How long will my soil feed my cannabis plants before I will need to begin adding liquid feed?

[patrick adams]

I just repotted my cannabis seedlings into 2 gallon pots, most of them are starting to kick off into full fledged vegetative growth are about 9-10 inches tall. My question is with about 50%-50% fox farm ocean forest and happy frog how long should I wait before I begin adding liquid feeds to the mix?

Secondary questions:
-if anyone has used Espoma garden lime please tell me how slowly it changes ph of the soil if I water about every other day or so. I would like to use it to keep my ph from dropping too much over time.

-how will liquid feeding affect the acidity of my soil?

-what's the natural ph of both fox farm ocean forest and happy frog

Additional info:
-my plants first sprouted about a month ago
-i intend on buying fox farm liquid fertilizer for my routine feeding.
-I intend on digging 5+ gallon holes and planting my plants into the ground once they outgrow their 2 gallon pots.
-this is my 2nd year growing cannabis
-I'm a guerrilla grower

 

[Kevin the Great]

I think the PH is around 6-6.5 and the espoma lime seems to work for the entire grow for me in 5 gallon buckets. The Fox Farms soils already have PH buffers in them and shouldn't need much if any lime.
I don't think liquid feeding will affect PH much at all. Don't go crazy with nutes, a dab will do ya and less is better than a burnt plant. I like to mix some Earth Worm Castings into the mix too. I seem to have less deficiencies with it.

 

[Elmo's Closet]

I have used earthworm castings in my mix along with trace bone and blood meal. I was able to use fert every other watering without any nute burn. Just do a trial run at ¼ recommended strength. If they look healthy and no burn after a few days move to ½! I started using liquid fert at about the time I top. Usually topped at 3-4 node starting at true leaf.

 

[patrick adams]

I have used earthworm castings in my mix along with trace bone and blood meal. I was able to use fert every other watering without any nute burn. Just do a trial run at ¼ recommended strength. If they look healthy and no burn after a few days move to ½! I started using liquid fert at about the time I top. Usually topped at 3-4 node starting at true leaf.

Thank you, I will do as you did and go ahead and start a routine feeding schedule. Hey, you said you top your plants, should I top them if I'm growing outdoors, I honestly don't see a point in it if I'm trying to grow larger plants, won't it slow the growth and doesn't it just split a potential primary head into multiply smaller ones? Would it effect the final size of my plant overall? I heard it makes them bushier but also a decent bit shorter.

 

[alaskachic]

Idk but I topped several times in some outdoor I had. Still got 8+ft mexi-brick sativa's. Here's what mine look like I only topped one once. I was too late. So one WK in flower. Notice the Xmas tree natural shape

 

[Elmo's Closet]

Thank you, I will do as you did and go ahead and start a routine feeding schedule. Hey, you said you top your plants, should I top them if I'm growing outdoors, I honestly don't see a point in it if I'm trying to grow larger plants, won't it slow the growth and doesn't it just split a potential primary head into multiply smaller ones? Would it effect the final size of my plant overall? I heard it makes them bushier but also a decent bit shorter.

If you are growing outdoors and letting them get BIG.. then IMO you should definitely top at least twice. You want a square shape plant not triangle . Better light distribution.

 

[Kevin the Great]

If you are growing outdoors and letting them get BIG.. then IMO you should definitely top at least twice. You want a square shape plant not triangle . Better light distribution.

What he said.

 

[patrick adams]

What he said.

Just to clarify, when you guys say "true nodes" do you mean the nodes right after the embryonic leafs? Or the nodes with 5 fan leaves? And which nodes should i top??

 

[Kevin the Great]

Just to clarify, when you guys say "true nodes" do you mean the nodes right after the embryonic leafs? Or the nodes with 5 fan leaves? And which nodes should i top??

I go to the second set of true leaves. Cotyledons don't count. You'll get a pair of leaves, then a second pair, then more, I rip off the more. Look up "mainlining".

 

[patrick adams]

So if I do headline my plants, which I'm considering, I only top above the 3rd node once? Or do I need to top again, Elmo said "at least twice"

 

[Kevin the Great]

So if I do headline my plants, which I'm considering, I only top above the 3rd node once? Or do I need to top again, Elmo said "at least twice"

You'd do the main center once. That then splits into 2. You can split each of these again.

 

[patrick adams]

You'd do the main center once. That then splits into 2. You can split each of these again.

do you recommend I do it just twice, how many times do you recommend I top?

 

[Redishx]

Your plant will tell you when to feed. When the cotyledons start looking shitty, start with a light feed and see how the plant responds

 

[$bkbbudz$]

I use the FFHF with 30% perlite. I start in 1 pint cups...no feeding AT ALL until 3 weeks after I transplant to the 5 gallon bags I put them in to grow and finish. I never do more than 1 transplant per grow. I start at 1/4 feeding every other watering and build by 1/4 strength every other feeding until finished. I use the entire Dirty Dozen but have had EXCELLENT results using just both the liquid and soluble trios.

Since you have the FFOF and FFHF mixed together...well, you still should not need any additional feeding for a good 2-3 weeks after they enter veg state (about 2 weeks) so about 5 weeks total. Like RED said (hey that rhymes!) listen to your gurlz they will tell you what, when, and how much feeding they need.

Both products are going to be within a 6.2-6.8 out of the bag, always ph your water before and after adding nutes to it and you should not have any damaging and/or uncorrectable issues.

OOPS! I just realized you said guerilla grower. In general, rainwater has an alkalinity of 5.0-5.5 and the nutes will lower that a bit more. So, you should add Dolomite Lime to your mix. I only grow indoors so, I cannot really tell you how much lime to add since I control my own ph.

Double OOPS! You said you are going to put 5 gallons of FF soil into natural soil...well again, I only grow indoors so you may want to ignore everything I just said and ask some outdoor growers. Yup, I am pretty stoned.

Good Luck and Great Growz

 

[Kevin the Great]

do you recommend I do it just twice, how many times do you recommend I top?

I go for 8 mains, that means 3 times. It's really grower preference. Sativa dominant strains tend to be pinched harder.

 

[$bkbbudz$]

do you recommend I do it just twice, how many times do you recommend I top?

In my current grow I started topping at 6 days and have topped multiple times since. Did not count them...but more topping means more tops.

 

[patrick adams]

Thanks you guys