AK-48 Planted 10-19-15 From Seed

[swwilson20]

Hey V, going benny shopping today, I don't know about using it tho on my next watering. I've noticed I'm still loosing leaves. I'ts not at an alarming rate, but the leaves that have been damaged previously are turning all the way yellow and dropping off. Its the smaller fan leaves on the bottom branches. Is this perhaps due to the recent flush?

 

[Papageno]

Well first off yes that could be due to over watering but once a leaf is damaged it typically wont ever heal with most problems.

The main intent at this point for the bacteria is to recondition the soil and get it healthy again. Waiting on that is not a great idea. It will unlock the good stuff and make the soil viable again. The enzymes will convert dead roots back into plant food amongst other things. Both if those we want to get in there.

 

[swwilson20]

Not trying to ammend your ingredients for my own, but I could not come across some of the thing on the list. I didnt get the aphrodites, hygrozyme, or crab meal. I do have the same kelp you use and I got some alfalfa. I went to the grow shop and looked at the ingredients of several things. I ended up with Kangaroots and Microbe Brew. The Microbe Brew has molasses, and I was wondering if I could add brown sugar at different stages while it's bubbling instead of the aphrodites?

I understand this is something that isn't the same as yours, but I tried to get as close as possible and I'm hoping we can make a good tea with what I have. What do you think about this? Maybe use the alfalfa, kelp, microbe brew, and kangaroots, and add brown sugar once or twice to stimulate the microbes?

 

[Papageno]

You will be fine.

You don't really want to use straight sugar. any grow store sells broken down molasses as an additive. Every nute manf. makes some. I use 2 different kinds. Aphrodite is jut a real high end one but that is just kinda stupid anyway. Any will work.

Also Any grow store will have some sort of enzyme treatment. Hygrozyme is the oldest one that has been around forever. You just need to ask the employees to help and they will point you at an enzyme treatment. that is fairly important in breaking down the stuff but not critical. most of the work is dine by the microbes in the worm castings.

Crab meal is unnecessary but you could also have used Shrimp meal or any other crustacean by product. That breaks down to chitosan which is an amazing additive that does all sorts of great things. It will make them not just more tolerant to disease and infection but almost immune to many bad things. You will have increased resin production and very large bud formation. also aids in to make vigorous growth. Not crucial but we may want to get some before we bloom.

All of that stuff should be able to be found at any decent indoor grow store. Crustacean meals and enzymes should be able to be found at any store selling growing supplies that is selling good potting soils and fertilizers.

 

[swwilson20]

The guy had never heard of crab meal, he pointed me to fish meal instead.. He was new I've never seen him there before. Will hydro guard work for the enzyme treatment?

 

[Papageno]

yup Bacteria and enzymes work very well together. that is what we are trying to do here is get some beneficial bacteria and enzymes into that soil.

Fish meal is for a different purpose. We want shells from oysters or crabs or shrimp ... something like that.


I use this stuff...but they also sell a shrimp meal too.

 

[swwilson20]

Alright I got the tea finished up and gave about 3 solo cups each and then chased that down with some RO and Silica. Hopefully that get things going. I checked out a different grow shop in the area. They actually have a compost tea brew all the time that you can buy by the gallon. I thought that was pretty cool, and they have a really good selection of ingredients to brew your own. I like this new store much more. Ill get some pics up in a couple days, maybe sooner if something bad happens

 

[Papageno]

Most good stores have their own tea to buy. I like making my own so I can adjust things. I just did a batch where I upped on ingredient a lot and went down on another. Can't do that with store bought.

 

[swwilson20]

Hey V, I have a question about RO water, and I have heard some opinions on this before but hoping I could hear yours if you don't mind. This past week or so learning from you has made me not want to be a bottle grower, I understand now I'm not even that, but I can learn this stuff over time. It really piques my interest, the biology of it.. Anyways, with the RO water, I understand the importance of using that when brewing compost teas, the stuff in my tap water will kill off the bacteria that I'm working hard to make, and letting my water sit for over 24 hours seems counter-productive (stagnant water). My lovely city water is very alkaline (9.5pH). I've heard both sides to this, how tap water is actually good b/c all the micro-nutrients and if it's safe for us, then should be for plants and RO you have to add in all the micro nutes.. I think you said you have very good water so you don't worry about it. What if you didn't? What would be your choice in water, other than making a well

 

[Papageno]

mmmmm a well... I grew up on well water and all the dentists have meet are amazed at my teeth.

This is a very good question!!!

So all that you have said is true and good stuff. But here is what it comes down to ...really 2 things. Both of them you can find out from the local water district, probably from their website.

RO filtes are used to remove Fluoride and Chlorine/Chloromate. Chlorine is the chemical that used to be used but many water districts have switched to Chloromate. Both of those things are bad for plants.

Now chlorine is easy and just evaporates out of the water. With an air stone a 5 gallon bucket can be cleaned of chlorine in an hour or so. Siting around for about 24 hours does the trick too. So I just always refill my buckets right after use and I have enough buckets to never need to go to the tap. Chloromate does not evaporate and you "need" to filter. Just about any water filter does the trick for that one though. Look them up and it is the first thing they say they remove. Many of them will also remove Flouride.

So my recommendation for people who need to filter is to make a preppers filter out of a good water filter and do it one bucket at time.


By preppers filter I mean get 2 buckets and make one of these contraptions...

 

[swwilson20]

I guess what I didn't tell you is I ordered an RO system :/

 

[swwilson20]

I looked at my city's water and they use just about everything, including chloramine. Like I said it's 9.5ph from the tap, and it's consistent. I should use that to check if my pH pen is calibrated right instead of the solution. Another question I have is when I use just RO water only, there is no adjusting needed, correct? Just water until my heart's content? (I mean plants)

 

[Papageno]

naw...I think pure water has a high pH. like in the rang of about 8. Not sure though. mine is about 8 out of the tap. I get ppm of 12 out of the tap...no fluoride added, and they use Chlorine...so I get to do it the easy way...just fill a bucket and let it sit.

 

[swwilson20]

Ok. I snapped a few pics a moment ago. The pics in normal light are the same plant. The pic in LED is at a bottom branch. All the plants are starting to do this now. They are growing really crooked and the first few nodes, the stalk (stem) containg these are very flimsy. Since all of them are doing it I have to assume it's either the light being moved up or the effects from topping?

 

[Papageno]

I don't really see a problem inherently. they may need some water. The light moved up would only cause a stretch problem ntot being flimsy. Have you been adding a silica treatment?

 

[swwilson20]

Yes I just did with Pro Tekt. I watered last night. I waited about 2 weeks to water before last night. First time being watered since flush and up-pot.

 

[Papageno]

you might have some magnesium deficiency showing in the second pic. Not uncommon after a flush. are you using some Cal mag?

this is mag def

 

[swwilson20]

I have some but I haven't used in a bit. Hmm, I was hoping the kelp would take care of that. I guess it's not enough. Would this be a good oppurtunity for a foilar spray? I have not done that yet..

 

[Papageno]

Foliar is something I used to do but don't anymore. I feel it is something to be saved for extreme cases where you need to get it in there now. you are not having a bad problem. Just get some in there next watering. You can't really over do that stuff. So go ahead and put in a good strong dose and see what happens.

 

[swwilson20]

That's what I'm Talking about! Back to the light for a bit. I have noticed some stretch on lower branches much more compared to the others. I've got an extra 100W that I'm not using. I was gonna wait until bloom to use it. You think it would hurt to mount it at the top with the other?