Coco Hardwater Question

[Dr Psylo Cybin]

Ok here is a nice and chewy poblem for the Coco Boffins. This is my first grow in COCO after a LOT of reading. My Tap Water comes out as a disgusting 9.2PH and 0.7 to 0.8 EC. I am Using General Hydroponics Nutes Line with amendments. Feeding Veg 1.2 EC and Flower 1.6 EC. I have been super impressed by the way my plants responded to the Coco Hydro in Veg and the first Weeks of Bloom so far. Explosive growth with no signs if deficiencies. Problem is that the more i read the more i am concerned with the potential CalMag problems.

So the question is: Do i RO my Tap water and compensate for CalMag or Keep the Tap water and use Hard Water Micro and be done with it.

 

[RonSmooth]

Your plants are doing well are thriving and no problems at all with what you are doing..

So you want to mess with the water source by removing all the minerals already present and then replacing them with a store bought supplements.

Does that sound about right?

 

[nuggiespl]

If it ain't broke don't fix it, but by using RO water u know exactly what's in it,yea u have to add cal mag. Let the plants make that decision for u.

Good luck

Nugs

 

[Granger2]

I have hard, very alkaline, high lime, high pH water [8.3-8.5]. I've grown in coco for 2.5 years. Went 4 runs in Canna coco 80/20 perlite with little if any nute problems. Is yours high lime?

What I've done is to drop my pH with citric acid to about 7. This converts some or much of the lime [Ca, Mg] into more plant available citrates. Good luck. -granger

 

[Dr Psylo Cybin]

Thanks for the replies so far. Yeah if it aint broke don't try to fix or overthink it. Running with 70% Coco 30% Perlite and DTW hand watering once a day to about 20% runoff each watering. Also Feed, Feed, Water and flush every two weeks with 0.6 EC Water. My water is loaded with Calcium Carbonates and i'm am not sure if this is in a form the plants can absorb. Also lots of Sodium which is a worry. I am going to get 100L drums and let my Tap water sit for 24 hours with bubblers to dissipate chlorine and oxygenate the water. Mix nutes and adjust PH before watering. No further added CalMag or Epsom Salts. Ride out this grow with my Hard water and see how the plants respond before thinking any further about RO.

 

[Cereals]

@Granger2 - does citric acid raise your solution's EC as much as other pH adjusters?

 

[UfoDisclosure]

Dr Mushroom

I would avice you to use a RO filter, clearly you will have a much better intake of all nutrients.

Here an excellent serie of videos from the biggest professional austrian cuttings dealers (legal)
in Vienna. Their shop is called Flowery Field. Jorge Cervantes comes to their facility and interview them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQi7giZLIkg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtwKspdMfao
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsauRvzpQ5w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJfMrRkXEkQ

They of course use RO water and they explain that, in order to prevent pH shifts, they cut the RO water (0.0 EC) with 1/3 of tap water and end up with an EC of 0.2 that will buffer the pH
Watch these videos, these guys really know what they're talking about

 

[Dr Psylo Cybin]

UFO Thanks for the vids.

Very cool setup they have going in Austria. The pertinent information regarding the water is in Video no 3. The use RO water with 0 EC which they blend with tap water till they get 0.2 to 0.3 EC base water for their nutes which is considered perfect. The Bit of Chlorine in the Tap water should evaporate off in their holding tanks by the time the nutes are mixed in. Also they feed at 1.0 EC and Consider 1.4 too high. The high EC's actually slow down the growth and you end up with super dark green plants right up to end of flower.

 

[Snow Crash]

I don't know about going full RO but your water does sound a little rough around the edges. While things are good right now they could be great with a little better solution chemistry.

What I would do is use RO water mixed with Tap to hit about 0.4-0.5ec to start with. This should still have a high pH level, but not as high. Having the hardness in the water will be great for reducing it's reactivity with the CO2 in the air and help prevent excess bicarbonates from forming in the solution.

I also have been using Citric Crystals and Fulvic Acids to help reduce the pH of my solutions with noticeable results over Phosphoric acid pH down. I think the media's affinity for phosphorus, and the reactivity of that acid, aren't as compatible as the organic acids. The organic acids also tend to be more stable for longer and have their additional chelation benefits. Of anything I suggest to coco growers that they don't believe until they see it, it's switching the GH pH down for Earth Juice Natural pH down. Same cost, hardly use any of it, but WAY better results.

 

[Granger2]

I don't know how Citric Acid affects EC. I never check it. -granger