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sweetestsin420
sure it is^^,calmag is actually a good idea for ALL grows,since magnesium plays such an important role in photosynthesis,but yes,with r.o water,it is a very good idea.
coco problems
- Thread starter jimmi420
- Start date
Definitely don't feed with a ph at 1.2.. Yes if you make it lower it will get to point quicker. But not so much. I wouldn't feed with anything below a 5.6 if trying to correct a high ph. Like mentioned flush with a light nute solution not plain water. I've yet to find the need to pre charge/rinse CANNA coco.. Works for seeds an clones right out the bag. 
unspoken
Member
Here's the thing...Measuring the ph of your run off is not accurate at all. This is straight from canna's website:
"When growing in cocoponics, determining the pH and EC level from the drainage water is not a true indication of the coconut substrates value. For optimal results, you are encouraged to use the 1: 1.5 extraction method. Please consult a preferred CANNA Retailer for the instructional DVD explaining this method."
As long as you don't have salt buildup/burn and are using the right ph going in, in a DTW system you don't need to worry about your runoff. This is assuming you know how to watch your plants for signs of over feeding/ph issues. If you don't, then you should use the 1:1.5 extraction method if you want to check the PH of your medium.
How to do the 1:1.5 extraction method also from Canna:
"1) Take a sample of the COCO from the slabs or pots. This can be done with a soil core sampler or a trowel. To get a respresentative sample the COCO must be collected from as many plants as possible.
2) Collect the sample in a bowl and determine whether it contains the right amount of moisture. The COCO has the right amount of moisture if moisture disappears between your fingers when you squeeze it. Add de-mineralized water if necessary and mix the COCO.
3) Take a 250ml measuring jug and fill it with 150ml of de-mineralized water. Add COCO to the 250ml mark. Fully mix and allow the slurry to settle for at least 2 hours.
4) Mix again and measure the pH.
5) Then filter this material and measure the EC."
"When growing in cocoponics, determining the pH and EC level from the drainage water is not a true indication of the coconut substrates value. For optimal results, you are encouraged to use the 1: 1.5 extraction method. Please consult a preferred CANNA Retailer for the instructional DVD explaining this method."
As long as you don't have salt buildup/burn and are using the right ph going in, in a DTW system you don't need to worry about your runoff. This is assuming you know how to watch your plants for signs of over feeding/ph issues. If you don't, then you should use the 1:1.5 extraction method if you want to check the PH of your medium.
How to do the 1:1.5 extraction method also from Canna:
"1) Take a sample of the COCO from the slabs or pots. This can be done with a soil core sampler or a trowel. To get a respresentative sample the COCO must be collected from as many plants as possible.
2) Collect the sample in a bowl and determine whether it contains the right amount of moisture. The COCO has the right amount of moisture if moisture disappears between your fingers when you squeeze it. Add de-mineralized water if necessary and mix the COCO.
3) Take a 250ml measuring jug and fill it with 150ml of de-mineralized water. Add COCO to the 250ml mark. Fully mix and allow the slurry to settle for at least 2 hours.
4) Mix again and measure the pH.
5) Then filter this material and measure the EC."
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TribalSeeds
When I mix my nutes they end up at around 5.2-6.0 or so. I wont look at the runoff or anything. Ill let the PH swing up a few points over the week and wont even adjust it.
Ive posted that info from the canna site a few times on the forums. I forgot all about it though since I never fed my plants with a 1.2ph solution or anything crazy like that.
Ive posted that info from the canna site a few times on the forums. I forgot all about it though since I never fed my plants with a 1.2ph solution or anything crazy like that.
Nah me either i put in 5.8 all the way , its just sometimes i may get cal or mag def as im running a high ec my ph rises in run of you see, i shouild probably dial it in a bit better to what the plant is taking up then my ph run of wouldnt drift up so much, blame my lazy ass for that , bad me, but i think im gonna invest in some cal/mag and keep at 5.8 maybe drop my ec as said to what they are eating at the time , or leech it so it drops , either or would sort it out and bring ph run of into line a more i thik , cheers man
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TribalSeeds
Nah, just cut your ec and use a base nute designed for your water source, that way you wont need to buy calmag. Its best to seperate the two anyway. If you have a calcium problem, why add mag? Its much harder to treat that way. I just use molasses here and there and dont own a bottle of ca or anything.
Ok cool m8 , so does mollasses contain calcium ?, i just use white table sugar(suvcrose) as a carb booster, i think mollasses is a complex sugar and is more for feeding your micro herd were as sucrose is a simple sugar so makes a better carb booster as your plants can uptake this more or less ASAP were as mollasses needs breaking down first by your M.H into summink your plant can use. Maybe a 50/50 mix would work great.
shrpshooter
Member
@ unspoken ..thanks for that info ,,,I hadn't seen that before ..thank u shrpshooter
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TribalSeeds
I bubble the molasses with some ewc or whatever. It does feed the microherd, but it also contains potash, sulfur, and many trace minerals. Ive never noticed a cal or mag problem since using the tea about once a week. Im not sure how much carbs the plants get from it. Im guessing that most of the food source has been eaten up by the microbes before I water with it.
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sweetestsin420
tribal,the plants can use some of the mollases.not just the bacteria
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TribalSeeds
I monitor runoff every time, and the PH is ALWAYS higher than the input, however, as long as the plants look fine, and the numbers are consistent, I don't have a problem with that.
There's a very informative thread or two that talks about runoff posted by some fellow forum members, and it has helped to put my mind at ease concerning PH drift in coco.
EC / PPM drift is a bigger concern IMO, and I have found correlations between high PPM swings and a plant that gets the "poopy face". This is the one I watch and adjust for more frequently than PH swings, as the plants have responded well to lower nutes when the runoff seemed to indicate nute build up in the coco.
Some folks don't worry about runoff in coco, and they do awesome. I find that I NEED to track runoff as I don't have the skill or experience to read my plants like a lot of our fellow growers, and the numbers have helped me anticipate and correct issues before they have a significant impact on my little ladies.
Best of luck.
There's a very informative thread or two that talks about runoff posted by some fellow forum members, and it has helped to put my mind at ease concerning PH drift in coco.
EC / PPM drift is a bigger concern IMO, and I have found correlations between high PPM swings and a plant that gets the "poopy face". This is the one I watch and adjust for more frequently than PH swings, as the plants have responded well to lower nutes when the runoff seemed to indicate nute build up in the coco.
Some folks don't worry about runoff in coco, and they do awesome. I find that I NEED to track runoff as I don't have the skill or experience to read my plants like a lot of our fellow growers, and the numbers have helped me anticipate and correct issues before they have a significant impact on my little ladies.
Best of luck.
