Schedules by nutrient type

Water & Feed

Always start at ½ the bottle's recommended dose and work up. Your plant tells you more than the chart does: dark clawing leaves = too much, pale lower leaves = too little.

1. 1How to water

   • Water until 10–20% runoff (in coco/salts), then wait until the pot feels light. Lift the pot to learn its weight.
   • Soil: water when the top 2–3 cm is dry — usually every 2–4 days.
   • Coco: water daily or more often once roots fill the pot; coco should never fully dry.
   • Seedlings: small amounts, often. Overwatering is the #1 beginner killer.

2. 2pH targets

   • Soil: 6.2–6.8.
   • Coco & hydro: 5.6–6.2 (let it drift across the range for full nutrient uptake).
   • pH after adding nutrients, never before.

3. 3Salt-based bottles (e.g. General Hydroponics, Advanced Nutrients, Fox Farm)

   • Seedling: EC 0.4–0.8 / ~200–400 ppm.
   • Veg: EC 1.0–1.6 / ~500–800 ppm, grow-formula heavy.
   • Early flower: EC 1.4–1.8, switch to bloom + add Cal-Mag if using RO or coco.
   • Peak flower: EC 1.6–2.2 / ~800–1100 ppm. Taper in the last 1–2 weeks.

4. 4Organic / living soil (dry amendments, teas)

   • Top-dress every 3–4 weeks: veg amendments (higher N) then bloom amendments (higher P/K) at flip.
   • Water with plain dechlorinated water; compost teas weekly optional.
   • Don't chase EC/pH runoff numbers — soil biology buffers it. No flush needed.

5. 5Powders (e.g. Jack's 3-2-1, MegaCrop)

   • Jack's 3-2-1: Part A + calcium nitrate + Epsom salt. ~3.6 g A, 2.4 g CalNit, 1.2 g Epsom per gallon at full strength.
   • MegaCrop: 1–2 g/gal seedling, 3–5 g/gal veg, 5–7 g/gal flower.
   • Same one-feed-all-the-way approach works for autos.

6. 6Autoflower adjustments

   • Feed lighter — about 50–75% of photoperiod strength.
   • Plant in the final pot from day one; transplant stress stunts autos.
   • Expect a 3–5 week veg, so start bloom nutrients once pistils show.