Osmocote Plus Plant Food: Discuss Its Use With Cannabis Here!
- Thread starter Munki
- Start date
That sounds like a really nice grow you've got going there!
The buds will taste really good without a flush if you us OC+ and not much else....at least as good if not better than buds that were flushed after being fed 3 part nutes.
However, if you really want to flush anyways, you just need to turn the temps down into the low 60's at night and mid 70's during the day. This will stop the prills from releasing very many nutes.....my plants started yellowing on day 3 of this treatment.....it's a flush, done another way.
Barry Manilow
New Member
Welcome beebop76! That sounds like a winning combo, I'd love to get an led some day. Hope you're going to start a journal?
You really can't flush a crf like OC+. The prills are in the medium and will continue to release nutes, watering only makes them release more. You can control them a bit with temps... cooler will slow the release and warmer will speed it up.
Lots of us are using OC+ and loving it. I suggest you also pick up a micronute supplement like Ironite Mineral Supplement, you're most likely going to need it unless you have great tap water. The plants can show signs of cal/mag and maybe iron deficiences.
I'd start supplementing them at about 2-3 weeks old.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Thanks guys, very helpful. Bluedog, I'll pick up some Ironite Mineral Supplement. Do you know how much and how often I should feed my plants with this using the medium I will be using (Promix/Perlite 4:1)?
Docbud, similar question, I'm going to put in 2.5 tbsp per gallon of OC+ and mix it throughout my medium. This sound okay?
I also will germinate my seeds directly into these 5 gallon pots. I know you said the OC is fine for seedlings, and sorry for a stupid question but is it okay to germinate my seedlings right into my 5 gallon pot with this mix? I know typically you'll put seedings into a smaller cup/pot but can I just skip this transplanting step and go right into my large pots?
Thanks again.
Docbud, similar question, I'm going to put in 2.5 tbsp per gallon of OC+ and mix it throughout my medium. This sound okay?
I also will germinate my seeds directly into these 5 gallon pots. I know you said the OC is fine for seedlings, and sorry for a stupid question but is it okay to germinate my seedlings right into my 5 gallon pot with this mix? I know typically you'll put seedings into a smaller cup/pot but can I just skip this transplanting step and go right into my large pots?
Thanks again.
Barry Manilow
New Member
Let's work backwards. I highly recommend starting off in mini-hempies. Your plants grow way way way way slower when they are searching for the res. And you have to water way way way more. At least 2x per day.
When I transplanted mine from the mini-hempies they were totally rootbound, and it still took them almost a week to find the res, during which time they developed a slight N deficiency.
If you plant right into a 5 gal pot it will probably take at least 2 weeks for the roots to get all the way down to the res. And that's 2 weeks of very slow growth.
If it wasn't such a pain I'd do just the opposite of what you're thinking of... I'd transplant to a medium hempy bucket and then to the full sized one. The transplanting isn't a pain, just the prep, making extra buckets etc.
Check out the beginning of my hempy grow for details, but add more prills than I did - 15 or so should be plenty.
Regarding the Ironite I used it as a top-dressing, 1/2 tbsp per plant, and watered it in. That should last for at least a month. Not sure about mixing it into the soil for a seedling. I do know that the cal/mag deficiencies didn't show up for the first 3 weeks, so I'm only going to start supplementing then. I just have no idea if it would harm them earlier in life.
Hope this helps.
Dexter4Morgan
New Member
Who stocks OC+ during the winter ? Home Depot and Lowes just have left over stock from summer and OC+ is not stocked
Barry Manilow
New Member
I got mine at Ace Hardware. If they don't have it in stock you can buy it on their website and have it shipped to their nearest store at no charge, takes a few days but is a great option if there's one near you.
Dexter4Morgan
New Member
oh U are the man !! +reps
I checked the OC website they dont even mention Ace as a retailer
Barry Manilow
New Member
Glad to help! If you're growing in perlite make sure you also pick up a micronute supplement. I got Ironite Minerals Supplement, also at Ace lol! They only have one long narrow row of stuff but it's packed in there.
That was $13 for a 10lb bag which will last for years.
Good luck!
Dexter4Morgan
New Member
Already got the Ironite same bag at Home Depot for $9.67 LOL
Barry Manilow
New Member
Man I got ripped off lol!
A couple things:
1.) If you're using OC+ you will most likely NOT need a micro supplement. You can safely add MORE prills and not come close to burning your plants. I'd do that first, provided your temps aren't really high.
2.)It's just good gardening to have things like Ironite, Liquinox, gypsum, cal/mag etc. on hand. I wouldn't start any grow without them.
3.)perlite is going to show deficiencies first. Pro-mix and/or soil may never show them. If growing in straight perlite, I'd just nearly double the amount of OC+ in the containers, making sure that most of it is down in the wet zone in a hempy.
In soiless/soil, mix it in uniformly.
I've been watching all the CRF grows and the ones that are having deficiencies are usually set up wrong from the get go....for one reason or the other....and are also using RO water for various reasons.
Good tap water is best....but like any other gardening operation, you've got to check your water and see if it will work. In my current grow, the well water is really, really bad....so I'm using RO.
Having said all that, when a problem shows up it seems to be related to one of the following. Here's a rudimentary OC+ troubleshooting guide:
Assuming good water, with adequate calcium/magnesium....
1.)Yellowing lower leaves? Nitrogen def. Add more prills
2.)yellowing leaves on top and all over the plant? Are the leaves nearly white? Iron/zinc/copper def. Add some prills and use a supplement like Ironite, Liquinox, etc.
Those are the two problems that seem to come up the most. I had an iron def. two grows ago, easily fixed.
So, don't plan on having deficiencies.....just have a plan for dealing with them, and if you do have one it's likely to be one of the two above.
1.) If you're using OC+ you will most likely NOT need a micro supplement. You can safely add MORE prills and not come close to burning your plants. I'd do that first, provided your temps aren't really high.
2.)It's just good gardening to have things like Ironite, Liquinox, gypsum, cal/mag etc. on hand. I wouldn't start any grow without them.
3.)perlite is going to show deficiencies first. Pro-mix and/or soil may never show them. If growing in straight perlite, I'd just nearly double the amount of OC+ in the containers, making sure that most of it is down in the wet zone in a hempy.
In soiless/soil, mix it in uniformly.
I've been watching all the CRF grows and the ones that are having deficiencies are usually set up wrong from the get go....for one reason or the other....and are also using RO water for various reasons.
Good tap water is best....but like any other gardening operation, you've got to check your water and see if it will work. In my current grow, the well water is really, really bad....so I'm using RO.
Having said all that, when a problem shows up it seems to be related to one of the following. Here's a rudimentary OC+ troubleshooting guide:
Assuming good water, with adequate calcium/magnesium....
1.)Yellowing lower leaves? Nitrogen def. Add more prills
2.)yellowing leaves on top and all over the plant? Are the leaves nearly white? Iron/zinc/copper def. Add some prills and use a supplement like Ironite, Liquinox, etc.
Those are the two problems that seem to come up the most. I had an iron def. two grows ago, easily fixed.
So, don't plan on having deficiencies.....just have a plan for dealing with them, and if you do have one it's likely to be one of the two above.
Dexter4Morgan
New Member
I've got about 85 gallons of rain water ready to go for my first grow, and DM plus other stuff. trying to get the room built
Sounds good! The room/environment is the most important part of any grow. Don't skimp or do it halfway! Get it right and then everything else will fall into place.
Tyrone Hamilton
New Member
Doc - you are exactly right that perlite shows deficiencies first - no buffer. I'm going to have to add some kind of buffer material next grow. Reps when I can again... 
Dexter4Morgan
New Member
I started a thread I need to upload a pic of the room drawing and get some input
lbezphil2005
New Member
What about with a combo of OC+ and Mater Magic? Do you think a good 1 week or 2 week flush for the mater magic? you are supposed to stop using it 3 weeks before finishing, i'm pretty sure thats what the label said? Guess I better get my magnifying glasses out again. Damn I hate getting old!
That should be a great combo!
NCDude
New Member
Whats the ideal PH for Osmocoto Plus and others like Dynamite Plant Food?
Thanks
NCDude
Thanks
NCDude
They will work equally well at any pH. The question is what pH does that plant like?
In the case of soil, about 6.8, give or take.
In hydro (perlite....not NFT, DWC, Aero) about 5.8-6.2
No salt build up, no need to flush....green healthy plants, large buds.....good stuff.
Did I mention cheap? 20 bucks for enough to do 150 or so plants.