Advanced Nutrients Sensi Coco A&B: Are additional additives actually worth the extra $$$?

[LoGiK287]

Hey everyone,

Fairly green gardener here, I've gotten a few (semi)-successful harvests under my belt now. I started in Coco+perlite with GH trio and PH up/Down for my nutes.

I've since graduated to a DTW coco+perlite grow with AN Sensi Coco A&B and have loved it so far, no more messing around with PH. The only other additives I use are some Drip clean and I bought a 50lb bulk bag of MKP (60$ CAD) to add in flowering for bud booster.

My hydro store owner is quite the salesman, he's always trying to push all the AN additives to me. I thought I could just be price savvy and get away with the generic MKP and no fancy expensive additives. Now he has me wondering if my frugal ways are stopping me from getting cola's bigger than my head.

He insists I should be using voodoo juice and B-52 at the very least. With of course recommending all the other pretty bottles, Tarantula, Big-Bud, Bud factor X, Overdrive, Bud Candy, Rhino Skin and Bud ignitor.

He's given me a small breakdown of what each "does"... I've always been a skeptic and the price tag on most of the 1L bottles seem crazy steep.


Could someone give me some insight on what is actually worthwhile to be adding to your nutrient schedule? Is there some that I could expect to see great results with? How about any more price friendly options that i would step my game up?

 

[GreenThunder]

I am interested in any answers you might get here. I've recently switched from coco with GH flora trio to dwc hydro with AN Sensi Grow (then bloom when the time comes)

 

[Jack420]

All u need from start to finish in coco soil or hydro ph water evrey feeding n prob add a bit of cal at the end but really simple alot of growers are dojn to switch including my self look into it

 

[LoGiK287]

All u need from start to finish in coco soil or hydro ph water evrey feeding n prob add a bit of cal at the end but really simple alot of growers are dojn to switch including my self look into it

Very recently read about dynagro, seems legit. I found a hyrdo store in my city that carries it, I'll have to check it out.

I'm still gonna be stuck with the 16 total L of AN i have now haha.

From what I can gather so far, AN has just essentially split a complete product into a base nutrient (A&B) and individual additives, then sell each individual piece for a nice profit.

 

[Vegan4life]

I am currently at day 54 of flower with AN coco nutes and additives. My Critical kush and cbd critical mass girls have suffered from nute burn and lock out during flower. I was using at AN recommended strength. I have since learned by talking to other members here that they have good results using AN at half strength. I will try half strength on my next coco grow.

Hopefully I will have a bountiful harvest within a couple of weeks...

 

[nickeluring]

Hi!
I suggest you skip the perlite. Coco holds enough oxygen as it is, and adding perlite will make the roots less efficient in absorbing the feed mix.

I use AN with all additives with amazing results. Big difference to when I used Canna + additives.
I normally mix at 75% strength, and then just keep an eye on the leaves to see whether they need more or less. My plants are usually happy at 75%. I use 75% strength of the additives as well. I feed them every 3 hours.

AN is very expensive, but it sure works well.
Here's a head size Gorilla Glue Auto bud that I recently harvested. It's been fed AN with all additives. I got a few buds like this one, and loads of smaller but still massive buds. Total yield from 1 plant: 635 grams!!
I do have a very powerful light though, and the plant was badly light and heat stressed - but even so, it was massive!

 

[PE636]

I've also found I like coco better with no perlite. I still use it but as a dry layer on top to discourage gnats! I have had pretty pretty good results with the sensi Coco base nutes alone. Probably going to try big bud coco and rhino skin next grow so I'll try to remember to return with a report!

 

[nickeluring]

Does the perlite work against the gnats?
I've tried clay balls, but they don't stop them. Now I have a layer of aquarium sand and then a layer of clay balls, and I've so far not had many gnats.

 

[PE636]

Does the perlite work against the gnats?
I've tried clay balls, but they don't stop them. Now I have a layer of aquarium sand and then a layer of clay balls, and I've so far not had many gnats.

It does seem to help especially if you use sticky traps also to catch any fliers..

 

[LoGiK287]

Hi!
I suggest you skip the perlite. Coco holds enough oxygen as it is, and adding perlite will make the roots less efficient in absorbing the feed mix.

I use AN with all additives with amazing results. Big difference to when I used Canna + additives.
I normally mix at 75% strength, and then just keep an eye on the leaves to see whether they need more or less. My plants are usually happy at 75%. I use 75% strength of the additives as well. I feed them every 3 hours.

AN is very expensive, but it sure works well.
Here's a head size Gorilla Glue Auto bud that I recently harvested. It's been fed AN with all additives. I got a few buds like this one, and loads of smaller but still massive buds. Total yield from 1 plant: 635 grams!!
I do have a very powerful light though, and the plant was badly light and heat stressed - but even so, it was massive!

Interesting, I have always heard perlite is very beneficial to coco. I will have to look into this further!

I don't doubt that AN is a good product. I just think that to include all the additives it gets very expensive, and wonder if there is other complete products for a better price.

Damn man that's a huge pull from a single plant, is that your dried weight? What were you using for lighting for that monster?

Does the perlite work against the gnats?
I've tried clay balls, but they don't stop them. Now I have a layer of aquarium sand and then a layer of clay balls, and I've so far not had many gnats.

I currently use a layer of hydroton clay balls as well in an effort to stop gnats, but i still see them adding up on my sticky traps so It must not be working very well. I will have to try perlite or the sand and then hydroton.

 

[nickeluring]

I was in contact with Canna Gardening support sometime last year. This is a snippet out of our long conversation, it might save you some research time:

"I noticed perlite in your containers ... CANNA Coco is meant to be used as is. perlite makes it too dry, slows down water movement from micro pore to macro pores.

next time, skip the perlite."​

I agree that AN additives are very expensive. But after seeing the results I keep getting with them, I don't dare not to use them, I keep buying the little expensive bottles as soon as they run out...I'm hooked.

Yes, 635 gr was the dry weight, a bit too dry, actually, I left them hanging to dry a day or two too long.
I do have a very good light, it's from one of the sponsors of this site. I've got the 675 W Perfect Sun COB. It's a bit overkill for my tent size, though, I could use it in a tent twice as big.

The clay balls are great on top of the coco. They stop the coco from moving when watering and make it all look neat and tidy. I agree with you, to stop the gnats something else is needed, and sand works great for me so far. I put maybe a 5 mm thick layer on top of the coco, and then a layer of clay balls on top of that.

 

[PE636]

I just ordered big bud coco, rhino skin and sensizym to run with the sensi Coco nutes on the next run which will be starting soon.

 

[nickeluring]

I hope you'll see a difference in growth. Great if you'll let us know.