I am growing for 5+ years, and I am usually using GHE products. Had excellent results with Floranova, and currently using the classic GHE trio Grow, Micro and Bloom.
I was, for some reason assuming that you actually give nutrients to every watering. (Currently growing in soil)
I am now coming from a website (Mandala seeds, no relationship to them whatsoever) where they had a grow guide. I had found some of their articles and guides actually pretty good.
What I read "shocked" me.
* First, they are saying that one, when growing in soil, should not ever exceed an EC 0.6 (indoors), and only outdoors 0.8 EC.
They are saying that in general, when you grow in standard (aka pre-fertilized soil, which is basically any potting mix) you are not giving any nutrients at all during growth. (This I already know, as the nutrients in soil should be lasting 3-4 weeks).
But: They are also saying that "regular feedings such as once every 10-15 days are rarely required indoor unless you are growing in poor soil quality or using a small container size."
In other words: For them, even feeding only once every 10-15 is RARELY REQUIRED and that growing from seed to harvest, maybe if at all, you may need to feed once but then also only if you spot some deficits.
Ok, just let me copy/paste this in
---- SNIP ----
GROWTH
** All strains are grown in 5L/1.2 gallon containers with high quality soil that is enriched with worm manure or compost. During the typical 4 week vegetative cycle they receive no extra fertilizer.
(Check, this is clear)
* If individual plants show the need for a mild feeding they are given 1x a nutrient solution with NPK 5-6-7 or 4-8-6 and 0.65 EC a few days before switching to 12/12. Nitrogen is used up fastest by strains due to their quick and vigorous growth. Nevertheless a complete NPK fertilizer is essential because there are also other nutrients which may need replenishing. They will also play a role in facilitating the assimilation and use of other nutrients in the plants.
* Individual plants may need nutrients to be topped-up after 4 weeks, because it will take another 7-12 days before the females have all shown sex and can be repotted into bigger containers and fresh soil. For this purpose a flowering fertilizer with sufficient nitrogen is chosen. Fertilizer with a high % of nitrogen is not conducive to supporting flowering and can also influence a higher ratio of male plants during sexing.
* Large plants such as mother plants eventually require feedings every 2-3 weeks, for example, because there is a limit to container size. (...)
Greenhouse/Outdoor:
* Strains are grown in high quality soil that is enriched with worm manure or compost. After 5+ weeks a mild feeding is given to all container plants 1x with NPK 5-6-7 or 4-8-6 and 0.75-0.8 EC. Plants grown in the ground do not require extra fertilizer for a long period because we use high quality soil mixes.
FLOWERING
To provide the plants with many useful nutrients we first lower the EC level of the water to about 0,45 EC. With this level we either mix a nutrient solution of 0,65 EC for indoor, or 0,75-0,8 EC for greenhouse/outdoor.
Indoor:
Short flowering indicas and small strains do not receive any extra fertilizer during flowering unless an individual plant shows a mild deficiency.
(!!!)
Longer flowering sativas and sativa-indicas are given 1x a nutrient solution with NPK 5-6-7 or 4-8-6 and 0.65 EC after aprox. one month of repotting. At this stage they are usually in day 45-50 of flowering. This is when significant waves of new bud development occur. Some nutrients have now been depleted to a certain level in the container and a liquid feeding can give the plants a boost. At 2-3 weeks before harvest the plants still have the energy to assimilate and utilize new nutrients.
Greenhouse/Outdoor:
Container plants receive 2-3 mild feedings with a liquid flowering fertilizer and 0.7-0,75 EC.
---- SNIP ----
In other words, their recommendation is to feed very, VERY mild, and only in "extreme" cases (aka flowering plants outdoors) they would give 2-3 mild (!) feedings.
Basically, way, way less nutrients and absolutely and definitely not nutrients with every watering.
I am stumped now since I feel I grew "wrong" for 5 years, and looking at it in a certain way, it makes sense what they say.
In other words: Are most of us feeding way too much???
I was, for some reason assuming that you actually give nutrients to every watering. (Currently growing in soil)
I am now coming from a website (Mandala seeds, no relationship to them whatsoever) where they had a grow guide. I had found some of their articles and guides actually pretty good.
What I read "shocked" me.
* First, they are saying that one, when growing in soil, should not ever exceed an EC 0.6 (indoors), and only outdoors 0.8 EC.
They are saying that in general, when you grow in standard (aka pre-fertilized soil, which is basically any potting mix) you are not giving any nutrients at all during growth. (This I already know, as the nutrients in soil should be lasting 3-4 weeks).
But: They are also saying that "regular feedings such as once every 10-15 days are rarely required indoor unless you are growing in poor soil quality or using a small container size."
In other words: For them, even feeding only once every 10-15 is RARELY REQUIRED and that growing from seed to harvest, maybe if at all, you may need to feed once but then also only if you spot some deficits.
Ok, just let me copy/paste this in
---- SNIP ----
GROWTH
** All strains are grown in 5L/1.2 gallon containers with high quality soil that is enriched with worm manure or compost. During the typical 4 week vegetative cycle they receive no extra fertilizer.
(Check, this is clear)
* If individual plants show the need for a mild feeding they are given 1x a nutrient solution with NPK 5-6-7 or 4-8-6 and 0.65 EC a few days before switching to 12/12. Nitrogen is used up fastest by strains due to their quick and vigorous growth. Nevertheless a complete NPK fertilizer is essential because there are also other nutrients which may need replenishing. They will also play a role in facilitating the assimilation and use of other nutrients in the plants.
* Individual plants may need nutrients to be topped-up after 4 weeks, because it will take another 7-12 days before the females have all shown sex and can be repotted into bigger containers and fresh soil. For this purpose a flowering fertilizer with sufficient nitrogen is chosen. Fertilizer with a high % of nitrogen is not conducive to supporting flowering and can also influence a higher ratio of male plants during sexing.
* Large plants such as mother plants eventually require feedings every 2-3 weeks, for example, because there is a limit to container size. (...)
Greenhouse/Outdoor:
* Strains are grown in high quality soil that is enriched with worm manure or compost. After 5+ weeks a mild feeding is given to all container plants 1x with NPK 5-6-7 or 4-8-6 and 0.75-0.8 EC. Plants grown in the ground do not require extra fertilizer for a long period because we use high quality soil mixes.
FLOWERING
To provide the plants with many useful nutrients we first lower the EC level of the water to about 0,45 EC. With this level we either mix a nutrient solution of 0,65 EC for indoor, or 0,75-0,8 EC for greenhouse/outdoor.
Indoor:
Short flowering indicas and small strains do not receive any extra fertilizer during flowering unless an individual plant shows a mild deficiency.
(!!!)
Longer flowering sativas and sativa-indicas are given 1x a nutrient solution with NPK 5-6-7 or 4-8-6 and 0.65 EC after aprox. one month of repotting. At this stage they are usually in day 45-50 of flowering. This is when significant waves of new bud development occur. Some nutrients have now been depleted to a certain level in the container and a liquid feeding can give the plants a boost. At 2-3 weeks before harvest the plants still have the energy to assimilate and utilize new nutrients.
Greenhouse/Outdoor:
Container plants receive 2-3 mild feedings with a liquid flowering fertilizer and 0.7-0,75 EC.
---- SNIP ----
In other words, their recommendation is to feed very, VERY mild, and only in "extreme" cases (aka flowering plants outdoors) they would give 2-3 mild (!) feedings.
Basically, way, way less nutrients and absolutely and definitely not nutrients with every watering.
I am stumped now since I feel I grew "wrong" for 5 years, and looking at it in a certain way, it makes sense what they say.
In other words: Are most of us feeding way too much???
