Top Dress Question

slap14 · May 14, 2016

I top dress a few times a grow in flower. I grow in 3 gallon tall pots and I grow indoor. I use a few different things depending on the timing or plant needs.

Now to the question.

What would be the difference in top dressing and then watering it into the soil opposed to just mixing my top dressing into the water and drenching the soil. I am strictly organic so say i'm top dressing with EWC and kelp meal why not mix those in water right before I drench.

Thanks for any ideas on the subject

Slap

jumpincactus · May 14, 2016

Only thing I can think of would be topdressed would be a slower gradual release as opposed to a soil drench with amendments/additives in the water.

jumpincactus · May 14, 2016

I just realized I wasn't very specific and apologize for that. Here's my .2 cents

If you topdress the nutes will be released slowly as you continue to water as needed. With a worm casting/kelp mix the effect should be more immediate thru the roots depending on how bio-available those components are when you mix them. I would highly suggest if you are going the soil drench route to use a ACT, AACT or some other form of bubbling your drench before use.

At this point it is your decision to make. Heres a link for compost teas and such. Go with AACT's and your plants & soil will love you for it. :D Tim W. is a super dude and will answer any emailed questions you send him. Depending on the size and scope of your groom/plant count will determine how far you wanna go. If you cant afford to buy the correct pump up front you can always defer to a fish store pump with a clean 5 gall bucket until you can get a real deal setup..... http://www.microbeorganics.com/#Living_Soil

fishwhistle · May 14, 2016

Yep,topdressing your anticipating things a bit,drenching is a better answer when you are seeing something already,i do both.

slap14 · May 15, 2016

@jumpincactus
@fishwhistle

I appreciate the responses. I do use compost teas, worm teas and spouted seed teas.

It just seems from a logical stand point wether you put the top dress on the soil and water it in, it would end up getting it in the same place at the same rate as mixing it with water and watering it in. I guess i'll keep doing this the conventional top dress way. Was just trying to come up with ways to make things easier and faster.

Thank again guys

Slap

Patanjali · May 23, 2016

slap14 said:
@jumpincactus
@fishwhistle

I appreciate the responses. I do use compost teas, worm teas and spouted seed teas.

It just seems from a logical stand point wether you put the top dress on the soil and water it in, it would end up getting it in the same place at the same rate as mixing it with water and watering it in. I guess i'll keep doing this the conventional top dress way. Was just trying to come up with ways to make things easier and faster.

Thank again guys

Slap

I often top dress and imho is an excellent ay to add what you need (especially if you are utilizing a mulch layer).

Peace,

P-

north knect · May 23, 2016

I top dress my guano usually so it degrades a little slower and doesn't get to hot to quick, I top dress once they start to stretch and by time their done stretching the guano is just starting to break down when u need it most..just what I do tho lol..happy farming

hawkman · Aug 29, 2018

some one mentioned a company were you can purchase top dressing -please chime- in, Can't find the mentioned site. Thanks !!!!!!

jumpincactus · Sep 18, 2018

hawkman said:
some one mentioned a company were you can purchase top dressing -please chime- in, Can't find the mentioned site. Thanks !!!!!!

are you thinking build a soil https://buildasoil.com/

Oh gosh · Nov 25, 2018

jumpincactus said:
are you thinking build a soil

jumpincactus said:
are you thinking build a soil https://buildasoil.com/

Natures Pride

hawkman · Nov 26, 2018

jumpincactus said:
are you thinking build a soil https://buildasoil.com/

Look at "triacontanol" this has been proven to really influence growth. just found out abut this stuff build-a-soil sells the stuff to make it - Google this "tiracontanol" there is a post about this stuff also - what's your take?

crimsonecho · Nov 26, 2018

hawkman said:
Look at "triacontanol" this has been proven to really influence growth. just found out abut this stuff build-a-soil sells the stuff to make it - Google this "tiracontanol" there is a post about this stuff also - what's your take?

Alfalfa has it in abundance.

Thats why i made alfalfa fpe actually.

Promotes side branching too. Its good stuff.

Don’t use it in flowering it causes foxtailing.

hawkman · Nov 26, 2018

CrimsonEcho said:
Alfalfa has it in abundance.

Thats why i made alfalfa fpe actually.

Promotes side branching too. Its good stuff.

Don’t use it in flowering it causes foxtailing.

going to bet some -alfalfa from build-a-soil and brew it , seen a vidoe about brewing it , they added wood ash to the mix 1 part to 1 part any good tips/info about brewing this ? if I remember right they also added unsulfured mollasses ? still a little confused help have you ever used Mammoth P ? can't believe the results in using this Why? no to use in flower ?

crimsonecho · Nov 26, 2018

hawkman said:
going to bet some -alfalfa from build-a-soil and brew it , seen a vidoe about brewing it , they added wood ash to the mix 1 part to 1 part any good tips/info about brewing this ? if I remember right they also added unsulfured mollasses ? still a little confused help have you ever used Mammoth P ? can't believe the results in using this Why? no to use in flower ?

What i did was an fpe (fermented plant extract).

Crushed up alfalfa fermented in lactobacilli serum with molasses. Then more molasses to stabilise.

Never used mammoth p but i add various organic potassium boosts in the flowering stage. One of them is molasses and another one is banana fpe.

You can use it in flower tho from what i read and my personal experience it causes foxtailing in indica doms.

hawkman · Nov 26, 2018

CrimsonEcho said:
What i did was an fpe (fermented plant extract).

Crushed up alfalfa fermented in lactobacilli serum with molasses. Then more molasses to stabilise.

Never used mammoth p but i add various organic potassium boosts in the flowering stage. One of them is molasses and another one is banana fpe.

You can use it in flower tho from what i read and my personal experience it causes foxtailing in indica doms.

have a sample bottle coming - Mammoth P (cost $6.00) - what's the difference with molasses and unsufured molasses ? what quanities do you make -- thinking 1 part of each for 5 gallon brew ? like you don't like foxtailing either

crimsonecho · Nov 26, 2018

hawkman said:
have a sample bottle coming - Mammoth P (cost $6.00) - what's the difference with molasses and unsufured molasses ? what quanities do you make -- thinking 1 part of each for 5 gallon brew ? like you don't like foxtailing either

Sulphur is added to young sugar canes before processing. It is detrimental on bacterial growth. Not to the extend that makes it unuseful but its better to go unsulphured.

There must be a detailed em and fpe making threads here on the farm i think. Use the search to find out. If there isn’t one, hit me up, i can make one.

All i’ll say basically, get your em1 or lab, get your plant material into your container, cover it with activated em1 or lab and let it ferment till you see 3-3.5 on your ph meter or until the solids all dissolve. Strain, add 1 to 1 molasses (i go lower like 2 fpe to 1 molasses) and bottle in something with air valves. Little goes a long way. I usually add 2-4mls per litre or 15 mls per gallon. This is concentrated stuff not the same as aacts.

hawkman · Nov 26, 2018

CrimsonEcho said:
Sulphur is added to young sugar canes before processing. It is detrimental on bacteria. Not to the extend that makes it unuseful but its better to go unsulphured.

There must be a detailed em and fpe making threads here on the farm i think. Use the search to find out. If there isn’t one, hit me up, i can make one.

All i’ll say basically, get your em1 or lab, get your plant material into your container, cover it with activated em1 or lab and let it ferment till you see 3-3.5 on your ph meter or until the solids all dissolve. Strain, add 1 to 1 molasses (i go lower like 2 fpe to 1 molasses) and bottle in something with air valves. Little goes a long way. I usually add 2-4mls per litre or 15 mls per gallon. This is concentrated stuff not the same as aacts.

Thanks !!!! Great help !! one more question about em1 - understand that it's a microbial inoculant you add this to the tea ? or can you use as a soil drench by it's self (this is a MUST right ?) (don't bag nothing just add to - no bag

oldskol4evr · Nov 26, 2018

CrimsonEcho said:
Sulphur is added to young sugar canes before processing. It is detrimental on bacteria. Not to the extend that makes it unuseful but its better to go unsulphured.

There must be a detailed em and fpe making threads here on the farm i think. Use the search to find out. If there isn’t one, hit me up, i can make one.

All i’ll say basically, get your em1 or lab, get your plant material into your container, cover it with activated em1 or lab and let it ferment till you see 3-3.5 on your ph meter or until the solids all dissolve. Strain, add 1 to 1 molasses (i go lower like 2 fpe to 1 molasses) and bottle in something with air valves. Little goes a long way. I usually add 2-4mls per litre or 15 mls per gallon. This is concentrated stuff not the same as aacts.

keep in fridge and you dont have to use as much mollases,stays dormant till use,in jars defitnely more mollases ,they are alive at that point and ever weather change your jars go to pinging needing burped,i use all kind of fpj and make myself,im a comfrey fan indeed,made some ffe recently but havent used as of yet,used mangos and pipaya,broccile plants are done,just harvest yesterday they are next on the fermenting block all calcium,i use the mother culture of em1 and make my own ready to use em1 also,saves money with the mother culture and you get 20 times what the one liter bottle has for same price,fermenting is easy ,again the mollases is the trick

oldskol4evr · Nov 26, 2018

hawkman said:
Thanks !!!! Great help !! one more question about em1 - understand that it's a microbial inoculant you add this to the tea ? or can you use as a soil drench by it's self (this is a MUST right ?) (don't bag nothing just add to - no bag

you can go both ways ,when i just water,it has em1 in the water,when i feed i use the em1 to knock down the ph in my knf feeds,so i do a feed every two weeks and water the rest the way with em1,dont get carried away with it go half dose,or go 30 ml to a gallon of water once a week

crimsonecho · Nov 26, 2018

oldskol4evr said:
keep in fridge and you dont have to use as much mollases,stays dormant till use,in jars defitnely more mollases ,they are alive at that point and ever weather change your jars go to pinging needing burped,i use all kind of fpj and make myself,im a comfrey fan indeed,made some ffe recently but havent used as of yet,used mangos and pipaya,broccile plants are done,just harvest yesterday they are next on the fermenting block all calcium,i use the mother culture of em1 and make my own ready to use em1 also,saves money with the mother culture and you get 20 times what the one liter bottle has for same price,fermenting is easy ,again the mollases is the trick

I don’t keep it in the fridge, no problems, molasses stabilises it.

If you use a bottle with a one way air release valve, no need to burp. Burping actually lets in air which promotes fungi. Not bad but not needed.

LAB is easy to do with rice wash and milk. You can make em too if you have a kiln, i don’t but i just don’t get the phototropic bacteria. No big deal. Still lots of wild yeast and bacteria.

It is actually not advised to make mother culture out of your activated em1. With each activation, the claim of the company is that the ratios are changing (lactobacilli-yeast-phototropic bacteria) so the end product cannot be called “em1” anymore.

But if you’re getting a “mother culture” from the company then its good.

Top Dress Question

Top Dress Question

slap14

jumpincactus

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jumpincactus

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fishwhistle

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Patanjali

north knect

hawkman

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Oh gosh

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Top Dress Question

Top Dress Question

slap14

jumpincactus

Premium Member

jumpincactus

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fishwhistle

slap14

Patanjali

north knect

hawkman

jumpincactus

Premium Member

Oh gosh

hawkman

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

hawkman

crimsonecho

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hawkman

crimsonecho

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