Uncle Ben's Gardening Tweeks and Pointers

jjfoo

Active Member
Thanks for the info Jjfoo but I need to know *when* to use them. BTW, I just sat and looked at those beautiful colas today for probably 10 minutes. There must have been a wheelbarrow full of bud there. UB, was that about 5 lbs dry?
Maybe I need to know that, too. I was assuming that you use one npk for veg and another for flower. This is how I've done things in the past. But, I shouldn't assume this.

I'm actually using grow more 3 part liquid nutes. It is the exact same thing (minus the dye) as general hydro 3 part...

the npk is this (I use equal parts of grow, micro, bloom) for veg:

Flora Micro (NPK: 5-0-1)
Flora Gro (NPK: 2-1-6)
Flora Bloom (NPK: 0-5-4)


after a few weeks in flower I mixed up some flower enhancer I have that is .7/2.6/1.7


I kind of guessed or did it by feel. My EC is 2.0.

I also give them just water.


I really need to start writing stuff down and having a better plan than constantly winging it...

I'd like to see what you come up with.

I plan on trying some dry nutes really soon
 

potpimp

Sector 5 Moderator
I know what you mean about assuming. Having done my due diligence and dead level best to do everything right, it now appears I have done most everything bassackwards from beginning to end. Must have RO water! pH must be 5.4! Must use FF soil! Must trim those pesky bottom leaves and branches! Must have 4megawatts of light per plant! Must chop at the 60 days it says on the seed banks website! Somehow, I always *knew* most of this was total horsepucky and Uncle Ben confirmed it. I have always loved gardening but I have also always had a totally brown thumb. I owe so much to Uncle Ben; I'm on the verge of starting this years grow. This info could not have come at a better time.

Hopefully Uncle Ben will give some feed back on what we should start with, when we should change and to what.
 

theshow88

Member
I know you say to grow as much foliage as possible and let the plant flourish, so are you completely against trimming and if you are not what are the best methods so light distribution in a smaller grow room is even and gets to the whole plant.
 

riddleme

Well-Known Member
I know you say to grow as much foliage as possible and let the plant flourish, so are you completely against trimming and if you are not what are the best methods so light distribution in a smaller grow room is even and gets to the whole plant.
You can get a cheap analog light meter that reads up to 10,000 lumens for like $30 (they have em at the nursery where I shop) and go outside on a bright sunny day and start measuring things like stand in the shade under a tree, check the bottom of a bush and then the middle and then the top. You will be amazed at what you find

Yes I know the sun is more powerful than all of our indoor lights but you will learn more from that one experiment than you can possibly imagine and then take your new toy and dial your garden in :bigjoint:
 

Kriegs

Well-Known Member
Hey UB..

Hope all is well. I've got some kinda leaf driller or disease working my plants here. I didn't think it looked like mites. Whatever it is, it seems to be focused on the veins. There's a little bit on all three plants, but whatever it is seems to like this one in particular (this plant was in a bit of stagnant area.. I think that was part of it. I fixed that issue today).

I'm not sure, either, that the two pic's aren't two different things. The underside of the first photo looks the same as the top. The underside of the second photo looks more like a dimple (kinda like black spot fungi can look sometimes).

If you know what it is, any suggestions to kill it?

Thanks for any input
 

Attachments

jjfoo

Active Member
I know what you mean about assuming. Having done my due diligence and dead level best to do everything right, it now appears I have done most everything bassackwards from beginning to end. .
I'm right there with you. I'm coming out of a belief system. I've always considered myself a non believer in things and value the scientific method for discovering things about the universe. some how, I fell for a lot of hype.


check out these links, I'm going to try a few plants with the same nutes all the way and see how well they do...

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/msg0618010731700.html

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0412411532471.html

I'd like to get some soil testing done, too
 

potpimp

Sector 5 Moderator
Great thread Jjfoo; I added several nuggets to my "Uncle Bob How-to collection" from there. I am definitely going to get a soil test done. BTW, you fell for a lot of hype? Ha! I'm the poster child for falling for hype; I wasted about $500 on snake oil and rocket fuel from the Advanced Nutes hucksters. I was doing a "Subcool's Super Soil" grow alongside the AN hydro stuff and it outperformed the hydro significantly. Lets just say it was a far cry from their Nutrient Challenge video BS. Probably the worst example of being a sucker was buying one of those stupid Boost Buckets. It only works for 60 days or so and the refill is about $100. Well, they better enjoy their ill-gotten gains from me.
 

jjfoo

Active Member
I had someone teach me they used 3 part general hydro and humic acid...

then someone else started bringing all these additives, at that point I was starting to read stuff from lucas that talked about how you don't need additives, so I was sceptical of the products. But, I was into cutting leaves off to expose bud, lollipoping to have top heavy plants that needed ropes to hold the buds, I though yellow leaves was a good thing. Thanks to lucas' writings I was starting to see that flushing or depriving the plant for 2-3 weeks was a bad thing, but my partners thought I was crazy.

I was anti male plant. I had a male about 3 weeks ago and I put it in another room (secretly, my partners told me to throw it away). I removed two plants and pollinated them. Now I have two plants with lots of seeds and there was no stray pollination at all. I'm getting ready to plant a bunch of seeds and do some UB topping.

I have a big batch of subcools soil and am playing with that and a three part nute from growmore (they make general hydro stuff, actually they make nutes for many companys that apparently resell it and add dye.

I'm looking into moving away from the liquids and getting some Jack's Classic.
 

jjfoo

Active Member
I'm reading this from UB


"For me, a 9-3-6 and a 1-3-2 is all I need."


1-3-2 is the same ratio as Jack's Classic Bloom Booster

where does 9-3-6 come from? I'm looking at Jack's Classic All Purpose and it is 20-20-20. I mean can I use Jack's Classic stuff for Veg? Also, am I right to assume that 1-3-2 comes from using Classic Bloom Booster alone? (it is 1-3-2). I would have expected to see more N.
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
Howdy, looks folks have been busy!

I know what you mean about assuming. Having done my due diligence and dead level best to do everything right, it now appears I have done most everything bassackwards from beginning to end. Must have RO water! pH must be 5.4! Must use FF soil! Must trim those pesky bottom leaves and branches! Must have 4megawatts of light per plant! Must chop at the 60 days it says on the seed banks website! Somehow, I always *knew* most of this was total horsepucky and Uncle Ben confirmed it. I have always loved gardening but I have also always had a totally brown thumb. I owe so much to Uncle Ben; I'm on the verge of starting this years grow. This info could not have come at a better time.
Yep, like I said in another thread, I've never seen a community that is so determined to make growing a weed so confusing, expensive, complicated and mysterious as this one. It doesn't have to be. I look at some of these rocket fuel threads and can only laugh.

You can get a cheap analog light meter that reads up to 10,000 lumens for like $30 (they have em at the nursery where I shop) and go outside on a bright sunny day and start measuring things like stand in the shade under a tree, check the bottom of a bush and then the middle and then the top. You will be amazed at what you find
Yep, that's the beauty of adding such a nice tool to your toolbox. Folks monitor everything but light. Makes me wonder why.

Yes I know the sun is more powerful than all of our indoor lights....
We need to clarify this. The sun has more penetrating power but it is not necessarily more "powerful" when it comes to lumens received. I'll post my meassurements once again.
========================================================
Footcandle light values are given for a 250W Phillips HPS and an Osram Super 600W HPS, both taken from the centerpoint of the bulb/bottom of a white enameled, horizontal Diamond Lights reflector having a typical gull wing insert.

DISTANCE FROM LIGHT........F.C. READING

........................250 Watt..................600 Watt

Within 6" of lamps (way over the 10K f.c. mark)

6".......................10,000.....................10K+

8".......................7,100.......................10K+

12"......................4,800......................8,700

18"......................2,800......................5,600

24"......................2,000......................4,200

30"......................1,400......................3,300

Frame of reference: sun = 9,000 - 10,000f.c. average, clear summer day at high noon

Regular Cool White shop fluor measured 2" from bulb = 1,200 f.c.

Enjoy,
Uncle Ben
=======================================================

Hey UB..

Hope all is well. I've got some kinda leaf driller or disease working my plants here. I didn't think it looked like mites. Whatever it is, it seems to be focused on the veins.
It's gonna be one of two things - insect damage or stress reaction from your fertilizer. Check the underside of the leaves with a loupe.

I'm reading this from UB


"For me, a 9-3-6 and a 1-3-2 is all I need."


1-3-2 is the same ratio as Jack's Classic Bloom Booster

where does 9-3-6 come from? I'm looking at Jack's Classic All Purpose and it is 20-20-20. I mean can I use Jack's Classic stuff for Veg? Also, am I right to assume that 1-3-2 comes from using Classic Bloom Booster alone? (it is 1-3-2). I would have expected to see more N.
9-3-6 is a Dyna-Gro food, but that ratio is pretty standard in the industry. I buy a food that is a 18-4-9 for example. 1-3-2 is another standard NPK value for alot of bloom foods. If you want to be on the safe side then use a balanced food that is a 1-1-1.

Grow hard,
UB
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
Probably the worst example of being a sucker was buying one of those stupid Boost Buckets. It only works for 60 days or so and the refill is about $100. Well, they better enjoy their ill-gotten gains from me.
Reminds me of going to Sam's Club to buy ink, both cartridges for my old printer costing like $55. Here's this complete, all-in-one new HP printer/copy/fax with ink for $39. Well, that was a no brainer. ;) They make their money on ink, but I did find a cheap work-around - Ebay. :D

At least you're man enough to swallow your pride and admit you let yourself be manipulated (screwed). :wall: Welcome to the real world of gardening.

UB
 

bigman4270

Well-Known Member
I'm reading this from UB


"For me, a 9-3-6 and a 1-3-2 is all I need."


1-3-2 is the same ratio as Jack's Classic Bloom Booster

where does 9-3-6 come from? I'm looking at Jack's Classic All Purpose and it is 20-20-20. I mean can I use Jack's Classic stuff for Veg? Also, am I right to assume that 1-3-2 comes from using Classic Bloom Booster alone? (it is 1-3-2). I would have expected to see more N.
The 9-3-6 is a product from Dyna-Gro called folliage pro.

Big
 

Kriegs

Well-Known Member
It's gonna be one of two things - insect damage or stress reaction from your fertilizer. Check the underside of the leaves with a loupe (UB)..

_________________________________________________________

I did -- there's nothing moving under there.

I figured this out in the meantime -- anthracnose or a bacterial infection spawned by poor air circulation. There's about 5-6 commonly cited bacterial problems that form the dimples under the leaves I described. Vein-oriented rust is anthracnose (so, the two pics ARE two separate critters). Problem was, I had that plant in a 'dead zone" circulation wise; also had a pie pan under the pot, which formed a water seal with the pot bottom, keeping that plant in a higher moisture state.

Word on the street is that a mature plant can handle anthracnose on its own if you resolve the circulation/ temp / moisture combination that favors it. Immunox is also recommended as a fix.

So, everyone file that in their mental toolbox, in case you see it sometime.

Cheers....!
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
I figured this out in the meantime -- anthracnose or a bacterial infection spawned by poor air circulation. There's about 5-6 commonly cited bacterial problems that form the dimples under the leaves I described. Vein-oriented rust is anthracnose (so, the two pics ARE two separate critters). Problem was, I had that plant in a 'dead zone" circulation wise; also had a pie pan under the pot, which formed a water seal with the pot bottom, keeping that plant in a higher moisture state.

Word on the street is that a mature plant can handle anthracnose on its own if you resolve the circulation/ temp / moisture combination that favors it. Immunox is also recommended as a fix.

So, everyone file that in their mental toolbox, in case you see it sometime.

Cheers....!
Immunox (myclobutanil) is a great, broad spectrum fungicide. I am looking at a grape fungicide chart and it has it listed for leaf blight control as well as for mildew. I think it's available at nurseries and Casa dePOT.

Good luck,
UB
 

jjfoo

Active Member
If you want to be on the safe side then use a balanced food that is a 1-1-1.

Grow hard,
UB
safe is good, I ordered some 20-20-20 jacks classic and some 10-20-30 bloom booster. I did my NPK ratio calculations of some of my current recopies for grow more three part and they seem low in nitrogen.

It seems odd that if mix equal parts of their micro (high N) and bloom the ratio is 5 5 5. I don't think I need the Grow. I would have assumed Grow would be high N, but it is 2-1-6.
 

Kriegs

Well-Known Member
I don't know if the rest of you feel this way, but I feel like we are making some headway on this site. I see a lot more people signing on to the fact that stretching plants need N, that going to a 2-1-6 at 12/12 is a big mistake, etc. etc. I also see a lot of people promoting the concept of watering thru to a little runoff, and realizing that minor pH deviations from 6.5 don't really matter, in soil at least.

I still see a lot of people doing these things (dousing plants with high P-K foods, and tons of additives, or "baby watering" in fear of overwatering), but if I step in and give some basic advice on why that's causing their problems, I get a lot less "you're an idiot.." "don't listen to him", and a lot more +reps. I see a lot of other people conveying the same advice.

Having to repeat the same things over and over can get to be a drag. But that's what our politicians do, and the tactic manages to convince us of some really outrageous nonsense. Why wouldn't the same tactic convince us of something that is actually true? And maybe I'm just seeing things...
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
I don't know if the rest of you feel this way, but I feel like we are making some headway on this site. I see a lot more people signing on to the fact that stretching plants need N, that going to a 2-1-6 at 12/12 is a big mistake, etc. etc. I also see a lot of people promoting the concept of watering thru to a little runoff, and realizing that minor pH deviations from 6.5 don't really matter, in soil at least.

I still see a lot of people doing these things (dousing plants with high P-K foods, and tons of additives, or "baby watering" in fear of overwatering), but if I step in and give some basic advice on why that's causing their problems, I get a lot less "you're an idiot.." "don't listen to him", and a lot more +reps. I see a lot of other people conveying the same advice.

Having to repeat the same things over and over can get to be a drag. But that's what our politicians do, and the tactic manages to convince us of some really outrageous nonsense. Why wouldn't the same tactic convince us of something that is actually true? And maybe I'm just seeing things...
IOW, some are finally learning general horticultural practices after being burned following inaccurate forum chatter/parroting and vendor charlatans.

UB
 

notoriousb

Well-Known Member
Question for you UB:

what do you think about keeping plants under a blue spec for the first week or two during bloom to help with the stretch compared to throwing them under an hps? or is the stretch an important part of the plant cycle that happens for good reason?
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
Question for you UB:

what do you think about keeping plants under a blue spec for the first week or two during bloom to help with the stretch compared to throwing them under an hps? or is the stretch an important part of the plant cycle that happens for good reason?
I think the spectrum issue is only good for one thing - idle forum chatter. I've grown from start to finish with only a HPS and done fine.

UB
 
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