Proper usage of Advanced Nutrients with soil.

[SeaLevelGrower]

Okay I am a bit confused and think I may have been using the wrong feeding schedule for Advanced Nutrients with my soil garden. I recently purchased the new pH perfect GROW/MICRO/BLOOM trio and have been following the schedule on the bottle.
After a few plant problems I thought I would double check my nute usage so I googled "advanced nutrients soil feeding schedule" and found a feeding schedule that is much different than what I am using. For instance all three bottles recommend a set amount through all weeks of veg and flower (.54 fl oz/gal).

The soil schedule I found recommends starting week 1 using .13 fl oz of GROW/MICRO and ramps up to .26 fl oz for week 8. BLOOM .02 for week 1 ramping up to .05 for week 8!

Can anyone please share a basic schedule for me using Advanced Nutrients!? or help clarify my confusion?

Thanks

SLG

SeaLevelGrower Reviewed by SeaLevelGrower on 11-07-2010. Proper usage of Advanced Nutrients with soil. Okay I am a bit confused and think I may have been using the wrong feeding schedule for Advanced Nutrients with my soil garden. I recently purchased the new pH perfect GROW/MICRO/BLOOM trio and have been following the schedule on the bottle. After a few plant problems I thought I would double check my nute usage so I googled "advanced nutrients soil feeding schedule" and found a feeding schedule that is much different than what I am using. For instance all three bottles recommend a set Rating: 5

[polishpollack]

Usually with ferts like this one, it's more nitrogen in veg and less in flower. Not sure why anyone would say use the same amount all the time as most manufactuerers say to vary the NPK ratio. Going with the second formula sounds better but I don't use that product so can't say for sure, but it seems right. All depends on what kind of problems you have had and will have in the future. Sometimes you just gotta experiement. I think ideally what a grower does is use a TDS meter, also called a PPM meter. Get ferts to about 1200 ppm with the high nitrogen version for veg, then switch when flowering to a high phosphorus version. I guess fert companies take it for granted everyone will have a meter and know how to use it.

[Rusty Trichome]

The whole idea behind a 3 part system is flexibility.

I'd use the online directions, as some manufacturers label the products as a stand-alone nutrient or additive. Which is strange, because AN is a known cannabis nutrient. They should know better.

But it doesn't surprise me, coming from a company that sells a product for everything that ails you, and they also sell the products that fix the problems that arise from using the first product. Don't fall for their marketing and flashy labels. Most of the products they sell are unnecessary. Some are nothing more than a derivation of a synthetic or organic molasses.

[SeaLevelGrower]

Rusty, I agree with you on all of the un-neccesary products! I am simply using the GROW/MICRO/BLOOM trio and some Bud Candy for bloom. I emailed AN about the feeding schedule and they recommended using the "old" online feeding schedule. I guess i was confused in thinking I had purchased the pH perfect products, apparently they have not been released yet...however, every time I mix a batch of nutes, the pH is always at +/-6.5! Gonna start following the old schedule asap!

Thanks!

SLG

[Farmer Rich]

Hey SeaLevelGrower,

I too use AN products.. and not all of them. First question for you, do you have a combo (ph/ec/ppm) meter? If you don't I recommend you try and pick one up.. I don't believe that pH perfect stuff for a minute.

I tend to mix the AN products at 1/2 the recommended strength; so 2 ml per liter on base nutrients (I use 2 part) and 1 ml per liter on any additives you may use such as Bud Candy, Big Bud or Overdrive.. This normally works out to a ppm of about ~1100, and I deviate off of this dependent on which week, strain, etc.. The highest I ever take it is about 1300 ppm in week 5 of an 8 week cycle.

Considering the menu of products available.. I use the following:

Grow - Sensi A/B - maybe a little B-52 if I do something to stress them, like topping.

Flower - Connoisseur, SensiZyme, Big Bud/Overdrive, Bud Candy.

I grow in soilless mix (pro earth) and like the ph around 6.0.. As far as feeding cycle, from a weekly perspective, I feed M-F as needed, give them a straight water flush each weekend. On a 8 week cycle:
Base/SensiZyme weeks 1-6, BB 2-4, OD 5-6, BC 1-6, start flushing with pH'd water in week 7 to finish.

I'm sure there are many here to point out the evils of AN, but I'm getting great results.. so why fix something that isn't broke.. I can tell you my friend's results with other products pale in comparison..

Peace, Farmer Rich

[Rusty Trichome]

The only thing I personally have against the AN line, is the overhyping of the need for all those products. Were it as good a line as they say it is...then why all the different products to correct deficiencies and boost performance? Why were those components missing in their base products in the first place? Why not add them to the base, and adjust rates and ratios as needed, like most companies?

I guess if you like playing with dilution rates, double-checking charts and mixing various products, (hopefully correctly and for the right remedy) and costing a fortune for this pleasure...I'd much rather keep it simple and cost-effective. Just my opinion though...I have neither heard nor said anything is wrong with their formula's, I just know a softer-easier (and cheaper) way. :thumbsup:
I have a solid 3-part nutrient system and molasses. (and phDown) The pint of molasses lasts 6 months, the quart bottles of nutrients last me a year, the phDown two years. All year for under $75.00, and am in no way shorting myself quality or yield. (barring unforseen incidents, accidents or emergencies)

[SeaLevelGrower]

@FarmerRich: I do have an Oakton pH meter, but it does not test ec/ppm. I always test pH before feeding and use a pH up/down to correct.

@RustyTrichome: I am using the AN trio with Molasses as well...I am also using the BudCandy, but thats it!

I have found the correct feed schedule and plan to follow it, starting out half strength! Thanks for everyones help!

SLG

[Farmer Rich]

Rusty, I do like your numbers! $75 a year is quite a bit less than I've spent.. Also agree with you on the overhype! In fact Big Mike's brazen attitude flying his banner over Seattle hempfest ended up making his products unavailable for a time at many local hydro shops due to reported pressure from the feds. As far as dilutions and all, I can mix up a batch in my sleep for about any stage and can generally hit the desired ppm..

SLG - you're probably doubling up on carbs using both Bud Candy and Molasses..

Good growing all!

Peace, Farmer Rich

[nuglover]

you're probably doubling up on carbs using both Bud Candy and Molasses..

is that bad? im using gravaty and molasses is that doubling the carbs?

[killerm8r]

Okay I am a bit confused and think I may have been using the wrong feeding schedule for Advanced Nutrients with my soil garden. I recently purchased the new pH perfect GROW/MICRO/BLOOM trio and have been following the schedule on the bottle.
After a few plant problems I thought I would double check my nute usage so I googled "advanced nutrients soil feeding schedule" and found a feeding schedule that is much different than what I am using. For instance all three bottles recommend a set amount through all weeks of veg and flower (.54 fl oz/gal).

The soil schedule I found recommends starting week 1 using .13 fl oz of GROW/MICRO and ramps up to .26 fl oz for week 8. BLOOM .02 for week 1 ramping up to .05 for week 8!

Can anyone please share a basic schedule for me using Advanced Nutrients!? or help clarify my confusion?

Thanks

SLG

The closest I've been to growing in soil with AN is that when I drain my hydroponics rez I use the old solution to water my outdoor garden. Obviously this is a different situation than you're in. When I've had questions in the past I've called their tech support line, but I imagine the email is probably answered by the same people.

I guess i was confused in thinking I had purchased the pH perfect products, apparently they have not been released yet...however, every time I mix a batch of nutes, the pH is always at +/-6.5! Gonna start following the old schedule asap!

Easy way to tell the difference: The original formula has three different pictures of plants on the front and the new bottles have a gorilla on them.

First question for you, do you have a combo (ph/ec/ppm) meter? If you don't I recommend you try and pick one up.. I don't believe that pH perfect stuff for a minute.

I just want to point out that the combo meters can be problematic. I prefer to use the Truncheon ec/ppm meter and a separate pH meter (my last one broke and I've been using the paper for awhile with no complaints). The Truncheons don't require any calibration, can be used to stir, are waterproof, and are generally rock solid dependable meters. Plus, if the pH meter breaks you've still got a perfectly good ec/ppm meter.

Like those TV's that have a DVD player built right in. Great idea until the DVD player breaks. Now you have a perfectly good TV with a broken built-in DVD player.

The only thing I personally have against the AN line, is the overhyping of the need for all those products. Were it as good a line as they say it is...then why all the different products to correct deficiencies and boost performance? Why were those components missing in their base products in the first place? Why not add them to the base, and adjust rates and ratios as needed, like most companies?

See, I actually like the way AN does their stuff. It's not that the stuff in their additives are missing from the base nutes, that's just stuff to add in on top of the base nutes if you want to.

The way I see it, they give me the flexibility to only use the particular things I want. I don't have to use some grab-bag multi-tool thing when all I really want is a screwdriver.

There's a limit to how many things you can cram into a given volume of water. If they were to add them to the base, as you suggest, things would start to fall out of solution and build up a layer of crud at the bottom of the bottle. They'd have to add more and more water to dilute it so it would stay dissolved and we'd be paying more and more for them to cover the cost of shipping the extra water.