Please help well intentioned grower get a toehold in the organic world! topdress and tea---

[Nwtexan]

Hello,

I've spent the last couple of weeks reading, reading, reading; books, threads, etc, trying to not ask "dumb" questions.
I've been searching through the organic forums, as well as wearing google down trying to get a good tack to go on.

I am mid grow with a successful(to me) first small run. I grew quite a bit a long time ago, but was a completely different time and different circumstance.

WIth my grow, i did the typical thing and got a bunch of FF stuff. I got some Happy Frog, Ocean forest, and amended that with some worm castings, humus, and recharge. I bought the FF trio with the intention of using that through the grow and making more of a decision next time. As I learned from many of you, I started changing my tack and decided that I didn't want to go with chemical ferts filled with salt.

To this point I have only been using the FF tea(big bloom) and some recharge. My plants are looking great and I am about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks from flip. I am in 7G airpots with a mix that I think will be good for another couple of weeks or so.

I am wanting to basically top dress and tea as needed. I have read most of the threads here and on a few different sites, and it seems that some people add a ton of stuff and others add almost nothing. I know that everyone has their favorite style and that there are a million paths to go down.

I would love some knowledge on a relatively simple and workable topdress and tea recipe that either would work together or, one or the other that would be preferable by itself. I know that I need to be doing this sooner than later if I'm staying this path.

Please help advise a young padawan who knows what he doesn't know and desires the knowledge to build upon it. My mom was a huge organic gardener and I know her spirit would smile on this direction.

Peace
Tex

 

[Richard Drysift]

When preparing for bloom phase best thing to do is transplant to the final size container a week or two before the flip. I assume by your mention of 7g pots that the plants are in the final size containers already so a top dressing is the alternative. I would go with something like this:
EWC... at least handful or two per plant
1/2 cup kelp meal
1/2 cup fish bone meal
1 cup chicken or cow manure ( Or slow release fertilizer input of your choice)
Mix that up and top dress; water it in

For bloom phase I use 2 Jobes organic AP spikes per container...just push them in they feed for 8 weeks.
There are a ton of ways to make tea but I think the best recipe is the simplest:
For 3-5 gal of tea start with clean water in a bucket with an airstone bubbling and then add:
1-3 cup EWC
1 tblspn molasses (or honey or maple syrup)
1/2 cup kelp meal
Optionally if an NPK boost is needed add 3-4 tsp of liquid fish emulsion (Neptune’s harvest w/seaweed is my fave)
Bubble for 24-36 hrs, strain, and serve it all right away; dump any sludge or tea left in the bottom onto recycling soil.
Good luck and happy growing!!!

 

[meangreengrowinmachine]

I would recommend you check out the sub irrigated planter or SIP thread. Also ditch all the FF stuf and just build your own reusable soil! It is the way to go! I have a recipe I use in a thread i have name critique my soil recipe, I use only teas top dress and water

 

[meangreengrowinmachine]

When preparing for bloom phase best thing to do is transplant to the final size container a week or two before the flip. I assume by your mention of 7g pots that the plants are in the final size containers already so a top dressing is the alternative. I would go with something like this:
EWC... at least handful or two per plant
1/2 cup kelp meal
1/2 cup fish bone meal
1 cup chicken or cow manure ( Or slow release fertilizer input of your choice)
Mix that up and top dress; water it in

For bloom phase I use 2 Jobes organic AP spikes per container...just push them in they feed for 8 weeks.
There are a ton of ways to make tea but I think the best recipe is the simplest:
For 3-5 gal of tea start with clean water in a bucket with an airstone bubbling and then add:
1-3 cup EWC
1 tblspn molasses (or honey or maple syrup)
1/2 cup kelp meal
Optionally if an NPK boost is needed add 3-4 tsp of liquid fish emulsion (Neptune’s harvest w/seaweed is my fave)
Bubble for 24-36 hrs, strain, and serve it all right away; dump any sludge or tea left in the bottom onto recycling soil.
Good luck and happy growing!!!

Ha our yeah this guy 100% knows his shit!

 

[maranibbana]

When preparing for bloom phase best thing to do is transplant to the final size container a week or two before the flip. I assume by your mention of 7g pots that the plants are in the final size containers already so a top dressing is the alternative. I would go with something like this:
EWC... at least handful or two per plant
1/2 cup kelp meal
1/2 cup fish bone meal
1 cup chicken or cow manure ( Or slow release fertilizer input of your choice)
Mix that up and top dress; water it in

For bloom phase I use 2 Jobes organic AP spikes per container...just push them in they feed for 8 weeks.
There are a ton of ways to make tea but I think the best recipe is the simplest:
For 3-5 gal of tea start with clean water in a bucket with an airstone bubbling and then add:
1-3 cup EWC
1 tblspn molasses (or honey or maple syrup)
1/2 cup kelp meal
Optionally if an NPK boost is needed add 3-4 tsp of liquid fish emulsion (Neptune’s harvest w/seaweed is my fave)
Bubble for 24-36 hrs, strain, and serve it all right away; dump any sludge or tea left in the bottom onto recycling soil.
Good luck and happy growing!!!

this^

if you don't want to mix it yourself build a soil craft blend or build a flower top dress is great..

or any top dress blend by a reputable soil company..

or roots organics terp tea line works great too...

but yes I would top dress for flower...

as well as reamend/reset after harvest.

 

[Nwtexan]

Wow! This is amazing! Thanks so much.
I am definitely planning on building my own soil next grow. I am trying to aggregate info on where/how to go. That was a whole different rabbithole! I was putting together a list for Koots soil, and then stumbled upon a thread that said it didn't work in containers under 10G!

 

[Nwtexan]

When preparing for bloom phase best thing to do is transplant to the final size container a week or two before the flip. I assume by your mention of 7g pots that the plants are in the final size containers already so a top dressing is the alternative. I would go with something like this:
EWC... at least handful or two per plant
1/2 cup kelp meal
1/2 cup fish bone meal
1 cup chicken or cow manure ( Or slow release fertilizer input of your choice)
Mix that up and top dress; water it in

For bloom phase I use 2 Jobes organic AP spikes per container...just push them in they feed for 8 weeks.
There are a ton of ways to make tea but I think the best recipe is the simplest:
For 3-5 gal of tea start with clean water in a bucket with an airstone bubbling and then add:
1-3 cup EWC
1 tblspn molasses (or honey or maple syrup)
1/2 cup kelp meal
Optionally if an NPK boost is needed add 3-4 tsp of liquid fish emulsion (Neptune’s harvest w/seaweed is my fave)
Bubble for 24-36 hrs, strain, and serve it all right away; dump any sludge or tea left in the bottom onto recycling soil.
Good luck and happy growing!!!

Yes, the 7G are my final pot for this round. I repotted from 1G a little early, but the girls are really happy. I can't believe those Jobe spikes are the deal! I think i saw you mention them somewhere else. I will grab all this stuff tomorrow. I'm gonna use up the rest of the Big Bloom and start brewing my own. I actually keep bees, so have a bunch of honey. I didn't know you could use that in place of Molasses. That will be fun!

 

[maranibbana]

Yes, the 7G are my final pot for this round. I repotted from 1G a little early, but the girls are really happy. I can't believe those Jobe spikes are the deal! I think i saw you mention them somewhere else. I will grab all this stuff tomorrow. I'm gonna use up the rest of the Big Bloom and start brewing my own. I actually keep bees, so have a bunch of honey. I didn't know you could use that in place of Molasses. That will be fun!

look into
FPJ - fermented plant juice
FFJ - fermented fruit juice
FAA - Fish aminos
WAC - water soluble calcium
WACP - water soluble potassium/cal
LABs - lactobacilli cultures
and
SSTs - sprouted seed tea.

MammothP
Kelp tea foliar sprays

all or some of the above

 

[Nwtexan]

look into
FPJ - fermented plant juice
FFJ - fermented fruit juice
FAA - Fish aminos
WAC - water soluble calcium
WACP - water soluble potassium/cal
LABs - lactobacilli cultures
and
SSTs - sprouted seed tea.

all or some of the above

I'm doing a lot of reading. Trying to take it slow where i understand and can try things out in real time. My grow right now in in a small 3x3 tent, but i will be able to use the outside once the weather shifts

 

[Nwtexan]

For bloom phase I use 2 Jobes organic AP spikes per container...just push them in they feed for 8 weeks.

You don't need anything more p or k heavy towards the end?

 

[Medskunk]

Be humble with the honey! Eventually it clogs things up if you use a lot, you only need a little bit of the substance.

 

[Nwtexan]

When preparing for bloom phase best thing to do is transplant to the final size container a week or two before the flip. I assume by your mention of 7g pots that the plants are in the final size containers already so a top dressing is the alternative. I would go with something like this:
EWC... at least handful or two per plant
1/2 cup kelp meal
1/2 cup fish bone meal
1 cup chicken or cow manure ( Or slow release fertilizer input of your choice)
Mix that up and top dress; water it in

Is this a per plant basis? Sounds like it by the ewc reccs. All of the “all in” amendments like roots organic and down to earth have really minimal amounts (1-2 tsp) of their mixes.

 

[Nwtexan]

I guess this is per plant. I’ll apply and report back as I see results.
Thanks again for the info

 

[PadawanWarrior]

this^

if you don't want to mix it yourself build a soil craft blend or build a flower top dress is great..

or any top dress blend by a reputable soil company..

or roots organics terp tea line works great too...

but yes I would top dress for flower...

as well as reamend/reset after harvest.

I'm a huge fan of Build a Soil. Last time I ordered the 25 pound bucket of Craft Blend. It's good stuff.

If anyone want's something from them, you can get $5 off through this link. I got a basement full of shit from them.

BuildASoil: Organic Living Soil, Fertilizers, and Soil Amendments

Everything you need to grow no-till with organic living soil. Our mission is to support organic gardeners and to provide the best products and information on how to use them. We carry pre mixed super soil, living soil, organic soil fertilizers, organic water soluble nutrients, soil minerals...

i.refs.cc

 

[osowhom]

When preparing for bloom phase best thing to do is transplant to the final size container a week or two before the flip. I assume by your mention of 7g pots that the plants are in the final size containers already so a top dressing is the alternative. I would go with something like this:
EWC... at least handful or two per plant
1/2 cup kelp meal
1/2 cup fish bone meal
1 cup chicken or cow manure ( Or slow release fertilizer input of your choice)
Mix that up and top dress; water it in

For bloom phase I use 2 Jobes organic AP spikes per container...just push them in they feed for 8 weeks.
There are a ton of ways to make tea but I think the best recipe is the simplest:
For 3-5 gal of tea start with clean water in a bucket with an airstone bubbling and then add:
1-3 cup EWC
1 tblspn molasses (or honey or maple syrup)
1/2 cup kelp meal
Optionally if an NPK boost is needed add 3-4 tsp of liquid fish emulsion (Neptune’s harvest w/seaweed is my fave)
Bubble for 24-36 hrs, strain, and serve it all right away; dump any sludge or tea left in the bottom onto recycling soil.
Good luck and happy growing!!!

the chicken manure works great but be prepared for it to stink like poo for a while but the bernefits outweigh the smell

 

[osowhom]

Wow! This is amazing! Thanks so much.
I am definitely planning on building my own soil next grow. I am trying to aggregate info on where/how to go. That was a whole different rabbithole! I was putting together a list for Koots soil, and then stumbled upon a thread that said it didn't work in containers under 10G!

thats what i did and my plants are loving it do some research and get all your supplies ready so when its time to transplant you will be ready i let my soil cook for a little while too

 

[osowhom]

mine are in 7 gal pots too

Yes, the 7G are my final pot for this round. I repotted from 1G a little early, but the girls are really happy. I can't believe those Jobe spikes are the deal! I think i saw you mention them somewhere else. I will grab all this stuff tomorrow. I'm gonna use up the rest of the Big Bloom and start brewing my own. I actually keep bees, so have a bunch of honey. I didn't know you could use that in place of Molasses. That will be fun!

and i repotted a bit early too but they filled out nicely and doubled in size i flipped at 26 inches

 

[PadawanWarrior]

the chicken manure works great but be prepared for it to stink like poo for a while but the bernefits outweigh the smell

The one I get from Build a Soil doesn't really smell much at all.

You won't get $5 off through this link though.
NutriGrow Organics Chicken Manure - BuildASoil

 

[Nwtexan]

I'm a huge fan of Build a Soil. Last time I ordered the 25 pound bucket of Craft Blend. It's good stuff.

If anyone want's something from them, you can get $5 off through this link. I got a basement full of shit from them.

BuildASoil: Organic Living Soil, Fertilizers, and Soil Amendments

Everything you need to grow no-till with organic living soil. Our mission is to support organic gardeners and to provide the best products and information on how to use them. We carry pre mixed super soil, living soil, organic soil fertilizers, organic water soluble nutrients, soil minerals...

i.refs.cc

I like their site. I try to buy as much locally as I can, but I'm sure I will be using some of their supplies

 

[Nwtexan]

thats what i did and my plants are loving it do some research and get all your supplies ready so when its time to transplant you will be ready i let my soil cook for a little while too

If you are using the Koots soil, are you doing the transplant thing where you layer it on the bottom of the pot with a less hot soil? I read a couple of threads of people saying the soil didn't work well in smaller(under 10G pots) and that people complaining about it not working for them weren't using it right.

What did you you for your soil? I know the general recipe, but have seen a ton of variations