Outdoor Nutrient Feeding Fox Farms

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ComfortablyNumb

ComfortablyNumb

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That's good to know, thanks for the explanation. Always learning something...... .I'm not exactly a newb I have some great journals from years ago. If your interested check out some of my grasscity journals....https://forum.grasscity.com/threads/summer-2011-outdoor-crop-oregon.852940/. I'm in the process of trying to recover my account. I have indoor hydroponics grows. Several large outdoor grows. Just winging it back then .. It's like starting over in a smaller size due to yard restrictions. Asking questions with a clean slate I guess.
No worries. My wife and I have been growing something or other for over 50 years. We recently moved to indoor growing and it's the same, but way different. It took a while to get things adjusted.
 
mancorn

mancorn

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I’d get yourself a 50 gallon drum and them mix your nutrients at 1/2 strength (of FFs recommendation) and feed most waters. Sounds like you’re vastly under feeding (albeit your plants don’t look bad, just a little hungry). I think Big Grow is supposed to be mixed at 10-15ml per gallon. Sounds like you’re feeding a Big Grow/Bloom combo at only 45ml (8 tps) in 20 gallons instead of the recommended 200-300ml (Personally I think the bloom feed is nonsense, and would be using your veg mix at this point in your grow anyway.)
 
tommyarmour

tommyarmour

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I’d get yourself a 50 gallon drum and them mix your nutrients at 1/2 strength (of FFs recommendation) and feed most waters. Sounds like you’re vastly under feeding (albeit your plants don’t look bad, just a little hungry). I think Big Grow is supposed to be mixed at 10-15ml per gallon. Sounds like you’re feeding a Big Grow/Bloom combo at only 45ml (8 tps) in 20 gallons instead of the recommended 200-300ml (Personally I think the bloom feed is nonsense, and would be using your veg mix at this point in your grow anyway.)
Fox Farms usually only lists their indoor feeding schedule. Big Bloom is used all the way from seedlings to Harvest. Grow Big used for VEG. Then Tiger Bloom from the change until the end. I'll be mixing 5 gallon at a time per plant too start since Ive only fed once and very lightly at 1 gallon per plant. So yes very underfed. The soil alone has kept my plants healthy. Happy Frog keeps the plants for a bit. If they can handle 5 gallons which is about 1/2 strength when adding 5 to 10 gallons of water before. Our weather has been 90-115 degrees for a few weeks now. So they dry up pretty fast. Ide like to start slow and build my way up since Ive never grown either strain before. Then I may bump them up even more. I'll break out the PPM meter to get me close and test that PH before feeding. Would you go as far as feeding them 10 gallons per plant? Keep in mind they are in 45 gallons of soil above ground.
 
mancorn

mancorn

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The “feed at 1 gallon” idea isn’t how you should fertilize. Sounds like you’re either mixing up a concentrate, feeding that, then watering again with straight water or you’re only feeding the recommended amount of ferts for 1 gallon and then adding many gallons of plain water. You should mix up your feed into the entire amount of your water. So if you’re going to use 20 gallons of water then mix your fertilizer at the recommended rate for 20 gallons. I say “recommended” rate, which really means less then what FF tells you, with the understanding that you’d be feeding more often, but at a lower rate. Your plants pretty good size and why you need a big bucket (drum) so you can mix up large amounts of fertilizer. When you start growing big plants you have to feed them big amounts of nutrients. You can’t feed a big plant 1 gallon of mix (which is only appropriate for a 3 gallon pot).

The fabric pots really dry out quick and 10 gallons seems low in a 45 gallon pot. If you’re at 100+ then you may even have to water them twice a day. Personally I wouldn’t water a specific amount, but water till runoff - whatever that takes. I realize that it’s hard in the fabric to know what that amount is, as a quick water will run out the sides. So you really have to water slowly - especially if the soil dries out. Depending on if you’re roots have grown out the bottom, you can try elevating the pot onto a pallet so you can see when runoff happens. The down side to this is the pot will dry out even quicker. But maybe just elevate for a short period until you get a feel for how much it takes to soak your pots.
 
tommyarmour

tommyarmour

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The “feed at 1 gallon” idea isn’t how you should fertilize. Sounds like you’re either mixing up a concentrate, feeding that, then watering again with straight water or you’re only feeding the recommended amount of ferts for 1 gallon and then adding many gallons of plain water. You should mix up your feed into the entire amount of your water. So if you’re going to use 20 gallons of water then mix your fertilizer at the recommended rate for 20 gallons. I say “recommended” rate, which really means less then what FF tells you, with the understanding that you’d be feeding more often, but at a lower rate. Your plants pretty good size and why you need a big bucket (drum) so you can mix up large amounts of fertilizer. When you start growing big plants you have to feed them big amounts of nutrients. You can’t feed a big plant 1 gallon of mix (which is only appropriate for a 3 gallon pot).

The fabric pots really dry out quick and 10 gallons seems low in a 45 gallon pot. If you’re at 100+ then you may even have to water them twice a day. Personally I wouldn’t water a specific amount, but water till runoff - whatever that takes. I realize that it’s hard in the fabric to know what that amount is, as a quick water will run out the sides. So you really have to water slowly - especially if the soil dries out. Depending on if you’re roots have grown out the bottom, you can try elevating the pot onto a pallet so you can see when runoff happens. The down side to this is the pot will dry out even quicker. But maybe just elevate for a short period until you get a feel for how much it takes to soak your pots.
Sounds good I have a few 55 gallon drums, and a submersible pump that connects to a garden hose to a shower type attachment. I tested the runoff. It takes about 20 gallons of water to get the pot soaked.

I edited my comment, too damn confusing. I appreciate your advice.

thanks,

Tommy
 
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Spiman2u

Spiman2u

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Back up on the ferts for a few weeks, to avoid buildup. If you can get a bag of worm castings, apply around the stalk but not on it. Two or three cups will do.
Yep Hit My Girls worm castings yesterday..
 
Frankster

Frankster

Never trust a doctor who's plants have died.
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I've used pretty much all the fox farm nutrient and soil regimes, and the only thing I'll say is watch your phosphate, once you get into second week of flowering, you want to give it some solid doses, just keep an eye on it, because it will accumulate, go steady and don't overdo, because organics is something you don't want to be too hot, if you can keep from it.

More isn't always better obviously. The most difficult nutrient IMO, is phosphorus, especially with organic grows. Because when it's overdone, it really kills your biome. Personally, I was doing flushes about every 2 weeks, don't allow things to build up. Things like Yucca Root Powder extract are ideal for maintaining excellent surfactant for maintaining proper surface tension in your liquid applications.
https://www.amazon.com/Yucca-Root-P...&keywords=yucca+extract&qid=1626152988&sr=8-9
 
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washwash

washwash

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Just wanted to share that I am using all three of those bottles exactly as they are recommended on the chart and have not had any issues yet.
Outdoor grow with Ocean Forest in 5 and 7 gal smart pots.
They are now showing preflower so I don't know what is going to happen after.
GlHf
 
ezenzyme

ezenzyme

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mancorn for the win!! I would mix the nutes in the entire amount of water needed, use every third day and every third time bump up by 100-200 ppm till your at 1000 for veg. This would be with the grow big of course. I would personally use fish hydrolostae every other time just to change it up and its cheaper than grow big...Just coz the plants look fine doesnt mean that cant be blasted harder with more nutes for the maximum amount of growth. Feed the crap outta them, and go ahead and top dress every ten days with dry amendments of your choice.
 
cannon1

cannon1

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mancorn for the win!! I would mix the nutes in the entire amount of water needed, use every third day and every third time bump up by 100-200 ppm till your at 1000 for veg. This would be with the grow big of course. I would personally use fish hydrolostae every other time just to change it up and its cheaper than grow big...Just coz the plants look fine doesnt mean that cant be blasted harder with more nutes for the maximum amount of growth. Feed the crap outta them, and go ahead and top dress every ten days with dry amendments of your choice.
Any particular brand of fish Hydrolostae you'd suggest?
 
Frankster

Frankster

Never trust a doctor who's plants have died.
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Any particular brand of fish Hydrolostae you'd suggest?
Personally, I don't feel there's a lot of difference in fish emulsions.

GS plant foods has an incredible line of organic products that skip all the hoopla, and marketing exercise... simply concentrating on creating excellent (affordable) products.

 
souf69

souf69

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Personally, I don't feel there's a lot of difference in fish emulsions.

GS plant foods has an incredible line of organic products that skip all the hoopla, and marketing exercise... simply concentrating on creating excellent (affordable) products.

You could skip all the nutrient hoopla as well when your outside.Castings,good soil, bone fish meal, and fish emulsion, etc. A couple bottles of product in bloom of course.
Emulsion are not all equal imo. Different fish have different metal contents in them naturally.
 
cannon1

cannon1

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You could skip all the nutrient hoopla as well when your outside.Castings,good soil, bone fish meal, and fish emulsion, etc. A couple bottles of product in bloom of course.
Emulsion are not all equal imo. Different fish have different metal contents in them naturally.
Yeah, thanks, as a first time grower outside I did bite on all the nutrient hoopla and all the 'best nute' threads, intending to do a few side by sides of bottled nute lines, before I realized this stuff is largely for indoor lighted growing mostly. Figured too I'd be wondering later what these various other nutes would do if I didn't try them and I knew I'd learn also, already have, including that outdoors basic as you say is OK, and Cheaper. I'll use this stuff I bought this grow but next time I'll reduce it to the basic stuff (emulsions, etc) that'll produce the results in outdoor Norcal with lots of sun. Any particulars for the Bloom bottles you'd suggest?
 
souf69

souf69

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Yeah, thanks, as a first time grower outside I did bite on all the nutrient hoopla and all the 'best nute' threads, intending to do a few side by sides of bottled nute lines, before I realized this stuff is largely for indoor lighted growing mostly. Figured too I'd be wondering later what these various other nutes would do if I didn't try them and I knew I'd learn also, already have, including that outdoors basic as you say is OK, and Cheaper. I'll use this stuff I bought this grow but next time I'll reduce it to the basic stuff (emulsions, etc) that'll produce the results in outdoor Norcal with lots of sun. Any particulars for the Bloom bottles you'd suggest?
Nice, I like to finish with simple sugars like molasses, honey, botanicare raw and ripeners like overdrive, moab, or kool bloom.
 
Texasdigger35

Texasdigger35

60
18
To me those pots only look like 25 gallon or so. I think 3 gallons of nutrient solution at half strength twice a week should sort you out for pots of that size. If you think youre starting to get salt buildup dig down a bit and take a sample of soil and test it. If youre too high on EC test lower your nutrient mix or give a plain watering. Dont flush with 20 gallons of water unless your plants are showing big signs of burn otherwise you're pushing all the nutrients out of soil. Looks underfed and heat stressed to me.
 
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