Nutrient troubleshooting

Nutrient Disorders

George Van Pattens on Nutrients Nutrient disorders are caused by too much or too little of one or several nutrients being available. These nutrients are made available between a pH range of 5 and 7 and a total dissolved solids (TDS) range of 800 to 3000 PPM. Maintaining these conditions is the key to proper nutrient uptake.
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Nutrients

Over twenty elements are needed for a plant to grow. Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are absorbed from the air and water. The rest of the elements, called mineral nutrients, are dissolved in the nutrient solution. The primary or macro- nutrients (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)) are the elements plants use the most. Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are secondary nutrients and used in smaller amounts. Iron (Fe), sulfur (S), manganese (Mn), boron (B), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) are micro-nutrients or trace elements. Trace elements are found in most soils. Rockwool (hydroponic) fertilizers must contain these trace elements, as they do not normally exist in sufficient quantities in rockwool or water. Other elements also play a part in plant growth. Aluminum, chlorine, cobalt, iodine, selenium, silicon, sodium and vanadium are not normally included in nutrient mixes. They are required in very minute amounts that are usually present as impurities in the water supply or mixed along with other nutrients.

* NOTE: The nutrients must be soluble (able to be dissolved in water) and go into solution.

Macro-nutrients

Nitrogen (N) is primary to plant growth. Plants convert nitrogen to make proteins essential to new cell growth. Nitrogen is mainly responsible for leaf and stem growth as well as overall size and vigor. Nitrogen moves easily to active young buds, shoots and leaves and slower to older leaves. Deficiency signs show first in older leaves. They turn a pale yellow and may die. New growth becomes weak and spindly. An abundance of nitrogen will cause soft, weak growth and even delay flower and fruit production if it is allowed to accumulate.

Phosphorus (P) is necessary for photosynthesis and works as a catalyst for energy transfer within the plant. Phosphorus helps build strong roots and is vital for flower and seed production. Highest levels of phosphorus are used during germination, seedling growth and flowering. Deficiencies will show in older leaves first. Leaves turn deep green on a uniformly smaller, stunted plant. Leaves show brown or purple spots. NOTE: Phosphorus flocculates when concentrated and combined with calcium.

Potassium (K) activates the manufacture and movement of sugars and starches, as well as growth by cell division. Potassium increases chlorophyll in foliage and helps regulate stomata openings so plants make better use of light and air. Potassium encourages strong root growth, water uptake and triggers enzymes that fight disease. Potassium is necessary during all stages of growth. It is especially important in the development of fruit. Deficiency signs of potassium are: plants are the tallest and appear healthy. Older leaves mottle and yellow between veins, followed by whole leaves that turn dark yellow and die. Flower and fruit drop are common problems associated with potassium deficiency. Potassium is usually locked out by high salinity.

Secondary Nutrients

Magnesium (Mg) is found as a central atom in the chlorophyll molecule and is essential to the absorption of light energy. Magnesium aids in the utilization of nutrients, neutralizes acids and toxic compounds produced by the plant. Deficiency signs of magnesium are: Older leaves yellow from the center outward, while veins remain green on deficient plants. Leaf tips and edges may discolor and curl upward. Growing tips turn lime green if the deficiency progresses to the top of the plant.

Calcium (Ca) is fundamental to cell manufacture and growth. Soil gardeners use dolomite lime, which contains calcium and magnesium, to keep the soil sweet or buffered. Rockwool gardeners use calcium to buffer excess nutrients. Calcium moves slowly within the plant and tends to concentrate in roots and older growth. Consequently young growth shows deficiency signs first. Deficient leaf tips, edges and new growth will turn brown and die back. If too much calcium is applied early in life, it will stunt growth as well. It will also flocculate when a concentrated form is combined with potassium.

Trace Elements

Sulphur (S) is a component of plant proteins and plays a role in root growth and chlorophyll supply. Distributed relatively evenly with largest amounts in leaves which affects the flavor and odor in many plants. Sulphur, like calcium, moves little within plant tissue and the first signs of a deficiency are pale young leaves. Growth is slow but leaves tend to get brittle and stay narrower than normal.

Iron (Fe) is a key catalyst in chlorophyll production and is used in photosynthesis. A lack of iron turns leaves pale yellow or white while the veins remain green. Iron is difficult for plants to absorb and moves slowly within the plant. Always use chelated (immediately available to the plant) iron in nutrient mixes.

Manganese (Mg) works with plant enzymes to reduce nitrates before producing proteins. A lack of manganese turns young leaves a mottled yellow or brown.

Zinc (Z) is a catalyst and must be present in minute amounts for plant growth. A lack of zinc results in stunting, yellowing and curling of small leaves. An excess of zinc is uncommon but very toxic and causes wilting or death.

Copper (C) is a catalyst for several enzymes. A shortage of copper makes new growth wilt and causes irregular growth. Excesses of copper causes sudden death. Copper is also used as a fungicide and wards off insects and diseases because of this property.

Boron (B) is necessary for cells to divide and protein formation. It also plays an active role in pollination and seed production.

Molybdenum (Mn) helps form proteins and aids the plant's ability to fix nitrogen from the air. A deficiency causes leaves to turn pale and fringes to appear scorched. Irregular leaf growth may also result.

These nutrients are mixed together to form a complete plant fertilizer. The mix contains all the nutrients in the proper ratios to give plants all they need for lush, rapid growth. The fertilizer is dissolved in water to make a nutrient solution. Water transports these soluble nutrients into contact with the plant roots. In the presence of oxygen and water, the nutrients are absorbed through the root hairs.

Problem-Solver, simply start at #1 below. When you think you've found the problem, read the Nutrients section to learn more about it. Diagnose carefully before making major changes.

1 If the problem affects only the bottom or middle of the plant go to #2. If it affects only the top of the plant or the growing tips, skip to #10. If the problem seems to affect the entire plant equally, skip to #6.

2 Leaves are a uniform yellow or light green; leaves die & drop; growth is slow. Leaf margins are not curled-up noticeably. Nitrogen (N) deficiency. If not, go to #3.

3 Margins of the leaves are turned up, and the tips may be twisted. Leaves are yellowing (and may turn brown), but the veins remain somewhat green. Magnesium (Mg) deficiency. If not, go to #4.

4 Leaves are browning or yellowing. Yellow, brown, or necrotic (dead) patches, especially around the edges of the leaf, which may be curled. Plant may be too tall. >> Potassium (K) deficiency. If not, keep reading…

5 Leaves are dark green or red/purple. Stems and petioles may have purple & red on them. Leaves may turn yellow or curl under. Leaf may drop easily. Growth may be slow and leaves may be small. >> Phosphorous (P) deficiency. If not, go to #6.

6 Tips of leaves are yellow, brown, or dead. Plant otherwise looks healthy & green. Stems may be soft >> Over-fertilization (especially N), over-watering, damaged roots, or insufficient soil aeration (use more sand or perlite. Occasionally due to not enough N, P, or K. If not, go to #7.

7 Leaves are curled under like a ram's horn, and are dark green, gray, brown, or gold. >> Over-fertilization (too much N). If not, go to #8…

8 The plant is wilted, even though the soil is moist. Over-fertilization, soggy soil, damaged roots, disease; copper deficiency (very unlikely). If not, go to #9.

9 Plants won't flower, even though they get 12 hours of darkness for over 2 weeks. >> The night period is not completely dark. Too much nitrogen. Too much pruning or cloning. If not, go to #10...

10 Leaves are yellow or white, but the veins are mostly green. >> Iron (Fe) deficiency. If not, #11.

11 Leaves are light green or yellow beginning at the base, while the leaf margins remain green. Necrotic spots may be between veins. Leaves are not twisted. >> Manganese (Mn) deficiency. If not, #12.

12 Leaves are twisted. Otherwise, pretty much like #11. >> Zinc (Zn) deficiency. If not, #13.

13 Leaves twist, then turn brown or die. >> The lights are too close to the plant. Rarely, a Calcium (Ca) or Boron (B) deficiency. If not… You may just have a weak plant.

Solutions to Nutrient Deficiencies

The Nutrients:

Nitrogen - Plants need lots of N during vegging, but it's easy to overdo it. Added too much? Flush the soil with plain water. Soluble nitrogen (especially nitrate) is the form that's the most quickly available to the roots, while insoluble N (like urea) first needs to be broken down by microbes in the soil before the roots can absorb it. Avoid excessive ammonium nitrogen, which can interfere with other nutrients. Too much N delays flowering. Plants should be allowed to become N-deficient late in flowering for best flavor. Magnesium - Mg-deficiency is pretty common since marijuana uses lots of it and many fertilizers don't have enough of it. Mg-deficiency is easily fixed with ¼ teaspoon/gallon of Epsom salts (first powdered and dissolved in some hot water) or foliar feed at ½ teaspoon/quart. When mixing up soil, use 2 teaspoon dolomite lime per gallon of soil for Mg. Mg can get locked-up by too much Ca, Cl or ammonium nitrogen. Don't overdo Mg or you'll lock up other nutrients. Potassium - Too much sodium (Na) displaces K, causing a K deficiency. Sources of high salinity are: baking soda (sodium bicarbonate "pH-up"), too much manure, and the use of water-softening filters (which should not be used). If the problem is Na, flush the soil. K can get locked up from too much Ca or ammonium nitrogen, and possibly cold weather. Phosphorous - Some deficiency during flowering is normal, but too much shouldn't be tolerated. Red petioles and stems are a normal, genetic characteristic for many varieties, plus it can also be a co-symptom of N, K, and Mg-deficiencies, so red stems are not a foolproof sign of P-deficiency. Too much P can lead to iron deficiency. Iron - Fe is unavailable to plants when the pH of the water or soil is too high. If deficient, lower the pH to about 6.5 (for rockwool, about 5.7), and check that you're not adding too much P, which can lock up Fe. Use iron that's chelated for maximum availability. Read your fertilizer's ingredients - chelated iron might read something like "iron EDTA". To much Fe without adding enough P can cause a P-deficiency. Manganese - Mn gets locked out when the pH is too high, and when there's too much iron. Use chelated Mn. Zinc - Also gets locked out due to high pH. Zn, Fe, and Mn deficiencies often occur together, and are usually from a high pH. Don't overdo the micro-nutrients- lower the pH if that's the problem so the nutrients become available. Foliar feed if the plant looks real bad. Use chelated zinc.

Check Your Water

Crusty faucets and shower heads mean your water is "hard," usually due to too many minerals. Tap water with a TDS (total dissolved solids) level of more than around 200ppm (parts per million) is "hard" and should be looked into, especially if your plants have a chronic problem. Ask your water company for an analysis listing, which will usually list the pH, TDS, and mineral levels (as well as the pollutants, carcinogens, etc) for the tap water in your area. This is a common request, especially in this day and age, so it shouldn't raise an eyebrow. Regular water filters will not reduce a high TDS level, but the costlier reverse-osmosis units, distillers, and de-ionizers will. A digital TDS meter (or EC = electrical conductivity meter) is an incredibly useful tool for monitoring the nutrient levels of nutrient solution, and will pay for itself before you know it. They run about $40 and up.

General Feeding Tips

Pot plants are very adaptable, but a general rule of thumb is to use more nitrogen & less phosphorous during the vegetative period, and the exact opposite during the flowering period. For the veg. period try a N:P:K ratio of about 10:7:8 (which of course is the same ratio as 20:14:16), and for flowering plants, 4:8:8. Check the pH after adding nutrients. If you use a reservoir, keep it circulating and change it every 2 weeks. A general guideline for TDS levels is as follows: seedlings = 50-150 ppm; unrooted clones = 100-350 ppm; small plants = 400-800 ppm; large plants = 900-1800 ppm; last week of flowering = taper off to plain water. These numbers are just a guideline, and many factors can change the actual level the plants will need. Certain nutrients are "invisible" to TDS meters, especially organics, so use TDS level only as an estimate of actual nutrient levels. When in doubt about a new fertilizer, follow the fertilizer's directions for feeding tomatoes. Grow a few tomato or radish plants nearby for comparison. PH - The pH of water after adding any nutrients should be around 5.9-6.5 (in rockwool, 5.5-6.1) . Generally speaking, the micro-nutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu) get locked out at a high pH (alkaline) above 7. 0, while the major nutrients (N, P, K, Mg) can be less available in acidic soil or water (below 5.0). Tap water is often too alkaline. Soils with lots of peat or other organic matter in them tend to get too acidic, which some dolomite lime will help fix. Soil test kits vary in accuracy, and generally the more you pay the better the accuracy. For the water, color-based pH test kits from aquarium stores are inexpensive, but inaccurate. Invest in a digital pH meter ($40-80), preferably a waterproof one. You won't regret it.

Other Things…

Cold

Cold weather (below 50F/10C) can lock up phosphorous. Some varieties, like equatorial sativas, don't take well to cold weather. If you can keep the roots warmer, the plant will be able to take cooler temps than it otherwise could.

Heat

If the lights are too close to the plant, the tops may be curled, dry, and look burnt, mimicking a nutrient problem. Your hand should not feel hot after a minute when you hold it at the top of the plants. Raise the lights and/or aim a fan at the hot zone. Room temps should be kept under 85F (29C) -- or 90F (33) if you add additional CO2.

Humidity

Thin, shriveled leaves can be from low humidity. 40-80 % is usually fine.

Mold and fungus

Dark patchy areas on leaves and buds can be mold. Lower the humidity and increase the ventilation if mold is a problem. Remove any dead leaves, wherever they are. Keep your garden clean.

Insects

White spots on the tops of leaves can mean spider mites underneath.

Sprays

Foliar sprays can have a "magnifying glass" effect under bright lights, causing small white, yellow or burnt spots which can be confused with a nutrient problem. Some sprays can also cause chemical reactions.

Insufficient light

Tall, stretching plants are usually from using the wrong kind of light.. Don't use regular incandescent bulbs ("grow bulbs") or halogens to grow cannabis. Invest in fluorescent lighting (good) or HID lighting (much better) which supply the high-intensity light that cannabis needs for good growth and tight buds. Even better, grow in sunlight.

Clones

yellowing leaves on unrooted clones can be from too much light, or the stem may not be firmly touching the rooting medium. Turn off any CO2 until they root. Too much fertilizer can shrivel or wilt clones - plain tap water is fine.

Hydroponic principles II

Why does Hydroponics produce such fantastic results?

By giving a plant the exact nutrients it needs we accomplish several things:
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#1 We give it a perfect diet. In nature this is next to impossible, so when this actually happens, plants GROW & GROW & GROW.
#2 When we GIVE the plant it's food it doesn't have to go out looking for it. HUH?.....Yes, plants actually expend energy looking for food by growing huge root systems. If the plant doesn't have to waste energy looking for food, it puts all of it's effort into the parts above ground. The results are rapid, large healthy growth and massive fruit and flower production.
#3 By necessity, Hydroponic systems are automated. This removes the negative human influence from plant cultivation. Specifically, forgetting to water, or watering too much.

How do I grow my plants hydroponically?

Fortunately, many methods of Hydroponic growing have been invented throughout the years - from painfully simple to slightly complex. All you need to do is select the system that meets your needs and build it. As luck would have it, all of the systems that have been invented use very basic items assembled into very basic mechanisms. There is practically no method you cannot construct at home with no more than simple hand tools and commonly available parts.

Nutrients

All plants, weather grown hydroponically or in soil, need 16 basic elements to grow. Most of us are familiar with the top three that are consumed by plants. These elements are called the Macro-Elements and they are Nitrogen Phosphorous and Potassium, they are abbreviated N P K. You probably have seen these letters on bags of common fertilizer. The other 13 elements are grouped together as the Micro-Elements. Most people are not familiar with these elements because we have always counted on them being present in the soil, which works for the most part.

Preformulated Nutrients:

This is really the best option for the hobby to small farm Hydroponic grower. You can be assured that all of the necessary nutrients are present and available to the plants. All you have to do is mix a predetermined amount of concentrate with water and add it to your system. If you want to be successful as a first time Hydroponic grower, use a ready made nutrient specifically for hydroponics. Preformulated Nutrients come in the forms of 1-part powders, 2-part powders, 1-part liquids, 2-part liquids, & 3-part liquids. I have found that nutrients are pretty much nutrients, with the exception of the General Hydroponics 3-part flora series. This one nutrient system really stands out above the rest, it gives the best results by far. You can customize the mix for specific crops and different phases of the crop (i.e. one mix for vegetative growth and another for flowering/fruiting phases of growth).

Formulating your own:

Once you have some experience with hydroponics and you are producing large crops of a specific plant, you may want to look into formulating your own nutrients. Since all plants do not consume the same amounts of nutrients (individual elements) you can possibly save yourself some money by making very specific formulas for your crop. This involves a good amount of chemistry knowledge, some lab equipment and each of the 16 individual elemental nutrients. Many crop specific formulas exist from others' research, all you have to do is find the right recipe and mix it up. Over time you will probably adjust this formula to match your growing conditions and crop more closely. Mixing your own is best left to the more experienced who are producing large amounts of one crop (i.e. 1/4 acre on up).

Miracle Grow:

Many people insist on tying to use miracle grow plant food as a Hydroponic nutrient. It is true that this is great stuff for soil, I personally use it on my flowers and man do they freak out. Let me stress though, this stuff is not a complete nutrient for hydroponics. It does contain some micro elements, but not all. Your plants will start out fine using this, but eventually they will suffer from deficiencies. In the long run it is not worth the cost savings over a real Hydroponic nutrient. The analogy would be something like buying a brand new corvette and then having the cheapest tires put on it and filling up with the cheapest Circle K gasoline. You will not even come close to getting the performance that is possible.

Nutrient Additives

There are quite a few Hydroponic additives on the market. They mainly consist of combinations of kelp extracts, bone meal and blood meal. They are commonly sold as "Organic" boosters just to hook the "green" crowd. They are supposed to supply enzymes, hormones, vitamins, amino acids, sugars, and plant acids that can't be supplied by Hydroponic nutrients. I believe that there are some merits to using these additives, but many of the claims made by these products are UNFOUNDED and UNTRUE. I have tried the "Earth Juice Catalyst" and I THINK that I saw a performance increase, but nothing major. In the future I will perform an experiment with a control group of plants to see how this stuff really performs. One additive that falls in it's own class is the "DynaGRO PRO-TEEKT". It is a potassium and silicon supplement that is supposed to help increase resistance to pathogens, increase resistance to heat stress and build stem strength. I have yet to try this product.

pH

pH is simply the measure of the acid content of a solution. The pH scale runs from 1 to 14, 1 being very acidic, 7 is neutral, and 14 is very basic. pH affects the ability of a plant's roots to absorb nutrients. The range in which nutrient absorption is best is from 5.8 to 6.5. It is very important to maintain this range. Measuring pH: You can measure pH either chemically or electronically. Chemical test kits cost about $8 to $18, they are accurate but you have to replace them periodically because the chemicals are consumed. Electronic methods typically are packaged as a pen that you simply dip into the solution and the pH is read out on a digital LCD display. pH pens cost about $65 to $100, they are fairly accurate and must be calibrated periodically. The benefit is ease of use and they don't wear out - a wise investment. Adjusting pH: To lower pH add acid. The best acids to use are phosphoric, nitric, and sulfuric acid, these acids disassociate and free up phosphorous, nitrogen an sulfur respectively. Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Sulfur are all elements that plants need for growth. I have heard of people using Distilled Vinegar for pH adjustment, this seems a bit sketchy to me but I suppose it would word in a pinch. To raise pH add a base. The bases used in hydroponics are Potassium Hydroxide and Sodium Hydroxide. These disassociate and provide Potassium and Sodium, respectively. Another pH up "elixir" that I have heard of is baking soda - personally I think this is a bad idea. TIP! When adding acid or base to adjust your nutrient solution, add small amounts at a time and wait about 1/2 hour to take a measurement. The closer your pH is to 7, the less acid or base it takes to effect change. This change takes place exponentially, for example: it can take two milliliters of acid move the pH of 25 gallons of nutrient from 7 to 6. From 6 to 5 it can take 8 milliliters, from 5 to 4 it can take 500 milliliters. BE CAREFUL and make changes slowly. Making your own pH adjusting solutions: One quart of acid or base from General Hydroponics retails for about $7.00. This is the biggest rip off in the Hydroponic business! It takes about $10.00 of concentrated acid or base to make 2000 gallons of pH adjusting solution. Subtract packaging and shipping and you'll see that they turn $10 into $4000. OUCH!!!!! Coming soon I'll have instructions for mixing your own solutions from concentrated acids and bases that you can buy in almost any town over-the-counter.

Organic Nutrients (??????)

With the relatively recent green movement the concept of "Organic" food production rings louder and louder every day. "Organic" guidelines prohibit the use of any refined chemicals in food production. The result is fertilizers derived from compost and animal waste. Naturally people want to try to apply these principles to hydroponics in the form of a teas made from compost and other natural ingredients. This seems logical but the result is counter productive when used in a hydroponics environment. To understand why, we must first understand what nutrients are and how they are absorbed by plants. Plants rely upon sixteen basic chemical elements for food - Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus, Calcium, Hydrogen, and Oxygen are just a few. These elements must be in a form that can be absorbed by a plant. This form is a chemical salt - a very basic chemical compound containing one of the sixteen elements and a complementary element that forms a salt. These elemental salts are what is absorbed from the soil by the plant's roots. So, the big question is - In the natural"organic" cycle of things how do these chemical salts get into the soil? Let's start with organic material (compost) and follow it to absorption by the plant. A bit of compost contains complex organic chemical chains that contain the elements for the chemical salts that eventually will be absorbed by a plant. At this point these complex chemical cannot be used by a plant. When the compost gets mixed into the soil it starts to be acted upon by soil born bacteria. This bacteria is what breaks the organic material down into the chemical salts that can be used by plants.

Organic material + Soil Born Bacteria = Nutrient Salts

Mother Nature uses bacteria to refine organic material into inorganic chemical compounds for plant absorption. In a Hydroponic system sufficient bacteria are not present for this critical conversion, instead we must provide these refined chemicals directly to the system. For those who insist that they can do it "organically" there are some "organic" nutrient mixes available for you to try. They typically produce limited results that I belive is entirely counterproductive to the Hydroponic philosophy. I suggest that if you want to grow organically, do it in the dirt. Supplement the hell out of your soil with natural fertilizers and you will get excellent results. I do this in my own dirt garden and everything grows wonderfully.

Hydrogen peroxide

What are the benefits of Hydrogen Peroxide and how do i apply it?

Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) it is made up of Hydrogen (H2) and Oxygen (O2), however H2O2 has an extra Oxygen atom in an unstable arrangement - it is this extra negatively charged Oxygen atom that gives H2O2 its useful properties. H2O2 is used for many purposes including cleaning, bleaching, sterilizing, rocket fuel, animal feed treatment and in addition many miraculous claims about its health benefits have been made. This faq focuses on its use in horticultural applications. H2O2 is of great use for both hydroponics and dirt/soilless gardening.
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What Does Hydrogen Peroxide do?

H2O2 is an unstable molecule; when it breaks down, a single oxygen atom (O-)and a molecule of water is released. This oxygen atom is extremely reactive and will attach itself to either another Oxygen atom (forming a stable O2 molecule) or attack a nearby organic molecule. H2O2 will rapidly eliminate the Chlorine used in many municipal water supplies, as well as degrade any pesticides, herbicides or other organic matter that might be present. Well water is often high in methane and organic sulfates, both of which H2O2 will remove. Both the stable and O- forms will increase the level of dissolved oxygen. Increasing the DO in your nutrient solution will benefit the root system and be detrimental to harmful anaerobic bacteria such as pythium. Many disease-causing organisms and spores are killed by the free O- atom. The free Oxygen atom will destroy dead organic material (i.e., leaves and roots) in the system, preventing them from rotting and spreading diseases. H2O2 will help eliminate existing infections and will help prevent future ones. It is also useful for suppressing algae growth.

Over Watering

Both soil and hydroponic plants often fall prey to the same syndrome. Hydroponic crops often fail due to "root rot" and soil crops succumb to "over-watering." The actual cause is a shortage of Oxygen at the root zone, allowing a Pythium infection to take hold. In a soil system, the soil consists of particles, a film of water on the particles and air spaces between the particles. When too much water is put into the soil, the air spaces fill with liquid. The roots will quickly use up the dissolved oxygen within these pore spaces. If the root system has not absorbed the water within these pore spaces, air will not be able to enter and Oxygen within that space will become depleted. In a low oxygen environment, roots will begin dying within twenty-four hours. As the roots die, the plant’s ability to uptake water and nutrients will drastically decrease, and the plant will show symptoms of nutrient deficiencies (pale leaves, and slow growth). Plants will start to wilt (appearing water deficient) – at this point many growers will mistakenly water their plants! In a Hydroponic system, oxygen deprivation is often caused by high temperatures and inadequate nutrient circulation and/or aeration. High reservoir temperatures interfere with Oxygen's ability to dissolve into water. Temperatures above 70F (20C) will eventually cause problems, 62F-65F (16C-18C) is recommended. Oxygen deprivation symptoms in hydroponics are similar to that of soil - but at least you are able to check the roots. Healthy roots should be mostly white with maybe a slight yellowish tan tinge. If they are a brownish color with dead tips or they easily pull away there is at least the beginning of a serious problem. An organic, ‘dirt like’ rotting smell means there is already a very good chance it is too late. As roots die and rot, they remove Oxygen out of the water; as Oxygen levels are depleted even further. more will roots die - a viscous circle!. Reduced Oxygen levels and high temperatures encourage anaerobic bacteria and fungi, which attack the plant further mercilessly.

How does Hydrogen Peroxide prevent root rot & over-watering

Plants watered with H2O2 will experience extra oxygen in the root zone when the peroxide breaks down. This helps stop the Oxygen from being depleted in the water filled air spaces until air can get back into them. High Oxygen levels at the roots will encourage rapid healthy root growth. In a Hydroponic systems, H2O2 will disperse through out the system and raise Oxygen levels as it breaks down. Strong white healthy roots with lots of fuzzy new growth will be visible. This fuzzy growth has massive surface area allowing for rapid absorption of the huge amounts of water and nutrients needed for rapid top growth. A healthy plant starts with a healthy root system.

How to use/apply it

H2O2 comes in several different strengths: 3%, 5%, 8% and 35%, also sold as food grade Hydrogen Peroxide. The most economical is 35% which we recommend be diluted to three percent before using. When working with food grade H2O2, it is very important that you clean up any spills or splashes immediately, it will damage almost oxidize everything very quickly. Skin will be temporarily bleached pure white if not washed cleaned. Gloves are strongly recommended when working with any strong chemical. Food grade H2O2 can be diluted to three percent by mixing it one part to eleven parts water (preferably distilled). The storage container should be opaque to prevent light from getting in and it must be able to hold some pressure. If three-liter pop bottles are available in your area they are ideal for mixing and storing H2O2. There are twelve quarter liters (250ml) in three liters, if you put in one quarter liter H2O2 and eleven quarter liters (250ml) water in the bottle it will full of three percent H2O2 and the bottle can hold the pressure that the H2O2 will generate. Three percent Hydrogen Peroxide may be added at up to 3 ml's per liter (2 1\2 tsp. per gallon), but it is recommended that you start at a lower concentration and increase to full strength over a few weeks. For hydroponic applications, use every reservoir change and replace twenty-five percent (one quarter) every day. Example: In a 100L (25gal) reservoir you would add three hundred ml's (3%) H2O2 when changing the nutrient. You would then add seventy-five ml's more every day. [Editor’s note: high concentrations of H2o2 can be detrimental to organic additives (such as beneficial additives) and organic nutrient mixtures.]

Application: US Standard

1. 28*G/C= Liquid Oz's per day
Metric 10*L/C= Ml per day
Where; C= % concentration of H2O2 L= Number of liters in reservoir G= Number of Gallons in reservoir

Example: How much 3% H202 should I add to 7 gallons of nutes?
1. 28*7/3=2.986 Oz's each day.

Where to get it

35% food grade is called “food grade” because it has no toxic impurities. Of course your local hydroponics retailer or web stores have it (there may be shipping restrictions on high strength peroxides). The local feed supplier may have it in small towns. Prices range from fifteen dollars per quarter liter to eighty dollars a gallon. One gallon will treat up to fifty thousand liters of water. 3%5%, 8% Can be found at most drugstores or pharmacies, prices start at a less than a dollar for a one hundred-ml bottle that will treat one hundred liters.

Hydroponic solutions

General Hydroponic Recipes Salt Fert Recipes
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Geeezz I like answers like this. This is the kind of discussions I am looking for. I wish i was as diplomat and fine writer like you. But unfortunatly I am not :) I am a rough, short fused ,undiplomatic and grouchy old fart. maybe reading messages like yours and ~shabang~ will teach me how to act properly here. I am working on it :) You got it right bro. If I would be newbie, I would not start with salt fert. It is simply too complicated. But when I did start growing many years ago, GH wasn't on the market yet,so I have had to learn to work with salt fert. And since then I can compare the difference between both type of fert. from seeing other crop of my friends who are using GH. And they keep asking me how to get the harsh taste out of their weed. But they wouldn't switch for salts, so I sure don't expect to convert everyone here :) I never did work with organic fert, since I wouldn't have a clue about what is going on in the substract when I would be adding some chem fert like GH. Impossible to know because of the large amount of mineral in organic fert, combine with Chemical fert, end up being a brew too hard to control. I don't like to not knowing what is going with my fertilization. The only thing I can say is as long as urea nitrate is used, it will be very hard to get a smooth taste with the finished product. urea Nitrate seem to stick forever in the plant and is so hard to wash out.

My friend have tried to rinse with water only for 2 weeks prior harvesting and they still have this harsh taste, and I don't. I don't cure neither. It is on the market 5 days after harvesting with no harsh taste and very sweet. Those who are using organic fert should not add micronutrient before half way thru the growing process. It is less harmfull to lack a bit of micronutrient than to have too much of them. Many peoples are overfeeding, wich create super problems. Don't forget that the guys selling the product wants you to use as much as possible , they want to make money. I suggest to those who want to do a test, to have a few plants with half the fert you are using for the other plants and see for yourself. Can you beleive i have been fertilizing my KONG weed only twice a week so far? and do they ever grow fast these guys. You can see when your plant is ready for another shot of fert because of the top leaves getting paler green. The main thing is better less fert than too much. when nutrient start to lock up it is very hard to know what to use to undo this since we can't know exactly what is locked up with what. if you don't overfertilize you won't get fert lock up. Micronutrient are the most touchy part about fertilizing. It has to do with the kind of water you are using. Other thing that growers should know is the amount of oxygen the roots system get. OK ,P2O5 has 5 atoms of oxygen for 2 phosphorus,but as soon as you balance your ph the O5 is reacting and oxydize turning iron to rust and zn to who knows what, instead of giving the oxygen to the roots. This is why it is an incredible mess to describe. If anyone wants to learn more about all of this go to this url . EVERYTHING is there. Full course on nutrient and all.

Doesn't matter if they talk about tomatoes, super site to learn about ferts. read the section about Soil reaction (ph) they know what they are talking about. Will save me a lot of typing :) i hope this help Bye for now and thanx for the input. I needed that :)

I would give some tricks about salt fert only if there are someone using this kind of fertilizer right now,or intend too. It would be useless for me to post on salt fert if nobody plan to use it. If there is someone who is starting with salt fert, let me say this: don't be surprise to see larger leaves and paler as well. Don't overuse Nitrate to try to get the same dark green as GH would do, the leaves are very happy with this paller green. The plant will grow much faster than with other type of fert so you will have to watch closely cause it will go fast and you will have to keep track of the calcium Nitrate ,because it is the only Composant of all the familly to watch for. Calcium Nitrate does wonder but can kill the plant too if missused. The other composants will stay the same ratio during all the plant life, only the amount will vary. You don't have to use K2SO4 ,instead raise the KH2PO4 and KN03, slightly. Overfeeding is easily recognised with salt Fert because of the rapidity of this type of ferts to work. If you start seeing Nitrate overfert, Rinse the medium and let the plant drink the water. you won't burn them unless you fertilize when the medium is too dry. Over feeding with P or K is very rare with salt fert . The only one to watch for will be the Micro nute, don't overuse it, and the Calcium Nitrate. If i get some peoples interested on this subject, i will post later on the WONDER of Calcium Nitrate and all the Good things this stuff can do to your plant. Friendly yours Frenchie ... O.M. is gonne

I hand water ,in Promix#4, i use a garbage container about 80 liter. One is filled with water and Monophosphate potassium KH2PO4 (one small plastic fert cup) Micro nutes and one tea spoon of MgSO4 (half a fert cup)depending if the water in your locality is hard or soft. hard water contain enough Magnesium , Calcium and sulfates to do the job. I use this Mix for Washing twice a week. If the promix is too dry, use plain water ,wait 2 hours then fertilize. The other container is filled with the full recipe.Smaller the plant ,more water i use (to let the medium get dry ,good for the roots). The solution has to be as fresh as possible, not cold.When you fill up the reservoirs, make sure to make as much bubbling with the hose to oxygenate the water. At the rate the plants will drink,you should never have some old solution. When flowering,i use half and half (both reservoir)so i can play with the Nitrates. Fresh Promix should keep his PH in good shape aqll the way. Overwatering degrade the peatmoss . With salt ferts to tell you the thruth, the last time i did check the PH was 15 years ago and was neutral so i never checked it again since. The only way I can see if something goes wrong is by looking at the leaves and the way they grow. The growth will be very consistant, so if something goes wrong,you can see it. The only fert to watch is like i said calcium Nitrate, this stuff on an very thirsty (dry) will kill it in 4 hours. If you see the tip of the leaves turning brown, flush with water and let it dry and pray. I 'll stop here for now. waiting for questions.

calling it monophosphate potassium may get some strange looks across the counter, better to call it monopotassium phosphate. True there is only one phosphorus atom per molecule and thus "mono = one" says monophosphate is fine, the ambiguity in the compound is the number of potassium atoms present as the phosphate can attract one, two or three potassiums, thus it is better to specify "monopotassium phosphate" and there'll be no ambiguity as to the number of potassium atoms per phoshate compound. Using a heater would do, just make sure you make some Bubling each day to keep the oxygen level nice. If you go with a Pump system,then the water get oxyganeted with the flow and spraying. One can for example: make a new solution, go with it for one day, if half the solution is left in the reservoir,add water for the next day. Then discard waht's left ,to get a fresh solution on the third day. The best is to be able to use the solution as quickly as possible but i sometime use the same solution for up to 4 days if i don't have enough plants and too much solution. After stretching wich was minimal the Kong went down to a more normal level as water intake.... When one plant is processing at least one liter of fluid a day, you can say... it is in shape and growing. 2 liter a day, you're in business. :)

Nutrient solutions

How do I mix up my nutrient solution?
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These are the exact steps I take to properly preparing a nutrient solution:
Note: My res is 25 gallons, so you will have to adjust all volumes for your res size. I would suggest getting a container that would be able to hold the same amount of water as your res. That way you can prepare your mixture in the mixing container, then empty your rez and immediately pump the fresh solution into your system so that they will be out of the water for a minimal amount of time to reduce shock. Use good water. I use RO (Reverse Osmosis) water. Add all of your “extras” to your reservoir In bloom, I add 80ml of Bcuzz bloom stimulant (Bcuzz’s suggested str for 25 gals), and a small amount of Epsom salts, about 2 TSP (10ml). You must mix your e-salts in warm water, or they will take forever to dissolve and throw off your readings. This little trick will help you whenever you need to mix something solid into your nute solution. Dissolve it first. Nutrient mixing. What I do is get a gallon of water, and mix my nutes ratios into that container, then I simply add that solution to my res until I reach the desired ppm. You CANNOT mix them together in their pure form, they must be diluted or nutrient lockout can occur. I never pour nutes directly into the reservoir. My system holds 25 gallons, so I use 80ml as my “base unit” of measure. I use the 1-2-3 (G-M-B) formula. It is the one that GH recommends and it works well for me. For example 1-2-3 = 80ml – 160ml – 240ml Always add Micro, then Grow, then Bloom. In my bucket of water I add 2 measures of GH Micro. Mix. Then I add my 1 measure of Grow. Mix. Then I add my 3 measures of Bloom. Mix. My measure is 80ml - yours will be different according to your res size. Use a submersible water pump to keep everything mixing in your main rez. Add the GH mixture slowly to the mixing container until I reach my desired ppm. After I have the ppm’s set, I adjust my ph until my mixture is perfect. Then I quickly dump my res and put the contents form my mixing container into my res. Be sure your nutes are fully mixed before trusting your readings. I have found ph to take longer to stabilize than ppm's, so allow the tank to really mix up well before you count on a ph reading to be true.

Here are some GH ratios I use:

Cuttings pure RO water and a rooting powder, liquid, or gel is all you need
Seedlings / clones Add a drop of superthrive per gallon of water, e-salts, and a 1-1-1 (G-M-B) GH mixture at 250 ppm and adjust ph to 5.2 – 5.8.
Early veg Add a drop of superthrive per gallon of water, e-salts, and a 1-1-1 (G-M-B) GH mixture at 350-450 ppm and adjust ph to 5.2 – 5.8.
Vegging Add a drop of superthrive per gallon of water, e-salts, and a 3-2-1 (G-M-B) GH mixture at 500-650 ppm and adjust ph to 5.2 – 5.8.
Transition to blooming (first 2 weeks of 12/12) Add my Bcuzz bloom booster, e-salts, and a 1-1-1 (G-M-B) GH mixture at 700 ppm and adjust ph to 5.2 – 5.8.
Full bloom Add my Bcuzz bloom booster, e-salts, and a 1-2-3 (G-M-B) GH mixture at 750 - 950 ppm and adjust ph to 5.2 – 5.8.

Tips:

>When I give a range of ppm, I start off low and mix a little extra GH to slowly bump up the ppms as the days go on to make sure the plants can handle it. Every strain will grow a little different.
>If system heat is a problem, you can use a silicone solution such as pro-tekt (or Pro-silica) to raise ph and give the plants a little something to help them out in hot weather. Use it sparingly. I wouldn’t add more than 1 ml per gallon into your res. It may slow down growth.
>Don’t try to add all kinds of stuff to your res, the simpler the better. That is why I add so little Epsom salts. If I start having Mg issues I would bump it up, but I haven’t had to yet.
>You will not need H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) unless you have an improper nute solution. If you keep your res temps at 68-72* and it is light tight you won’t have algae problems and your plants will be the happiest. The higher your nute temps go, the less O2 the water can hold. It is a property of water itself and no amount of bubbles will help.
>I keep my nutes at a ph between 5.2 – 5.8. If it is in this range DO NOT try to get it “perfect” by adding ph up and down. If you mix up your solution and you don't HAVE to use the ph up or down DON'T. When you do adjust try to hit 5. 5 but once again don’t be too picky. If it’s a little higher or lower let it go. You’ll just mess things up by trying to mix it exactly.
>If you have a nutrient deficiency, or some other problem that you think might be nutrient related - change your nutes!
>Be careful when mixing highly concentrated nutrients, as lockout can occur when adding pH "up" (As may occur in a smaller volume). It is my experience that K can precipitate out of solution - make sure pH "up" or "Down" is added to the nutrient solution with additional water).
>Another mixup procedure is to mix the nutrients directly into the main rez. This method takes longer, as adjustments require additional mixup of seperate nutrient components.
>(Reggea love) Nutrients strengths should be qualified with the ppm/us conversion factor used (such as 0.5, 0.6 or 0.7), which can make a significant difference to the actual strengths.

Foliar feeding

How do I foliar feed?

Foliar feeding instructions:

You can use any full spectrum nutrient to foliar feed your plants. To avoid nutrient burn, your nutrient solution strength, should be no more than 1/3rd of the maunufactures reccomended dosage.
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* The best temperature is about 72 degrees (when stomata on the underside of the leaves are open); at over 80, they may not be open at all. So, find the cooler part of the day if it is hot and the warmer part of the day if it is cold out.
* Use a good quality sprayer -- should atomise the solution to a very fine mist.
* Always be sure your light is off and cool before foliar feeding! For extra safety, wipe your bulb with a dry cloth after spraying and make sure H.I.D lights are raised to a safe distance (double the distance is a good rule of thumb) to prevent burning.
* Make sure the PH of your solution is between 7 and 6. 2.
* To prevent the water from beading up (acting as small prisms) and thereby burning the leaves, for each gallon made, add half of a teaspoon of liquid detergent (wetting agent).
* Spray leaf surface -- the tops and the undersides -- until the liquid begins to drip off the leaves. Stop spraying 2 weeks into flowering -- use sparingly on bud sites.
* Dispose of excess spray according to manufactures instructions— home made fertilizer sprays will be fine for at least 2 weeks.
* Spray one time a week every week, if any white residue is found, rinse the foliage with plain ph'd water to reduce salt build-up.

EDITORS NOTES: Personally, I do not foliar feed in any situations other then those mentioned below, as, IMO, it does not seem to be necessary if using a well-managed hydroponic set-up. The reasons I foliar feed, are mainly to reduce nutritional stress situations. I avoid spraying bud sites, as nitrate salts (the "n" in NPK) are very unhealthy to smoke, fish emulsion smells, and Bat guano could be highly unsanitary so stick to hygenic solutions.

Benefits of foliar spraying:

* To provide a quick nutrient fix for root-zone nutrient problems or deficiencies; this allows more time to solve the problem(s).
* To prevent excess yellowing on clones.
* To instantly provide nutrients via the leaves, which reduces stress on the suffering plant.

Fertilizing & feeding

How can I properly maintain my hydroponic nutrient solution?
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Reservoir maintenance is the routine task of keeping the hydroponic nutrient solution in the reservoir from becoming too strong or toxic as the water is being evaporated and the nutrients within the solution are taken up by the plants. Simply put... Top off daily with half strength nutrients, alternating days topping up with plain water. Change the entire reservoir with fresh solution every ten days to two weeks. Why should you? One problem in hydroponics solution maintenance, is that as water is evaporated out of the solution, the concentration of nutrient salts in the solution becomes gradually stronger to the point of being toxic to the plants. The total disolved salts will become stronger as water evaporates. Another problem, is that hydroponically grown plants will take up what they need as they need it from the nute solution. A nutrient solution left alone will end up lacking key nutrients, with a build-up of *toxic levels of other key nutrients. *Toxic in the solution, as well as in the plants. The only way around these problems for the average hydroponic grower, is to practice sound reservoir topping off procedures. The most widely accepted maintenance method, involves daily topping off and routine reservoir solution replacement. Topping off the reservoir daily with a nutrient solution which is half of the current new reservoir strength, alternating days by topping off with plain water. Changing the reservoir solution every two weeks, will give the plants a fresh and well balanced nute mix, which has not been altered by the plants nutrient uptake. * **Many scientific studies have been performed, which prove these facts by GCMS testing of the nutrient solution contents and the nutrient salts contained within the plant tissues, as the plants "take-up" the specific nutrients in the solution. Metaphorically speaking... Plants will take up excessive levels of some nutrients, leaving the solution lacking in certain key nutrients. Just like a puppy would make him/her self sick if it were allowed to feed from a bottomless food bowl. Plants grown hydroponically can harm themselves with nutrient deficiencies, lockouts and overdoses, if allowed to continue feeding without some control over the "food bowl".

pH & cannabis

pH and cannabis.
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pH can make or break your nutrient solution. 6.7-7.2 is best to ensure there is no nutrient lock-up occurring. Hydroponics requires the solution to be pH corrected for the medium before exposing to the plants. Phosphoresic acid can make the pH go down; lime or potash can take it up when it gets too acid. Buy a pH meter for $10 and use it in soil, water, and hydroponic medium to make sure your not going alkaline or acid over time. Most neutral mediums can use a little vinegar to make them just this side of 7 PH to 6.5 or so. Most fertilizers cause a ph change in the soil. Adding fertilizer to the soil almost always results in a more acidic pH. As time goes on, the amount of salts produced by the breakdown of fertilizers in the soil causes the soil to become increasingly acidic and eventually the concentration of these salts in the soil will stunt the plant and cause browning out of the foliage. Also, as the plant gets older its roots become less effective in bringing food to the leaves. To avoid the accumulation of these salts in your soil and to ensure that your plant is getting all of the food it needs you can begin leaf feeding your plant at the age of about 1.5 months. Dissolve the fertilizer in worm water and spray the mixture directly onto the foliage. The leaves absorb the fertilizer into their veins. If you want to continue to put fertilizer into the soil as well as leaf feeding, be sure not to overdose your plants.

PH And Hydroponic Marijuana

If you are using a hydroponic setup, you can get a pH test kit from a tropical fish store. You add a few drops of solution to a small container of your nutrient solution and get a fairly accurate result. Do the test after you add the nutrient solution because it usually changes the PH level. You can get a pH up or pH down kit from a hydroponics store. This is to adjust the pH as necessary. You might be able to get pH adjust kits from other sources, but I feel safest getting it from a store that sells items that are safe enough to add to solutions that are used to grow food.

Phosphorous abuse

The never ending abuse of Phosphorous to enhance flowering.
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A common mistake for growers when they reach the flowering stage is to start hitting the plants with a high P fert like 10-60-10, continuing to use this blend exclusively, and when their plants start experiencing a deficit of N or micros as reflected by the dropping of lower leaves and chlorosis, they wonder why. Plants flower as a response to long nights, not because of fert blends high in P. A ratio of 10-60-10 is WAY to high in P. The plant will only take what it needs and compete for other elements that may be more important at the time. You may have heard that too much N can inhibit flowering. No question about it, exclusive use of a plant food that is rich in N such as blood meal, a 5-1-1 blend, or ammonium nitrate may inhibit flowering especially if the phosphorous level is low, but most balanced blends have sufficient amount of P to do the job. Manufacturers/horticulturists will give you element analysis and what effect the elements have on plant growth, but remember this does not necessarily mean you will get better yields. Using a high P fert exclusively during flowering can actually work against you. It's an abundant amount of healthy leaves going into 12/12 that produce a lot of bud, not high P ferts. I rotate fert blends as the plant *requires* them, not because it is "the thing to do."

For example, when your plants are going thru the stretch phase during early flowering, they may need more N, especially if you're getting some yellowing in the lower/mid leaves. Give up the cannabis paradigms, and give them what they need. Go back to mild high P fert when the stretch ends, maintaining the foliage in a healthy state of growth until harvest for maximum yields. A 1-3-2 blend such as Peter's Pro Blossom Booster, 10-30-20, is one of the best flowering blends on the market because of several factors - it is higher in nitrate N and Mg. It is sold under the Jack's Classic label. An added benefit of Peter's blends is their use of high quality, very pure salts that will cut down on root burn.

Purple seedling stem

Why are my seedling's stems purple?
為什麼我剛發芽的嫩莖呈現紫色##CONTINUE##

DO NOT PANIC. A seedlings purple stem doesn’t necessarily indicate an unhealthy plant. Please take the following possibilities into consideration:
別緊張, 紫色的莖不代表大麻作物不健康
請依照下列個可能性考慮

1 - Purple Stems could be a result of that wonderful thing we call genetics, if this is the reason, you are to expect a purple stem throughout the life of the plant. It must be noted that purple stems aren’t a dominant trait, and are rarely genetically induced.
1. 紫色的莖可能是我們所謂的遺傳所造成的, 如果真是遺傳, 你將可以期待一株從小到大都是紫色莖的大麻
請注意, 紫色莖的大麻並不是什麼具有優勢的品種, 而且很少被發現

2 - A baby sprout with a purple stem is almost always 100% natural. Young seedlings are still adjusting to their environment and may be slightly lacking in a Nutrient. If this is the case, healthy plants will regain their green/greenish-brown color within a few days to a week or two.
剛發的嫩芽呈現紫色幾乎100%正常, 因為他們還在調整, 適應環境, 而且有可能小小地缺少營養
如果是這樣, 健康的大麻會在幾天到一兩週內很快恢復綠到咖啡色

3 - If you have ruled out the possibilities of genetics and the seedlings adjustments to life, you should begin looking for a nutrient deficiency. Purple stems are commonly caused by a Phosphorous (P) or Magnesium deficiency, if there is a P deficiency you may also notice symptoms such as brittle leaves or greyish spots. To assist the uptake of Phosphorous (as well as most other nutes) you should ensure the pH is slightly acidic-- 6.0 will suffice.
如果前兩個可能性都排除, 那你可能需要檢視營養液成分
過多的磷會造成莖部發紫, 而且通常會伴隨而來的是葉子顏色變淡和灰色的點點

按﹕通常發生在生長期間施以開花肥會造成磷(P)含量過高, 要非常小心注意
生長期間, 過高的磷會殺死你的大麻! 切記!!

Feeding seedlings

When should I fertilize my seedlings?
什麼時候該開始施肥呢##CONTINUE##

Mixes composed of perlite, vermiculite, and rockwool and other inert media should be treated with a mild application, 300-400ppm, of fertilizer prior to seed introduction to provide available nutrients and buffer the pH. Adding Hormex, Superthrive or some other auxin/vitamin based supplement will accelerate early plant development.
It is not beneficial to apply additional fertilizer to seedlings in rockwool or other inert media until the first set of true leaves appear, at which point a 1/4 to 1/2 strength application is made. Excessively rich organic soil mixes are best avoided until the tender, young plants are well established. As such it is possible to feed young seedlings in soil with a 1/4 to 1/2 strength solution of fetiliser after two to three weeks or after the first set of true leaves appear but only if the soil is not super hot in terms of nutrients.
在台灣應該是用一般現成的培養土或靚土
這些現成的培養土裡都己經有含養分了
所以剛開始的前2~3週基本上都不用施肥
過了再施肥即可

Feeding clone mother

What should I feed my mothers prior to cloning?
我該怎麼餵我的clone母株##CONTINUE##

While the stock plant is in the active vegetative growth stage, feed it with a good quality, all-purpose or high Nitrogen fertilizer. One week before taking a cutting feed the stock plants with a low nitrogen, high Phosphorus flowering fertilizer. The flowering fertilizer will lower the amount of stored nitrogen in the plant and increase the amount of stored carbohydrates necessary for the production of roots. Spraying the foliage with water daily will accelerate this process.
當母株在植物生長期時就照一般的方法施以好的全效肥
在要clone之前的一個禮拜再改用低氮(N)高磷(P)的開花肥
開花肥可以降低植物內含的氮並增加發根所需的醣分
每天在葉面上噴灑水分可以加速這個過程