Do you use the lucas formula for your nutrient level?

[The123321]

I am new to growing. I am looking at the 32x32 tent with 2-3 auto plants in coco coir in 3 gallon fabric pots for the perpetual grow where you could harvest 1 plant every like 4-6 weeks on there for it.

Do any of you use the lucas formula for the nutrient level for your plants? I have read that the lucas formula is popular and you can use one level of nutrient for the whole grow on there for it. If you do use it or if you have used it how does it do vs the regular nutrient level where you do different nutrient level for the plant from what part of the grow it is in on there for it?

 

[whitebox]

I am new to growing. I am looking at the 32x32 tent with 2-3 auto plants in coco coir in 3 gallon fabric pots for the perpetual grow where you could harvest 1 plant every like 4-6 weeks on there for it.

Do any of you use the lucas formula for the nutrient level for your plants? I have read that the lucas formula is popular and you can use one level of nutrient for the whole grow on there for it. If you do use it or if you have used it how does it do vs the regular nutrient level where you do different nutrient level for the plant from what part of the grow it is in on there for it?

hi 123321, here you should find what you're looking for: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=55683.
anyway, today several companies makes good easy to use coco nutrients.
look for canna,or GH, can't go wrong and only 2 bottles with more than proven results.
have a nice day.

 

[The123321]

Thanks for the information. I plan to read that thread now on there for it.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

I am new to growing. I am looking at the 32x32 tent with 2-3 auto plants in coco coir in 3 gallon fabric pots for the perpetual grow where you could harvest 1 plant every like 4-6 weeks on there for it.

Do any of you use the lucas formula for the nutrient level for your plants? I have read that the lucas formula is popular and you can use one level of nutrient for the whole grow on there for it.

Thanks Whitebox, that's a good thread for Lucas and coco. Coco is a bit different than most hydro, since it's far from an 'inert' substance.

Straight Lucas will grow a halfway decent plant, with just about any genetics. You still need to adjust the amount of feed, since conditions make a huge difference on how much a plant will use. Less is more with cannabis, so if you're going to make a mistake in feed levels... be sure to accidentally UNDER-feed them, vs. over-feeding.

It's designed to work best with a full pH swing in the root zone, because without the swing you'll have lots of problems. The link in my sig is a thread where I describe the res management methods which go with Lucas in hydro. I personally add magnesium sulfate, potassium silicate, and (recently) calcium, for better quality as a base nutrient. I can tell you for sure though, you can accomplish some amazing things with only Maxibloom, magnesium sulfate, r/o water and potassium carbonate (pH up).

 

[gr866]

hi 123321, here you should find what you're looking for: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=55683.
anyway, today several companies makes good easy to use coco nutrients.
look for canna,or GH, can't go wrong and only 2 bottles with more than proven results.
have a nice day.

In the H3ad coco formula he uses GH Flora series 6/9, and in my grows when I use those ratios I got a bad burn.
My assistant is using GH and running at 2/3 with great results.
Don't forget the CaliMagic and Epsom as those are critical.

And you are so right that Less is More! Especially in coco.

 

[The123321]

Thanks. I am thinking of trying the 2 auto plants for the first grow with 1 plant with the coco for cannabis gh main 3 level then 1 plant with the head formula to see what the difference is like. Then depending on how the head formula does I may try that in one reservoir for the plants in the tent for the next grow on there for it.

 

[Mr.Whit3]

I am new to growing. I am looking at the 32x32 tent with 2-3 auto plants in coco coir in 3 gallon fabric pots for the perpetual grow where you could harvest 1 plant every like 4-6 weeks on there for it.

Do any of you use the lucas formula for the nutrient level for your plants? I have read that the lucas formula is popular and you can use one level of nutrient for the whole grow on there for it. If you do use it or if you have used it how does it do vs the regular nutrient level where you do different nutrient level for the plant from what part of the grow it is in on there for it?

I have used lucas formula with only maxibloom and epson salt, only ceck your ec.

 

[The123321]

Thanks. Did you use the 1 level of maxibloom the whole time or different for different timeon there for it?

 

[Fiet]

Heads Formular all the way...

No nutes burn if you think your plants don't eat much mix more water (RO) to your solution to decrease the EC level.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Thanks. Did you use the 1 level of maxibloom the whole time or different for different timeon there for it?

Many types of genetics will grow 'ok' with a full scoop of Maxibloom. Their quality is garbage but they 'look' ok. This is a feature of phytoremediation qualities, the ability to absorb excess poisons/elements and still grow physically similar to a non-excess situation.

Watch your leaf color as a base identifier. Dark green, way too much nutrients. Light to medium green, probably just fine.

 

[The123321]

Thanks. I think I may try 2 plants for the first 1 with 1 plant on coco for cannabis gh main 3 then 1 with the head formula with one nutrient level for the whole time for the plant on there. Then if the head formula does as good as the regular one then I may try blumats with 1 reservoir feeding the whole tent for the perpetual grow with 2-4 plants that were planted at different times on one nutrient level from the head formula.

 

[nelson420]

Watch your leaf color as a base identifier. Dark green, way too much nutrients. Light to medium green, probably just fine.

Hi Douglas, when you have a dark green plant, do you lower just the Micro or lower the entire feed solution?

For example, if feeding at 4/6 and still having dark green leaves, should I feed at 2/6 or 3/4,5?

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Hi Douglas, when you have a dark green plant, do you lower just the Micro or lower the entire feed solution?

For example, if feeding at 4/6 and still having dark green leaves, should I feed at 2/6 or 3/4,5?

Lower strength of the same feed, no change in ratio.

 

[nelson420]

Lower strength of the same feed, no change in ratio.

Thank you, sir.

 

[nelson420]

Lower strength of the same feed, no change in ratio.

Douglas, I remember reading a post where you tell your general guidelines for harvest, regarding feeding strenght. I remember you give 5 days of water only before harvest. Am I right?

If you do give them 5 days or so of RO water before harvesting, do you taper the feeding strenght gradually or go "cold turkey"?

In my case, for example, using GH 2 part, do you recommend using only the bloom for a few days before going to water only? I am in coco.

Thanks for all your valuable information

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Douglas, I remember reading a post where you tell your general guidelines for harvest, regarding feeding strength. I remember you give 5 days of water only before harvest. Am I right?

If you do give them 5 days or so of RO water before harvesting, do you taper the feeding strenght gradually or go "cold turkey"?

In my case, for example, using GH 2 part, do you recommend using only the bloom for a few days before going to water only? I am in coco.

Thanks for all your valuable information

Always glad to help more quality cannabis enter the world. You're most welcome. Coco is a bit different, but I'll still answer from a drip/dwc standpoint using inert media for reference.

When physical flower bulking quits, (around 30'ish days for the average 60 day strains), the feed demands of the plants change. Historically I've done my best to time my nutrient add-backs so the solution is weakest when the plants reach this point. Too hot of a solution at this time can cause root damage and a pH drop, and will definitely have a negative impact on flower quality.

So once they're on the downslope to harvest I'm only adding water each day. 5 days before harvest the nute solution is usually between 300-400. (raise your lights a bit each day the last 10 days. ) This is the solution I like pumping into a garden or my flower beds or around trees and other plants I care about.

5 days before harvest I pump out as much of the nute solution as I can from the res and replace with pure r/o. With drip through media I'll even run a few gallons of clean water through the drip system, dump it again, then fill with fresh r/o. I try to reach 50ppm or less from residues on the roots and such.
The ppm is usually back to around 300'ish on harvest day.

 

[Fixer]

I'm using Lucas and feed 600-800ppm under HPS. It bumps up to 850-950ppm if I add Mg/Cal under LEDs.

 

[f-e]

I have not got it right yet, but thought lucas a bit high on K for coco. The idea is 100-100-200 but coco provides maybe 60ppm more K itself. I ran some for a few days without K and the runoff still contained 90ppm of K. The older it gets the more it provides, as it decays quicker. Mine was about 18 months old.

If we look at h3ads, he started out with something like lucas but N was lacking. He tried more N but it wasn't right. He then put his N back and stopped antagonising it's uptake by dropping K. That is the h3ads formula. As a byproduct he lowered P and got away with it, and lowered Mg, which he put back with epsom. His underlying problem was almost certainly the 60-90ppm of K he couldn't see. Coming from the coco.

Many people are using all-round feeds in coco, well under dose, with the Ca+Mg raised back again. In effect this gives less N and P but these go largely unnoticed. Only yield is effected, not plant health.

I have seen people approach 200ppm K but with P and Ca numbers that heavily suppress it. One working example is 190P 165K 280Ca which with the coco's input looks more like 190-250-280 which starts to make sense.

I will leave off where I started. I have not got it right yet. I'm still using about 100K which isn't offsetting the sodium the coco also supplies. It seems K must be reasonable to keep the sodium ratio low. But can't be high so needs suppressing.

Don't know what I'm doing yet... but if you use Lucas ratio's you will probably have to feed low.

 

[draztik]

I have not got it right yet, but thought lucas a bit high on K for coco. The idea is 100-100-200 but coco provides maybe 60ppm more K itself. I ran some for a few days without K and the runoff still contained 90ppm of K. The older it gets the more it provides, as it decays quicker. Mine was about 18 months old.

If we look at h3ads, he started out with something like lucas but N was lacking. He tried more N but it wasn't right. He then put his N back and stopped antagonising it's uptake by dropping K. That is the h3ads formula. As a byproduct he lowered P and got away with it, and lowered Mg, which he put back with epsom. His underlying problem was almost certainly the 60-90ppm of K he couldn't see. Coming from the coco.

Many people are using all-round feeds in coco, well under dose, with the Ca+Mg raised back again. In effect this gives less N and P but these go largely unnoticed. Only yield is effected, not plant health.

I have seen people approach 200ppm K but with P and Ca numbers that heavily suppress it. One working example is 190P 165K 280Ca which with the coco's input looks more like 190-250-280 which starts to make sense.

I will leave off where I started. I have not got it right yet. I'm still using about 100K which isn't offsetting the sodium the coco also supplies. It seems K must be reasonable to keep the sodium ratio low. But can't be high so needs suppressing.

Don't know what I'm doing yet... but if you use Lucas ratio's you will probably have to feed low.

What is your pH at? Are you using RO water or tap water? I've been using h3ads formula for 10 years in coco.

 

[f-e]

H3ads and Lucas are two different people. They both used the same two bottles of feed, but differently. Lucas was first, and he used the bottles to target Mel Franks NPK ratios. This became know as the Lucas formula. A bottle mixing practice to get Mel's numbers. It was later in coco that H3ad lowered K to account for coco making it's own. Though I'm not sure he knew that. He was watching the effect K levels were having on his N.

My pH and water have been everything. I have a thread about my troubles https://www.icmag.com/forum/marijua...317-i-feel-such-a-failure/page13#post17869215
It's getting too long to keep it going.