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smokinghut

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5 years ago
smokinghut
Troy, as a rule of thumb, plants prefer constant nutrient availability over boosts. Excess nutes stress plants out and nute deficiency does, too. Also, nutrient accumulation in soil / mix is more often than not toxic to roots. Phosphorus, Potassium and Nitrogen behave in totally different ways. NITROGEN N is highly volatile, hydrophilic and soluble in water. It will evaporate very rapidly if wet and exposed to air. It moves quickly throughout the medium. Plants absorb it quickly. It is easy to accidentally flush away. Think of it as sugar. It makes plants grow, basically. Avoid slow release N capsules when approaching the flowering stage, but, in moderation, they can be relatively safe during initial growth. POTASSIUM Comes in salt form (really toxic, never let it accumulate, concentrate). Soluble in water. Very ill advised to boost K. Used in flowering stage. IMPORTANT RATIOS Nutrient absorption depends on Ca:Mg ratio, pH and the CEC (Cations - reactivity of your soil) and several other factors https://www.smart-fertilizer.com/articles/5essential-parameters-crop-management/ PHOSPHORUS P is needed throught the plants life cycle. It is a tough cookie to handle. P deficiency cannot be completely regenerated, but symptoms may be made more mild. Phosphorus is highly reactive, so it is never found in free form, usually coming as phosphates or triphosphates. Phosphates are not as water solluble as N, for example, triphosphates are more. When using soil, one should take into account that P is relatively immobile, for it tends to bind with Fe (iron) present in clay particles. Therefore, one should incorporate reactive phosphate rock to the soil mix one or two months in advance, so as to have a fertility foundation on which to build upon. And think of keeping the availability of this nutrient stable. Read up P deficiency in staple crops for a good background on the subject. If making supersoil, stay away from bat guano. It is not only gross, but potentially harmful to one's health, especially if used 'in natura' (a guano collector may have been patient 0 for covid19 - one of the more solid theories around). Never use 'raw' or 'fresh' manure either, for it ferments and elevates soil temperature. Manure must have been prefermented (a manure heap, if properly tended, will produce usable fertilizer in 4 to 6 months). And it is toxic and a potential disease vector, as well. If using any animal droppings (guano, cow, chicken, turkey), mix with soil one or two months in advance, mix and water constantly. Worms help speed up the process. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/raw-manure-under-fsma-final-rule-produce-safety
5 years ago
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