Fox Farm

[Melnick]

Question,
I have in the past just dropped a seed in dirt and let mother nature do the work. I get so so result. I have everthing that is needed to grow the right way, like nutes and meters, but got lazy and I dont even test PH. I want to do this grow the right and see if I can improve.
I am growing NL and using fox farm. First, I am confused with the strength of my nutes. I use 1/2 strength, but I need a good schedule to water and feed them. I have a fox farm schedule, but the guy who sold the product gave me his own schedule and strength to use. So now I have several fox farm schedules and strength. Is there anybody out there who uses fox farm. I am in soil and inside. Using a 400 hps for the flower phase. I grow no more then three plants at a time. Thank you.

 

[curiouscat420]

check your pH... keep it around 5.5 - 6

 

[umbra]

a ph of 5.5 in soil is too low. 6.5 is much better. I use ff soil and nutes. I start at 1/4 to 1/2 strength and go to full strength. But basically i use the ff schedule. My current grow is "elite genetics test grow". Very healthy plants with huge nugs.

 

[Alistair]

No, curiouscat, 5.5-6.0 might work well for hydro, I don't know. However, for soil he needs a soil pH between 6.3 and 6.8. Melnick, pH is very important. I suggest that you purchase a digital pH meter. If using FFOF soil as well as the FF nutrients, the soil is designed to maintain the proper pH. Some of are best growers on this site advise to adjust the PH of the watering solution so that it falls between 6.2 and 6.4. That way, the soil pH should be within the proper range.

 

[Melnick]

Is that reading while I mix my nutes or the soil reading or the run off?

 

[Alistair]

I forgot to mention the feeding schedule. I just follow the FF feeding schedule as closely as possible.

 

[Melnick]

You guys are too fast for me, it's a good thing. Let me get this right. I have a digital PH meter (just to lazy to use it) and I just ordered a soil meter, just not sure when to take the reading. Forget what the dude at the store told me and follow the ff schedule. I forgot how important the PH reading was. Thanks.

 

[calitoker]

I use the feed water water feed cycle to flush any nut. buildup, i also only use store bought drinking water. Jungle rain to clean the leaves and shine them up a bit with neem oil. I use technaflora nutrients, but i only use 75% of what is recomended.

 

[yumyumbubblegum]

You want to test your mix and your runoff - FF & Happy Frog (which I use) soil package their soil with a PH of 5.5 and some nutrient manufactures make their nutrients with a low PH to stabilize (or something like that) I don't use FF nutes so I don't know what they do, eg. when I make my drink for the ladies the PH in my water is in the low 4's so I bring the PH up to 6.5 - 6.8 I added lime to my soil and it now sits at 6.6 and my runoff is 6.6 - before I added lime to my soil I was getting a 5.8 runoff (to low for soil)
DON'T BE LAZY WITH YOUR PH, its not that hard (I make a big ordeal at feeding time) I spend like a hour feeding, inspecting, moving my grow room around, a hour every 3 - 4 days is not to hard once you get your routine down :hubba:

 

[Melnick]

Next question, I started several n/l 5 days ago. When should I start to feed her/him at 1/4 strength.

 

[The Effen Gee]

Rules of the game, researched and tested true.

Feed every 36 hours.

As far as soil PH, FF is beginner nutes so the ph level is a little broader. you can get away with 5.5 to almost 8 if you feed enough.

Question is, can the plant handle it?

 

[yumyumbubblegum]

Usually you dont want to feed till at least 2 weeks - watch the baby's and they will tell you when they are hungry...

Next question, I started several n/l 5 days ago. When should I start to feed her/him at 1/4 strength.

 

[Melnick]

Thats what I will do. Thanks.

 

[yumyumbubblegum]

Rules of the game, researched and tested true.

Feed every 36 hours.

As far as soil PH, FF is beginner nutes so the ph level is a little broader. you can get away with 5.5 to almost 8 if you feed enough.

Question is, can the plant handle it?

feed every 36 hrs? I thought the "rules of the game" where feed every other feeding/watering? which would b round about once a week if you feed/water every 3-4 days

What do you mean by FF nutes PH being broader? if you are growing soil you can't "get away" 5.5 or 8.0 to low and to high has to b AT LEAST in the 6.0 and no higher then 7.0 plants thrive at 6.5 no matter what strain it is. Unless you are Hydro - thats a whole other ballpark...

These are JMHO tho - to each is own

 

[Codybear]

Do you all add lime to fox farm soil.

 

[yumyumbubblegum]

IMO Dolmite Lime is good for all soils, as it helps stabilize the PH and it DID bring my soil to 6.5

Do you all add lime to fox farm soil.

 

[umbra]

I always add lime.

 

[curiouscat420]

ok... listen to these dudes... i am an aero gardener.... just trying...

on youtube the greenhouse seed co dudes keep almost all of their strains at 5.5 - in soil... so...

still, check your pH!

 

[Melnick]

Lime? Never heard of that. It seems that everybody uses it. In what form does the line come in and how do I applied it and how much.

 

[Alistair]

The cheap soil probes for testing the soil pH aren't any good. Just make sure that your watering solution is within the proper pH range and the soil is a good soil. There are ways of checking the soil pH that don't involve direct use of a meter.

Some people like Bombudpuffa (Experienced and knowledgeable grower) don't even mess with measuring the soil pH. Unless you have a problem, you might not want to bother with testing the soil pH.