Need some magnesium

[gdiddy]

Hey all -

I've got a couple new bagseed seedlings going--3 weeks old. They're planted in LC #1 mix with coco instead of peat as the main substrate. I've used peat in the past. Anyways, these seedlings are showing a magnesium deficiency, and have definitely shown an improvement after a few days of foliar spray using a 1/2 tsp epsom salt to 1q water solution.

This is my first experience with coco, and I did not think to mix in any epsom salts into the soil mix. The mix was as follows:

3 parts perlite
5 parts coco
2 parts compost

1/4 cup/gal espoma biotone starter plus (4-3-3), mostly for the bacteria and fungi
2 tbs/gal dolomite lime

Forgetting that coco eats up magnesium, I probably should have added some epsom salts to the dry mix.

Okay, the questions: I've managed to improve the plants using the foliar spray, but how can I treat the soil so I don't have to spray them every couple days? Or for that matter, how much epsom salt should I have added to the soil in the first place?

Thanks in advance!

gdiddy

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

You can add a teaspoon per gallon of water or base nutes. I've never added dry es to the medium.

 

[gdiddy]

Thanks, DiscoBiscuit! Should I be doing this with every watering/feeding, or will once suffice to charge up the medium?

Regarding preparation of new medium: after mixing up the dry mix, should I hydrate it with the teaspoon/gal solution and them I'm good to go? I'm pretty new to growing cannabis and am trying to develop a coco-based no-till/recycled organic medium--I'm trying to think long term here.

Cheers,

gdiddy

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I'd do it if I had Mg def, so long as the pH is correct. Adding more won't help if pH is out.

 

[guest2012y]

Kelp meal topdress...or seaweed extract. (kelp)

Check out Sul-Po-Mag.....
http://www.basic-info-4-organic-fertilizers.com/sulpomag.html

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

Next time add this to your soil mix per gallon:

2 tbs dolomite
1tbs alfalfa
1tbs Happy Frog 3-8-8 (check out the cal/mag numbers...very good)
1tbs kelp meal
3/4tbs soft rock phosphate (contains mag)
1tbs greensand (contains mag)

I've been recycling soil for awhile now and this is what I add back to the soil every run. I'll also add some compost or ewc and some coco coir chunks for aeration(you can use perlite instead of the chunks)
I started off with Roots Organic Soil as my base years ago cuz I was always gettin weird defs with LC's mix.

Peace
Rocky
1tbs greensand

 

[mad librettist]

Espoma garden tone.

Let's see pics

 

[greenmatter]

fulvic acid is always good with mag deficient girls ......it chelates the metal elements really well, good stuff all around.

 

[gdiddy]

Hey everybody! Thanks for the replies. I've been busy the last couple of weeks, so I apologise for dropping out for a minute...

Anyway, here are some photos. All I've been doing the last few weeks is using a foliar spray of 1 tsp epsom salt per gallon water solution whenever I water the plants. On that note, I should point out that these photos are right before I watered for the night, so that's why the plant's a little droopy. I've also been using stinging nettle as a top dressing/mulch, and a little liquid fish for some quick N.



This batch is as of yet non-sexed and was born on 9/24. These are mother candidates to supply a perpetual organic PLL SOG cabinet with clones. The seeds are from a bag of mid-grade commercial weed that I feel would shine nicely with proper care.

Long term, I'm looking to get a solid organic recycled coco-based medium going. I envision it something like this down the road: coco coir, pumice or perlite/vermiculite, compost/EWC, bacterial/fungal innocullum, alphala meal, kelp meal, [micro] clover living mulch, etc.

I'd really love to see 1 qt containers of a mix similar to the above getting cycled through the perpetual SOG non-stop. Maybe there's a few-week amendment/rejuvenation stage for each no-till container. You get the idea.

Like I said, these are just seedlings competing for motherhood status right now, but any advice regarding the above long-term plan is certainly welcome.

Cheers,

gdiddy