im sure you aware of this but, i will say it for the new guys..different nutes uptake at different ph levels..good ph 5.2-6.2 i have found..here is a chart for the availability of nutrients at different ph levels, the chart to follow for pro mix is the chart on the right of the page..i got it from high times awhile ago and have followed it with great results..pro mix is a soil less medium..i am no expert by far but, this has worked for me..i grow in 5 gal buckets w/100s of 1/2" holes drilled and lined with nylon screen..they are a cheaper d.i.y. pot to grow in..and you can never over water with these types of pots..i have found that when watering/feeding pro mix do it slowly, i give 1 gal at each watering and pour it a quart at a time to allow the pro mix to absorb the water all the way to the bottom of pot..pro mix is great stuff because you know exactly what the plants are getting at each feeding unless you amend it with bone meal/worm castings etc..regular pro mix should be amended with dolomite lime to buffer ph and 25%-30%perlite for better drainage..i use the bx and the bx has lime and alot more perlite/vermiculite than regular pro mix..this is what is working with me..remember less is best with the nutes until you find what works for your strain/growing conditions, you can always add more nutes later..we use general organics go-box nutes and we feed, feed, feed 75% every watering and its amazing how they grow..i hope this helps you out..its what has worked for us, that and patience..
sorry, should of clarified exactly what i was speaking of..75%of the recommended nutrient amounts from manufacturer for feeding/watering..i can snap a pic when i get back but, they are 5 gal buckets with hundreds of 1/2" holes drilled all over the bucket 6"down from rim/top of bucket or you can use milk crates with nylon window screen at least doubled..i got the idea of the 5 gal buckets from a friend that is growing in plastic milk crates with the nylon screen inside the milk crates, and the screen air prunes the roots..i cut the screen long enough so it will encircle the inside of the 5 gal buckets 2 times(i have a roll of nylon screen 36" wide)..you may have to hold the screen up with your hand until you get the pro mix in..i have used the earth(fabric type pots)and these work just as good for a fraction of the cost..the screen and buckets are reusable, the screen lasts 2-3 grows and then i cut new screen and fill buckets again..its a low cost method and works good for us..i buy the big black oil change containers and put the 5 gal buckets inside(holds the old oil about 6" high) from the dollar tree(dollar store)for $1 each to catch the runoff when i feed/water..the oil holders will hold about 1 gallon of runoff with the 5 gal buckets sitting inside of them(important when flushing for me because i use a scrog and cannot move plants to flush)..i will try to get a pic soon..theres probably something like it on youtube, some guys on youtube can be very creative....i hope this explains it alil better..i am new to talking and putting words into sentences since smoking this ak48 lol
hi, i just posted a pic of the pots i was referring to..hope this helps you get a better idea of what i was trying to describe..thanks
thanks jack, we were discussing cloth/fabric earth pots and the d.i.y. earth type pots using 5gal buckets and nylon mesh window screen, drilling hundreds of 1/2" holes in 5gal bucket..or using milk crates and nylon screen to hold grow medium in milk crate..i had a 7gal cloth earth pot and the handle ripped off and, i had pro mix and plant all over the grow area because the earth pot handle ripped off when moving plant to flush, and we were talking about making our own earth type pots..im using the 5gal bucket w/hundreds of 1/2" holes drilled for drainage and airflow w/nylon screen doubled..do you have any ideas on how to make d.i.y. earth pots..peace
torturekill, i put the screen all the way around the pots, including the bottoms..the chicken wire method with the weed blocker fabric sounds like it would work good..and i will try this when the roll of screen runs out(shortly)..i bought the roll of screen for $22 i think and, have made appr. 50 pots..i will never buy another earth pot after one ripping on me and the mess i had..and for the price of 4 earth pots i can make 50 homemade pots and not have to worry about the homemade pots ripping and, hurting one of the lovely ladies again..thanks
i will stay tuned for the details on the pots, i have several friends that experiment with making there own pots from 4x4 wood apple bins to plastic laundry baskets, and the chicken wire is a new one to me. we are always looking for a better idea and this idea sounds good to me..
