New Grower Nutrient help

[terrorbite1492]

Hi guys I'm a week in on my first auto grow using bio bizz light mix I just have a question about nutes now the schedule I have says to start small doses of grow nutes in the second week I'm just confused as to how I give them these I have been told that when you water a plant you keep going till you see a run off of water so do I just add the nutes to my water and water until I see a run off or do u just use the 1 litre with 1ml of grow weather I see a run off or not because my pots take a good 3 litres just to get a little run off also do I give nutes every time I water as I don't seem to have to water much I haven't given them a drop since they went in to the pots

Sorry for the last no question and thank you in advance for any replies

 

[oldster]

Good morning TB and welcome to AFN. Don't know anything about Bio Biz (I am sure someone ill be along that does) but 1 week seems a bit soon for any nutes. Autos tend to be nute sensitive when just starting. Directions that come with nutes are normally for photos. I would wait another couple of weeks and start at 1/4 strength.

As to watering since you started in the final pot you just want to give some water around the plant but enough so the soil gets moist 6 inches or so down so the tap root can develop. Once the plant gets a good root system you can water the entire pot.

 

[terrorbite1492]

Thanks for the reply mate although I think the tap root will be developed by now I will attach a pic of my plant the only other thing I was among about the nutes is that you normally measure per litre of water so do you just give it that litre with the nutes in and that's it or do you give them litres of water each litre with a fresh measure of nutes in until you see a run off also do you give nutes with every water sorry but this is really confusing me and I will be wounded if I kill my babies lol

Thanks

 

[Muddy]

Light Mix is considered a semi soil less mix and only contains some starter nutrients, which will likely be exhausted by the 2nd or 3rd week, which is why they say to start feeding them then. I would suggest using no more than 1/4 of the recommended strength, slowly increasing it so that you are at 1/2 strength by the time they are about 4 weeks old. As the plant breaks down the nutrients the bi product of that process is salts. If not routinely removed from the soil they can build up and cause problems. That's why you should always give them enough water/feed so that 10-15% runs out the bottom of the pot. That will help to flush the salts from the soil. Some people like to feed with every watering, some like every other watering. Personally I feed every watering. Maintain a soil pH of 6.3 - 6.5 and start adding a calcium/magnesium supplement to your feeds around week 4 or 5. Cal/mag deficiencies are common in soil less mixes, especially when used under LED lights.

 

[blue]

Hi TB

Watering confusion eh!
I've used biobizz lightmix before and watered a few plants so i'll do my best to help.

So you got a little un about a week old. The tap root wont have sunk to the bottom of that pot by now, and you don't want to be putting litres of water through at this stage.

So at this stage, you don't want to water too much. 500ml over the week will be ample (if not too much) - At this stage, I'll be giving my girls half a cup every three days or so.

What to do!?

Measure up 500ml of water and 0.5 ml of grow nutes (guess you got biobizz grow). Give it a bloody good shake/mix. Give the little un half (if the soil in th pot is not saturated and wet.) of the mix.

Throw the other half away - It's just good practice not to have pre mixed nutes laying around (others may say different)

Pick up your pot - feel the weight.
Go back tommorow and pick up the pot - If its "polystyrene" light (it shouldnt be) it needs water. If not, go back tommorow.

give it another week of the 500 ml thing.

When you have a few sets of true leaves - mix up an entire litre with nutes (following whatever guide your following (hopefully an auto guide ^_^)) and then water it slowly until it starts running out of the bottom.

you dont want your pot to sit in this - the reason you want "run off" is to push any salt buildup through. If you let the pot sit in the water it will "wick" the water back up (doh!!) - the solution is to raise your pots on some stilts (use your imagination, i used small squares of wood)

If you didn't get run off - mix up another batch and continue watering until you do.

About 10% run off will be good. (100 - 200mls)

Umm. yeah. After than pick up your pots every day. When they're light light, it's time for watering.

When they get old they may need watering every 1 or 2 days. Only the weight of the pot will tell you,

If you over water, the leaves will look heavy and droop.

If you underwater, the leaves will look limp and droop.

If you're leaves are drooping and the pot is heavy - don't water. Vice versa if the leaves hae drooped and the pot is light - she needs watering.

Hope this clears up the water issue.

(don't forget to PH the water after adding nutes Soil wants 6.2-6.4ph)

All the best
Blue ^_^