But didn't you also take the Brix reading of 3 from a leaf stem, and not the leaf? Did you use similar input materials for both tests i.e, both leaf stems or both leaves?
Outdoors IKLWA And Cherries Dubelee In MA
- Thread starter StoneOtter
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- #683
It smells like I can make a tasty gravy from it! Very sweet. Yes it does have kelp and humic and fulvic acids. I've been relying on past years roots for carbon in these holes Gee. Maybe I could add some compost between seasons to make up.
I'm glad to have seen your notes on the add on to Geoflora!
Yes and no. First I got a 2.5 on a stem, then a 3 on a leaf. Good memory Azi! Leaf on this test.
It's truly phenomenal! Gee's (among others) been helping me understand new things. I'm learning!
Bugs are low here it seems. My strawberries got aphids for a short time and they self exterminated. These cannabis plants get leaf chews and sucks here and there but nothing significant so far. My daily checks got some Japanese beetles earlier. That's over thankfully. Dreaded moth season coming! I have to make my jadam foliar! Been lazy, hope that doesn't bite me in the butt!
Gee64
Well-Known Member
I have found that no matter how high the brix level is, those pesky grasshoppers still munch the leaves. They must be able to process the sugars better.It smells like I can make a tasty gravy from it! Very sweet. Yes it does have kelp and humic and fulvic acids. I've been relying on past years roots for carbon in these holes Gee. Maybe I could add some compost between seasons to make up.
I'm glad to have seen your notes on the add on to Geoflora!
Yes and no. First I got a 2.5 on a stem, then a 3 on a leaf. Good memory Azi! Leaf on this test.
It's truly phenomenal! Gee's (among others) been helping me understand new things. I'm learning!
Bugs are low here it seems. My strawberries got aphids for a short time and they self exterminated. These cannabis plants get leaf chews and sucks here and there but nothing significant so far. My daily checks got some Japanese beetles earlier. That's over thankfully. Dreaded moth season coming! I have to make my jadam foliar! Been lazy, hope that doesn't bite me in the butt!
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- #685
Well they are called a plague for a reason
.
Tru dat!Well they are called a plague for a reason
Gee64
Well-Known Member
Roots are definitely a good carbon source. Soil carbon is for the microbes, not the plant. Microbes/fungii require on average, about 50% of their diet to be carbon.
In the beginning the soil supplies it. Once the plant is "healthy" (brix over 12) the plant starts supplying it.
The plant mostly gives it to the fungii which in turn relays it to the microbes, but it's not free for the microbes. The fungii, at the plants request, will give it to whatever species of microbe is manufacturing the nute the plant has requested. It literally bribes the microbes with exudates to get what the plant asks for.
The plant pulls carbon from the air to make the sugars, it doesn't use the soil carbon.
If the rootballs aren't enough carbon to sustain the microbe population at a robust level then the microbes go dormant and the food supply chain slows down.
The main thing that the plant has fungii get from the microbes is phosphorus. It's hard to mine.
Check the Candy and see if it has a high phosphorus number or ingredients that are phosphorus heavy. If so, and your calcium line is still fuzzy denoting adequate calcium, then phosphorus could also be your limiting factor in the soil.
My experience is that calcium and carbon are the 2 that run out 1st, but once anything other than calcium runs low, all the rest are soon to follow.
Most people get 2 things wrong in organics. One is not enough available phosphorus in veg. Stoner logic dictates its a flower additive but its actually a photosynthesis pillar so if your plant is growing it needs phosphorus.
The other is the big one, thats soil carbon.
Most people add some coco at soil cooking time and think it's covered, but in reality, the soil cooking process uses it all as the "cooking" is the microbes eating everything to get the carbon.
So at potting time, if you add more coco, or whatever your carbon source is, it carries the microbes until brix gets above 12 and the plant has excess sugars to give the microbes.
Most reputable soil cooking recipes call for 25-33% carbon. example: 1 part ammended soil, 1 part coco, 1 part ewc and 1 part perlite. Perlite is inert and doesn't get consumed so remove it from the equation and the recipe is now 1/3 coco. Thats how much carbon is needed.
So analyze that Candy and find your deficiency so you can ammend for next year.
So to summarize the path to higher brix you need adequate Calcium, Carbon, Phosphorus, Oxygen, and microbes/fungii.
Adding calcium opens the soil allowing air in so adding calcium covers both calcium and oxygen.
Cooked soil must have more carbon added at uppotting to sustain the microbes until brix gets above 12. Adding carbon also increases microbe population. That only leaves Phosphorus. It's best cooked in so the microbes have it ready in veg to get photosynthesis up early to get brix up early to avoid a carbon crash. Chances are that you have adequate phosphorus in the soil but a lack of carbon has made the microbes go dormant thus slowing phosphorus production.
The word organics roughly translates to "of carbon base" so that pretty much tells you carbon is the biggest player.
Gee64
Well-Known Member
The other thing to remember about brix is that most synthetic ferts are fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides. They are designed to kill microbes (pesticides), and fungii (fungicides) so you can't really mix high brix and synthetics unless you really understand the processes and ingredients.
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- #689
Here's what's in Sweet Candy.
@ 1/4 tsp per 2 gallons water.
@ 1/4 tsp per 2 gallons water.
I'm getting this a little more every time we talk Gee! I appreciate you taking the time to go through it with me! It may take a little head banging but I'll get some at a time and apply it!
Gee64
Well-Known Member
That looks like really strong stuff. I wouldn't go over the suggested mixing rates. Yeah it takes a few goes to wrap your head around calcium and carbon. The fact that they are mainly for the soil and the microbes misleads everyone until it sinks in.Here's what's in Sweet Candy.
@ 1/4 tsp per 2 gallons water.
I'm getting this a little more every time we talk Gee! I appreciate you taking the time to go through it with me! It may take a little head banging but I'll get some at a time and apply it!
For what it's worth, the three main ingredients are salts (monopotassium phosphate, potassium sulfate, and magnesium sulfate).
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- #692
For some reason they don't seem to bother the micro herd from what I'm reading. I am off track for this to be a completely organic grow now. As long as my herd is healthy and they thrive I guess that's the goal for this grow. New things a happening here outside!
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- #693
I have my eyes peeled for any overages. Watering's going to every day pretty soon so that could shift things too.
Gee64
Well-Known Member
You could always try a molasses and water mix too if the salts worry you.
If mollasses works just as well then it was just a carbon issue. If the Candy works better then its likely a phosphorus issue or both.
If you decide on mollasses then just make sure it's blackstrap molasses.
Follow the brix readings, they are a direct indicator of plant health.
smokesbetter
Well-Known Member
Good teaching going on here Thanks Gee64 ! I have used molasses for plant and I thought the damn ants where going to start smoking my weed there was so many of them , I did not know why i even got the stuff to be honest LOL maybe i didnt mix it right ?
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- #696
I'll keep that in mind Gee. I'd like to run this to the end and see how it goes. Emilya has been saying so many positive things about this combination of nutes, geoflora and sweet candy, that I'm in for the duration unless something happens. Do you think my microbes are being strained by me going with this?
I've gone with a tbsp/gal of water before. What did you use? It was problematic after a long grow for me. My soil became hard to take water and I had to skewer it a few times to get through.
Gee64
Well-Known Member
Im not sure to be honest but once those salts build up in your soil you may have a problem. It's different in pots because you can flush them.
I haven't used it outdoors but I have rescued many small pot grows that ran out of carbon with it. I bet the ants love it!
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- #698
Hmmm I didn't expect them to build outdoors in ground. Too happy is no good too. I'll have to make a call as to when it's time to back off or modify the process I guess. I'll have that on my mind. Thanks!
Gee64
Well-Known Member
I don't know the Candy product at all tho, so it may be harmless.
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- #700
Let's find out!