Sometimes mistakes turn out to be blessings

Further to my episode with HyOx, I forgot to mention that when you reintroduce Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice, it is a good idea to do it at half the recommended strength. It seems that these three microbial root colonizers should be used at half-strength in a hydroponic setting, especially when used in conjunction with Carbo Load Liquid or Powder.

The carbohydrates in the latter product energize and increase the size of the microorganism colonies to such an extent in water, that they tend to overgrow and turn the roots into mush covered in brown slime. I was spared this experience, since I used the HyOx for a short time, which killed off half the colonizing microbes.

In fact, for those growers who find themselves in a similar situation with these products, the correct remedy is to flush their hydroponic systems with a mild solution of HyOx and then reintroduce the Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice at half the strength. With some crops, especially sensitive vegetables, the Piranha and Tarantula are too aggressive, and only the Voodoo Juice should be reintroduced.

Oddly enough, this problem does not exist if you’re growing in soil. This is why I was not aware of it before I switched to my hydroponic system. The general rule with hydroponics, according to the technical expert at Advanced Nutrients, is that synthetics work better than organics, since the larger parts per million of organic nutrients and additives tend to clog up hydro grows.

When asked what products I should use to increase the size of my flowers and accelerate their growth, he said that Colossal Bud Blast was safe to use as a foliar spray, even though it contains organic chelators and transfectants. It gets absorbed by the plants and won’t clog up by hydro system.

The Advanced Nutrients tech guy also warned me not to use Bud Blood, Big Bud, and Overdrive at the same time, because doing so would burn my plants to a crisp. They are meant to be used in succession, with Bud Blood during the first week of flowering, Big Bud during weeks two, three, and four, and Overdrive during the fifth and sixth week. During the final two weeks you should not use any accelerant. I was told to flush my system at this time with pure water, a step especially important for edibles.

I told him that the entries for these products on Advancedepedia could be misread by growers, since they emphasize that these products should be used together. He promised to look into it but reiterated that using them together at the same time would be calamitous since they each contain high levels of fertilizing chemicals that could irreversibly damage your plants.

The rule of thumb is to use one base nutrient and one bloom enhancer at a time. The more time I spend with my carnations, the more I learn about what their needs are. They are very sensitive to what I feed them and it’s my responsibility to give them only nutrients and additives that help them grow into beautiful, ornamental cut flowers.