Month: October 2022

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Why Testing the pH of Your Runoff Can Save Your Crop

If you’ve recently noticed some leaf discoloration, mutation, or poor growth, it’s quite likely an inadequate pH range is the culprit behind these issues. pH is among the most important factors in the garden. But to understand it, we must first look at the basic biological functions of plants. In total, there are 16 essential elements that plants can absorb. These elements are divided into categories that contain nutrients that aim to support specific biological functions. However, to properly uptake these elements, plants must be fed within an adequate pH range. If you’re interested in learning more about the importance of testing your run-off, read the passages below. 

What is pH?

Potential Hydrogen (pH) is a unit of measurement that describes the acidity or alkalinity of any given substance on a scale of 0-14, with 7 being neutral. In the field of gardening, however, pH is the main factor that dictates the uptake of nutrients in the root zone. Depending on the pH of your nutrient solution, your plants may uptake more or less of a specific element. 

pH is the main factor that dictates the uptake of nutrients in the root zone.

The pH Scale and Nutrient Uptake

For plants to remain healthy and happy, they must be fed within an ideal pH range. For most plants in peat moss or soil-based systems, this pH range falls anywhere between 6.0 – 6.5. This scale can be thought of as the “sweet spot” for nutrient uptake. At this level, plants can uptake essential macro elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, while also having access to important micronutrients that help ward off common deficiencies and lead to the faster and healthier development of new growth. 

This scale can be thought of as the “sweet spot” for nutrient uptake.

Buffering Your Nutrient Solution

To maximize the rate at which your plant uptakes available nutrients, attempt to buffer your nutrient solution in the ideal range before irrigating your crop. Most fertilizers (but not all) will hold an acidic pH value, meaning the ingredients incorporated within the fertilizer will lower the pH of water (pH 7.0) once mixed at the recommended rate. So, after mixing your nutrients, test the pH of your solution, and if necessary, buffer your fertilizer into the appropriate range (pH 6.0-6.5). Use pH Up to raise the pH value of your solution, and pH Down to lower it. 

Tip: Dilute small amounts of pH Up or pH Down with water before adding it to your nutrient solution. This will help the solution adjust and decrease the chance of aggressive swings in pH value.

Issues with pH

A variety of issues can arise if plants are not fed at an adequate pH range. For example, if plants are fed at a highly acidic rate, they will be unable to uptake and absorb valuable nutrients. This can lead to medium acidification, nutrient lockout, deficiencies, and the buildup of salts. If you’ve noticed worrisome growth patterns, it’s quite likely your plants are experiencing one or more of these issues. Follow the steps below to test the pH of your run-off and remedy the problem. 

Plants fed at a highly acidic rate will be unable to uptake and absorb valuable nutrients.

How to Test Your Run-Off

To test the pH of your plant’s run-off, start by collecting a sample. Begin by watering your plants with plain, neutral water (with a pH of 7.0) until roughly 20% of the water runs out of the bottom of your container. Then, collect the run-off into a container and test the sample. Ideal pH ranges for run-off should be between 6.0 – 6.5 in soil/soilless mixes like peat moss. However, any pH close to this range will be acceptable. If you test your solution and the pH deviates more than 1.0 from the ideal range, it’s clear that your plants are outside acceptable ranges of nutrient uptake. Remember, plain water acts like a solvent that rinses and neutralizes excess acidity. So, any number you receive from your run-off test is likely higher than the real pH value. 

Ideal pH ranges for run-off should be between 6.0 – 6.5 in soil/soilless mixes like peat moss.

How to Remedy pH Imbalances 

For any pH value under 5.5, consider feeding your crop at higher pH levels, or, buffer your medium with pH neutralizing compounds like calcium carbonate, dolomite lime, or oyster shell flour. After amending your medium with a neutralizing agent, the pH of your root zone should become stable over the next few irrigation cycles. As you water your plants, the pH neutral properties of either lime or oyster shell flour will slowly dissolve into the soil, thus raising the pH gradually over time. Resume your regular feeding schedule at a reduced rate and continue to re-test the pH of your run-off. When stable, your plants will be able to absorb all the essential nutrients offered to them. Soon, new, healthier growth patterns will emerge, and nutrient deficiencies will no longer plague the development of your crop. 

Feed your crop at higher pH levels, or, buffer your medium with pH neutralizing compounds.

Whatever your style of garden, chances are, GreenPlanet Nutrients has the perfect base nutrient program. To access the programs available at GreenPlanet Nutrients, contact a member of the GreenPlanet sales team, or your local garden supply store for product information and purchasing inquiries. 

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What’s the Difference Between Dry and Liquid Fertilizer?

Unfortunately, not all fertilizers are created equal. That’s not to say that one product or feed program won’t perform as advertised, but as we’ve learned from experience, there are a mountain of factors that go into producing a bountiful harvest: plant genetics, environmental controls and growing systems usually trump the list of important inputs — fertilizer, on the other hand, whether that be liquid nutrients or dry fertilizers, are usually the last factor to blame for a less than success crop. However, we can’t discount the importance of quality inputs. That’s why choosing a fertilizer that’s right for you and your garden remains extremely relevant.

But how do we choose the right fertilizer? This, undoubtedly, is a challenging question to answer. It’s true — if you don’t know what you’re looking for, a wall-to-wall selection of plant food can be overwhelming. But have no fear, we’re here to help. Below, we’ll look at the difference between two popular choices of fertilizer: dry and liquid.

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DRY FERTILIZER
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LIQUID FERTILIZER

Things to Consider Before Choosing Dry or Liquid Fertilizer:

Before we look at the advantages of either dry or liquid fertilizer, it’s necessary to ask yourself a few questions. But even more important, ask yourself about your goals. Why? Well, your individual goals will drive the outcome of your crop. We know, it sounds strange. But consider this: if you’re a lazy gardener (take no offense, we exist), you’ll probably lean towards a nutrient system that requires little to no effort. However, if you’re the type of person who wants to manage every control in the garden, then there are more complex programs as well. Overall, before you commit to a specific nutrient system, consider the questions below: 

3 Questions to Ask Yourself

1. Do I want to grow organic crops?

If the answer is yes, consider selecting only organic fertilizer. This will narrow down your options for nutrient programs, but that only makes choosing easier! Check out Medi-One

2. What kind of system will I be using?

In other words, how will you be growing your plants? Hydroponically? In soil? In coconut fiber? Indoors, or outdoors? All good questions to consider, as your growing method will dictate the appropriate fertilizer, again, narrowing the field of available choices.

3. How much experience do I have?

Just like someone told you when you were young, “learn to walk before you run”. Annoying, yes, but sound advice. There’s no shame in being inexperienced. But if you are new, it’s important to question your experience with plant food. Some fertilizers are more complicated than others. So, consider choosing something easy-to-use with simple instructions.

What’s the Difference Between Dry and Liquid Fertilizer?

First things first: it’s not that one is better than the other. There are, however, differences; the most obvious being that dry fertilizers are made of powder, or granular minerals, and liquid nutrients are concentrates formulated from minerals or organic material dissolved in water. This difference dictates how the fertilizer will be used.

For example, liquid fertilizer will be measured and mixed with water before being fed to plants, while dry, granular products like BackCountry Blend will be broadcast on top of the medium and will slowly dissolve into the rootzone. Some dry fertilizers, however, like Bud Booster, will follow the same mixing and measuring protocol as liquid fertilizers, so be sure to consult the instructions thoroughly.

In short, the biggest difference between dry and liquid fertilizers are the advantages growers can expect from using one or the other. We’ve created a list below of the advantages of using either dry or liquid fertilizer in the garden:

Advantages of Dry Fertilizer:

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DRY FERTILIZER
  • Cost Effective — Dry fertilizers are famously affordable. If you’re on a budget, this advantage might be the deciding factor. Read, “Our Affordable Fertilizer Solution for Outdoor Growing”.
  • Easy-to-Use — Simple and straightforward, dry fertilizers are great for new, inexperienced growers, or ‘lazy’, easy-going gardeners.
  • Simple to Store — Dry fertilizers are compact and easy to store. They’re also hyperconcentrated, so a little goes a long way.
  • Scalable — Coming in at a low-cost, easy-to-use and simple to store, dry and granular fertilizers are great tools for commercial gardeners.

Among all the variables which determine a successful growing season, access to quality nutrients is perhaps the most important. Any experienced grower can tell the difference between an outdoor crop well sown in rich nutrients, and one grown in a medium that leaves the plant wanting for more.

Advantages of Liquid Fertilizers:

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LIQUID FERTILIZER
  • Intricate Formulas — Liquid fertilizers are formulated with interesting and unique ingredients. Take GreenPlanet’s Massive as an example. You’d be hard pressed to find a similar fertilizer in powder form.
  • Specific Uses — Liquid feed programs often include products that have specific uses, like root expansion, micronutrient enrichment and stalk hardening; this, arguably gives the grower more control in the garden. 
  • Preciseness — Sure, liquid nutrients might be more time consuming, but using them correctly will prevent unwanted issues like overfeeding or nutrient deficiencies.
  • Quality Outcomes  — Serious growers, those who value quality above all else, tend to rely more heavily on liquid nutrients.

So, there are differences between dry and liquid fertilizers, but it’s not that simple — it all depends on how you want your garden to perform. Want to learn more about our fertilizer? Contact a member of the GreenPlanet sales team, or your local garden supply store for product information and purchasing inquiries. What feed program is right for you? Answering this question depends on a few simple, yet important considerations, including gardening practices, previous experience, and cultivation system of choice. 

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Understanding the Feed Program: 2 Part Backcountry Blend Outdoor Feed program

Perhaps the simplest, yet most effective fertilizer on the market, the BackCountry Blend (BCB) feed program provides steady nutrition throughout periods of vegetative, flowering and ripening growth, all while being one of the most affordable nutrient systems available to growers today. Originally formulated for the outdoor and greenhouse garden, BCB has quickly become a favorite for new and experienced growers in a variety of systems with specialized growing practices and routines.

This isn’t our first in-depth look at BackCountry Blend – we’ve been covering the potential of BCB for years. Coming in three parts, Grow, Bloom and Boost, the BCB feed program is a granular, slow-release fertilizer that works for gardens of all sizes and for growers of any personality. From large, easy-going outdoor gardens, to small, meticulous indoor shows, BCB delivers the results you expect from GreenPlanet Nutrients – all at a fraction of the price. Below, we’ll take a deeper look at the parts of the BackCountry Blend, and learn everything you need to know about using the feed program

GreenPlanet Nutirents Backcountry Blend: Grow, Bloom, and Boost

What is a Feed Program? 

A feed program is a schedule of plant nutrition that can be mapped in terms of fertilizer dosage, ratio, supplementation, and use over time. A liquid feed program, for example, usually contains several bottles and ranges in supplements including a base nutrient fertilizer, a vitamin supplement, a bloom booster, a source of carbohydrates, and a trichome enhancer. Granular or powder feed programs, being formulated with simplicity in mind, typically have half as many parts.

By combining growing, blooming, and quality-enhancing inputs into a feed program, growers can expect to produce heavy flowers and large, tasty fruits, harvest after harvest. To browse a complete list of feed programs available at GreenPlanet Nutrients, click here. Or, read the blog below for more information on the BackCountry Blend feed program.

GreenPlanet’s Backcountry Blend (BCB) Feed Program

GreenPlanet’s BackCountry Blend feed program is a dry, granular, slow-release nutrient system. This means that unlike GreenPlanet’s liquid fertilizers, which are concentrated solutions that are measured and mixed with water before irrigation, BCB is applied directly to the top layer of soil or soilless mix. After amending BackCountry Blend, and during every irrigation cycle, BCB Grow, Bloom or Boost will slowly release a timed, but well-rounded blend of nutrients into the root zone.

That’s what makes BackCountry Blend so simple – just add the appropriate amount of granular fertilizer to your containers or garden beds and water thoroughly. With the time saved using BackCountry Blend, growers can focus on what matters most in the garden – the plants.

The Backcountry Blend Feed Program Contains:

Base Nutrients

Additive Nutrients

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Parts of the Backcountry Blend Feed Program:

Backcountry Blend Grow contains a carefully selected blend of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) that are measured specifically for the vegetative stage. With an N-P-K ratio of 16-10-8, BCB Grow is an aggressive vegetative formula with high nitrogen and calcium content that promotes general health, excessive spurts of vertical growth and the production of broad, green leaves and foliage. 

Backcountry Blend Bloom: Base Nutrient

BackCountry Blend Bloom contains a full spectrum of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) that are measured specifically for the flowering stage. The Bloom formula of BCB includes higher levels of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) that plants require during the flowering stage. Phosphorus plays a key role in essential functions of the plant such as photosynthesis, transfer of energy, and nutrient movement through the plant. Potassium aids in the conversion of phosphorus into energy your plants can use and strengthens cell walls to support larger yields. 

Backcountry Blend Boost: Additive Nutrient

BackCountry Blend Boost is designed to be used in conjunction with BackCountry Blend Bloom during the flowering stage. Boost provides your outdoor plants with an extra dose of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca), as well as the addition of humic acid. Phosphorus and potassium are vital elements that aid in the development of flowers and the movement of nutrients through the plant. Calcium plays a major role in cell wall composition and also helps maintain chemical balances in the soil. And humic acids, as one of the most treasured, natural sources of nutrients, acts as catalyst for nutrient uptake, making hard-to-transport elements readily available. These added benefits improve overall yields, floral development, color, aroma and hardening in late flower. 

Using the Feed Program 

Like a recipe, growers that use feed programs will have the best results when the proper protocol is followed. Luckily, GreenPlanet Nutrients’ makes it easy for growers to follow the progress of their crop, week-by-week, simply by having access to one of five feed charts, and/or an online nutrient calculator. While using the BCB feed program, follow the weekly progress of your plants by referring to the GreenPlanet’s nutrient calculator, or, download the BCB feed chart below.

Features and Considerations  

Here are some features to consider about the BackCountry Blend feed program. First, GreenPlanet only recommends certain products and supplements for specific stages of plant growth. For example, the feeding program is split into two stages:  vegetative and flowering growth. In these different stages, only certain supplements are recommended for use. For example, BCB Grow is scheduled for the vegetative stage of growth, while BCB Bloom and Boost are charted for the flowering stage.

Our feed charts are split into two stages: vegetative and flowering.

Also, as a slow-release fertilizer, BCB is only recommended to be amended to your soil/soilless mix every 3-5 weeks. So, refer to the feed chart, measure, broadcast either Grow, Bloom or Boost over your medium, water as needed and wait; soon your plants will be bursting from their pots, broad-leaved and soaking up every available ray of light.

One final consideration: the GreenPlanet feed chart recommends feeding plants 0.5-1 tsp of BCB Grow, Bloom or Boost per vertical foot of plant material. But be conservative at first – a little bit of BackCountry Blend can go a long way, especially in warmer climates where gardeners will frequently water their crop.

It is important to note the various differences in climate that can change the way Backcountry Blend works in your garden.

5 Tips on Using Backcountry Blend 

There is no better program for the outdoor or greenhouse garden – the financial savings alone are enough to make every committed gardener switch to BackCountry Blend. Even though BCB is extremely easy-to-use, we’ve compiled a list below of simple, but important tips:

1. Keep your soil moist

Keep your soil moist at all times. Over-drying your medium while using BackCountry Blend may lead to minor leaf burns, although this is rare.

2. Top dress and work in

Top dress your plants and gently work BackCountry Blend into the top layer of the soil. 

3. Be precise

— If using irrigation or self-watering tools, amend the granular beads close to drip emitters and make sure contact with water is made.

4. Be conservative

Depending on the dietary requirements of your crop, your plants may require more or less BCB. Start small and gradually increase your dose overtime.

5. Use measuring tools

Depending on the dietary requirements of your crop, your plants may require more or less BCB. Start small and gradually increaseAvoid “free-handing” BackCountry Blend. Use measuring tools for the most accurate amendment.your dose overtime.

Want to learn more about BackCountry Blend? Contact a member of the GreenPlanet sales team, or your local garden supply store for product information and purchasing inquiries. Or, read more of our blogs on BackCountry Blend.

For all other inquiries, contact a member of the GreenPlanet sales team, or your local garden supply store for product information and purchasing inquiries. 

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