NewEnglandFarmer
Well-Known Member
I've got a bunch of plants in the ground outdoors (native soil amended per soil test recommendations, including about 1/2 cup bloodmeal for N). Transplanted in early June.
Doing well overall but color a little light and a few lower/interior leaves here and there starting to fade a bit. Based on my notes from last year this particular strain is probably about 2-3 weeks from starting to flower. I think they're just getting into the stretch now.
I'd given them a little N boost in mid-July by topdressing with one handful each of feathermeal and alfalfa meal per plant. But given the color now (and the fact that we had a deluge that dropped 5 inches of rain shortly after the topdress, so maybe a bunch of nutrients got washed down below the root zone), I started to wonder if they needed more.
I figured maybe they could use another boost to get them through the heavy growth period during stretch. So I rather impulsively topdressed each with 1/2C bloodmeal (I've used this amount before elsewhere on plants this size, 5-6 feet tall now, and never saw any issues of burn or toxicity ). Now I'm second-guessing that decision a little bit--don't want too much Nitrogen during flower. Research I've seen suggests the N from the bloodmeal will last 4-6 weeks (my soil is warm, moist, and full of microbial life). You think that could affect flowering negatively? I read different things about how much Nitrogen they use during flower and some people say it will prevent or delay flowering.
What's your experience on this?
If I could rewind I would've done fish hydrolosate instead since it doesn't leave a bunch of slow-release N lingering for weeks. Or maybe my timing is actually perfect, they'll get a nice N boost for stretch and then there will be some N left over for flower but not too much. What do you think?
And yes, there should be plenty of P and K in that soil for flowering (I added some). I'm thinking they'll just get water from here on out--although I add 1/2t of potassium silicate per gallon so they'll get a bit more K that way.
Doing well overall but color a little light and a few lower/interior leaves here and there starting to fade a bit. Based on my notes from last year this particular strain is probably about 2-3 weeks from starting to flower. I think they're just getting into the stretch now.
I'd given them a little N boost in mid-July by topdressing with one handful each of feathermeal and alfalfa meal per plant. But given the color now (and the fact that we had a deluge that dropped 5 inches of rain shortly after the topdress, so maybe a bunch of nutrients got washed down below the root zone), I started to wonder if they needed more.
I figured maybe they could use another boost to get them through the heavy growth period during stretch. So I rather impulsively topdressed each with 1/2C bloodmeal (I've used this amount before elsewhere on plants this size, 5-6 feet tall now, and never saw any issues of burn or toxicity ). Now I'm second-guessing that decision a little bit--don't want too much Nitrogen during flower. Research I've seen suggests the N from the bloodmeal will last 4-6 weeks (my soil is warm, moist, and full of microbial life). You think that could affect flowering negatively? I read different things about how much Nitrogen they use during flower and some people say it will prevent or delay flowering.
What's your experience on this?
If I could rewind I would've done fish hydrolosate instead since it doesn't leave a bunch of slow-release N lingering for weeks. Or maybe my timing is actually perfect, they'll get a nice N boost for stretch and then there will be some N left over for flower but not too much. What do you think?
And yes, there should be plenty of P and K in that soil for flowering (I added some). I'm thinking they'll just get water from here on out--although I add 1/2t of potassium silicate per gallon so they'll get a bit more K that way.
