Are additives necessary?

[ThaliaGreen]

Hello again,

I was looking at the feeding chart that's on the website for the brand of nutrients I'm currently using, and apart from the base nutrients, they also recommend an additional six bottles of additives to go along with them.

I could probably afford to buy a nuclear powered submarine for the same price of all those additives, so I'm just wondering if people think they're necessary, or even useful, or if it's just the company trying to sell extra stuff for more dollars.

 

[Pikey]

Short answer is no. Once you have everything else perfect, then there may be some small gains to be had using all the addatives, but mostly just losses from your wallet/purse.

 

[Aye Shroomer]

What nutes do you use again?

 

[ThaliaGreen]

What nutes do you use again?

At the moment I'm using the Hy-Gen two part hydro nutrients.

I've never heard of anyone else using them, but they were recommended to me by the guy at the hydro shop I went to, and he was very clearly stoned when I was talking to him, so I assumed he knew what he was talking about.

 

[Aye Shroomer]

I think others on here have mentioned using them before. I haven’t so I can’t speck for the additives.

I bought the greenplanet kits that had A & B plus two extra products. Together with cal pro I used five bottles. But they produced solid buds so I was happy with that.

But now I’m using HPO products. Premixed living soils with amendments that you use either as foliar spray or root drench.

But you can do this hobby as simple or as complex as you like. A simple A&B product will grow fine plants.

I’ve come around to the idea of using these products to prevent issues before they arise more so than trying to fix them if they develop.

 

[Porky]

At the moment I'm using the Hy-Gen two part hydro nutrients.

I've never heard of anyone else using them, but they were recommended to me by the guy at the hydro shop I went to, and he was very clearly stoned when I was talking to him, so I assumed he knew what he was talking about.

Getting stoned is a lot easier than growing!!

 

[Sedge]

Don’t forget they will often steer you to the products that have the highest profit margin for the shop..

I have not heard bad reports of hy-gen nutes ..the only additive worth your while to get is their PK top up.

their Budlink will give you nice healthy looking leaves but not a necessary product to have

 

[Billygoat]

Yep. Just add PK.

Ya plant is on point. Gonna be a nice harvest if the light doesn’t catch on fire

 

[ThaliaGreen]

Ya plant is on point. Gonna be a nice harvest if the light doesn’t catch on fire

Oh wow, hit me right in the anxiety.

It's only at 75% and the driver is hot to the touch, I'm terrified of turning it up to 100.

 

[Billygoat]

It’s gonna be a very low percentage.

Crank it.

 

[Billygoat]

Plant will love it.

 

[Hudo]

Over the years I've tried many different brands and I find people will swear by the brand they had the most success with. Most of the time it's the brand they were using when they finally dialled in there grow techniques and from then on sticking to that particular brand and swearing by it. Like the other guys said Pk is about all you need but I'd just be running base nutes untill you get the hang of things. Base nutes have everything in them to get you there and untill your dialled in additives will prob hinder results untill your grow style is established.

 

[itchybro]

Over the years I've tried many different brands and I find people will swear by the brand they had the most success with. Most of the time it's the brand they were using when they finally dialled in there grow techniques and from then on sticking to that particular brand and swearing by it. Like the other guys said Pk is about all you need but I'd just be running base nutes untill you get the hang of things. Base nutes have everything in them to get you there and untill your dialled in additives will prob hinder results untill your grow style is established.

to add to @Hudo
by not buying any addives you will also have a grow base , to then be able to evaluate any other additive for any benefit it offers , or Not ! , it's worth vs it's worthlessness in any branded product

 

[Hudo]

to add to @Hudo
by not buying any addives you will also have a grow base , to then be able to evaluate any other additive for any benefit it offers , or Not ! , it's worth vs it's worthlessness in any branded product

Good point you then have your control grow to make comparisons to good and bad when you start messing with additives

 

[thefullspectrum]

i been using hy-gen up until I got the cheaper powder shit Im now using.

First grow I had a few problems as I used all the additives from the starter pack. Unnecessary really.

They veg fine with std A&B.

I still use the Hy gen budlink (silica) from start to finish even with the different brand nutes Thickens up the branches I reckon. But is it an additive? I use it like a part C with Veg and flower nutes.

Some PK boost and Sea essentials from mid flower are the only 'additives' I'd use now.

 

[Indy]

I'm a RDWC grower, and i primarily just go base nutes and pk 13/14 when required during flowering. But i do keep some silica and cal/mag onboard these days.

 

[Hudo]

I'm a RDWC grower, and i primarily just go base nutes and pk 13/14 when required during flowering. But i do keep some silica and cal/mag onboard these days.

I love RDWC but because I need to get babysitters often they always fuck it up lol base with PK 13 14 is all I use for RDWC

 

[GlennT_59]

Oh wow, hit me right in the anxiety.

It's only at 75% and the driver is hot to the touch, I'm terrified of turning it up to 100.

I'm in the same boat as you Thalia, I've got the same brand as you I bought in a kit.....I've got mine turned up to 80%, although I must admit it doesn't seem to get extremely hot. Plus its out in the garge in case it explodes I did check over all the connections and wiring prior to using it after seeing Billy's warning the day after I bought it lol

 

[Kerba]

Cannabis only need the 12 base nutrients, like all other plants.
90% of what's advertised in the cannabis industry is a hoax.

So any quality fertilizer with all 12 with the approximate ratio will suffice. Don't get too hung up on it.

Look into Peter's Excel nutrients, does all what is needed at ¢/litre in both veg and bloom formulations. One 15kg bag is at least 15k litres of nutrients.



As per Dr Bruce Bugbee who recommends Peters Excel or Jacks:

To your substrate if not rockwool, add 40g ft³ of dolomite lime for calcium & magnesium and 10g ft³ of gypsum for sulphur. Up to 50% vermiculite for silica and it's other good growth properties.

600ppm all day long and you've got a winner.

 

[ThaliaGreen]

I'm in the same boat as you Thalia, I've got the same brand as you I bought in a kit.....I've got mine turned up to 80%, although I must admit it doesn't seem to get extremely hot. Plus its out in the garge in case it explodes I did check over all the connections and wiring prior to using it after seeing Billy's warning the day after I bought it lol

Ah I got a kit too.

I don’t know how hot is normal. I can hold my hand on it without it hurting, but it’s still quite hot.

I checked the wiring too, but all I was able to determine was that yes, they are indeed wires.