Do i need to add "the forgotten" nutrients?

[Sargeantneo]

So i'm about to start my second indoor soil grow, my first grow gave a pathetic yield and looked so unhealthy - to this day i still don't know if it was nutrient burn or lack of nutrients

I'm going to use sterilized soil this time and not give it any nutrients for the first 3 weeks, and then slowly start to feed it NPK nutrient solution then stop around 2 weeks before harvest. My question is this: Do i need to consider the other nutrients needed for plants (Manganese, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, etc.) or will the soil provide enough of these nutrients for its lifetime (around 3-4 months), or do i need to buy even more specific nutrient powders which do contain these "forgotten" nutrients? and if so when and how much would i use?

I'd really appreciate any help, i dont want to fail this grow like i did my first one.

Thanks

 

[millie]

yes you do need to consider them but not nearly as much. Calm down with all the nutes...i can tell you over-nuted your first grow. Did it look all scrawny and curled up with really badly coloured leaves? I imagine so. People think that if they feed their plants all these nutes they are going to get sick yields but the truth is plants dont really need that much nutrients to grow decent. Let your plants to the talking. If the leaves look strange google it and find out what the problem is. Only feed them every second or third watering and ease them into a full nutrient dose.

 

[doujadaze]

It all depends on the soil/ nutes you are using. All soils and nutrients have different compositions (duh) so you need to take into consideration the soil you are using combined with the nutes your a using to to get a Better idea. There are nutrient solutions out there that have most of what you listed already in them. So in general a good soil and good nutrient supply you shouldn't need to worry about then to much. Just watch your plant as time goes and she will tell you what she wants. What are the NPk values of nutes you will be using ?

 

[Sargeantneo]

The nutes are Baby Bio NPK: 10.6:4.4:1.7

When i was googling the issues with my first grow i was getting mixed results - magnesium deficiency and zinc defficiency look very similar. It was getting yellow tipped leaves and brown spots. i don't want the same to happen again.
I will definitely take your advice about over-nuting.

 

[spandy]

Maybe it's just the strains I have, but I'm always pumping cal-mag at them like it's going out of style. Without it, about week 3 in flower, things will go down hill and fast.

 

[simisimis]

The nutes are Baby Bio NPK: 10.6:4.4:1.7

When i was googling the issues with my first grow i was getting mixed results - magnesium deficiency and zinc defficiency look very similar. It was getting yellow tipped leaves and brown spots. i don't want the same to happen again.
I will definitely take your advice about over-nuting.

first of all, your nutes are missing some potasium (K).
If you live somewhere where dynagro is accessible I would get dyna-gro foliage pro and Mag-pro. It has both major(NPK) and secondary(Ca,Mg,S) nutrients
and also trace elements, it does not cost a lot and it does a very well job. Those two bottles could get you through the grow with impressive results.
If living somewhere else, try to go for something like 3-1-2 or 3-1-4 of NPK, also ~2 week into flower you will start experiencing mg def. supplement with Calcium and Magnesium.
Also I would recommend feed with evenly nuted water with every watering, cause you don't wanna stress the plant one day feeding her another making her starve. start with small amounts and gradually increase as the plant gets bigger, read your plants, if you see some yellowing at the bottom or rusty spots on bottom middle fan leaves increase your nutes. Do a lot of reading so you would understand how plants grow.
Do not "quit feeding"/"start flushing" your plants 2 weeks before harvest as it will only result in less yield due to the stress you will provide.
Good luck.

 

[mrblu]

use dolomite lime in the soil and a fert that has all your micros and the npk you want and you should be good.

 

[ThorGanjason]

I am only on my first grow, but I'm noticing a pattern of people not knowing if they are nute burning, or if they are deficient.

Its kind of like my over watering problem that I was having-- i would water, it would become over watered, I would let it dry and then it would become under watered, and then I would eater and it would wilt again. The problem wasn't my watering, it was my soil--it was just holding way too much water, for way too long (trust me, its possible).

Similarly, I think if it isn't obvious that you are over/under doing it (I mean you either give them tons or not much at all) with the nutes, then chances are it isn't the nutrients or their amount that's the problem-- its probably the pH.

Calcium requires the lowest pH levels (out of all of the other nutrients the plant needs) and so it can be the hardest to absorb, especially in soil grows where the pH is a little higher.

I'm dealing with this problem right now, and didn't realize how bad it was until my plants got about 6-8 inches tall and they really started getting locked out. I switched my soil to ffof, and I might have to add a pH minus solution to my water next time I feed just to be on the safe side.

If you are growing in soil, then dolamitic lime is super cheap, and all you have to do is mix it in with your soil before you plant, and it will provide calcium and magnesium for months. It isn't soluble (or usable for the plant) until bacteria's break it down, but if you are watering with tap water when they are seedlings then by the time they get big enough to need it, its available to them.

I basically have a thing going on where once all of my plants get so tall, the leaves start getting slight spots, that turn into yellowish patches and eventually a little bit of a fuzzy rustish thing on them.

 

[ThorGanjason]

Hah, got snaked on that one I started my post an hour ago and by the time I finished dude had already posted about the lime. I haven't had it in the soil long enough to try, but well see.

 

[Sargeantneo]

Thanks for all your advice, will have a look into some of these products.

Also, something crossed my mind the other day; as the seedling progresses into a proper plant should i start watering it with a 50:50 mixture of tap water and mineral water? since the mineral water will contain things like magnesium and zinc, and this mixture will make sure i am not over-nuting.

Just a thought