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Osmocote Plus Plant Food: Discuss Its Use With Cannabis Here!
- Thread starter Munki
- Start date
OC+ has allot of micros, but only the Iron is chelated from looking at my bottle right now.
- Thread starter
- #403
Technically then you either have a meter that needs to be calibrated or you do not have distilled water at it would be 7.0.
6.6 is very close to 7.0 though as pH is a logarithmic scale.
Distilled water cannot be tested accurately with a meter. It has no acid buffering capability and will take on the pH of anything added to it.
You should try pHing tap water and using that. It is much more stable and has micronutes in it that the plants need.
Rainwater is nothing like distilled water. It has some minerals and a good bit of nitrogen in it. If I was going to mix up 5 gallons of rain water, I'd put a pint of tap water in it before testing pH.
You should try pHing tap water and using that. It is much more stable and has micronutes in it that the plants need.
Rainwater is nothing like distilled water. It has some minerals and a good bit of nitrogen in it. If I was going to mix up 5 gallons of rain water, I'd put a pint of tap water in it before testing pH.
PH'ing distilled or RO water will also ruin your PH meter.
that's why the mfg's warn to not use distilled or RO to store them.
that's why the mfg's warn to not use distilled or RO to store them.
So, how do CRF's like Osmocote interact with beneficial microorganisms?
Do they play nice?
Do they play nice?
lbezphil2005
New Member
Well said, SS, exactly what I was wondering! I'm really undecided, what with Irishboy and his success with the DM red, but I am starting a bunch of seeds RIGHT NOW so this is really important info for me!
Grower Z
New Member
Here are the claims from the Scotts company:
Questions that Gardeners Ask about Osmocote® - Scotts Australia
*****
Another Epsoma product that looks great for mixing with a CRF is the Bio-tone Starter Plus
All Natural Organic Plant Food with Mycorrhizae
Non-Plant Food Ingredients:
Contains 1,341 colony forming units (CFU's) per gram of 7 different species.
Ectomycorrhizal Fungi: 97,440 propagules per gram:
Endomycorrhizal Fungi: 2.64 propagules per gram:
4-3-3 (4% Ca - 2% S - 1% Mg) derived from Hydrolyzed feather meal, pasteurized poultry manure, cocoa meal, blood meal, alfalfa meal, greensand, humates, sulfate of potash, and sulfate of potash magnesia
Potting Mixes: Mix 20 lbs. per cubic yard or 1 lb. (3 cups) per cu. ft.
Questions that Gardeners Ask about Osmocote® - Scotts Australia
3. Does Osmocote harm earthworms?
Not at all. Research has shown that earthworm populations can be 400% higher in areas fertilised with Osmocote, compared to areas where traditional agricultural practices are used.
Not at all. Research has shown that earthworm populations can be 400% higher in areas fertilised with Osmocote, compared to areas where traditional agricultural practices are used.
*****
Another Epsoma product that looks great for mixing with a CRF is the Bio-tone Starter Plus
All Natural Organic Plant Food with Mycorrhizae
Non-Plant Food Ingredients:
Contains 1,341 colony forming units (CFU's) per gram of 7 different species.
Ectomycorrhizal Fungi: 97,440 propagules per gram:
Endomycorrhizal Fungi: 2.64 propagules per gram:
4-3-3 (4% Ca - 2% S - 1% Mg) derived from Hydrolyzed feather meal, pasteurized poultry manure, cocoa meal, blood meal, alfalfa meal, greensand, humates, sulfate of potash, and sulfate of potash magnesia
Potting Mixes: Mix 20 lbs. per cubic yard or 1 lb. (3 cups) per cu. ft.
lbezphil2005
New Member
Has anyone tried osmocotes vegetable, tomato, herb, and garden yet? or the Total All Purpose? Is there a difference, any favorites, etc?
I've been using Osmocote for years in flower and vegetable gardens....which is how I got the idea to use it for our favorite plants.
The main difference is that OC+ has all the micronutes and a bit more nitrogen, which is what our plants like.
BTW forget the crap you heard about nitrogen inhibiting flowering.....the amount of N in OC+ isn't enough to burn the plant.....let alone stop the flowering hormones.
There are plenty of pics around here to prove that statement. For some reason, whenever I tell people I use Osmocote, they have seizures, begin foaming at the mouth muttering, "can't flush," "won't flower....nitrogen" "no control....." and other nonsensical utterances.
Bottom line, OC+ is merely a better formulation than their old products.
"It also has no detrimental effect on some beneficial micro-organism in the soil."
Allied Botanical Corporation
Allied Botanical Corporation
lbezphil2005
New Member
I guess I didn't state it clear enough. on their website, they have a specific brand, Osmocote® Flower & Vegetable Smart-Release® Plant Food - Scotts Miracle-Gro or Osmocote® Plus Multipurpose Plant Food - Scotts Miracle-Gro which is better, IYO
The Osmocote Plus Multipurpose Plant Food is the one this thread is based on, and the one Doc, I, and a few others have used with success.
Grower Z
New Member
The only reason that I'm interested in organic indoor gardening techniques is to determine for sure if that is the missing link to great flavor. I have some good varieties to work with and am definitely not overfeeding, but with conventional or synthetics or what have you, the flavor just hasn't come out yet. I'll know it when I taste it.
In soil-grown MJ, I think it may be more the soil that imparts the good flavor, rather than the nute regimen we use along with it.
In any case, since I use it medicinally, the effect takes priority over how it smokes.
In any case, since I use it medicinally, the effect takes priority over how it smokes.
A little CFR report here :
NL is 4 wks flowering as of today. The day when I did the LST thing I picked the smallest of the smallest tiny buds from the bases of the branches and sampled it today. I forgot about them on a baking tray in an oven with the pilot light on for 4 days. It is already as good as if not better than anything I have smoked in a long time. Tasted pretty darn good to me and expanded in my lung more than most of the stuff I smoke does, and I got a decent buzz. I am really looking forward to some grade a bud.
A little hempy side note: The perlite soil mix has compacted quite a bit. And the stuff floated a little to much when watering. I added a some more potting mix and a shot of CFR and covered her with a bag of aquarium gravel.
NL is 4 wks flowering as of today. The day when I did the LST thing I picked the smallest of the smallest tiny buds from the bases of the branches and sampled it today. I forgot about them on a baking tray in an oven with the pilot light on for 4 days. It is already as good as if not better than anything I have smoked in a long time. Tasted pretty darn good to me and expanded in my lung more than most of the stuff I smoke does, and I got a decent buzz. I am really looking forward to some grade a bud.
A little hempy side note: The perlite soil mix has compacted quite a bit. And the stuff floated a little to much when watering. I added a some more potting mix and a shot of CFR and covered her with a bag of aquarium gravel.
I'm not sure you have to be "organic" but the complexities of soil is where the taste comes from.
I was talking with a guy today who said that bat guano grows really good pot....but good old steer manure brings out better taste. I don't know if that's true of not....but I can't recall ever having a conversation where someone argued their hydro bud tasted better than good soil bud.
I think a good quality soil, set up like a true organic grow, is going to give the best taste, whether you supplement it with a non-organic fert or not.
Just opinion at this point, but I can certainly say that my current soil grow smells far stronger than my hempy grows did. Taste is a function of smell......
lbezphil2005
New Member
I was reading up on their website and they have a type on ther that is specifically for vegetables and flowers, I believe the link is this one - Osmocote® Flower & Vegetable Smart-Release® Plant Food - Scotts Miracle-Gro - it's npk is 14-14-14. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with this one.
i like the NPK on that one, but its lacking some micro nutes. the red DM witch is a 13-13-13 is working great for me with huge buds but it doesnt have any Cal in it and becomes a pain in the ass. i would just stick with the OC+ or purple DM and be able to kick back and not worry about adding things, but i would say that 14-14-14 would do great after seeing what the 13-13-13 did for me. but if ur willing to add the micros i think both the DM red 13-13-13 or the OC 14-14-147 would kick ass for sure. i want to play with that OC some time maybe a few plants with my DM red girls in the future?
IMO i would only use OC+ is cooler temps, i wouldn't use in the high 80's after what i have seen with my grow. but in cooler moths it kicks ass. OC+ in the cooler months and DM in the hotter and cooler months for me. OC+ makes some very healthy plants
i like the NPK on that one, but its lacking some micro nutes. the red DM witch is a 13-13-13 is working great for me with huge buds but it doesnt have any Cal in it and becomes a pain in the ass. i would just stick with the OC+ or purple DM and be able to kick back and not worry about adding things, but i would say that 14-14-14 would do great after seeing what the 13-13-13 did for me. but if ur willing to add the micros i think both the DM red 13-13-13 or the OC 14-14-147 would kick ass for sure. i want to play with that OC some time maybe a few plants with my DM red girls in the future?
IMO i would only use OC+ is cooler temps, i wouldn't use in the high 80's after what i have seen with my grow. but in cooler moths it kicks ass. OC+ in the cooler months and DM in the hotter and cooler months for me. OC+ makes some very healthy plants
That's some pretty solid advice right there.
If you have a good source of micronute, you can use the OC 14/14/14 and it will do great. Same with the DM.
However, the optimal NPK for our plants is 3=1=2. Some would add that during middle bloom 2-1-3 is optimal, but the plants will sort everything out as long as they're not over fed.
The important thing is to have enough phosphorus during the early weeks of veg, in order to establish a good root system, and then to have enough N throughout the cycle to establish healthy leaves.
Leaves and roots=buds.