Anyone ever combined organic and synthetic growing?

[Armyofsprout]

Anyone ever tried using both organic and synthetic nutrients together in a grow and see how it turned out? Or anyone ever start an organic grow and then switch to synthetic halfway thru or vice versa?

 

[Oakiey]

I use Fox Farm nutrients

 

[manfredo]

Anyone ever tried using both organic and synthetic nutrients together in a grow and see how it turned out? Or anyone ever start an organic grow and then switch to synthetic halfway thru or vice versa?

Yes, it happens all the time. I've done it more than I would like. Lots of organic soils or super soils aren't quite "super" enough to make it to the finish line, so they wind up getting supplemented with bottled nutes the final weeks.

 

[ganga gurl420]

Many do... but if done right I dont see the point in why someone would.

For instance many grow organically in veg but add synthetics in bloom. This is the reason I top dress with an additional dry fert bloom blend from the start...and then continue to top dress once a month. That way the extra p and k the plant needs in that time is already broken down and available in abundance. But that's just my method....to each their own.

 

[xtsho]

I have when growing plants in soil. I've switched back and forth between the two. The plants couldn't tell the difference between the NPK in the organic or the synthetic fertilizer. The most important thing when using nutrients is to not overfeed. Other than that, it doesn't matter to the plant if the nutrients are organic or synthetic.

 

[Armyofsprout]

Many do... but if done right I dont see the point in why someone would.

For instance many grow organically in veg but add synthetics in bloom. This is the reason I top dress with an additional dry fert bloom blend from the start...and then continue to top dress once a month. That way the extra p and k the plant needs in that time is already broken down and available in abundance. But that's just my method....to each their own.

I wouldnt unless I ran outta organic or synthetic nutes and only had one or the other left and didnt have a choice. But i just thought it might be fun for experimental purposes. But then again of course you cant call your grow organic after that.

and yeah to your point the other time i probably would switch is if i wasnt seeing the growth i wanted with organic and i wanted to see more development. Knowing synthetics can push the limits of your grow

 

[VILEPLUME]

Anyone ever tried using both organic and synthetic nutrients together in a grow and see how it turned out? Or anyone ever start an organic grow and then switch to synthetic halfway thru or vice versa?

I use jacks 10-30-20 in bloom with dried sea kelp so part organic. The sea kelp stains the reservoir like crazy. The pump gets a little clogged but I clean it every other day.

 

[Powertech]

If you mean organic soil with synthetic nutes, but also adding microbes...then yeah I do I guess

Black Gold Soil
Mykos during trnasplants
Grow More 30-10-10 and 0-50-30
Botanicare CalMag
DynaGro Silica
Azos during Veg
Great White During Flower
Molasses feeds the microbes during flower

 

[DaFreak]

Just about everything you eat from the super market

 

[Armyofsprout]

If you mean organic soil with synthetic nutes, but also adding microbes...then yeah I do I guess

Black Gold Soil
Mykos during trnasplants
Grow More 30-10-10 and 0-50-30
Botanicare CalMag
DynaGro Silica
Azos during Veg
Great White During Flower
Molasses feeds the microbes during flower

I hear the synthetics kills microbes tho.

 

[90'sStoner]

@Fishbulb does exactly this, Mega crop and an assortment of organic goodies

 

[Powertech]

I hear the synthetics kills microbes tho.

yes but not instantaneously

 

[Boatguy]

yes but not instantaneously

I am curious if there is any truth to this.
I can see them dying do to lack of organic material to feed on, but why would bottled nutes kill them? It is just readily available nutrients, which they also produce without dying

 

[xtsho]

I hear the synthetics kills microbes tho.

Inorganic nutrients do not kill microbes. However, using organic fertilizers increases the microbial populations but at the same time microbial populations increased after application of inorganic fertilizer but not as much as with organic fertilizers. Actual scientific soil studies have been done. Same thing with chlorine and chloramine. Any effect on microbial populations in soil is negligible.

Here's a study where they used a control plot, organic plot, and inorganic plot. Although the microbial populations were higher in the organic plot there was more available NPK in the inorganic plot.

Impact of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Microbial Populations and Biomass Carbon in Paddy Field Soil

Impact of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Microbial Populations and Biomass Carbon in Paddy Field Soil

scialert.net

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Inorganic nutrients do not kill microbes. However, using organic fertilizers increases the microbial populations but at the same time microbial populations increased after application of inorganic fertilizer but not as much as with organic fertilizers. Actual scientific soil studies have been done. Same thing with chlorine and chloramine. Any effect on microbial populations in soil is negligible.

Here's a study where they used a control plot, organic plot, and inorganic plot. Although the microbial populations were higher in the organic plot there was more available NPK in the inorganic plot.

Impact of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Microbial Populations and Biomass Carbon in Paddy Field Soil

Impact of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Microbial Populations and Biomass Carbon in Paddy Field Soil

scialert.net

I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid. Neither did this guy. He made some good points about the study.

1. 
   Gavin Anderson says:
   March 2, 2017 at 10:47 am
   in regards to the study you have a link to, I believe it is flawed. When using plate count method you are growing anaerobic microbes. Plate count methodology is great for assaying human pathogens (what they were created for) however they fail to give a true indication an healthy soils microbial count and/or biomass.
   Also when using plate counts the food source provided to the microbes is extremely limited. They are 000’s of different foods in healthy soil bacteria and fungi use to grow, how can we expect aerobic microbes to grow in anaerobic conditions with limited food source?
   To assess soil life you need to use direct microscopy not plate count methods. Miss information can come from everywhere and I think this case the the study you are referencing.
   Ha, also the organic ferts used consisted of neem cake!!!! a pesticide used to control nematodes. You think that it kills bad nematodes and not the good ones? Its clear the people running the study have know idea about soil microbiology. As someone who understands soil biology would not use neem cake as a fertilizer-pesticide combo
   Who is sending out misinformation?
   “The use of inorganic fertilizers resulted in low organic carbon content, microbial counts and microbial biomass carbon of the soil, although it increased the soil’s NPK level which could be explained by the rates of fertilizers being applied.”
   This statement from the abstract reveals the organic carbon is depleted. This is because the over activity of the bacteria to use up all the nitrogen that was dumped in. The soil has lost humus! We all know how important humus is for soil. Bacteria need 5 carbons for everyone nitrogen so they are going to get those carbons from the humus and organic carbon rather then the plant exudates. I wouldn’t want people thinking all they have to do is correctly manage synthetic ferts and they are in the clear.
   I know this article is focusing about salts not everything else I have mentioned. Thanks for writing it, I have learnt something from it too!
   Cheers
   Gav
   Reply

 

[Nizza]

I used to start out with organics and finish with synthetics and it worked wonderfully! The key I think is buffered soil

I would not try to start with synthetics then try organics though, in the same grow

 

[Boatguy]

I used to start out with organics and finish with synthetics and it worked wonderfully! The key I think is buffered soil

I would not try to start with synthetics then try organics though, in the same grow

I have taken a hydro plant and plopped it into the outdoor garden. It lived but took a bit to get adjusted. The soil plant to hydro recovered much quicker.

 

[xtsho]

I used to start out with organics and finish with synthetics and it worked wonderfully! The key I think is buffered soil

I would not try to start with synthetics then try organics though, in the same grow

I've gone back and forth. I've had some soil plants in the tent with my coco/synthetic plants that were fed a combination of Earth Juice and synthetic. Sometimes I'd get lazy and just dip into the reservoir of synthetic nutes to water them. I switched back and forth too many times to count. The plants did great.

The key is to never overfeed regardless of organic or inorganic. Overfeeding is the cause of most issues people have.

 

[LinguaPeel]

I am curious if there is any truth to this.
I can see them dying do to lack of organic material to feed on, but why would bottled nutes kill them? It is just readily available nutrients, which they also produce without dying

Because salt kills slugs and synthetic nutes are salts and slugs are basically big microbes.

 

[2Hearts]

I seek to mix organic and chems, best of both worlds in pots.

Adding microbes and benes is pointless, they are already there just add what they eat and they will increase numbers by millions overnight.