the recommended dose is really if your plant is growing at its max potential. meaning all your other parameters are maxing out. under less than optimal conditions theres no need to go full dose. i would up the dose as the plant is growing for example slowly increase from what your currently feeding 25ml to 5 gals and upping it to around 50ml. the recommended dose is 125ml for 5 gal seems excessive but i can understand if you are trying to push the other parameters to feed such a dose, which you average home grower is far from doing