Most 20-20-20 fertilizers are just about the same. Miracle grow, Jacks........all made the same way for the most part
Thats just like jacks 20-20-20. Be aware it has no added calcium which is likely ok with limed pottng mix and tap water.
It also has no magnesium. But again should be plenty in soil and tap water.
I use Jack's 20-20-20 and it works great... I'm guessing any fertilizer with the same formula will work about the same. I don't need much...1 tablespoon/gallon about every 10-15 days depending on how the plants look. It's plenty of fertilizer for them to eat (contrary to what a LOT of nutes companies will recommend) and you shouldn't have any problems. I switch to a similar blooming fertilizer, but can't remember the name. Most of these fertilizers dont have anything in them like micronutrients or other compounds, which is the reason I mix wood ashes and compost/manure in the
Promix.
I got sick of buying high-priced water in the bottle too, now I only use these three products and a few soil additives
I've started using less expensive calcium & magnesium sources as well
If you're interested how I use a 20-20-20 I have a grow journal called Blackberry Gum in the grow Journal section
$18 for 5 lbs. I imagine any 20-20-20 should work fine, good luck!
@Homesteader, I had a suspicion of this but hear a lot of bad things about MG that I just didn't want to purchase something that might be toxic or frowned upon in general. I want cheap not low quality or toxic as I'm sure you or anyone can appreciate. It's either this stuff or actually purchasing the compounds separate and mixing up a formula that I have come across here on the farm throughout , maybe down the road when I get other things hammered down.
@MIMedGrower, I'm glad to hear this. I was up late last night searching in the end searching for the guaranteed analysis of Jacks formula but couldn't find a pic of it that I could zoom in enough to read in order to compare, I use a Berkey water filter that I put together with a couple big SS pots and Berkey filters with added Fluoride filters and it "if it's doing what it says" leaves minerals that are good. I can tell it leaves something by the white powder that coats my water pot. I'll keep an eye on Calcium and Magnesium deficiencies here on out but never been an issue so far.
@Jimster, I picked up some of the CIL today and just finished mixing up 20ml into about 5gallons of fresh water and pH'd, will see how they respond to this and go from there I guess. I was searching for the bloom and flowering formula that matches this product @ 15-30-15 but they didn't have it sitting beside. Lot's of miracle glow products lining the shelves everywhere I looked though but I refuse. I will have to pick some up soon as I am in flower now for almost a week while wondering if I should be.
I like your use of charcoal and organics in the medium, I am using autopots now and have a combo of
promix, coco and worm castings in there. Switched from using AN to a GreenPlanet kit, blurpees to quantum boards and fabric pots with pro-mix to autopots all within a short span so trying to get a handle on where things should be, since I transplanted into the autopots and things blew up then I ran into the issues of using autopots " plugged lines, slime covered floats and worrying about flooding till the exact opposite happened and the pots ran dry!" and my reservoir started filling with a white floating slime that looks like pieces of aloe plant covered in slime. The shit plugs up everything and I'll post a photo of it below. So now I am hoping maybe this switch to cil has different results as the slime originated in the reservoir.
@Beachwalker, I have been watching your thread great looking plants you have there. I have read quite a few threads about growers using the cheaper alternatives to high priced nutrients sold in the grow shops. I am just sick of spending money in general and the less I can spend on this stuff without sacrificing quality the better. There is nothing new under the Sun. I was looking at Schultz plant food but ended up going with this one instead, we'll see how it works out I guess.
Like I said above, I am hoping this resolves the issue of slimy algae or whatever it was floating and clogging up lines and floats. I noticed that the plants weren't looking as good as they should with yellowing in the centers of the leaves and darker green on the edges. Now I had just finished dosing them with a pretty high nute level back a couple weeks ago when I refilled the reservoir for the first time, I thought they could take it but soon saw that they "
#3" didn't like it at all so diluted and they are back on track, now this!
All is well and clean now and I hope it stays that way.
I did learn all about autopots in the process though and finally made the switch to a cheaper nutrient line after much debate internally you and the others have helped me in my pursuits .
Thank you all.
