Snake oil vs real deal

[Gru]

We all know that plants need water, light and nutrients. We also know that companies from emerging markets make great claims on their product’s performance.

What’s real and what’s fake?

I’m trying to find what works and what doesn’t or only gives marginal gains.

For example do mycorrhizae innoculants actually make the plant perform better?

Bud hardeners: fact or fiction?

Doing a new grow, looking for meaningful additives.

 

[Roy Growin]

We all know that plants need water, light and nutrients. We also know that companies from emerging markets make great claims on their product’s performance.

What’s real and what’s fake?

I’m trying to find what works and what doesn’t or only gives marginal gains.

For example do mycorrhizae innoculants actually make the plant perform better?

Bud hardeners: fact or fiction?

Doing a new grow, looking for meaningful additives.

Hi mate - are you growing in soil, coco, hydro?
All I use is a quality A/B, a bit of seaweed occasionally, plus a 0-4-4 in the first half of flower [coco]

None of the other gunk makes much difference in my book, just not necessary, and the risk of screwing up rises
We often see growers show up using all kind of stuff in their mix asking 'What's gone wrong?'
I keep it simple so I know exactly what I'm doing, never run into any problems

 

[Gru]

Just soil.

I keep it pretty basic with my nutrients but am willing to try a “miracle” product out of curiosity.

 

[Wastei]

Potassium silicate and humic/kelp extract for additives. Potassium silicate enhances stems walls and nutrient transport channels, it's also great at buffering pH with its cation exchange action. Humic/kelp for the added growth regulators and chelators.

Myco products make very little sense with a readily available plant food. A healthy medium containing microbe food will naturally attract indigenous microorganisms. Keeping optimal moisture level and feeding microbe food do more to keep the medium active than adding myco powders thats already present in the environment around us.

Mykos are good at speeding up the process of breaking down organic amendmendts in a organic soil mix, that and LABS make the process faster. Mykos do very little positive when added to containers indoors.

 

[Sueet]

Every answer you get will be anecdotal probably... Some folks will have something and found no improvement and others will love that same product. They all have good stuff in them, but too much of anything isn't good also.

The real truth is you're going to have to figure it out for yourself as to what works with whatever method you choose to ultimately use. I think anyone not selling you something tho will say simply, start with the basics and when you have a good understanding of that, make the decision to add or not add things to your grow. At that point, you would know what helps (or doesn't help) you specifically.

 

[Vegan4life]

Just soil.

I keep it pretty basic with my nutrients but am willing to try a “miracle” product out of curiosity.

Worm casting and worms can be magic!

 

[Bill284]

Potassium silicate and humic/kelp extract for additives. Potassium silicate enhances stems walls and nutrient transport channels, it's also great at buffering pH with its cation exchange action. Humic/kelp for the added growth regulators and chelators.

Myco products make very little sense with a readily available plant food. A healthy medium containing microbe food will naturally attract indigenous microorganisms. Keeping optimal moisture level and feeding microbe food do more to keep the medium active than adding myco powders thats already present in the environment around us.

Mykos are good at speeding up the process of breaking down organic amendmendts in a organic soil mix, that and LABS make the process faster. Mykos do very little positive when added to containers indoors.

Hey buddy hope your doing well.
Just curious once my girls start to flower I stop potassium silicate.
But they get a dose once a week until then.
I use those other additives though and agree totally.
Just curious how longvdo you feed your girls PS?
Thanks I always appreciate your insight.


Stay safe
Bill284

 

[Gru]

Worm casting and worms can be magic!

THAT DOESNT COUNT!

 

[Phytoplankton]

Plants need NPK and micronutrients, in the proper ratios for the stage of growth the plant is in. I agree with @Sueet, more is not usually better, the problem with many of the "add on's" is they can screw up the balance of nutes your plant needs, most "bud hardeners" etc. are just big doses of P/K, if you're already supplying P/K you can get into toxicity/lockout problems. Additionally, a lot of the products are really expensive (for no good reason). Lastly a lot of the anectdotal "successes" probably have some buyer bias in it, who wants to spend a bunch of money and have it not "work". A lot of the claims like Product "A" gives you 10% bigger buds, product "B" gives you 15% more yield, are not cumulative, there is a point of dimishing return. If you use product A & B, the chance of getting 25% bigger heavier buds is unlikely. I liken pot growers to fishermen/hunters, they'll buy anything if it says it will help catch more fish or get more game, hype and marketing!

 

[Vegan4life]

THAT DOESNT COUNT!

Sure it does... Keep it simple ...

 

[Wastei]

Hey buddy hope your doing well.
Just curious once my girls start to flower I stop potassium silicate.
But they get a dose once a week until then.
I use those other additives though and agree totally.
Just curious how longvdo you feed your girls PS?
Thanks I always appreciate your insight.


Stay safe
Bill284

All the way through flower and I keep it at 30ppm. Last run I had some problems with thrips and upped it to max 50ppm without any toxicities all the way through flower. The only concern is the added K that I do my best to lower at the end of flower.

Cheers bud!

 

[RedskinnedRhino]

If 'Prescription Blend' were still in business, you could recommend it to a new grower and basically guarantee them a great harvest...
Remo is a great nutrient line, but their feeding schedule isn't quite right, you can burn leaves and cause lockouts if you follow it to the letter. I do use Remo in my lineup, but at my own ratios.

 

[Wastei]

If 'Prescription Blend' were still in business, you could recommend it to a new grower and basically guarantee them a great harvest...
Remo is a great nutrient line, but their feeding schedule isn't quite right, you can burn leaves and cause lockouts if you follow it to the letter. I do use Remo in my lineup, but at my own ratios.

That rule goes for all the nutrient manufacturers. They're all in it for profit!

 

[RedskinnedRhino]

That rule goes for all the nutrient manufacturers. They're all in it for profit!

Isn't Everyone in everything for the profit?

 

[Gru]

Sure it does... Keep it simple ...

All I’m saying is I don’t think anybody has ever considered worm castings snake oil.

 

[Vegan4life]

All I’m saying is I don’t think anybody has ever considered worm castings snake oil.

You said snake oil or the real deal. Worm castings = The real deal...

 

[Absorber]

Just soil.

I keep it pretty basic with my nutrients but am willing to try a “miracle” product out of curiosity.

MegaCrop is pretty bulletproof and easy to use for vegetation and flower

 

[Bill284]

All the way through flower and I keep it at 30ppm. Last run I had some problems with thrips and upped it to max 50ppm without any toxicities all the way through flower. The only concern is the added K that I do my best to lower at the end of flower.

Cheers bud!

Thanks Buddy.
I read an article of the adverse effects to thc and terpene levels if it's used throughout flower.
But I can't find in right now.
After reading that I stopped in flower.
Besides my buds are so hard potassium silicate would make them ungrindable
Appreciate your insight as always.


Stay safe
Bill284

 

[Wastei]

Thanks Buddy.
I read an article of the adverse effects to thc and terpene levels if it's used throughout flower.
But I can't find in right now.
After reading that I stopped in flower.
Besides my buds are so hard potassium silicate would make them ungrindable
Appreciate your insight as always.


Stay safe
Bill284

They were probably talking about potassium silicate and the added K and I can partly buy that argument.

Bloom boosters and high K foods are more detrimental than silicates will ever be which on paper increase yield and potency at the right concentration.

According to what I've read and what other big producers and breeders do they run 30ppm all the way through flower and I would like to see a study stating otherwise. Why worsen nutrient transports and remove pH buffers in late flower?

I don't agree on that. My two cents!

Cheers!

 

[Bill284]

They were probably talking about potassium silicate and the added K and I can partly buy that argument.

Bloom boosters and high K foods are more detrimental than silicates will ever be which on paper increase yield and potency at the right concentration.

According to what I've read and what other big producers and breeders do they run 30ppm all the way through flower and I would like to see a study stating otherwise. Why worsen nutrient transports and remove pH buffers in late flower?

I don't agree on that. My two cents!

Cheers!

That's great.
I never liked stopping when flowering started.
I'll keep going through flower.
Thanks @Wastel
Have a great day Amigo.


Stay safe
Bill284