Help with Gaia Green's Power Bloom

[GiovanniJones]

Hey all,

My four backyard plants are looking great and they're all over 5 feet in height, while one is over 6 feet.

I'm growing in soil that was originally amended with Gaia Green's All-Purpose 4-4-4 fertilizer and think it might be time to top-dress them all with their 2-8-4 Power Bloom. According to the directions for use posted on their website, I should add 1 TBSP of Power Bloom per gallon of soil. For a 65 gallon pot, this means around 4 cups of fertilizer for each plant. This seems like a lot!!!!

Would you put in this much? I'm thinking of halving it to be safe and top dress my backyard monsters with 2 cups per plant. Or, should I add even less than that because I followed Gaia Greens directions for their 4-4-4 when I first planted these?

Just wanted some opinions on how much to add before I head out to do it. Thanks!

 

[norcalreppin77]

Why do you think it's time to add bloom? I top dress everything indoor and outdoor. When it is time I would start out with half strength see how they respond then come back a few days later and add more.

Personally I taper off the grow. I'll do 50/50 grow bloom for the first 2 weeks then 25/75 for a week then fulls strength bloom. That works for me. But do what you do.

 

[GiovanniJones]

Why do you think it's time to add bloom? I top dress everything indoor and outdoor.

Thanks for responding. Based on what I’ve read in the past, and advice I’ve been given from other growers, these types of nutes in organic grows take about a month to begin feeding the plants because they need some time to actually break down first. If this is correct, then my guess is I'd have to top-dress about a month before the plants actually need it. Hence my confusion.

However, I'm not saying I'm right, it's just what I was told. If you can clarify or correct any of this, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks again.

 

[norcalreppin77]

Thanks for responding. Based on what I’ve read in the past, and advice I’ve been given from other growers, these types of nutes in organic grows take about a month to begin feeding the plants because they need some time to actually break down first. If this is correct, then my guess is I'd have to top-dress about a month before the plants actually need it. Hence my confusion.

However, I'm not saying I'm right, it's just what I was told. If you can clarify or correct any of this, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks again.

I use mr bs green trees. It takes about a week or 10 days till it needs more. Hard to say.

 

[GiovanniJones]

That's actually really helpful. Green Trees products all seem to say 1 cup per 10 square feet weekly, so applying that rule to Gaia's ferts should be fine because they're very similar. If a 65-gallon pot is 30" in diameter, that's 5 square feet, so half a cup of ferts each week. I'll probably do every 10 days.

I'll taper it off the way you described and am crossing my fingers it'll all be good. Thanks again!

 

[Dabbie McDoob]

Hey all,

My four backyard plants are looking great and they're all over 5 feet in height, while one is over 6 feet.

I'm growing in soil that was originally amended with Gaia Green's All-Purpose 4-4-4 fertilizer and think it might be time to top-dress them all with their 2-8-4 Power Bloom. According to the directions for use posted on their website, I should add 1 TBSP of Power Bloom per gallon of soil. For a 65 gallon pot, this means around 4 cups of fertilizer for each plant. This seems like a lot!!!!

Would you put in this much? I'm thinking of halving it to be safe and top dress my backyard monsters with 2 cups per plant. Or, should I add even less than that because I followed Gaia Greens directions for their 4-4-4 when I first planted these?

Just wanted some opinions on how much to add before I head out to do it. Thanks!

View attachment 4625292

Hey Giovanni.

I use gaia green exclusively for all my gardening, including san marzano tomatoes, peppers etc.

I have never had any issues with these products. Follow the instructions 1tbsp per gallon. In bloom I apply a top dressing every 2 weeks.
Just a word for the wise, I usually apply the top dressing for bloom as I see the plant gearing up to bud.
This gives the material time to break down and become bio available.

Also, compost the soil after as I find it can be reused very effectively.

Good luck, plant is looking huge!

 

[GiovanniJones]

Thanks Dabbie, I was planning to top-dress the veggies too.
Would you use Power Bloom at this point for tomatoes, etc., or half 4-4-4 and half 2-8-4?

 

[Dabbie McDoob]

To be honest, I don't usually top dress with vege, as i use composted soil "super soil" or whatever its called now.

I would start with half with the power bloom, wait 2-3 weeks and smash it with a full dose.
Just remember, your not using hydroponic salt based ferts, I find the amendments aren't as harsh,
If you see some burnt tips, simply stop with the ferts and finish.

Honestly I find organic nutrients soft and easy for plants to stop uptake.

 

[JustBlazin]

i use that stuff in my container plants... i just make a seperate batch of soil with what they recommend(1 TBSP of Power Bloom per gallon of soil )i usually let is sit a few weeks if i can to let it cook a little but i don't think you have to, then i add that mix to the top layer of the pot about a few inches thick(i think the more you can get in the better) and then just water it in, oh ya it says to try and work the top dress soil into the existing soil kind of message it in, i do that 2 weeks into flower then again at 5 weeks. it might just be me but whenever i water after giving it that power bloom i notice the buds get bigger the next day after watering

 

[kkt3]

When I mix my soils I add all my amendments. GG 4-4-4, 2-8-4, Kelp, GRD. Also add Neem meal. I adjust all amendments as per required with all others. Then it’s water only!!!

 

[JustBlazin]

When I mix my soils I add all my amendments. GG 4-4-4, 2-8-4, Kelp, GRD. Also add Neem meal. I adjust all amendments as per required with all others. Then it’s water only!!!

when you make your soil you add the power bloom and the all purpose?
I use the all purpose and add neem meal,dolomite lime powder, crushed oyster shell,kelp and insect fras was thinking about adding more stuff like some bone meal but not sure if I should. And when you add all the other amendments +the power bloom do you still add the full dose of all purpose

 

[GiovanniJones]

To be honest, I don't usually top dress with vege, as i use composted soil "super soil" or whatever its called now.

I would start with half with the power bloom, wait 2-3 weeks and smash it with a full dose.
Just remember, your not using hydroponic salt based ferts, I find the amendments aren't as harsh,
If you see some burnt tips, simply stop with the ferts and finish.

Honestly I find organic nutrients soft and easy for plants to stop uptake.

That's really helpful, it clears up a lot for me. Thanks!

 

[GiovanniJones]

i use that stuff in my container plants... i just make a seperate batch of soil with what they recommend(1 TBSP of Power Bloom per gallon of soil )i usually let is sit a few weeks if i can to let it cook a little but i don't think you have to, then i add that mix to the top layer of the pot about a few inches thick(i think the more you can get in the better) and then just water it in, oh ya it says to try and work the top dress soil into the existing soil kind of message it in, i do that 2 weeks into flower then again at 5 weeks. it might just be me but whenever i water after giving it that power bloom i notice the buds get bigger the next day after watering

I was actually thinking of doing the same, but got lazy this time around, lol. It does seem like a good idea, I might end up doing that next time.

 

[GiovanniJones]

When I mix my soils I add all my amendments. GG 4-4-4, 2-8-4, Kelp, GRD. Also add Neem meal. I adjust all amendments as per required with all others. Then it’s water only!!!

when you make your soil you add the power bloom and the all purpose?

I do the same at the start, and all I've done is add water. I'm at exactly 7 weeks of 12/12 today and the plants look good, but I feel that I was a bit light on the nutes and will add more next time around. I wrote my current Gaia Green recipe/mix in my grow journal, but it'll change a bit for my next round. Definitely I'll reuse my soil, I'll just let it compost for a bit in between grows.

Check out the pics in my grow journal, that's the Gaia Green doing it's thing feeding the plants well. The only wonky ones are my PeakSeed's BC Blueberries, three of them, and honestly I'm just glad they're still alive, lol. They're so hard for me to grow.

 

[JustBlazin]

I do the same at the start, and all I've done is add water. I'm at exactly 7 weeks of 12/12 today and the plants look good, but I feel that I was a bit light on the nutes and will add more next time around. I wrote my current Gaia Green recipe/mix in my grow journal, but it'll change a bit for my next round. Definitely I'll reuse my soil, I'll just let it compost for a bit in between grows.

Check out the pics in my grow journal, that's the Gaia Green doing it's thing feeding the plants well. The only wonky ones are my PeakSeed's BC Blueberries, three of them, and honestly I'm just glad they're still alive, lol. They're so hard for me to grow.

i have checked it out its lookiing good what you think your next pix is going to be? ..i use gaia green for about a year with the dry all purpose mix and power bloom but i never put the power bloom in my main mix i just top dressed with it at 2 weeks and 5 weeks, maybe if i put it in the soil i wont have to top dress. I use the all purpose at the rate on the jug for planter boxes and potted plants i also add neem meal,insect fras kelp meal dolomite lime and crushed oyster shell and the power bloom at the top dress rate at 2 weeks and 5. question do you get fungus gnats? ever since i started growing organic i cant get rid of them

 

[GiovanniJones]

Thanks for that info. In the past, I've had issues with fungus gnats and spider mites, indoors. I dealt with them by using Lost Coast Plant Therapy.
Now I always have a spray bottle of that stuff handy, just in case. I'll spray it on any fungus gnat I see, and it's rare not.

Lost Coast Plant Therapy has been amazing for me, it eradicated my spider mite problem last year, quickly and easily, and it kills fungus gnats on contact.

 

[JustBlazin]

Thanks for that info. In the past, I've had issues with fungus gnats and spider mites, indoors. I dealt with them by using Lost Coast Plant Therapy.
Now I always have a spray bottle of that stuff handy, just in case. I'll spray it on any fungus gnat I see, and it's rare not.

Lost Coast Plant Therapy has been amazing for me, it eradicated my spider mite problem last year, quickly and easily, and it kills fungus gnats on contact.

thanks for answering
that stuff sounds great, I've never heard of it before im going to have to try and get some

 

[JustBlazin]

so when you top dressed did you mix the power bloom with soil and top dress with the it?

 

[GiovanniJones]

so when you top dressed did you mix the power bloom with soil and top dress with the it?

I sprinkled it onto the existing soil surface and mixed it in gently with my fingertips.

 

[Beeryee]

I do the same at the start, and all I've done is add water. I'm at exactly 7 weeks of 12/12 today and the plants look good, but I feel that I was a bit light on the nutes and will add more next time around. I wrote my current Gaia Green recipe/mix in my grow journal, but it'll change a bit for my next round. Definitely I'll reuse my soil, I'll just let it compost for a bit in between grows.

Check out the pics in my grow journal, that's the Gaia Green doing it's thing feeding the plants well. The only wonky ones are my PeakSeed's BC Blueberries, three of them, and honestly I'm just glad they're still alive, lol. They're so hard for me to grow.

No grow journal there man