1st coco grow need help

[lopocs.mpeg]

yo growers,

I'm running my first coco grow, and unfortunately run into some problems. Some of my plants shows some kind of deficiency.

here are the details

-12/12 from rooted clone
-5,5l pot
-coco dtw, 30% perlite, hidroton mulch
-tap water (0,5EC, 108mg/l CaO)
-watering every day with 20-40% runoff, 2days feed, 1 plain water)
-Heads modified coco formula (6ml/9ml/gal micro bloom) PH'ed with phosphoric acid)
-pH 5,9
-EC 1,4. (raised from 1.1 few days ago)
-runoff pH: 6,8-7 EC: 0,8-0,9

Really need your help, I dont know what the fuck is going on with the plants.

 

[SamsonsRiddle]

yo growers,

I'm running my first coco grow, and unfortunately run into some problems. Some of my plants shows some kind of deficiency.

here are the details

-12/12 from rooted clone
-5,5l pot
-coco dtw, 30% perlite, hidroton mulch
-tap water (0,5EC, 108mg/l CaO)
-watering every day with 20-40% runoff, 2days feed, 1 plain water)
-Heads modified coco formula (6ml/9ml/gal micro bloom) PH'ed with phosphoric acid)
-pH 5,9
-EC 1,4. (raised from 1.1 few days ago)
-runoff pH: 6,8-7 EC: 0,8-0,9

Really need your help, I dont know what the fuck is going on with the plants.

don't do the plain water day, it's counterproductive in coco. if anything, lower your ppms to what they were and use nutes every watering. look around for a while and see if anyone else is running plain water through their coco...

 

[lopocs.mpeg]

Is this K def? Feeding every day will solve the problem?

 

[gorilla ganja]

I would guess Magnesium
click below for more info.
magnesium deficiency.




Peace GG

 

[GonjaLove]

1.4 is too high imo for ladies that small. Most of my flowering plants don't see 1.4. Also looks like mg def to me. With 6/9 try 1.2 with little less runoff

 

[lopocs.mpeg]

tanks guys. lowered the ec to 1.1-1.2. did mg foliar. I will see.

 

[SamsonsRiddle]

when you don't feed you fuck up the cation exchange or some shit. this creates chaos in the medium/root zone. The mag may be there but unable to be accessed due to the day of watering throwing everything off.

in my own experience, i usually do have to supplement mag even with a complete nutrient - 1-2 tsp per gallon of epsom salt does wonders. this really fucks up your ec numbers, though, so add it after you have everything balanced out and measured.

 

[Hooter]

For what it's worth I grow in coco but water every three days. Let it dry out a little 02 to the roots. I use 1/4 to 1/2 strength nutes with cal/mag. My girlies grow like crazy.

 

[Hooter]

One other thing nutes need to be comparable with hydro. Problem seem like a nute burn to me.

 

[dribbled]

Nute burn is actually PH out of whack (usually too low, making it acidic). The roots won't absorb the nutrients at this level and the plant essentially starves. "PH Lockout". The plant begins eating itself to survive, hence the dried-up, magelated leaves.
In coco make sure you stay between 5.5 and 6.0. Be sure to check run-off to see that it's not like PH 4.6 or something.
Using Head's formula (never "water", always feed) unless you get a good runoff every time, that salt will start building up and it will turn your root zone to acid. Especially using air pots. I was loathe to add anything to Head's mix of 6/9... But I found unless I add liquid calcium (Note: NOT "Calmag", but liquid calcium) the PH drops at least 1 whole point. The buds never get proper size and the lockout causes the top leaves to start decroding.

 

[dribbled]

Also, to the OP- Why did you go 12/12 so early? Are you going straight from rooted clone right to flowering cycle?

 

[Absolem]

Nute burn is actually PH out of whack (usually too low, making it acidic). The roots won't absorb the nutrients at this level and the plant essentially starves. "PH Lockout". The plant begins eating itself to survive, hence the dried-up, magelated leaves.
In coco make sure you stay between 5.5 and 6.0. Be sure to check run-off to see that it's not like PH 4.6 or something.
Using Head's formula (never "water", always feed) unless you get a good runoff every time, that salt will start building up and it will turn your root zone to acid. Especially using air pots. I was loathe to add anything to Head's mix of 6/9... But I found unless I add liquid calcium (Note: NOT "Calmag", but liquid calcium) the PH drops at least 1 whole point. The buds never get proper size and the lockout causes the top leaves to start decroding.

He is already doubling the Ca H3ad recommends by using his tap water. H3ad's tap water contained little to no Ca. He needs to use "GH Flora Micro Hardwater" it has no Ca. Or run RO like H3ad was basically using.

 

[dribbled]

Even still, you can dump a tablespoon of liquid calcium to every feeding and it doesn't affect the plant at all besides buffer the PH level. It neutralizes the salts. Like I said, it took a long time of me running 6/9 before I found this out. I didnt WANT to add anything, but I found I had to.
Seriously, run 6/9 four times a day thru coco with air pots at minimal runoff and then check your runoff. The salt begins building up. The PH drops to unhealthy levels, the plants starve, the plant doesn't grow to full potential.

 

[Absolem]

Even still, you can dump a tablespoon of liquid calcium to every feeding and it doesn't affect the plant at all besides buffer the PH level. It neutralizes the salts. Like I said, it took a long time of me running 6/9 before I found this out. I didnt WANT to add anything, but I found I had to.
Seriously, run 6/9 four times a day thru coco with air pots at minimal runoff and then check your runoff. The salt begins building up. The PH drops to unhealthy levels, the plants starve, the plant doesn't grow to full potential.

H3ad never had a problem with his pH in coco. He even stated it. Not sure why others do.


Post #23

More ph issues with coco than peat? amazing... my experience has been quite the opposite... The coco affects the pH of my nute solution none at all, or very minutely at most...

 

[Absolem]

Even still, you can dump a tablespoon of liquid calcium to every feeding and it doesn't affect the plant at all besides buffer the PH level. It neutralizes the salts. Like I said, it took a long time of me running 6/9 before I found this out. I didnt WANT to add anything, but I found I had to.
Seriously, run 6/9 four times a day thru coco with air pots at minimal runoff and then check your runoff. The salt begins building up. The PH drops to unhealthy levels, the plants starve, the plant doesn't grow to full potential.

Read this post by H3ad.

Post #259

So many people think you need to supplement Ca because their ratio's are out of balance... My tap water is 6.5 ph and 38-44 ppm with very little, if any, Ca in it at all, and I have NEVER had Ca issues... coco does not need Ca! The proof is my garden... The solution to a deficiency is NOT usually adding more of the deficient element, the solution is to balance the solution by removing competing cations... There is way plenty Ca in the micro(97 ppm in my mix), especially if you are only using micro for your only nitrogen source.

 

[dribbled]

I understand that, but Head is referring to a possible CA deficiency (Which he said he never had), not so much a PH problem caused by salt build-up. My argument is that liquid calcium helps buffer that salt buildup, fixing the acid problem that will occur if you just feed feed feed. 6/9 is already pretty skimpy a nute schedule and removing even more of it to balance calcium to the correct cation exchange is probably not going to help your plants grow any better. The proof is in my garden, too.
I ran strict 6/9, following Head's formula and came up with light weights in the end. I began adding calcium as a buffer and the runoff started coming out 5.6-5.9 and the latest harvest went from 4 OZ a plant to 6 OZ dried. Nothing changed but adding calcium.

 

[Absolem]

I understand that, but Head is referring to a possible CA deficiency (Which he said he never had), not so much a PH problem caused by salt build-up. My argument is that liquid calcium helps buffer that salt buildup, fixing the acid problem that will occur if you just feed feed feed. 6/9 is already pretty skimpy a nute schedule and removing even more of it to balance calcium to the correct cation exchange is probably not going to help your plants grow any better. The proof is in my garden, too.
I ran strict 6/9, following Head's formula and came up with light weights in the end. I began adding calcium as a buffer and the runoff started coming out 5.6-5.9 and the latest harvest went from 4 OZ a plant to 6 OZ dried. Nothing changed but adding calcium.

I don't think you understand how coco works. Here is a quote from an article I posted on here about BUFFERING COCO. You are giving the exact opposite advice H3ad recommends. What you call "salt buildup" is the coco building the right cation exchange sites so the plant can be fed the appropriate levels of nutrition.

“Most of the coir’s exchange sites are tied up with sodium and potassium. These ions are readily replaced by calcium. If calcium is applied, much of that calcium is going to be tied up in the exchange capacity taking out sodium and potassium. Therefore calcium is not in the substrate solution for utilization by the plants. There is a lag before the cation exchange capacity can be fully charged with calcium, potassium and magnesium. If a grower isn’t cognizant of this lag and doesn’t address it, it can cause deficiency problems. When 50 ppm calcium is incorporated in the fertilizer solution, the leachate may only contain 10 ppm calcium. Not that the plants utilized the other 40 ppm. Much of that 40 ppm was tied up at the exchange sites and will be available later.”


http://hortamericas.blogspot.com/2015/07/buffering-coir-not-necessary-if-its.html

 

[lopocs.mpeg]

thanks for inputs. never been more confused. 12/12from rooted clone. I switched to gh feeding shedule ec1.2, ph 6. First grow ever in coco. Read a lot but now I know nothing.

 

[lopocs.mpeg]

The exiting roots at the bottom are in contact with aluminium tray. And turn to brown. Is it a problem?

 

[Absolem]

thanks for inputs. never been more confused. 12/12from rooted clone. I switched to gh feeding shedule ec1.2, ph 6. First grow ever in coco. Read a lot but now I know nothing.

Listen to H3ad. The guy knew his stuff. We all struggle in the beginning. Read beyond just his "6/9" and learn why he runs those ratios and uses no to little Ca in his water.