i am using AN now. Its too pricey IMO. I'm going to switch to Cutting Edge's line up next. I also use Cutting Edges Sugaree and I am pleased with it. I like the fact it is OMRI rated.
For the price I paid for AN's 2gallon Sensi A+B plus all the 1 gallon additives (and i left out a lot of there additives) I could buy 6 gallons of everything i need in Cutting Edge.. Cutting edge in the future for me !!
Curious to hear about your veg cycle since its insane ! I've been using fish hydrolysate as my main source of nitrogen along with seaweed, silica, cal, liquid karma. As for training, I've been bending (or super cropping) haven't been topping though. Maybe I should start topping and bending.. If you could share some tips or opinions it would much appreciated !
Dun dun dun... This may be a little long so I appologize in advance.
John at Cutting Edge is a stand up dude! Great guy with a ton of good knowledge and no ego. His prices are great, and I hope it stays that way as he grows, time will tell. His Sugaree is like a RedBull for your plants! Sort of smells that way too! Tons of carbs and electrolites! OMG the smell! You'll be able to run a full year with CE for less than you can a 3 month grow with AN. Let me know how some of their other products work for you!
Now for my veg techniques... My veg is divided into two stages, a pre veg which takes place in cups or 4" pots and under T5's and a main veg which takes place under full light and in their largest containers. My pre veg last no more than two weeks from the time the clone gets pulled from the cloner. My main veg period lasts another 3 weeks, maybe a month depending on what I've got going on. I transplant directly into the plants final resting spot or their largest container (usually 5-7 gallons). I used to transfer into a 3 gallon container and then again into a larger 5-7 gallon a week and a half before flipping the lights but I ran out of 3 gallon pots one grow and had no choice but to throw everything into 7 gallon pots. The result was astonishing, easily 20% more growth, yield, and probably close to 5-7 days faster. No shit, just by skipping the 3 gallon stage. I also do not disturb the roots when I transplant and I treat them like they're 500 year old china. Idk if there is china thats 500 years old but you get my drift, lol. I used to add great white bennies but now use the Oregonism XL bennies, but same principle applies when it comes to sprinkling some love in the pots during transplant.
I top everything (most everything anyways) at 18" once the cages go up. I prune two more times before flowering and make sure to do all of my pruning/training at the same time (or within a day or two with a larger grow) so they all shock and recover the same time. I prune to create the most bud sites mainly and lollipop to help air movement and to concentrate the plants energy to it's main shoots. By the time my plants are ready for flowering they are on such a fast track that the first few weeks in flowering they're pretty much just kicked back and loving life. It's not till week 4 or so that I begin to really pump them up again. Too many people feed to heavy too early on in flowering and it causes lock ups and or defficencies that take too long to rebound from and causes havic on yields and quality (mainly yields). I like to wait before I pump the flowering nutes upwards of 1200ppm, and then I always feed up till when I know I have to back off and begin to flush. A lot of growers start their flush too early and you miss out on maximizing your plants full potential late in flowering when a lot of strains really swell up.
As far as nutrients goes I just started Buddha grow, Buddha Bloom (yes bloom), Amino Aide, Trinity, Hygrozyme, Ancient Amber, Extreme Serene, Oregonism XL, Uprising grow, Elemental, and foundation. I also use Grandmas mollases in veg for extra carbs. I've got high hopes (go figure) for this lineup and that same goes for the flowering lineup. I am hoping that Bud Swell and PeaK really perfom for me, I guess time will tell.
I guess that wasn't as long as I thought it was going to be, hope it helped someone, lol.
W.C.C.