npk ratio in soil not nutrients

donWonton

donWonton

Well-Known Member
im confused, do most soils already have a npk ratio? or do you have to buy the appropriate nutrients for both veg and flo stage? can someone break down the ratio for each stage?

Veg = npk (6-6-1)?

flower = npk ??

the veg one might be right

werrr thanks
reading a book about this as well
any help is appreciated
 
superskunkxnl

superskunkxnl

Well-Known Member
dont use them its usually slow release type shit you'll get over feed problems and allsorts try to get a nutrientless soil so you know exactly what your girls have and will be eating
 
Ohsogreen

Ohsogreen

Well-Known Member
All soils have NPK in them. You have to test them to know how much. Most people don't want to be bothered, so they either dig a hole - then fill it with store bought soil (NPK printed right on the bag) or grow in containers with store bought soil.
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The test kits to test soil, are cheap & available at most Garden Centers, Lowes, Home Depot, Wally World..etc.. They cost between $ 4 - $ 12 and you can do dozens of tests with the bigger more expense one. If you can read, you can use them.
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Botanicare makes a Soil Grow Sampler sold by Wormsway, which is the best I've seen in 30 years of growing. Here is a link to that site:

Pure Blend Pro Soil Kit - Worm's Way
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The price is fair on these nutes, there is enough for a good grow & the directions on the bottles are good. Even if you don't buy one, the recommended NPK for each stage of growth is good.
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The two biggest mistakes made by new growers are Overwatering & Overfertilizing.
Water weekly, Fertlize every two weeks. Don't use more than directed to, on the label. More is not better. The reason they suggest certain amounts, is becasue those amounts work & work properly.
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Hope this helps... For Real Growing Info... Surf on over to the Orangics Threads..
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Ohsogreen

Ohsogreen

Well-Known Member
SuperSkunkxnl makes a good point about store bought potting soil. The stuff that says " Feeds for three months " has those little time release fertilizer pellets in it. I don't like those either. They are suppose to break down, slow & even. Sometimes they do, sometimes they do not.
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You can buy a completely soilless mix - like Jiffy Seed Staring Mix, which has peat moss & vermiculite in it (NO NPK at all). With it, if you don't add some fertilizer, your plant can not grow. The stuff holds water & nutrients pretty good & drains well - which helps prevent water logged roots.
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donWonton

donWonton

Well-Known Member
Ohsogreen said:
SuperSkunkxnl makes a good point about store bought potting soil. The stuff that says " Feeds for three months " has those little time release fertilizer pellets in it. I don't like those either. They are suppose to break down, slow & even. Sometimes they do, sometimes they do not.
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You can buy a completely soilless mix - like Jiffy Seed Staring Mix, which has peat moss & vermiculite in it (NO NPK at all). With it, if you don't add some fertilizer, your plant can not grow. The stuff holds water & nutrients pretty good & drains well - which helps prevent water logged roots.
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Click to expand...
when you say fertilizer, do you mean nutrients for each stage of growth? i know each stage is diff in terms of the ratio
 
donWonton

donWonton

Well-Known Member
and how do you know when to feed the plant when using soil with no nutrients?? watch stems? leave?
 
Ohsogreen

Ohsogreen

Well-Known Member
donWonton said:
and how do you know when to feed the plant when using soil with no nutrients?? watch stems? leave?
Click to expand...
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If the soil you start with has no or low nutrients (fertilizer - NPK value) listed on the bag. Mix up a very dilute fertilizer (nutrient) mix. For growing phase that would be 5-5-5 or slightly under. The next week, water only. The following week fertilize again. Repeat this cycle for the first two, to two & one half months.
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If your plants are growing slow, or the leaves are a real light green - add more fertilizer to your feeding mix. Just make small increases. Light levels are real important from week three on. So, make sure they are getting at least 40 watts per square foot (CFL or MH or HPS) if growing indoors or at least 8 hours of sunlight daily if outdoors.
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At the two & one half month mark, switch to a bloom fertilizer (higher P). Look for numbers like 5-10-5 or greater. What ever the NPK numbers end up being. Mix the fertilzer weak, like 2.5-5-2.5. Stick to the same routine. Fertilize one week, water only the next & repeat. Bump up the fertilizer mix just slightly each time. Stop using any fertilizer the last two weeks. Water only.
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If your plants grow slow, leaf curl or have discolorations (leaf spots) just post a thread with pics & we will help you sort out what's going on.
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Hope this helps....
 
donWonton

donWonton

Well-Known Member
Ohsogreen said:
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If the soil you start with has no or low nutrients (fertilizer - NPK value) listed on the bag. Mix up a very dilute fertilizer (nutrient) mix. For growing phase that would be 5-5-5 or slightly under. The next week, water only. The following week fertilize again. Repeat this cycle for the first two, to two & one half months.
.
If your plants are growing slow, or the leaves are a real light green - add more fertilizer to your feeding mix. Just make small increases. Light levels are real important from week three on. So, make sure they are getting at least 40 watts per square foot (CFL or MH or HPS) if growing indoors or at least 8 hours of sunlight daily if outdoors.
.
At the two & one half month mark, switch to a bloom fertilizer (higher P). Look for numbers like 5-10-5 or greater. What ever the NPK numbers end up being. Mix the fertilzer weak, like 2.5-5-2.5. Stick to the same routine. Fertilize one week, water only the next & repeat. Bump up the fertilizer mix just slightly each time. Stop using any fertilizer the last two weeks. Water only.
.
If your plants grow slow, leaf curl or have discolorations (leaf spots) just post a thread with pics & we will help you sort out what's going on.
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Hope this helps....
Click to expand...
yo ohsogreen thanks, when you say water or fert once a week, you mean only once a week right? not on a daily basis, right? just one time that week?
 
Ohsogreen

Ohsogreen

Well-Known Member
donWonton said:
yo ohsogreen thanks, when you say water or fert once a week, you mean only once a week right? not on a daily basis, right? just one time that week?
Click to expand...
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Yes. It is better to give your plants one good soaking - each week, vice watering/fertilizing every few days. If you water one week, then fertilize the next, you are much better off.
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Overwatering & Overfertilizing are the two biggest grow problems with Mary.
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Now, if your growing outdoors & the weather is super ass, wicked hot. You may need to water more. Watch your leaves, if they start to droop, just two or three days after you water or fertilize. Then and only then, should you water more frequently to prevent the droop (which is low level dehydration).
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Hope this helps...
Keep it Real...Organic...
 
donWonton

donWonton

Well-Known Member
what about growing with no nutrients? is this possible? just planting the pot in soil and watering it and making sure its absorbs enough light?
 
thetank

thetank

Active Member
nutrients for a plant is just like nutrients for your body, if you cut them out, things die. no nutrients, no food, no growth. however, if you can cut the soil out, thats where things get fun :)
 
P

Phinxter

Well-Known Member
organic soils all have some nutrient in it just like the dirt outside you can plant in it without supplemental nutrients
however they wont sustain a cannibis plant thru the roughly 4 months needed to veg and flower. so get used to the idea of using nutes.
pick a brand and specific line from that brand that is noob friendly like the foxfarm 3 pack or advanced nutrients sensi line and by all means avoid miracle grow you gotta be a miracle worker to have success with them
 
iloveit

iloveit

Well-Known Member
Phinxter said:
organic soils all have some nutrient in it just like the dirt outside you can plant in it without supplemental nutrients
however they wont sustain a cannibis plant thru the roughly 4 months needed to veg and flower. so get used to the idea of using nutes.
pick a brand and specific line from that brand that is noob friendly like the foxfarm 3 pack or advanced nutrients sensi line and by all means avoid miracle grow you gotta be a miracle worker to have success with them
Click to expand...
Im planning on growing blueberry (which will become my mother plant) in soil then Ill transplant in to rockwool someone has recommended Miracle grow soil (Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Plant Food 015219, 015219

whats your opinion on this specific type of soil (bear in mind ill be using vermiculite)

Many thanks.
 
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