Hi everyone,
Consider a coco grow where one uses only mineral based fertilisers and water till run-off, and run-off to waste.
Lets assume coco is always kept wet (e.g. water everyday in a 2L pot) in order to maintain a stable EC/PPM. Because, once water content decreases, by consequence, TDS will rise – pretty basic. And let's also assume enough aeration of the roots is achieved – perlite or some hypothetical O2 retaining/releasing additive.
The paradigm seems to be "feed your coco everyday and water till you see [x]% run-off". But, feeding with every water till run-off implies a constant loss of minerals to that run-off, right? Why is this necessary?
Isn't there a way to circumvent this mineral wastage?
In this regard, I don't fully understand the need to feed with every water. If part of the objective with watering everyday is to "flush potential salt build up" but also "feed your plant" that seems contradictory. I understand plants cannot uptake salts –duh– but adding water with a ppm of 800 would hardly help anyway. I am being very very dense here?
Would a watering schedule with minimal or zero run-off, "plain" and "feed" waterings simply be a viable way to make better use of your fertilisers?
I know the margin might be minuscule, but it would also help your wallet in the long run!
If we consider that the coco is being kept wet at all times, doesn't "the paradigm" mean that 1) plants aren't consuming nutes fast enough so there no realistic need to feed at every water, and 2) watering with mineralised solution every time is wasteful and counter productive in the eventuality of a salt build-up?
What're your thoughts and experiences with this?
I am WAY off?
Is salt build up, and/or feeding at every water, inevitable?
Cheers,
Kustom_ax
Consider a coco grow where one uses only mineral based fertilisers and water till run-off, and run-off to waste.
Lets assume coco is always kept wet (e.g. water everyday in a 2L pot) in order to maintain a stable EC/PPM. Because, once water content decreases, by consequence, TDS will rise – pretty basic. And let's also assume enough aeration of the roots is achieved – perlite or some hypothetical O2 retaining/releasing additive.
The paradigm seems to be "feed your coco everyday and water till you see [x]% run-off". But, feeding with every water till run-off implies a constant loss of minerals to that run-off, right? Why is this necessary?
Isn't there a way to circumvent this mineral wastage?
In this regard, I don't fully understand the need to feed with every water. If part of the objective with watering everyday is to "flush potential salt build up" but also "feed your plant" that seems contradictory. I understand plants cannot uptake salts –duh– but adding water with a ppm of 800 would hardly help anyway. I am being very very dense here?
Would a watering schedule with minimal or zero run-off, "plain" and "feed" waterings simply be a viable way to make better use of your fertilisers?
I know the margin might be minuscule, but it would also help your wallet in the long run!
If we consider that the coco is being kept wet at all times, doesn't "the paradigm" mean that 1) plants aren't consuming nutes fast enough so there no realistic need to feed at every water, and 2) watering with mineralised solution every time is wasteful and counter productive in the eventuality of a salt build-up?
What're your thoughts and experiences with this?
I am WAY off?
Is salt build up, and/or feeding at every water, inevitable?
Cheers,
Kustom_ax
