Starter nutrient charge (with gypsum) ???

[ballplayer 2]

Hey guys, I have been having problems with starting seedlings in Sunshine Mix#4. What does the phrase "Starter Nutrient Charge (with gypsum)" mean? Does it mean there is a starter nutrient charge, as well as gypsum? OR does it mean the starter nutrient charge IS gypsum?

The reason why I ask is because I talked to a couple of people today who told me there are NO nutrients in Sunshine #4. They suggested the reason why my seedlings emergred all jacked up and twisted was perhaps they were deficient. As an aside, my first water through produced runoff with an EC of 2.3+ and a sub 5 pH ( I did add lime, but not enough ~ 1/2 tsp gallon. I know it was a mistake). Given these EC and pH values I figured the "starter charge" went haywire and was too strong. Once I watered through a few times the EC dropped,and pH stabilized to about 6.0. Even once my values stabilized, my plants were still looking washed out, and did not seem to reallyhave a vibrant glow until I fertilized around 1.0-1.1 EC (PBP).

I am hoping some of you familiar with this product line could help me figure out how to plan a a fertigation regimen with Sunshine Mix. I am uncertain if I should plan on fertilizing immediately due to a lack of nutrient charge. I am considering flushing Sunshine Mix before use, similar to rinsing coco. Then I would proceed to to let it dry out, add lime, and treat it like a seedling mix.

Thank you for your time and knowledge.

BP2

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Does it mean there is a starter nutrient charge, as well as gypsum?

Yes - that's what it means

Then I would proceed to to let it dry out, add lime, and treat it like a seedling mix.

What do you think Gypsum is? (Calcium Sulfate)

 

[ballplayer 2]

Sunshine Mix#4 does contain nutrients then. I had people trying to convince me Sunshine contained no nutrients, and should be no problem for seeds. They are wrong then, which my runoff values seemed to confirm.

I know what gypsum is, and that it is used to bring pH down. Did you bold "add lime" to emphasize my mistake of not adding enough lime in the first place?

 

[ClackamasCootz]

No - Calcium is a liming agent so I was not understanding your comment about rinsing and then adding lime.

What version of Sunshine Mix #4 - is there any other notation because they move some products around, changed some formulas, etc. last year.

CC

 

[ballplayer 2]

I was going to "rinse" to purge the nutrient charge and activate the lime present in the standard mix. Thus, hopefully I would have turned the sunshine mix into a roughly inert medium, and bring the pH into a decent range. Then I would let the rinsed medium dry, and add any of my chosen amendments, dolomite lime for example.

I thought maybe Sungro was getting shade with their wording, and construing gypsum as a "starter nutrient." Dont get me wrong, it seems stupid,but I would not put anything past some companies. Not that I think Sungro is shady, only that I am not intimately familiar with their manufacturing process, and therefore am skeptical. In any case, the #4 growing mix had my first couple sets of leaves emerging all sorts of contorted. Like I said my runoff was ridiculous, as was the pH,until I got a couple good waterings through.

Again thank you for your help and knowledge.

BP2