When to Start the Calendar with a Soil Grow

[OlderStoner]

I'm looking at various articles that outline the nutes schedule from week 1 through week 12, etc... First off, I'm not a newbie but far from what could be called an experienced grower. And in my last couple of grows in soil, the nutes always became a problem, along with spider mites. I think I got the spider mite thing handled but the nutes schedule has me still thinking. For example, the chart I just read published by Fox Farm says "Week 1"...and they want you to start adding nutes right then. Now I think anyone should know that unless you're growing in very poor soil or Coco, you don't really want to put any nutes in the soil in week 1 or week 2. And if like me, you're using FF Ocean Forest potting soil maybe not even week 3 or 4. I've found this Ocean Forest has a super charged dose of (N)itrogen because the plants will grow quickly and turn the deepest, darkest green, almost black. So this time round, I'm being very judicious with the nutes. And I'm wondering what would be the best time to introduce the nute regime? I also will only use about 1/4 of what is recommended, even up through flowering. I don't know who tests these FF nutes or if they do it with outdoor grows, or if they just want you to use (and buy) more of their products, but the past two grows proved to me that the recommended levels are way too high for indoor soil grows.

 

[go4snypr]

I would wait till you have 2 or 3 nodes, or until it starts looking hungry (light green color), then start a quarter strength solution, slowly bumping it up over the next few weeks

 

[OlderStoner]

That's the trick with this FF Ocean Forest. The plants seem to love it but I've noticed they will get very dark green, way beyond US Army green, if you know what I mean. This time round, I'm going to wait until at least week 4 before doing anything with nutes. As I check my calendar, I'm already at day 18 since sprouts were placed into the soil.