Grow Lab — Nutrient Schedule

Transplanting into Fabric Pots

1

Pre-Moisten the Soil

Dump FoxFarm OF into a large tub. Add water gradually and mix by hand — you want it evenly damp like a wrung-out sponge (squeeze a handful, a few drops come out, it holds shape but breaks apart easily). Don't soak it — waterlogged OF compacts and loses aeration.

Let it sit 15-30 min after mixing so it absorbs evenly. Fill fabric pots with the pre-moistened soil, lightly tamp (don't pack), leave ~1" from the rim.

Why pre-moisten: Dry OF is hydrophobic — if you transplant into dry soil and rely on the wick to wet it from below, water channels up unevenly and leaves dry pockets. Roots hit those dry zones and stall.

2

The Transplant

Water seedlings in their current containers ~1 hour before (moist rootball holds together). Dig a hole in the pre-moistened fabric pot slightly larger than the rootball.

Gently squeeze/tip the seedling out — never pull by the stem. Set it in, backfill lightly, press gently around the base. Top with coco pebbles layer.

3

Post-Transplant Watering

Top-water once after transplant — a gentle soaking from the top to settle soil around roots and establish contact between the rootball and new soil. This one time is critical even with wick-fed.

After that initial soak, switch to wick-only and let the passive system take over.

Wick-Fed Nutrient Delivery

Your reservoir IS your feeding station. Mix nutrients into the reservoir water — the wicks draw nutrient solution up into the soil passively as roots drink.

1

Mixing

Mix nutrient solution in a separate container first (per the schedule above — starts week 4). pH the solution to 6.2-6.5 (slightly acidic end of soil range — wicking tends to concentrate salts as water evaporates through the fabric).

Pour the mixed, pH'd solution into the reservoir that feeds the wicks.

2

Start at Half Strength

When you begin feeding at week 4, use half the listed doses. Wick systems deliver nutrients continuously, unlike hand-watering where you feed then flush. Constant feed means less is more.

Week 4 First Feed Example (per gallon):

1 tbsp Big Bloom 1/4 tsp Grow Big 1/4 tsp CalMag

pH to 6.3, pour into reservoir

3

Reservoir Maintenance

Change reservoir every 5-7 days. Stagnant nutrient water grows algae and bacteria. Don't just top off — dump, rinse, refill with fresh mix.

As water wicks up and evaporates, the remaining reservoir gets more concentrated. Keep it topped up so it doesn't get too strong at the bottom.

4

Salt Buildup & Flushing

Fabric pots help — salts wick to the outside and crust on the fabric (that's a feature). But every 2-3 weeks, do one top-water flush with plain pH'd water to wash accumulated salts down and out.

Watch the coco pebbles — white crust forming means salt buildup. Time for a flush.

5

Nutrient Cycling (Pro Tip)

Keep a second container of plain pH'd water. Alternate: nutrient reservoir for 5 days, then plain water for 2 days. This mimics a natural wet/dry nutrient cycle and prevents buildup.

Product Reference (What Each Does)

Big Bloom 0.01 - 0.01 - 0.7

Gentle organic formula with earthworm castings and bat guano. Provides micronutrients and beneficial microbes. Safe at any stage — won't burn. The foundation of every feed.

Grow Big 6 - 4 - 4

Your nitrogen powerhouse for vegetative growth. Drives leaf and stem development. Ramp up through veg, reduce when you flip to flower. Too much causes dark green, clawing leaves.

Tiger Bloom 2 - 8 - 4

Phosphorus and potassium boost for flowering. Drives bud development and density. Introduced at the flip, ramps up through mid-flower, then tapers for flush.

CalMag Ca + Mg supplement

Calcium and magnesium supplement. LED lights increase CalMag demand. Watch for interveinal yellowing (magnesium) or brown spots on new growth (calcium). Use throughout veg and flower.

Silica Si supplement

Strengthens cell walls, stems, and branches. Improves heat/stress tolerance. Always add silica first to your mix, stir, let pH rise, then add other nutrients and pH down to target.

Recharge Beneficial microbes

Mycorrhizae, trichoderma, and beneficial bacteria. Colonizes the root zone and improves nutrient uptake. Use 1x per week only, don't mix with other nutrients — apply separately.

Mixing Order & pH Guide

1

Silica first — add to water, stir well. pH will rise (this is normal).

2

CalMag — add next, stir.

3

Base nutrients — Big Bloom, then Grow Big or Tiger Bloom. Stir between each.

4

pH adjust — target 6.2-6.5 for wick-fed soil. Use pH down (usually needed after silica).

5

Let it sit 15 min — recheck pH before pouring into reservoir. It can drift.

Recharge goes alone. Mix in plain pH'd water on a separate day. Don't combine with the nutrient mix — the salts can harm the beneficial microbes.

Soil pH Sweet Spot

5.5

6.0

6.2

6.5

7.0

7.5

Target 6.2-6.5 for wick-fed • Acceptable 6.0-7.0 for soil

Quick Reference Notes

All doses are per gallon of water
Big Bloom is gentle (0.01-0.01-0.7) — safe throughout grow
Grow Big (6-4-4) is your nitrogen source for veg — reduce at flip
Tiger Bloom (2-8-4) is your P/K boost for flower
CalMag: use if you see yellowing between veins (especially under LED)
Silica: strengthens stems/cell walls — add first, pH up, then other nutes
Recharge: beneficial microbes — use 1x/week, don't mix with other nutes
Always pH your final solution to 6.0-7.0 for soil
Watch for tip burn — first sign of overfeeding, back off 25%
FoxFarm OF is pre-amended for ~4-5 weeks — no feeding needed until then
Wick systems deliver continuously — start at half strength and increase slowly
Flush every 2-3 weeks with plain pH'd water to prevent salt buildup