Nutrients Advanced Nutrients - EC, Cal-Mag, & Bloom Boosters

[Gdiddydank]

Hey all! G-Diddy Dank here... professional cultivator and entrepreneur. I’m new to the community and haven’t been active on forums in almost two decades... but I’m looking forward to kicking some knowledge around as well as learning a thing or two from all of you!

I’m about to do my first full run of autoflowers... I’ve only experimented with a few small outdoor autos so I’m pretty green in the subject.

Im curious to hear from anybody who has used one of the Advanced Nutrients PH Perfect line-ups with their autoflowers. What has your experience been, particularly aS it pertains to Nute strength (EC) and the usage of Advanced Nutrients additives (Big Bud, Bud Candy, Etc.) Please specify your Method/medium, water source (tap, filtered tap, RO, etc..), light type, and whether or not you were supplementing CO2.

I’m also particularly interested in the use of Cal-Mag with the advanced lineup. I’ve gotten conflicting answers from AN when I’ve called them but most recently they’ve confirmed that their base nutes already contain the appropriate and proportionate amount of Calcium and magnesium and formulated for use with RO water. My photos always seem to run into a deficiency in early flower even when I’ve supplemented up to 400EC of their Cal-Mag into my solution. Thoughts and experience with this??

As for my setup.... I’m running a DWC/RDWC hybrid system that I built. Green Sunshine Co ES300 LED fixtures and CO2 enrichment between 800-1200ppm. For my photos I run the Advanced Nutrients SENSI A/B and I add Rhino Skin (silica), B52, Sensizym (enzymes), Big Bud and Overdrive (bloom boosters), and Bud Candy (sugars). I’ve run sterile and also experimented With various beneficials including AN’s Voodoo Juice and Botanicare’s Hydrogaurd. Beneficials have been a bit tricky for me in DWC and I’ve had varying results.

My current plan is to soak my hydroton in Sensi VEG A&B but feed the Sensi BLOOM A/B from the jump. I’m going to add Cal-Mag to my RO water @ .2EC and then add the Base A/B to achieve a starting feed of .8EC that will build to a max of 1.2EC during peak flower. Not sure if I want to mess with the bloom boosters at all... open to suggestions on that. Also considering doing weekly root dips in either Recharge orGreat White for the first 2-3 weeks until my first SCROG net goes up.

Can’t wait to get everybody’s input - I’m very open to suggestions as I’m a DIY guy that’s constantly tinkering and improving anyway

 

[MrAutoGrower]

I’ve used it in all my grows. No one can tel you what strength to feed them though, at least accurately because this depends on your environment.

What I can tell you is that it’s easy to overfed and burn them. What I can also tell you is that don’t bother with calmag, because if your water has calmag in it, you can easily cause a lock out due to AN having calcium and magnesium in it. What is also a myth is the fact you can’t “ph” it yourself. The ph levels vary depending on what your water ph comes out at. I recommend you get a reliable ph meter just to check your water source, so you know what it roughly comes out at. If your solution ph is too low or too high, you can certainly use ph up or down a little to adjust it. I have tried and tested this. I also recommend when you use AN products, use luke warm water. It dilutes the solution better, and it will make it more concentrated compared to cold water. You will especially have to use a little warmer water when it comes to using big bud as it is thick.

Their products work great for sure. But it is easy to burn your plants if you are not careful, and cause lock outs. It’s something you learn to avoid and deal with. I switched to coco and it’s easier to handle lockouts and so on. I recommend you do not even buy their grow A and B. I have used it and caused a lockout a few times in soil. Like week two or three of flower, it is prone to start brown spotting on your leaves. I use Bloom A and B all the way through, start to finish, with big bud and overdrive. My plants normally don’t go into flower until around week 5 or 6, sometimes 7. (Yes they are autos - feeding veg nutes longer to keep them in veg longer is a myth for sure. Doing this can actually cause issues because as the plant goes into stretch. it still requires P and K - I find it best to give it a good dose of big bud soon as you see the start of flower development. Do not go with their feeding schedule. I recommend you use 1ml per litre all the way through. I avg 5.5-7oz a plant doing this. I am certain I will exceed that with my next due grow from my recent experience on my last grow.

The more you use their products, the more you will learn how to use them more efficiently. It taken me two grows to get them just right.

Not many people here could advise or help me regarding AN. It seems most people here don’t use them, refuse to use them, or copy other people’s feeding schedules rather than experiment for themselves. I hope I have provided you with enough good info.

Any other questions, feel free to ask bro.

Welcome to the community, and good luck with your grow

Grown with my knowledge I’ve left you above

 

[Gdiddydank]

Those look like some sativa leaves!
Thank you for the info. I am curious about the brown spotting that you’re referring to from the VEG nutes. What do you think is the cause?? I always get a light brown (almost rust colored) spotting around that same time. This is what I’ve suspected to be calcium deficiency in the past.

 

[MrAutoGrower]

Those look like some sativa leaves!
Thank you for the info. I am curious about the brown spotting that you’re referring to from the VEG nutes. What do you think is the cause?? I always get a light brown (almost rust colored) spotting around that same time. This is what I’ve suspected to be calcium deficiency in the past.

It’s usually a lockout from my experience. Too much nitrogen. I’ve defeated that issue now. I had that issue with every grow even my last grow, except my stardawg because I made changes with her. Using the Bloom A and B seems to work much better. Too much nitrogen locks out the calcium. Making sure you don’t over fertilise and feeding to run off. Others like myself have tried feeding calmag when the spots happen, but any time I did this it got worse. So I came to the conclusion it was a salt build up. If you feed light, and use coco with 10-20% run off, you will avoid the spotting

 

[Olderfart]

Great thread @Gdiddydank and @MrAutoGrower - I just ordered AN coco nutes for my imminent solo cup grow, so this is great information for me. I am thinking of an automatic top watering system to keep the coco just right. Great theory, but you never know.

 

[MrAutoGrower]

Great thread @Gdiddydank and @MrAutoGrower - I just ordered AN coco nutes for my imminent solo cup grow, so this is great information for me. I am thinking of an automatic top watering system to keep the coco just right. Great theory, but you never know.

I am going to be documenting my Mephisto grow when I finish my grow setup. I am looking for suggestions for my current space to be honest with ya. So any recommendations and suggestions on how I could improve my small space and the layout of things inside are definitely welcome. It’s a closet grow, last one I achieved up to 21oz in it from a couple of plants. I dunno how I managed it. Was super cramped. Once I am done with my setup upgrade, I plan to make some short videos for YouTube on how I do things and it will include AN nutrients. I will also be feeding some liquid kelp/seaweed too. Not sure how this will go with AN ph perfect system, so I will have to experiment. But the videos will be ideal for people who want to work with AN nutrients. I barely found any good information on those nutrients throughout my grows and had to develop knowledge on my own. So hopefully my videos will help some people out

 

[DCLXVI]

I used the Sensi pH perfect line for 2 grows in soil. I noticed the "pH perfect" didn't really kick in until it was almost at full strength dose. (5ml A/B) Be ready to adjust pH as needed but once you're in the higher ranges it may adjust and hold quite well for you.

 

[Olderfart]

I will be monitoring and adjusting the pH regardless of the pH perfect claims. I chose the line for it's apparent design focus on Coco, not for pH behaviour. I wanted something available now, since I need it by mid December. Since I will not need much of it for a solo cup fun grow, I don't mind the price or the "shipping water" issue this time around. However, if I end up going back to salt nutes after this soil attempt, I will likely go with Jack's 321 or 2 part MC, not with AN. AN is a good line, but too heavy on the marketing and pushing a gazzilion add ons for my tastes. But for a fun solo cup grow, why not? I might actually learn something. And ya never know, there may be some nice bud from a new interesting strain at the end of the fun. I am looking forward to my first solo cup adventure.

 

[MrAutoGrower]

The high dose is asking for burns especially in soil. I went with the high dose and it works fine in veg, but by the time flower comes around you will notice you start frying them up real good. Especially if you are in high RH.

I learned it’s best to not go over 1.5ml per litre. That’s where I got the best results for it.

I see autobeast has good success with high dosage in soil, but his environment will be a big part of that. Plus, he waters three times a week I’m certain. So it’s not constant nutrients and the watering will essentially dilute those nutrients in the soil I reckon.

All you need is bloom A and B, and that’s enough for a good grow all the way through. I however use big bud for the extra pk and overdrive for ripening. I will be adding Sensizym to keep my roots clean this grow

 

[Skunkymonkey]

I’ve used it in all my grows. No one can tel you what strength to feed them though, at least accurately because this depends on your environment.

What I can tell you is that it’s easy to overfed and burn them. What I can also tell you is that don’t bother with calmag, because if your water has calmag in it, you can easily cause a lock out due to AN having calcium and magnesium in it. What is also a myth is the fact you can’t “ph” it yourself. The ph levels vary depending on what your water ph comes out at. I recommend you get a reliable ph meter just to check your water source, so you know what it roughly comes out at. If your solution ph is too low or too high, you can certainly use ph up or down a little to adjust it. I have tried and tested this. I also recommend when you use AN products, use luke warm water. It dilutes the solution better, and it will make it more concentrated compared to cold water. You will especially have to use a little warmer water when it comes to using big bud as it is thick.

Their products work great for sure. But it is easy to burn your plants if you are not careful, and cause lock outs. It’s something you learn to avoid and deal with. I switched to coco and it’s easier to handle lockouts and so on. I recommend you do not even buy their grow A and B. I have used it and caused a lockout a few times in soil. Like week two or three of flower, it is prone to start brown spotting on your leaves. I use Bloom A and B all the way through, start to finish, with big bud and overdrive. My plants normally don’t go into flower until around week 5 or 6, sometimes 7. (Yes they are autos - feeding veg nutes longer to keep them in veg longer is a myth for sure. Doing this can actually cause issues because as the plant goes into stretch. it still requires P and K - I find it best to give it a good dose of big bud soon as you see the start of flower development. Do not go with their feeding schedule. I recommend you use 1ml per litre all the way through. I avg 5.5-7oz a plant doing this. I am certain I will exceed that with my next due grow from my recent experience on my last grow.

The more you use their products, the more you will learn how to use them more efficiently. It taken me two grows to get them just right.

Not many people here could advise or help me regarding AN. It seems most people here don’t use them, refuse to use them, or copy other people’s feeding schedules rather than experiment for themselves. I hope I have provided you with enough good info.

Any other questions, feel free to ask bro.

Welcome to the community, and good luck with your grow

Grown with my knowledge I’ve left you above

View attachment 1393382

I too have been having problems with brown spots at about week 4 using advanced nutrients sensi grow so I plan on stopping and going with Sensi bloom only like you do on my next grow. I'm still really puzzled how I can get brown spots and Cal mag deficiency or lock out when my dosage is only 1 ml per liter. And I go water feed water When you say you only use 1 ml per liter are you only talking about Sensi bloom a&b only? Or are you talking about big bud and overdrive doses also?
Also what are your thoughts on Bud Candy?