HoundDog's Coco Trials and Tribulations

[stoned40yrs]

So they were doing fine until you whacked them with Bud Blaster or PK

 

[hounddogg]

Yeah the pk. I guess I don't understand how to use this feed chart. Because my ppms are through the roof when I follow it. Plus I haven't been getting run off.

Am I supposed to add additives first to my res, then add coco a and b until it reaches the target ppm?

 

[theother]

I had a buddy that just switched back to soil because he couldn't get the flavor where he wanted it even with adding teas every other feeding.

Honestly, a lot of the cuts that I don't feel like i am getting the right flavor out of are not growing that well in coir yet. They are kind of finicky little fuckers and I just haven't got them dialed yet. Everything I have seen blow up and be in incredible in coco has tasted great. For me the moral of the story in coir is to feed extremely light with some of my older finicky cuts. They don't really care for anything over like 1.1-1.2. I hope to get it dialed because some of the hybrids that have blown up have tasted absolutely amazing.

Best of luck, I will be curious how you feel about the flavor in the end with the coir vs the supersoil.

 

[stoned40yrs]

Yeah the pk. I guess I don't understand how to use this feed chart. Because my ppms are through the roof when I follow it. Plus I haven't been getting run off.

Am I supposed to add additives first to my res, then add coco a and b until it reaches the target ppm?

What additives are you using and what ppms are we talking about. I also couldn't find the chart on their site. You should be talking ec and not ppms anyway.
It's my understanding that when you do the pk or similar products that you don't put it in the rez but instead do a single hand watered feed of it.

 

[hounddogg]

Here is the feed schedule. I measure ppm with a blue lab meter which is ec x .7. I am starting week 4. I add coco b to my rez and then coco a. My ppm is at 1800. Then I add each additive, using all of the ones on the chart, which leaves me at 2600 ppm. The target ppm on the chart is 1200 which sounds more reasonable to me, but that is not what I am getting. The chart has been changed to add pk 13/14 during weeks 3-6. I also have been adding that. I tested runoff and the ppms were so high that the meter couldn't measure them. After flushing each tray with about 40 gallons, the ppms are down to about 2400 in the runoff.

 

[theother]

Here is the feed schedule. I measure ppm with a blue lab meter which is ec x .7. I am starting week 4. I add coco b to my rez and then coco a. My ppm is at 1800. Then I add each additive, using all of the ones on the chart, which leaves me at 2600 ppm. The target ppm on the chart is 1200 which sounds more reasonable to me, but that is not what I am getting. The chart has been changed to add pk 13/14 during weeks 3-6. I also have been adding that. I tested runoff and the ppms were so high that the meter couldn't measure them. After flushing each tray with about 40 gallons, the ppms are down to about 2400 in the runoff.

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Might want to consider backing that down a substantial amount. IME you can't go too wrong feeding around 1.2 ec, I have seen stuff do well at 2 ec but I have seen many cuts not care for it, the cuts that liked the2 ec did not do badly at 1.2, maybe slightly less yield, but really nothing worth getting worked up over. Coco can be a fickle mistress sometimes, even though your not burning them bad the buildup of whatever the plants aren't eating can cause some strange lockout/toxicity/interaction, and can eventually lead to the rust spot fried leer thing you have going on. Maybe flush hard and start lower?

Again all that is just my experience, and honestly coco has been hard for me at times so you may want to take it with a grain of salt so to speak. What I have seen work best for me is right around .8-1.2 and no flushes. When I have tried to feed harder and flush it has not been great.

 

[stoned40yrs]

Flush again with light nutes. Get the ppms down and then I would just use part a&b and nothing else and only enough a&b to hit 1200-1500 ppms. That's what I would do anyway. Maybe someone else will chime in. goodluck

 

[theother]

Yeah the pk. I guess I don't understand how to use this feed chart. Because my ppms are through the roof when I follow it. Plus I haven't been getting run off.

Am I supposed to add additives first to my res, then add coco a and b until it reaches the target ppm?

If you need to ph or add silica (any potassium silicate product) do your best to add that first. You kind of have to have a feel for your water and nutes to nail it, then add your a&b etc check ph and adjust a final time (hopefully always going the same direction)

Here's an example for me, I'll add like 1.5 mls per gallon of silica (for ph buffering up) then around 6 mls a gallon of a&b then 2 mls per of hydroplex (substituted for the cannazyme, if you are using the enzyme I think it is more or less equal to the ab for most of the then like .5 grams per gallon of Epsom. when everything is mixed I check ph and add a smidge more up to dial it and that's that, it almost always just sticks perfect there unless I've got something stupid in the res. also on a side note if you do have to ph after everything is mixed dilute it to a pretty good amount of water before you add it, otherwise it precipitates out a few things (it's that white cloud look when you dump)

 

[hounddogg]

Thanks guys. I was thinking I would just keep watering with a and b at 300 ppm until my run off was the same. Is that a good idea or do you think I should just flush some more?

 

[theother]

Thanks guys. I was thinking I would just keep watering with a and b at 300 ppm until my run off was the same. Is that a good idea or do you think I should just flush some more?

You could try that for awhile and just make sure that you are actually dropping, might work out good I have never tried it.

 

[hounddogg]

I have flushed them so much that I am a little scared to flush anymore.

 

[theother]

I have flushed them so much that I am a little scared to flush anymore.

IME just let them dry out after a flush. I have experienced problems from flushing and then immediately putting them back on there feed schedule. FOr me, at least for now, I flush, feed a small amount of normal solution, then let them sit until they lose some weight. It seems to me that can get waterlogged at a certain point. IT Seems like even though it is hydrophobic at some point it gets soaked and needs to dry a bit.

 

[bayarea925]

What is your tap or RO starting ppm? I wouldnt go by the ml per gal on the instructions. I use what ppm it takes me to. I was at 800 ppm but they didn't like that an like it around 350 - 450 ppm. But I'm running a perptual an still not dialed in.

 

[Coconutz]

Here is the feed schedule. I measure ppm with a blue lab meter which is ec x .7. I am starting week 4. I add coco b to my rez and then coco a. My ppm is at 1800. Then I add each additive, using all of the ones on the chart, which leaves me at 2600 ppm. The target ppm on the chart is 1200 which sounds more reasonable to me, but that is not what I am getting. The chart has been changed to add pk 13/14 during weeks 3-6. I also have been adding that. I tested runoff and the ppms were so high that the meter couldn't measure them. After flushing each tray with about 40 gallons, the ppms are down to about 2400 in the runoff.

View Image

Thanks guys. I was thinking I would just keep watering with a and b at 300 ppm until my run off was the same. Is that a good idea or do you think I should just flush some more?

Ive only read part of this thread, but it seems like you have given the best advice to yourself so far...
My only other comments would be to ditch this entire product line.
The feed chart is ridiculous! I bet theve never even tested any of this shit. Just copied something from everyone and bottled it up.
The best results you are going to see in coco is feeding at like 500ppm with just base nutes.
Now, I cant say thats possible with this nute brand. It looks like theve probably bottled everything seperate so you need all 50 bottles or whatever.
I recommend you switch to something more complete like Gen Hydro Flora Micro & Bloom.
Its cheaper than any of these supplements you have and its a complete nutrient.

 

[hounddogg]

Coconutz, I was thinking about using pure blend pro next round. Any thoughts on Pbp?

 

[hounddogg]

My ppm out of the ro is 0

 

[Coconutz]

PBP isnt bad with tap, but its highly acid. With RO you will need to use a lot of PH up.
Not a deal breaker... But I dont like using PBP in a res. Its not bad if youre going to mix it up everyday or something.
It may or may not need calmag supplemented with RO. I didnt exactly nail it on my first try...
PBP can also build up in drip lines, so I wouldnt run it with blumats or anything like that.
I prefer GH Bloom/Micro(softwater version) and SM90 in the res.

 

[hounddogg]

So 500ppm with the micro and bloom all through flower? How many feedings daily are you doing? No cal mag supplement?

 

[Coconutz]

Dont let them dry. If they are drying at all before lights on they should be watered more frequently.
Once they have enough roots to dry the pot in a day you should be either transplanting or watering multiple times.
If you water twice and they are drying at all when the lights come back on you should increase waterings.
I normally only flush a few days but I taper my nutes down at the end.
Since this crop has been overfed you might wanna make sure you get a longer flush in.
If youre gonna flush longer I wouldnt recommend dropping N too soon.
Not sure what A/B is made up of with this line... Sorry
I have a bottle of calmag but really only use it to rinse my coco with since my plants never need it.

 

[stoned40yrs]

Hey Hounddog shoot for simple. I'm using up my old nutes but then plan on going simple with products where you don't have to really add other crap and $$$. Research these 3, pick one and keep it simple IMO.

1)Jacks Pro Hydo+ Cal Nit (Its 2 part dry) All you need for veg and bloom
2)Veg+Bloom and +Size (also 2 part dry) All you need for veg and bloom
3)Maxibloom (1 part dry) Some people add Floralicious+ All you need for veg and bloom