Bloom and Bud enhancers. Are they worth it?

Maristuff
Maristuffstarted grow question 6h ago
I was watching a you tube ( Scotty Real) and he claims that bud enhancers like Big Bud and Overdrive are not only useless but can be detrimental to your late flowers any thoughts on the subject of late bloom high PK products? Should I or shouldn't I ?😳
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Week 17
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Ultraviolet_
Ultraviolet_answered grow question 15h ago
Tough one to explain, as it depends entirely on how the nutrients are delivered, which affects the way in which the signals is triggered that initiate the response. I'll try to the best of my knowledge, explain one tidbit at a time. Nutrient recycling acts as the vital execution mechanism for autophagy, which defines senescence. Natural senescence is a genetically programmed developmental stage aimed at nutrient recycling, whereas triggered autophagy is a rapid survival response activated by environmental stress. While both processes utilize the vacuole to break down cellular material, their triggers, selectivity, and overall goals are entirely different. Cannabis plant senescence is not separate from nutrient recycling protocols; rather, nutrient recycling is the primary physiological purpose of senescence, and autophagy serves as the core switch mechanism executing both processes. A plant is either genetically expressing "growing" or "recycling" genes based on its nutrient starvation level in the medium. Constantly toggling between "growing" and "recycling" hormonal states creates a futile cycle that wastes valuable metabolic energy. Plants rely on sophisticated biochemical switches to manage this trade-off and prevent rapid fluctuations that disrupt that balance. Under "nutrient-rich" medium conditions, TOR promotes protein synthesis, cell division, and structural expansion. Under starvation, TOR is inhibited, and SnRK1 is activated. This triggers autophagy—where the plant breaks down old macromolecules and organelles to scavenge and reallocate essential nutrients to critical sinks. When a PK booster is applied precisely during bud swelling alongside nitrogen withdrawal, it forces the plant to rapidly shift its genetic expression from structural expansion ("growing") to reproductive allocation ("recycling"). The core idea behind a PK booster is to deliver a massive, concentrated surge of P&K exactly when buds are swelling in conjunction with a N starvation. Because these are short, targeted windows, the nutrients must be highly bioavailable so the plant can process them immediately. As soon as you go "organic," that's out the window. Much slower release, uncontrolled, very difficult to "spike". to cause the ratio that will initiate a response. High-volume PK spikes rely strictly on the immediate uptake capabilities of mineral fertilisers. Making it far less efficient in organic/living soil setups. When you use organic nutrients, it changes the dynamic with which the plant delivers and trades its nutrients; organic is always releasing new nutrients into the immediate EC. This prevents a lot of autophagic responses from occurring due to a constant stream of new nutrients into the immediate medium's EC. This can prevent nutrient starvation from being signalled. PK boost is essentially just N starvation, triggering an autophagic response. Concentrated ratio of P&K while tapering off the Nitrogen base. To the plant, the sudden drop in Nitrogen registers as a severe environmental stressor—essentially, the beginning of starvation protocols. She aggressively strips nutrients and proteins from older leaves and vegetative structures and shuttles them directly to the developing flowers and fruit. Ta daaa. Call it a PK booster and sell it. Nothing to do with the P and K itself, it's the ratio immediately available in the medium triggering a nutrient recycling mechanism within the plant itself; all the "booster" sells is the trigger to the signal. Very difficult to initiate a response when microorganisms are doing their thing and breaking down organic matter, constantly adding new salts in ionic form (EC). It takes 4x5x more water significantly to leach or wash ammonia out than it does nitrates. This can prevent triggering N starvation from having its normal impact. Takes about 24 to 48 hours to notice visible changes once the signals have initiated the autophagic response. Not too late at all. A little bit of fade from senescence 2 weeks from harvest is normal and genetically expected. Send the C:N 32:1 signal 1 week from harvest for the best effect in your organic grow. Understanding what makes leaves fade is not always senescence, but also strongly linked to Rubisco regeneration. That's a whole other subject. Vital to understand the differences if you want a correct diagnosis and to transition from hobby grower to master stoner, differentiating between a true genetic fade and a decline in photosynthetic proteins. Nitrate is nitrate, whether it oxidizes or not is not up for debate. If it's not sunk by the plant you are smoking some if not all of, it's regardless of what your feelings are on the matter. Senescence is highly critical. It is the natural end-of-life stage where the plant redirects energy to ripen flowers. Properly managed, it breaks down harsh chlorophyll, allowing the terpenes (which provide taste and aroma) to peak. Harvesting outside this window leads to an "unripe" or degraded flavor comparable to going without. To initiate the response you seek, you can trigger it multiple ways, when growing synthetically its triggered by nutrient starvation, generally when the entire medium is flushed. This is more to do with N starvation than being entirely empty. Nonetheless. PK boosters are N starvation through maximizing P and K. (Generally only works for synthetic grows) Because you are using organic nutes you want to maintain the rhizosphere, what you want to do is add carbon in the form of sugars (powdered molasses). It's almost impossible to empty a medium enough when microorganisms are constantly releasing nutrients into the direct EC. Very difficult to initiate starvation responses with ammoniacal nitrogen. Manipulating the C:N ratio is the key to triggering an autophagic response and resulting nutrient recycling in the last days using organic nutes and without having to flush. Generally not recommended for new growers. So do what you want. But if you don't trigger the plant to dump its nitrates into root zones, you will smoke more nitrates than you need to as NO3- does not oxidize during the dry and cure, no matter what you do or how long you dry or cure. PK boosters are more just nitrogen starvation triggered through maximizing the entire medium's immediate EC to contain everything it needs for flowers, but 0 nitrogen for carbon conversion in the rootzones means the plant will initiate its autophagic recycling program. The sudden influx of phosphorus and potassium directly aids the plant's energy currency (ATP) and carbohydrate translocation, while the lack of nitrogen acts as an environmental stressor. This combination reliably suppresses TOR kinase and activates SnRK1. This cascade forces the plant to abandon vegetative maintenance and initiate the remobilization of nutrients (like nitrogen and magnesium) from the older fan leaves directly into the rapidly expanding floral sinks. If the nutrient delivery method is too slow (organic) or uncontrolled, you get a "futile cycle" where the plant repeatedly toggles between growing and recycling. This wastes valuable metabolic energy and heavily disrupts your harvest potential.
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Organoman
Organomananswered grow question 15h ago
Boosters for late flower?..............no, it is too late. Boosters for the beginning of flowering?..............yes, this is when to use them. I believe in P/K boosters, others like 0011 will tell you they don't do anything.
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