Mixing fertilizer in with soil mix

I have a fairly simple question that I'm hoping someone will be able to provide an answer to. I've been an indoor grower for a while now and have always used a soil mix consisting of 1/2 peat with the other 1/2 consisting of approximately equal amounts of perlite, rice hulls, coir, and vermiculite. I've always used Espoma organic Plant Tone (5-3-3) during the vegetative stage that I would apply to the soil surface and then water in. I was thinking that in my next grow I'd try adding sufficient fertilizer into the soil mix during potting to carry the plants into the flowering stage. My question is, how much fertilizer should I add per gallon of soil to adequately support vegetative plant growth but not cause nutrient burn? I've never had any burn with Plant Tone before even with very young plants.

Thanks and happy growing.

Hopmah said:

I have a fairly simple question that I'm hoping someone will be able to provide an answer to. I've been an indoor grower for a while now and have always used a soil mix consisting of 1/2 peat with the other 1/2 consisting of approximately equal amounts of perlite, rice hulls, coir, and vermiculite. I've always used Espoma organic Plant Tone (5-3-3) during the vegetative stage that I would apply to the soil surface and then water in. I was thinking that in my next grow I'd try adding sufficient fertilizer into the soil mix during potting to carry the plants into the flowering stage. My question is, how much fertilizer should I add per gallon of soil to adequately support vegetative plant growth but not cause nutrient burn? I've never had any burn with Plant Tone before even with very young plants.

Thanks and happy growing.

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I use organic soil additive for veg called bud juice that you mix four tablespoons in and around each plant and water. It is an excellent variety of everything they need. I’m then gonna try bloom for the flowering stage. They are both organic so in 3 months I hope to show off some tangerine dream

Plant tone is slow release fertilizer so you don’t have to be deadly accurate with ratios. If you read the label on the bag or Espomas website it recommends 2 cups per each cu ft of soil. I would throw it in a tote or something along with your mix and some worm castings. Maybe also some D-lime if the soil has been recycled. Let it set for 3-4 weeks.
Not sure this would carry you through a full bloom cycle without need for soluble NPK. Consider either having some organic nutes in hand or making the mix even more dank by adding other forms of fertilizer like fish bone meal and/or manure if “water only” is the goal. Jobes organic spikes are another option; just push them in right before flipping to bloom cycle. They feed for 8 weeks; perfect for bloom phase.

Thanks for the replies. Wellcurebud, I'm afraid I'm stuck with the Plant Tone as I just bought a 25 lb. bag. I was running around to local stores trying to find a small bag with no luck so I ordered a huge bag online that should last me for years I think.
Mr. Drysift, I like the idea about the Jobes spikes. How many would you put in a 3 gal. pot? I also wouldn't mind mixing in some fish meal either but would the phosphorous boost last all the way into flowering? I'm in the habit of waiting until the budding is starting to go strong before switching to a flowering nutrient mix, but adding the meal in with the soil right away would be nice. I also want to apologize for being such a dunce about the amount of fertilizer to use per gallon. I must not have been thinking straight when I asked it, because obviously a 3 gallon pot would use a cup, assuming there are approximately 6 gallons in a sq ft. I had in my mind I think the weight ratio for my dolomite box dolomite that lists it as so much per square foot.

Hopmah said:

Thanks for the replies. Wellcurebud, I'm afraid I'm stuck with the Plant Tone as I just bought a 25 lb. bag. I was running around to local stores trying to find a small bag with no luck so I ordered a huge bag online that should last me for years I think.
Mr. Drysift, I like the idea about the Jobes spikes. How many would you put in a 3 gal. pot? I also wouldn't mind mixing in some fish meal either but would the phosphorous boost last all the way into flowering? I'm in the habit of waiting until the budding is starting to go strong before switching to a flowering nutrient mix, but adding the meal in with the soil right away would be nice. I also want to apologize for being such a dunce about the amount of fertilizer to use per gallon. I must not have been thinking straight when I asked it, because obviously a 3 gallon pot would use a cup, assuming there are approximately 6 gallons in a sq ft. I had in my mind I think the weight ratio for my dolomite box dolomite that lists it as so much per square foot.

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The bus juice supplement has that( fish meal) plus more

Good to know. I'll look into it.

I amend my medium with this organic fertilizer and water only until week seven with great results. It has completely eliminated all nutrient problems in my grows and at 12oz. per 5gal pot, it's less than a dollar a grow. I don't even add cal-mag any more. Organic soil auto grower.

Hopmah said:

Thanks for the replies. Wellcurebud, I'm afraid I'm stuck with the Plant Tone as I just bought a 25 lb. bag. I was running around to local stores trying to find a small bag with no luck so I ordered a huge bag online that should last me for years I think.
Mr. Drysift, I like the idea about the Jobes spikes. How many would you put in a 3 gal. pot? I also wouldn't mind mixing in some fish meal either but would the phosphorous boost last all the way into flowering? I'm in the habit of waiting until the budding is starting to go strong before switching to a flowering nutrient mix, but adding the meal in with the soil right away would be nice. I also want to apologize for being such a dunce about the amount of fertilizer to use per gallon. I must not have been thinking straight when I asked it, because obviously a 3 gallon pot would use a cup, assuming there are approximately 6 gallons in a sq ft. I had in my mind I think the weight ratio for my dolomite box dolomite that lists it as so much per square foot.

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Try to get away from the mentality that you have to provide x amount of this for that stage and x amount for this other phase of growth. Just keep it simple: put everything they will need into the soil before there are plants in it and then you just water them as needed. Also don’t wait until there are buds growing before going to your final size bloom containers: prepare the soil beforehand and transplant them like a week before or just before you flip. Then just sit back and watch. Take care of the soil and keep the roots moist; the plants will do the rest. They know what to do.
Put fish bone meal in the soil you intend to use for bloom phase along with some worm castings; it is slow release. Takes such a long time for it to break down and become available it can’t burn them. I would add something high in bacteria like chicken or cow manure or guano. Either to the mix globally or put a small amount into bottom layer of each final bloom pot. If that makes your mix too mucky you can always add in some perlite and/or coco to lighten it up.
For a 3gal pot one Jobes organic AP spike per will do but I’d try to go to a 5gal if possible which in that case you can go with two per pot like I do. All of this should carry them through to harvest time with just regular waterings. Keep some liquid fish emulsion on hand just in case they need a boost; Neptune’s harvest w/seaweed is pretty good but any brand will do.