General Organics Talk

[Wolverine97]

The diamond black is derived from leonardite, so you probably don't need it if roots has it in the soil. They add a little potash to make it 0-0-1 though if you wanted a little extra K.



I only recently started using the Metro because my shop stopped carrying biobizz light mix (which I recommend if you can get it) and the alternative was Sunshine Mix which I tried and didn't like.

Fitting you should mention AN, as they posted a video (http://www.growersunderground.com/blog/hydroponics-articles/the-great-phosphorus-myth-exposed) with charts indicating Nitrogen requirements INCREASE during flowering for many strains. Watch the video and when he puts up the charts, look carefully and you'll see. Unfortunately he goes on to offer a product which doesn't at all support the data he just showed, but the content is whats important. I have never used AN so I can't comment on their products.

And if you think about it, it makes sense that plants need more Nitrogen (especially early in flower) to support the rapid size increase/stretch.

Typically when I begin flower, I will transplant into a larger container with the same base soil I started with, high-N guano and all, to give the plants that added Nitrogen. Makes things run very smoothly.

Oh, and I figured by your SN that it referred to the school up north and not the cuddly animal. I actually have a long and fond history with Michigan (the state), but not so much Ann Arbor. I hope Rich Rod stays the coach forever

I'm definitely on the same page as far as the type of soil mix you're using. And my transplant routine is about the same, I just don't use high N (I use a higher P)guano, I use castings for my N base. I may change that up a bit, see how it goes.

AN is actually where I got the info about the specific type of N that you need to increase during flowering, I'm just trying to get away from their lineup and going organic so I'm trying to find products that fit the bill.

I could go on forever about the state of affairs in AA right now, but I won't. In short, I want Brandon to give RR another year but it's been painful up here. As you know, and I'm sure, thoroughly enjoy.

edit: didn't write anything when I rep'd you, didn't know I had to...

 

[elduece]

I've been using the GO line for a few months now and I love it. I make my own soilless mix w/ metro mix, light warrior, worm castings, high-N guano, mycorrhizae, and garden lime to balance pH. I feed every other watering, usually using the "heavy" dosage listed on the bottle, depending on the stage of the plant.

I have NEVER measured the pH of my nutrient mixture or soil, and have no need to...let alone the ppm/tds/EC...you just don't need to.

I also don't follow any kind of feeding chart...I apply nutrients based on plant response. I give BioWeed throughout the duration of the grow, regardless of phase. I continue to add Biothrive Grow nutrients throughout the first 5 or 6 weeks of flower in addition to the Biothrive Bloom nutrients, never exceeding 4 teaspoons Grow+Bloom per gallon. This added Nitrogen helps keep leaves green and healthy until I'm ready for them to yellow.

Hey Jerry are you using tap water?

 

[1eyeganjaman]

hey Jerry, im doing the exact same thing exept in a coco, hydroton, perlite mix. I have to say im impressed with it! im croping the plants today at 10 wks. nice lookin plants fo sho!! check out my album called mango kush for pics

 

[Jerry Garcia]

Hey Jerry are you using tap water?

I use a brita tap filter with a clear plastic hose and fill up 1-gal jugs, around 9 at a time. The filter says it removes Chlorine, which is good, but my principality uses Chloramine for most of the year, so I'm not sure how much it does. I use it anyway though, and it seems to work fine with the GO line.

On a side note, I've been tracking the number of gallons filtered per filter (the package says it cleans 100 gallons before it needs replacing) and the little indicator light turned red after only 70 gallons of filtering! I think I've been throwing them away too early.

 

[Jerry Garcia]

I'm definitely on the same page as far as the type of soil mix you're using. And my transplant routine is about the same, I just don't use high N (I use a higher P)guano, I use castings for my N base. I may change that up a bit, see how it goes.

AN is actually where I got the info about the specific type of N that you need to increase during flowering, I'm just trying to get away from their lineup and going organic so I'm trying to find products that fit the bill.

I could go on forever about the state of affairs in AA right now, but I won't. In short, I want Brandon to give RR another year but it's been painful up here. As you know, and I'm sure, thoroughly enjoy.

edit: didn't write anything when I rep'd you, didn't know I had to...

One of the reasons I haven't used the Seabird guano (10-10-2 or something) is because I add mycorrhizae to my mix and I've read multiple articles indicating they thrive in low-P environments. They like to seek out the phosphorous...too much makes them lazy or something. I figure they get enough P from the liquid nutrients.

 

[cleverpiggy]

Hello Jerry,
Do you see a benefit to bubbling the GO nutrients before feeding. I notice that GO asks you to bubble any nutrient solutions that are not used within an hour of mixing.... I'm using Root, Thrive, Weed, and Al+Mag and adding some Great White form Plant Success. The great White is only used every 1-2 weeks for mycorrhizae supplement. Do you know if the GO nutrient solution is a "true living solution" like an organic tea or do I need to actually brew a tea to attain true living organism feedings. Thanks in advance to any help you can offer, the GO user base is pretty scarce and you seem to have a pretty good grasp on their line.

 

[Wolverine97]

One of the reasons I haven't used the Seabird guano (10-10-2 or something) is because I add mycorrhizae to my mix and I've read multiple articles indicating they thrive in low-P environments. They like to seek out the phosphorous...too much makes them lazy or something. I figure they get enough P from the liquid nutrients.

This is correct, but it depends on your ratio's overall as well. I don't add a lot because it doesn't need a lot, but I've always kept that nugget in mind when mixing. I innoculate on average once a month as a maintenance thing also.

 

[Anthonybb]

How about the bio marine,& dimond black how and when do u use it? Also what does it do?

 

[Anthonybb]

Will superthrive,general hydro ph up&dwn hurt bennies? Also is lemon juice&viniger good organic ph'er???

 

[Wolverine97]

Will superthrive,general hydro ph up&dwn hurt bennies? Also is lemon juice&viniger good organic ph'er???

The PH products will kill off most of your beneficials if they're not organic.

 

[Jerry Garcia]

Hello Jerry,
Do you see a benefit to bubbling the GO nutrients before feeding. I notice that GO asks you to bubble any nutrient solutions that are not used within an hour of mixing.... I'm using Root, Thrive, Weed, and Al+Mag and adding some Great White form Plant Success. The great White is only used every 1-2 weeks for mycorrhizae supplement. Do you know if the GO nutrient solution is a "true living solution" like an organic tea or do I need to actually brew a tea to attain true living organism feedings. Thanks in advance to any help you can offer, the GO user base is pretty scarce and you seem to have a pretty good grasp on their line.

I have yet to aerate any of the GO line and do not feel it is required unless you have let it sit.

Judging by the way their products fizz after mixing I would say they contain living microbes.

I think letting it sit longer than an hour after mixing will kill them, hence the need to aerate.

I'm not 100% certain but having used it often I think that is accurate. you can always email the company, just be sure to share their response with us!

 

[Wolverine97]

yes add sugar as tea tree said use unsulfured molasses and make sure you have enough oxygen bubbling and at 18 to 24 hours you are going to see the most bacteria = higher ph. fungi's waste is acid bacteria's isalkaline.

You are not supposed to bubble the GO line. You aren't supposed to PH it either, it climbs on its own as the benny's reproduce, eat, and defecate.

 

[durbanmistyman]

You are not supposed to bubble the GO line. You aren't supposed to PH it either, it climbs on its own as the benny's reproduce, eat, and defecate.

when i talked to GH they said that they didn't recommend bubbling b/c of excessive foaming i dint think the bubbling is going to kill any beneficials. i do think the nutes have live microbes as jerry said but i cant think of how bubbling would kill any.

 

[Wolverine97]

when i talked to GH they said that they didn't recommend bubbling b/c of excessive foaming i dint think the bubbling is going to kill any beneficials. i do think the nutes have live microbes as jerry said but i cant think of how bubbling would kill any.

No. I didn't say it would kill benny's, it makes them grow at an accelerated pace which is why it foams, and raises PH through the roof.

 

[bobbypyn]

I think some peeps on here are missing the point of organics; pH testing and adjustment is unnecessary and possibly harmful to your babies. Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar both make excellent pH up and wood ash is the ultimate pH down; but all of this is besides the point. In a true living organic set up, the bennies and the fungi achieve a balance that moderates the soil's pH perfectly. I have never checked my pH since switching to organics, nor have i needed to. I use RO water, Bio Thrive and Cal-mag in my homemade soil-less mix of 1/3 peat, 1/4 mushroom compost, 1/4 organic soil conditioner, 1/4 perlite and 1/2 not good with fractions. My worms and micro flora and fauna keep it all dialed in pro style. I switch to a granular all organic mix for flowering but I keep the CalMag in the mix all the way till ripening. Bubble your water, not your nutes for this line. I tried the BioThrive and calmag blast in a DWC tub & it was fucked. slime city in hours it seemed.

 

[Wolverine97]

I think some peeps on here are missing the point of organics; pH testing and adjustment is unnecessary and possibly harmful to your babies. Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar both make excellent pH up and wood ash is the ultimate pH down; but all of this is besides the point. In a true living organic set up, the bennies and the fungi achieve a balance that moderates the soil's pH perfectly. I have never checked my pH since switching to organics, nor have i needed to. I use RO water, Bio Thrive and Cal-mag in my homemade soil-less mix of 1/3 peat, 1/4 mushroom compost, 1/4 organic soil conditioner, 1/4 perlite and 1/2 not good with fractions. My worms and micro flora and fauna keep it all dialed in pro style. I switch to a granular all organic mix for flowering but I keep the CalMag in the mix all the way till ripening. Bubble your water, not your nutes for this line. I tried the BioThrive and calmag blast in a DWC tub & it was fucked. slime city in hours it seemed.

I think you've got it a little bit twisted. Lemon juice lowers PH, wood ash is extremely high PH (thus, raises it).

 

[cleverpiggy]

I have yet to aerate any of the GO line and do not feel it is required unless you have let it sit.

Judging by the way their products fizz after mixing I would say they contain living microbes.

I think letting it sit longer than an hour after mixing will kill them, hence the need to aerate.

I'm not 100% certain but having used it often I think that is accurate. you can always email the company, just be sure to share their response with us!

I contacted customer service with the following question.Will it be beneficial to bubble my nutrient mix for 24-48 hours after mixing? I notice that GO suggests to bubble any mix that is not used within an hour of mixing. The response I got was as follows. I would mix it and use it within 24 hours. If you want to bubble it you can, but it will start to become biologically active and produce foam and it will get a little smelly after a day or two.This answer is confusing to me because their feed schedule states that you need to aerate any unused diluted nutrients that are not used within an hour. His response contradicts their feed schedule footnote! http://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/feeding_charts/GO_MYSF-FeedChart.pdf.I also asked if I should lighten up or stop using Ca+Mg if my soil-less mix of 50% sphagnum 30% perlite 20% vermiculite (basically homemade Promix) has Dolomite lime mixed into it. He didn't even answer that question, instead diverted the answer to a previous question I had in that same e-mail. So I guess if anyone can answer the Ca+Mg in lime supplemented soil that would help out also. I just read an article from The Rev that says to be careful adding Mg supplements to Dolomite lime amended soil mixes.

 

[bobbypyn]

I think you've got it a little bit twisted. Lemon juice lowers PH, wood ash is extremely high PH (thus, raises it).

you're absolutely right. blame the dyslexia... or the weed, take your pick. but yes you're right, thanks for clearing that up; I'd hate to be the cause of plant abuse inadvertently!!!

 

[Wolverine97]

you're absolutely right. blame the dyslexia... or the weed, take your pick. but yes you're right, thanks for clearing that up; I'd hate to be the cause of plant abuse inadvertently!!!

Word...

 

[durbanmistyman]

and by the way when i bubble my nuts (GO line plus, budswel, AN sweat leaf, and AN iguana juice bloom) i bubble and have no problems with foaming. it actually foams the least of any organic brew i have made.