Growing Veganically (Organic and Vegan)

Veganic is a still of growing, such as organic or non-organic. With the veganic growing method, only organic and Vegan materials are used.

Veganics is all about the soil. It needs to be supercharged with a wide array of beneficial microbes and fungi. This is the only way to make sure that everything you add is and stays 100% bio-available. Thus providing suitable nutrition from extremely low NPK. While also keeping plants respiring at full capacity by constantly devouring old dead root mass and keeping nutrients available through the entire acceptable pH range. That’s 5.5-7.0, rather than constantly adjusting nutrient solutions to keep it in the sweet spot. Adjustment of pH is virtually unnecessary when using veganic nutrients in a veganic medium.

Before the middle of the flowering cycle I like to do a few weeks of slight pH adjustment of my nutrient solution. When I add full strength of all my nutes, humic acid, and enzymes my pH can sometimes be as low as 4.8. After so many maladjusted waterings, the pH of the medium may be dipping close to 5.5, the low end of the acceptable range. A small adjustment to 5.5-6.5 for a few weeks during heaviest feedings will make sure you don’t drop below 5.5, the only thing that should concern you about pH.

If you want to be able to manipulate and read pH like a professional then there’s a tool for that. The IQ150 pH meter from Specmeters.com comes equipped with a meat thermometer style probe. Simply insert the probe into the root zone and know for certain what affect your adjustments are having. It gives extremely accurate pH and temperature readings in both soils and liquids.

A little humic acid to facilitate nutrient uptake. A few doses of Mineral Magic Micro nutes and maybe some cal-mag in high yield situations. Don’t forget an enzyme like hygrozyme or prozyme. Brew some microbe tea and you’re growing veganically.

The Bio Terra Plus soil from Canna had been my first and only choice for a bagged soil without perlite. After running a side-by-side comparison there is another choice. Coco-Not (cuz it’s NOT coco) from Vermicrop Organics is made in the US from a waste product. Redwood bark and one other, the Kuki fruit tree. It seems to buffer pH and nutrients nearly as well as the Canna, and at almost half the price.

There are however two drawbacks. You will see terrible yellowing if young clones or plants are transplanted into Coco-Not. I think maybe the tannin level, along with high nitrogen will burn young plants. However, one month old plants love it! The second is absorption. I like to fill pots right from the bag and you can, but it will take a few waterings to for Coco-Not to fully absorb. Double up on the coco-wet, wet betty, or any surfactant for the first few waterings. Or saturate the media before planting.