The importance of developing an effective fertilizing finishing regime

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Frankster

Frankster

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I've used a lot of different amendments over the years, and I'm always trying new ones, or mixing this or that. Probably too much sometimes, but I do enjoy experimenting and finding new things to improve quality. Anyhow, I was wondering if anyone uses "citric acid" toward the end, because I think it could give some really interesting character, as I really love lime tones.

Here's how I put it together. 1.5L, because I usually mix for each plant. 1/4 tsp of dibasic potassium phosphate K₂HPO₄ and probably about 1/8 tsp of Potassium Bicarbonate, KHCO3 and approximately 1/8th tsp of Citric Acid. written as C6H5O3/7 or C3H5O(COO)3/3.

PH balanced to 6.5 my solution came to 680 ppm, so I diluted a tad, but not much, about half/half should be good.

It is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, which occurs in the metabolism of all aerobic organisms.
Please feel free to share your thoughts or some of the things you use for finishing.
 
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Grapefruitroop

Grapefruitroop

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Very interesting....Whydid u use Bicarbonate?
Last harvest i didnt flush but added 3 final applications of Potassium Sulphate and i reallly noticed it.
The flavor of my last crop was much more intense, deep, compared to the round before, same clone same soil same environment...its like eating candies
I also trew in some fructose, but just because i had it layn around....eh eh...
The only thing i gotta say is that when i went to recycle the soil the PH was skyrocketing and i had some burns and lockout the first few days but then got it on track.....
The potassium Sulphate i have is very hot....half gram x liter adds about 120 ppm of K and 100 of S !!!!!!!!!!!😧
kaboom
 
Frankster

Frankster

Never trust a doctor who's plants have died.
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Very interesting....Whydid u use Bicarbonate?
Last harvest i didnt flush but added 3 final applications of Potassium Sulphate and i reallly noticed it.
The flavor of my last crop was much more intense, deep, compared to the round before, same clone same soil same environment...its like eating candies
I also trew in some fructose, but just because i had it layn around....eh eh...
The only thing i gotta say is that when i went to recycle the soil the PH was skyrocketing and i had some burns and lockout the first few days but then got it on track.....
The potassium Sulphate i have is very hot....half gram x liter adds about 120 ppm of K and 100 of S !!!!!!!!!!!😧
kaboom
well you can use up to 0.3% as a reduction agent, and it's highly needed by the flower during the end. Also the bicarb gives a molecule that can allow C02 to be easily created, and the dibasic potassium phospate for the same reason, buffering capacity. The question is, is it too much potassium (probably) should I maybe use calcium carbonate instead, which can be more easily tolerated?

I think that's a better choice also, actually. Anyhow, it's just fishing, trying to find something that works better. But I'm looking for something with a clean finish, that's the goal.

I had a plant I flushed awhile back, and I harvested the rest, but this one needs a little bump, and a few more days under the UV lights.
 
TheBioMaster

TheBioMaster

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I'm lazy, and time is the most valuable "thing" we know of......Flawless Finish from advanced is cheap enough and works very well. Cleans out all the pipes (RDWC System), removes salt buildup, and has magnesium in it so you don't completely starve your plants during the finishing stages, like some growers feel the need to do.

I've noticed major differences in final weight, and most importantly product quality.
 
Frankster

Frankster

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I think adding in bicarbonate is a pretty good thing to be replacing keeping up a constant supply of it, actually, up to a point anyhow. This is my opinion of course, but it seems to help. I speculate bicarbonates, help enhance the supply of buffer, and it also helps provide assistance in aerobic metabolism. (hydrogen/carbon/oxygen/) it's at the base of the plant, but it's still getting into circulation though out the room. Enhancing overall C02 metabolism, naturally.

Most of my problems during late flower deal with acidity, so anything that helps alleviate that, can be very beneficial.

I'm getting to the point whereas I'm adding essentially every element independent of one another, although I do give a micro.

Manipulating all the ones on the left side of the chart, the ones on the right get it from the beginning, with in the added blood meal, bone meal, kelp meal, and azomite mixture, along with a bacterial and myco spawn.

But from flowering out, I try and balance the main nutrients individually. It's taken awhile, but I'm starting to get it down. Plants use a lot more sulfur that I thought, actually, looking back, especially during flower.

Carbon (C)Iron (Fe)
Hydrogen (H)Manganese (Mn)
Oxygen (O)Boron (B)
Nitrogen (N)Molybdenum (Mo)
Phosphorus (P)Copper (Cu)
Potassium (K)Zinc (Zn)
Calcium (Ca)Chlorine (Cl)
Magnesium (Mg)Nickel (Ni)
Sulfur (S)
 
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Frankster

Frankster

Never trust a doctor who's plants have died.
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You haven't had any problems with calcium lockout when using bicarbonates? Are you just using it at the finish of the grow or throughout?


Nah, but I use a healthy amount of calcium sources, I start with bone meal in the soil, and baseline amounts of lime, it's also given another dose during early (magnesium/calcium/carbonate) flowering. Then I've switched to using calcium nitrate if I need nitrate also, I use calcium carbonate also, depending on the other salts I'm trying to buffer. I use all of them at some time or another.

I've also got the potassium nitrate also. I'm sure I'll weed some of them out over time, as there's so much redundancy, I've just took most of the fundamental salt configurations out there, sometimes several different forms of the same thing, because of the ph differences, and NPK ratio's, for instance the dibasic, and mono basic potassium phosphate. I select it based upon what I'm mixing it with, always seeking to balance the ph while targeting the specific nutrient rato's I"m after.


Specifically, things like the potassium bicarbonate were selected, because it's a choice among wine makers. I honestly think there might be some usage there, during the harvest, and I want those soils pumping out a continuous small supply of CO2, if possible.
 
Frankster

Frankster

Never trust a doctor who's plants have died.
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You haven't had any problems with calcium lockout when using bicarbonates? Are you just using it at the finish of the grow or throughout?
It seems to do just the opposite, it helps calcium, IMO. I'm thinking it keep's them from binding with something else, and becoming inactive. It keep's them available for uptake, if I'm not mistaken, at least to some degree.
 
RippedTorn

RippedTorn

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I'm lazy, and time is the most valuable "thing" we know of......Flawless Finish from advanced is cheap enough and works very well. Cleans out all the pipes (RDWC System), removes salt buildup, and has magnesium in it so you don't completely starve your plants during the finishing stages, like some growers feel the need to do.

I've noticed major differences in final weight, and most importantly product quality.

Some growers use it too late and you can taste the magnesium, or something. Knew a guy who's bud all smelled like the same GH sweetener, the generic sweetness itself was fine, but their was always something extra dirty in their also. Like, God damned growers, figure your shit out, it tastes bad.
 

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