FloraNova Bloom

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Anonymous Joe

New Member
I've got some pure sativas 4+ weeks into flower. I'm using a mixture of organic soil and Coco in five gallon buckets. I've been feeding them FloraNova Bloom. I've worked my way up to feeding them 3 tsp per gallon and they look great! I've been watering with 3 tsp per gallon for about 3 weeks now and don't really see any negative effects. I've been reading around about PPM and feeding methods used by other growers using FNB and I'm wondering if I might be using too much. I don't currently have a way to measure PPM.

Is it okay to continue watering with this amount or am I just providing more nutrients than can be used? Should I be relying more on PPM levels or rather the overall health/look of the plant?
 
That's the philosophy I've been going with. I just don't want to over feed and essentially waste the nutrients. Overfeeding with FNB is pretty difficult from what I've read but that doesn't necessarily mean the plants are able to utilize the higher feeding levels. Or are they? Most other growers seem to be using no more than one or two tsp per gallon so now I'm questioning myself.

Is a higher PPM level beneficial if the plants show no signs of stress?

☆Thanks for the input.☆
 
Bloom only?
I wouldn't increase it, but the amount you are using is probably fine. I'd reduce it if you were giving it a "balanced meal", but since you aren't giving her any 'N' or most of the secondary/trace nute's, you should be OK.
Bloom is acidic. IDK if you are monitoring PH, but it could pull things down if your soil isn't well buffered.
 
Yes, I always run the pH at 6.5. I end up needing to add pH Up when I use 3 tsp of FNB. I'm using FNB and Epson. I have a LED setup. The plants are lush and dark green. No burns and already quite crystallized in 4 weeks.

However, what I've been reading about PPM has me thinking I may not need to use so much nutrients in order to achieve the same results. In fact, I could potentially saturate the soil with salt? As expensive as nutrients are I'd hate to just be wasting it.
 
Anonymous Joe said:
Yes, I always run the pH at 6.5. I end up needing to add pH Up when I use 3 tsp of FNB. I'm using FNB and Epson. I have a LED setup. The plants are lush and dark green. No burns and already quite crystallized in 4 weeks.

However, what I've been reading about PPM has me thinking I may not need to use so much nutrients in order to achieve the same results. In fact, I could potentially saturate the soil with salt? As expensive as nutrients are I'd hate to just be wasting it.
Click to expand...

I think you could cut back w/o any detrimental effects. You could also cut out the Epsom. FNB has 'Mg' and 'S' in it already so your are really giving a duplicate feeding with more salts.
 
BS retracted

EDIT: Okay apparently my math was way off...

5mL/G

IMG_20160910_203256.jpg


(My tap water is 40-50)
 
Anonymous Joe said:
I'm using a mixture of organic soil and Coco in five gallon buckets. I've been feeding them FloraNova Bloom.
Click to expand...

I've read that 3 to 4 ml/gal of a Cal/Mg product and 4 ml/gal of FloraNova bloom, adjusted to a pH of 5.8 (because coco coir, by itself, is more or less a hydroponic media) was fine for coco coir, all the way through.

For soiless medium (such as one of the ProMix products), I have read to use FloraNova at a rate of 2 to 3 ml/gal every time you water OR 8 ml/gal every third watering.

But IDK about actual soil. Is this a soil that you have blended/built yourself, or a commercial product that you have purchased? Is it "hot?" I would watch for signs of nutrient build-up / over-fertilization.

Are you going to start a journal? I would be interested in seeing one, because using FloraNova in organic soil is something I've never done before - and I'm always interested in learning new things, lol.

BtW, any reason that you went with FloraNova instead of MaxiBloom? AfaIK, they're both comparable (and somewhat of a pain to mix/dissolve), just one is liquid and the other is dry... But MaxiBloom is cheaper, or at least was the last time I checked.

Make sure you shake the living daylights out of the FloraNova, lol. Do you have to "pre-dissolve" the amount you are going to use in a pint of hot (or a quart of pretty warm) water first?
 
Joe- My bad! :thedoubletake:
My thoughts/comments above were for Flora Bloom, not Flora Nova Bloom.
:sorry:

I still think the CalMag is probably not necessary, but I don't use the "Nova" version of GH products.
 
Major PITA said:
Joe- My bad! :thedoubletake:
My thoughts/comments above were for Flora Bloom, not Flora Nova Bloom.
:sorry:

I still think the CalMag is probably not necessary, but I don't use the "Nova" version of GH products.
Click to expand...

Remember that it's not just the amount of calcium and magnesium, but the ratio of them as well. I just saw the comment in post #8 about the person's tap water having 40 to 50 PPM of (measurable) impurities. That's impressive, IMHO. I do not currently have access to an electrical conductivity meter, but in the past when I did, I saw that the tap water in my area was generally in the 330 to 350 PPM range. That's a lot of calcium (and a few other things). In regards to three-part nutrient types (of the top of my head, I am thinking of General Hydroponics' three-part Flora series, but I suppose it applies as a general statement), I would probably be ahead to use the "hard water" version of the Micro component, due to its containing less calcium. Failing that - or when using nutrient programs which do not have such a component, IOW single-part nutrients (or when only using one part of a multi-part type - as when following the "Lucas Formula" recommendations)... I might be ahead to supplement with Epsom Salt, so as to be able to add magnesium without spiking my calcium levels at the same time.

Just a random thought....
 
I am using FNB also and like you I add Epsom, but i use 1 tsp per 1.5 gallons along with 1 oz. FNB for 10 plants. Working great for me also, plus its cheap & easy to use! I'm only about 2 weeks into bloom but I like what I see so far. Cheers, Peace & r3sp3ct!
 
StonedGypsy said:
I am using FNB also and like you I add Epsom, but i use 1 tsp per 1.5 gallons along with 1 oz. FNB for 10 plants. Working great for me also, plus its cheap & easy to use! I'm only about 2 weeks into bloom but I like what I see so far. Cheers, Peace & r3sp3ct!
Click to expand...
I've also read about others using up to 1 tsp per gallon of Epsom but they said they would have to flush the medium every 10 days or so to remove salt buildup. With FNB and Epsom it's easy to accumulate salt saturation. I crunched some numbers a while back and came to the conclusion that 1/4 - 1/2 tsp Epsom per gallon was sufficient. I've seen a lot of recommended dosages ranging from 1/4 - 1 tsp but most seem to be around 1/4 tsp. I figure I could always supplement more if I get a deficiency but it's harder to correct a saturation and/or lockout problem. So far though they're quite lush and dark green so I can't imagine they're lacking any magnesium or sulfur.
 
I only give them Epsom and FNB every other feed and I'm using 1.5 gallons of water in an organic soil grow, so far no lockout or burn that is apparent. I only just started the Epsom during bloom, otherwise I used GH Flora Micro, Grow & Bloom at 3 tsp per 1.5 gallon. I switched to straight FNB with Epsom only at this point.
 
I think it's pretty difficult to burn using FNB. But of course it depends on the strain. The only problem I'm running into is low pH levels in my runoff water. I'm always watering at 6.5 but apparently an excess of FNB is lowering the pH of my medium. I've cut the FNB back from 3 tsp to 1 tsp until I get the pH corrected..
 
Anonymous Joe said:
I think it's pretty difficult to burn using FNB. But of course it depends on the strain. The only problem I'm running into is low pH levels in my runoff water. I'm always watering at 6.5 but apparently an excess of FNB is lowering the pH of my medium. I've cut the FNB back from 3 tsp to 1 tsp until I get the pH corrected..
Click to expand...

Out of the bottle, FNB has a PH of 2.0. I always go with half the max recommended dose = 1.5 t per gallon. It brings my tap water down to 6.4 PH.
 
Major PITA said:
Out of the bottle, FNB has a PH of 2.0. I always go with half the max recommended dose = 1.5 t per gallon. It brings my tap water down to 6.4 PH.
Click to expand...
We use untreated ground water that's always around 8.1 pH. It takes us 2 tsp of FNB to hit exactly 6.5 and 1 tsp will be 6.8. For the sake of not having to readjust the pH and/or potentially saturating the medium I agree with you.
 
hey Guys, Old timer here. been growing weed about 35/40 Years. tried Just about every combo Under the sun. My "SIMPLE" formula for a LOOOONG time Is Fox farm soil. I go from Clones of Sour "D" last 8 Years because it sells the best and Produces Best. 20 Gal Fabric Pots. PH water to 6.1 all through grow. I use "Flora Nova,Grow" at 1 TBSP Per gallon. every 7 days. .................At First sign Of White Hair. I switch to Flora Nova Bloom, One LG...TBSP Per gallon. every 4 Days. I also put 3- 1"x 12Ft stakes evenly around Pots for support when bigger. next year...I will use netting. My Main stalks Are Baseball Bat size. I Buy at about 8 In Tall and harvest at 12 Ft, Usually about 6.5 Months.
Legal here is 6 Plants.....I have 6 very Old friends who do the same and we have the same customers for Many,Many Years. OH...Almost forgot. Real Important Use about a 1/4 cup of magnesium in the water that your parents used to soak in a bathtub for sore Muscles.
Keep It simple guys,Don't overthink it....It's a weed...LOL
lotta folks out there make a Lot of money selling you stuff.
 

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