How To Get Super Bushy Ball Like Plants

[Bulldog11]

I usually get leaf droop with pillowy leaves when over watered but I think results are the same of too dry or too wet.. loss of roots, is loss of leaves from bottom to make the leaves match the roots. I could be wrong..

Great point. Absolutely under watering can have the same effect. Thanks for the correction.

I was thinking of ordering this moisture meter, I don't trust the 10$ ones. But your happy with the cheaper model?
http://www.amazon.com/Soil-Moisture-Meter-Probe-Inch/dp/B001FADJ2A/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_1

 

[Apollo13]

I use the cheapo.. so does my father a few of my buddies. It just gives u a quantified water reading so u can accurately tell the moisture content. It's simply how conductive the soil is..it IS the only CHEAP meter I recommend. Blue lab all the way after that. I drive prongs deep for readIngs.

 

[Apollo13]

Where's the 1-10 gauge? I like the long needle on it. I have the cheap green ones and digital one. They will not all read the same I found, but each one I have is consistent. So I have marker on a few to let me know what's dry because it reads 5 when my others read 4, so I water at 5 with that one.

 

[Apollo13]

Tractor supply has em on sale for $4 at my store. We usually get at Walmart or meijers. Almost any garden store has em..

 

[Augestwest]

I'm gonna have to get a couple then thanks man

 

[Apollo13]

It will keep u from overwatering when it's hot and u panic because u base watering your plant on how hot you are..lol. I have done it too.

 

[Augestwest]

Right I hear the temp is gonna be in the 90s and panic befor work and just water them so I don't come home to some droopy under watered plants. Last year my plants went down like 5 times and I told myself I wasn't gonna let that happen this year lol.

 

[Apollo13]

You loose both ways..u will like the meter. U will know what number to water on to make it through the day and if u watered deep enough. They like good deep waterings. U can water too light and it's wet to the feel on top, but in roots too dry. So I water until it's like 9-10 on meter deep in roots, then don't water until that area of roots is like 4. Try to get consistent in watering and how much u water.. and you will almost be able to guess when she needs a drink. Good luck and shoot some pix back this fall..hopefully I could help. There are far more knowledgeable people here. I read from them daily...

 

[below frigid]

It was 105 at my spot today. 90-100+ is the norm for me until the end of September. October we still get some hot ones. I water every other day. Hard to give them too much water when it's hot!

 

[Apollo13]

Ours are drowning here.. rain like crazy...we haven't had much of a summer.

 

[Augestwest]

Ok so question for you tea Brewers. In this batch I'm brewing right now(roughly 36hrs into it) I added some sun leaves bat guano high P 0-7-0 and some sun leaves high N 10-1-1 to the tea and am wondering if that's ok to do???? I figured it would be fine but now I'm second guessing myself as I read somewhere that it can be bad??? I was also gonna add some Epsom salt to the brew befor I used it? I checked my ph run off at its at 7.2 so I was gonna ph the tea to 6.0 to try and level my ph and then also ph my water from here out to as it's about 7.6 out the hose. Should I run the tea or should I scrap it and start a fresh batch without the guano's?

 

[Apollo13]

I don't use poop except ewc. I mainly make hydroponic tea and not looking for veg tea or flower tea. I want the beneficial fungus and bacteria. I use great white, voodoo, maxicrop, some liquid karma ewc molasses Carbo load, oats and several dirt from my yard plus some new and old compost. I hardly ever do it the same, just handfuls and pour ins..lol but if it doesn't stink, ur probably good. Test it on some other plants if ur worried, or use a lil. Seamaiden is much smarter at why u add what u add..I do run uc and can't get above 400 ppm without burn. I thought it was all my air and current making a super oxygenated solution that made it hard to run high nutes..which probably is some of it, but it maybe the tea because it really doesn't register on a ppm.. but I can run ro water with 50 ppm of cal mag and 100 ppm Of nutrients and get beautiful luscious plants..it's like the tea makes my nutrients go much further.. I'm still not sure why I run the lowest ppm I ever heard of and have gorgeous plants..I do know it's the tea or air. I won't stop running either so not sure how I'm gonna find out..

 

[Apollo13]

I start with 6.0 ph water then I never check it after that. Bubbles for 2 days I add a gallon of tea a day to my uc. I strain my tea and mix in my super soil..

 

[Augestwest]

my only problem is if I use it on say some other plants to test it then by the time it's ok'd or bad the tea will be past the 48hr mark??? Is it still good to use after that mark or is it just good until it starts to smell bad? Should I also be using nutrients on my plants? Iv been just watering and have used one tea brew? I'm thinking maybe I should get some bottled nutes to use also?? Sorry again everyone in new to this

 

[Apollo13]

Yes, a issue, I strain it and put it in gallons in fridge, it lasts 10 days or longer. Just smell it. Smells like ass, toss it. I also add some old tea to new tea sometimes.. making specific veg or flower teas is what I don't do. I know the manure u use matters, like sea bird or bat.. I mainly want the benes so pythium can't live.

 

[Apollo13]

Super soil and tea is excellent for me. I have managed to over do it. So go easy like anything. Don't brew more than u need. But in all honesty, super soil works sweet with just ro too.

 

[Augestwest]

I wanted to do some tga super soil or mix my own up but I'm not super knowlagable on mixing soil and didn't wanna mess everything up from the beginning. Just went win some raised bed organic soil mix from the indoor garden store and then mixed in 1/3 part oceans forest. I might scrap the hole tea idea and just get some nutes as I only outdoor grow and can't afford to risk everything over somthing that is still in the gray area for me. Idk Sea maiden you got anything to say about the guano brewed in with my tea?

 

[derkaderk]

Use the tea you made! Guano is great!

The tea delivers both microbes and nutrients...the microbes break down the organic matter for it to become available to the plant, and continue working in the soil. The more abundant the microbes are in your soil, the more organic matter is turned into a useable source.

I'm running microbe water only, no nutes at all, until my plants tell me they need something. My plants looks double as healthy as they did last year.

Bottles are basically just water, molasses(sometimes), and a handful of available nutrients.....your basically already making stuff more beneficial than bottles, because of the microbes which will continue to do their job to make more nutrients available even long after you've watered.

I'm also experimenting with plant extract feeds, and soon sprouted seed teas.

It can be nerve racking doing something new, but keep the faith, and keep asking questions.

Edit: I would scratch the Epsom salt into the soil....not sure how it would react to the brew.

Positive vibes
D

 

[Augestwest]

Ok well I'm gonna have to make a new brew because I got up this morning to water and started to poor my tea into 5 gal buckets to dilute and it smells horrible. I think these 90+ days and goin to 48+ hrs did me wrong. I'm gonna make another batch because your right my plants loved the first batch I gave them. It's wierd because last night it smelled really mushroom/earthy and just over night it went sour. Thanks for the support guys. So you think I should just give the Epsom by it self or should I scrap the Epsom and just use some calmag? It's wierd because only my pitbul is showing signs in its leaves. I'll take some pics of the deficiency after I get off work

 

[Apollo13]

U had bubbles right? I use two bubblers on mine, it splashes out if no top is on it..what all did u put in it?