorus flowering mixture so he doesn't end up with super yellow plants 4 weeks into flowering

But that's just my opinion and opinions are like assholes everyone has one

 

[RootsRuler]

Well the op is using salt nutes I believe so I don't think he wants to up the phosphorus or hold it back from stretching since he's outside and his plant is rather small but i may be wrong. You may be right he might have enough N in that field he has planted in, it looks like lots of vegetation is growing in the field.

If I were him I would give it veg nutes till it started to actually show buds and stretch is almost over before he switches to higher phosphorus flowering mixture so he doesn't end up with super yellow plants 4 weeks into flowering

But that's just my opinion and opinions are like assholes everyone has one

True. I didn't take into account the location. I'm so used to most on here who grow in tents. I can see your logic on that end and it pretty much coincides with what I had posted previous about it depending on the different variables the plant is in.

Peace Brother!!!

 

[Aqua Man]

You dont really have much control over synthetic nutrients outdoors.

Everytime it rains most will be washed away.

Imho grab some slow release or organic form of nutrients and top dress to provide a sustained source.

Eg bat guano, earthworm castings etc… or just some gaia or similar