Just a quickie question

[SecretJardinDS90]

Hey all, so my babies are officially 2 weeks old since they popped out of the soil, there short bushy and healthy, when should I start using nutes ?

 

[LexLuthor]

I need more info about the type of soil and nutrients your using, but the rule of thumb is to feed them when they need it. That means if the leaves start to yellow up or show signs of deficiencies then they need nutrients.

 

[SecretJardinDS90]

Using pro mix micro, plants are 14 days old have not used any nutes yet, just tap water that I let sit for 48 hours to evaporate the chlorine. There's not much more I can say...

 

[Chobble]

You can start nutes now if you really want, Your soil will probably be good for about a month though.


It's good to work the plant onto chemical nutes, dont just start with the full dose. If your using organic methods follow the instructions.

Chobble

 

[LexLuthor]

Do they look like they need nutes?? If they do then feed them 1/4 strength, after 2 or 3 feedings bump it up to half strength and so on.

Oh yeah, if you can't Ph your tap water or check the ppm's then I would use distilled water just to be safe, because some peoples tap water can be out of control when it comes to Ph or EC. If you use water that has too high of ppm's or the Ph is too high or low then it's just gonna cause issues, play it safe.

 

[SecretJardinDS90]

Water is fine, 7 ph (neutral) just the way I like it, I think I'll go with a liquid nute you ad to water, I find crystals don't dissolve as well

 

[LexLuthor]

Your tap water comes out at Ph 7!! Whats the ppm's?? I have to buy fucking gallons of distilled water just to get 0 ppm and Ph 7.

Hey SJ, definately go with liquid nutes, there usually more expensive compared to powdered nutes, but you should make the money back from your 1st harvest.

 

[SecretJardinDS90]

Your tap water comes out at Ph 7!! Whats the ppm's?? I have to buy fucking gallons of distilled water just to get 0 ppm and Ph 7.

Hey SJ, definately go with liquid nutes, there usually more expensive compared to powdered nutes, but you should make the money back from your 1st harvest.

lol yea i couldnt believe it either, i guess i just got lucky :)

anyways yea i plan on going with liquid nutes, more than likely ill get DNF -- Dutch Nutrient Formula

 

[buddahslave]

I start using nutes on day one! The more perlite you use the more nutes you can use which allows you the ability to start feeding your plants allot sooner and faster than if you had the normal amount of perlite. I use about 40% perlite to 60% soil plus I supercrop. This makes the plants grow faster in soil as if it was hydro.

PIECE AND POT! I owe my beginning to Marc Emery

 

[LexLuthor]

I start using nutes on day one! The more perlite you use the more nutes you can use which allows you the ability to start feeding your plants allot sooner and faster than if you had the normal amount of perlite. I use about 40% perlite to 60% soil plus I supercrop. This makes the plants grow faster in soil as if it was hydro.

PIECE AND POT! I owe my beginning to Marc Emery

You feed seedlings??? More perlite means you can water more, not feed more nutes. I use the same ratio as you, about 40% perlite 60% soil and I water every 3rd day. That doesn't mean I can make my nutrient solution stronger just because I have alot of perlite. Maybe you meant water more often with nutes?? I also wouldn't recommend feeding on day 1 unless your growing clones then you can feed them on day 1 after they root and are transplanted.

 

[LexLuthor]

@buddahslave: What nutrients are you using and at what rate per gallon??

 

[buddahslave]

I use advanced nute mostly. I rarely use seeds but when I do I start them in rockwool cube. I soak seeds in 400 ppm solution with roots excelerator. A few days after I place cubes in soil. Normally in soil you would keep ppm low due to salt build, but with the increase of perlite allows the plant to absorb an increase of nutes almost like a natural flush. I can push my nutes to 1800 ppm.

 

[LexLuthor]

I use advanced nute mostly. I rarely use seeds but when I do I start them in rockwool cube. I soak seeds in 400 ppm solution with roots excelerator. A few days after I place cubes in soil. Normally in soil you would keep ppm low due to salt build, but with the increase of perlite allows the plant to absorb an increase of nutes almost like a natural flush. I can push my nutes to 1800 ppm.

I still don't understand how perlite allows higher nutrient solutions, how is it a "natural flush"??? I heard of people feeding there plants at 1800 ppm without any perlite, it has nothing to do with ppm's. Perlite makes the medium more porous which allows water to drain faster, it has nothing to do with how strong your nutrients are. You don't have to keep ppm's low in soil due to salt build up, you just have to give your plants plain water once in a while so the salt doesn't build up, but that doesn't mean you can't have high ppm's. I think I know whats happening, your soil is draining faster so it doesn't retain all the nutrients that you gave it, therefore you think you can give more, but in actuality your plant is not getting all of the nutrients you feed because it drains so fast. So it does not mean perlite is a natural flush or you can feed at higher ppm's, you just have to feed more often because perlite drains so much faster then soil.

Another thing, you don't need nutrients for seeds, especially roots excel, it's not gonna help your germination rate or make your seedlings grow faster. Seedlings have enough energy within themselves to live at least the 1st week of there lives. After the 1st week give them whatever you want, but until then your just wasting your nutrients on seedlings that don't need help.

I'm just trying to help you out, I believe you are wasting alot of money on expensive nutrients that you don't need to be using at certain points in a plants life, even 1800 ppm's are really high, remember I use the same soil/perlite ratio and I never use more then 6 tsp/gallon of nutes at any given time. I have another question, do you Ph your nutrient solution??

 

[buddahslave]

My goal is two pounds per 1000 watt of light every 60 days, I only get that doing what I know best and all I can do is share my results and how I got to that point. The more water a plant is able to absorb the more nutes it will also. The science is simple and thats the way I like to keep it.

 

[LexLuthor]

My goal is two pounds per 1000 watt of light every 60 days, I only get that doing what I know best and all I can do is share my results and how I got to that point. The more water a plant is able to absorb the more nutes it will also. The science is simple and thats the way I like to keep it.

Alright...the reason I was saying that was because you can easily confuse somebody and make them believe they can feed alot more just because they use more perlite in there soil, just because you use more perlite does not mean the plant absorbs more water or nutrients, it just means the medium drains quicker. I just don't want some rookie reading your post then he starts overfeeding his plants just because he adds perlite to his soil. There is no scientific proof that perlite allows you to feed higher ppm's, do whatever works for you but you shouldn't give advice based on what you "think".