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NPK ratio?
- Thread starter Josh
- Start date
Misleading, misnomer, whatever. It's what is understood and recognized.lek said:
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It would be great if there weren't 7 billion people in the world, and we were all simple agrarians, growing only what we needed, and not pursuing foolish things that don't really matter. But it isn't. For everyone who really wants to know the nuts and bolts of growing shit, then you and I and anyone else who wants to take the time, can show them. For everyone else who is a little less idealistic, it can still be done.
Try to pay attention, and not get lost...Powelly said:
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It's not about me recommending one over the other. People decide for themselves what method of growing they want to use. I can give a recommendation that fits either style of growing. (as opposed to fighting the world on an issue that's never going to be won)
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On second thought, let me rephrase this, so that you won't try to get clever, and talk this into an endless loop. I'd recommend the CNS17 Grow over the fish emulsion, when somebody wanted to grow conventionally. I'd recommend the fish emulsion over the CNS17 Grow, when someone wanted to grow organically. I'd give both as options when the grower was undecided. (as I have done)
Please do that.Powelly said:
When you are using CNS17 Grow, and not fish emulsion - for whatever reason - then yes, it very much is.Powelly said:
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Sorry, I don't play that game, where you repeat the question as many times, or as forcefully as you have to, until I give you the answer that you want.
FWIW, I'm not convinced that N
:K ratios mean much. So long as there is 'enough' of the big three, and all the micro-nutes and minerals, your plant will generally do fine. Just avoid overdosing with one nute or mineral to the point that it blocks uptake of another.
During my first year I fiddle-farted with assorted chemical ferts, with mediocre results. I'm sure these can be used with great results, but I never managed to keep the plants in the 'happy zone' for long before my container soil started to load up on salt and calcium, or got flushed to oblivion by the monsoonal rain. IMO, 'organic' or whatever you want to call it, seems much more tolerant of difficult conditions. Just schlep some on and water it in, without fretting that you're about to murder your plants.
Fish soup works well enough, but I think there is a danger of salt buildup. I've stunted about half my plants this season. Most are now growing well in fresh soil, but ... "lesson learned."
I'm REAL happy with the bat poop I can scrounge from beneath the local bridges. It seems to be damn-near a "universal" fert that contains all the goodies plants need. Look for poop from the SW - mexico, Tex, Az, etc. These are generally the "Mexican Free-Tailed" insectivorous varmints that produce a basic 5(and up) - 2(and up) - 1 guano.
This guy on Fleabay sells it for a respectable price. http://www.ebay.com/usr/frijon4?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
(Not an endorsement, just offering a potential source.)
My overwintered peppers started getting bat poop a few weeks ago and they have just about exploded. (This does coincide with the arrival or 60+ nights, so some of this is seasonal.) All are cranking out pods like mad, so I'm not at all convinced that you need to fiddle with the NPK ratios to stimulate flowering. Just feed them and get them growing, and the pods will take care of themselves.
:K ratios mean much. So long as there is 'enough' of the big three, and all the micro-nutes and minerals, your plant will generally do fine. Just avoid overdosing with one nute or mineral to the point that it blocks uptake of another.During my first year I fiddle-farted with assorted chemical ferts, with mediocre results. I'm sure these can be used with great results, but I never managed to keep the plants in the 'happy zone' for long before my container soil started to load up on salt and calcium, or got flushed to oblivion by the monsoonal rain. IMO, 'organic' or whatever you want to call it, seems much more tolerant of difficult conditions. Just schlep some on and water it in, without fretting that you're about to murder your plants.
Fish soup works well enough, but I think there is a danger of salt buildup. I've stunted about half my plants this season. Most are now growing well in fresh soil, but ... "lesson learned."
I'm REAL happy with the bat poop I can scrounge from beneath the local bridges. It seems to be damn-near a "universal" fert that contains all the goodies plants need. Look for poop from the SW - mexico, Tex, Az, etc. These are generally the "Mexican Free-Tailed" insectivorous varmints that produce a basic 5(and up) - 2(and up) - 1 guano.
This guy on Fleabay sells it for a respectable price. http://www.ebay.com/usr/frijon4?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
(Not an endorsement, just offering a potential source.)
My overwintered peppers started getting bat poop a few weeks ago and they have just about exploded. (This does coincide with the arrival or 60+ nights, so some of this is seasonal.) All are cranking out pods like mad, so I'm not at all convinced that you need to fiddle with the NPK ratios to stimulate flowering. Just feed them and get them growing, and the pods will take care of themselves.
Geonerd said:FWIW, I'm not convinced that N
During my first year I fiddle-farted with assorted chemical ferts, with mediocre results. I'm sure these can be used with great results, but I never managed to keep the plants in the 'happy zone' for long before my container soil started to load up on salt and calcium, or got flushed to oblivion by the monsoonal rain. IMO, 'organic' or whatever you want to call it, seems much more tolerant of difficult conditions. Just schlep some on and water it in, without fretting that you're about to murder your plants.
Fish soup works well enough, but I think there is a danger of salt buildup. I've stunted about half my plants this season. Most are now growing well in fresh soil, but ... "lesson learned."
I'm REAL happy with the bat poop I can scrounge from beneath the local bridges. It seems to be damn-near a "universal" fert that contains all the goodies plants need. Look for poop from the SW - mexico, Tex, Az, etc. These are generally the "Mexican Free-Tailed" insectivorous varmints that produce a basic 5(and up) - 2(and up) - 1 guano.
This guy on Fleabay sells it for a respectable price. http://www.ebay.com/usr/frijon4?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
(Not an endorsement, just offering a potential source.)
My overwintered peppers started getting bat poop a few weeks ago and they have just about exploded. (This does coincide with the arrival or 60+ nights, so some of this is seasonal.) All are cranking out pods like mad, so I'm not at all convinced that you need to fiddle with the NPK ratios to stimulate flowering. Just feed them and get them growing, and the pods will take care of themselves.
Hi Geonerd,
I've been reading a lot lately about rock dusts and their importance in organic gardening
If you define organic gardening as "mineralization" then things start to make a lot more sense. Mineralization is the act of something organic being turned into it's elemental or mineral form
Rock dusts provide all the elements required. However they also allow microbes to attach themselves to something physical. These microbes feed by releasing enzymes which break down organic matter and then when these microbes are eaten or die the minerals that they consume are released to the soil and the plants can consume them
So when you think of organic gardening as mineralization, rock dusts increase enzyme levels in the soil massively, perhaps moreso than anything else. And more enzymes = more nutrient turnover = more nutrients available to plants
Just a thought I had today- pretty sure some parts of this are incorrect and can be expanded on by others but the general concept is true I'm sure. The NPK of rock dusts, guano, kelp etc are all pretty small but they all do something special in terms of increasing enzyme levels in the soil massively that really helps the plants