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Frequent flushing of coco???

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
I am also going to lower the bottom of the 5 gallon airpots as much as possible. You are supposed to put them above the 3rd row of nubs, which probably makes them about 3.2 gallon, if I recall correctly.
 

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Active member
2000ppm is frightening to see on the meter but its not going it hurt mature weed plants in any significant way. Clones yeah, they can get burnt.

if you have lost half your weight thats not due to high PPM imo.

High temps, fans running hard 24/7- do you monitor VPD?
 

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
This is response to question about PAR from someone growing GG4 for several years -

I try to stay about 8 900 on my tops under led. Usually my nutrients or heat give me foxtailing...

I knew it could not be the light strength, since so weak, and knowing above 650 PPM was a severe negative in growing GG4. Was not sure why, but heard many times it would screw up grow.
 

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
It slipped my mind a while back, but something like a 10% over feed can reduce yields 20%. Or perhaps it's the other way around. All I committed to memory is that any sign of over feed means dropping the EC. There is no gain from 'just a bit' and the loss from under feeding is less pronounced. I could expand on that idea, saying the plant can get more food by opening the stomata, which harvests more co2 too. While an over feed does the opposite. I'm not really sure though. I just know that even mild over feeding is bad.

What is over feeding... well that's another question. To me, it's any hint of tip burn. Then back off 10% to stop the burn, and 10% more to get them drinking and breathing. Which under LED is even more important, for that Calcium uptake.
 

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
It slipped my mind a while back, but something like a 10% over feed can reduce yields 20%. Or perhaps it's the other way around. All I committed to memory is that any sign of over feed means dropping the EC. There is no gain from 'just a bit' and the loss from under feeding is less pronounced. I could expand on that idea, saying the plant can get more food by opening the stomata, which harvests more co2 too. While an over feed does the opposite. I'm not really sure though. I just know that even mild over feeding is bad.

What is over feeding... well that's another question. To me, it's any hint of tip burn. Then back off 10% to stop the burn, and 10% more to get them drinking and breathing. Which under LED is even more important, for that Calcium uptake.

What is screwed up is there is no leaf tip burn. Maybe it happened so quick that lockout occured before that could happen. Will try to get pictures when I water, if batteries are still good in camera (have not charged in ages). Also, almost no leaf in mangy foxtailed buds.
 

.............

Active member
It slipped my mind a while back, but something like a 10% over feed can reduce yields 20%. Or perhaps it's the other way around. All I committed to memory is that any sign of over feed means dropping the EC. There is no gain from 'just a bit' and the loss from under feeding is less pronounced. I could expand on that idea, saying the plant can get more food by opening the stomata, which harvests more co2 too. While an over feed does the opposite. I'm not really sure though. I just know that even mild over feeding is bad.

What is over feeding... well that's another question. To me, it's any hint of tip burn. Then back off 10% to stop the burn, and 10% more to get them drinking and breathing. Which under LED is even more important, for that Calcium uptake.

Fe it sounds like you are reciting something you read. Have you had first hand experience in the matter? I have and what you're saying is not true in reality.
 

.............

Active member
This is response to question about PAR from someone growing GG4 for several years -

I try to stay about 8 900 on my tops under led. Usually my nutrients or heat give me foxtailing...

I knew it could not be the light strength, since so weak, and knowing above 650 PPM was a severe negative in growing GG4. Was not sure why, but heard many times it would screw up grow.

Keep in mind your PAR level is dependent upon your photoperiod. For example your DLI will be the same at 1200 PAR 10/14 is equal to 1000 PAR at 11/13.
 

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
Don't follow peoples PPM recommendations. Your meter could be 40% different to theirs, and no judge could say who's was right. The use of PPM ruins so many posts. You just have to glaze over what's being said, as 40% wrong is nowhere near. I find it perplexing. We can only measure conductivity. PPM is less accurate than dipping hot dogs in our salt tanks, and timing how long they last.

An increase at runoff is first corrected by more runoff and more frequent feedings. If you find that won't work, then lower feed EC.
The pots sound plenty big enough. A lot of dry back through evaporation can increase salt levels at a high rate. The less frequent we must water, the higher we can feed. Based on the speed of dry back. They don't like fast swings into high EC levels. Steady feeding is better. The air-pots might need more regular wetting to ensure the outside isn't drying, causing high EC around the edges. It's an unusual environment, where the core is still wet and the edges have dried. The run-off EC is a difficult representation. Often in drip systems the area under the emitters is nice, but the upper edges can get white with salt. Then someone flushes with a watering can and it looks terrible. In flood&drain, clay balls at the water line can get so salty you don't want to pour through. The plants stay happy though, as if toxicity in one area is fine, if balanced out in other areas.

650 is quite meaningless. Somewhere between 0.9 and 1.3 perhaps. In their system. So I wouldn't take any notice, except they note that's low, which might be from their own experiences, or might be from poor comparisons. This plant might be sensitive to certain salts, that one manufacturer may use, while another doesn't. Chlorides for instance, are in some feeds at high levels, while others make a point of the fact they have non. The plot thickens where users add bleach or other chlorine products, that can form chlorides in the system. Thankfully our plants are usually quite tolerant.
 

Mudraya

Active member
after years of frustration i’ve found the best strategy in coco in regards to runoff ppm/pH is to stay ahead of the issue. if you want to hit a moving target, you have to shoot ahead of it. with rockwool it’s much easier, just water 20% or so more that day, in other words a light flush. the old hydro advice to flush weekly is helpful. in the case of coco of course that means something like 50-80% normal strength. of course the common strategy is also to feed low, but there are always spikes that can occur no matter what you’re doing due to untold millions of factors. the advice about runoff being inconclusive in coco is simply untrue after a few weeks of use. in the beginning…yes, if it’s some super salty stuff.
 

Wingnutt

Member
I have a lot fo experience in coco and its the best potted medium I've found so far. With a proper nutrient plan flushing should not be needed during flower. My #1 recommendation is to rotate your boosts very frequently, and your ingredients in general. Every 3rd to 4th watering should be as basic as possible {A, B, CaMg, molasses. drip clean, enzyme) . I rarely use the same boost two watering in a row (I have a DTW system). Typical I'll do a strong boot, weak boost, strong boost, beneficials boots, then 50-60% minimalist water only adding molasses and enzymes. I only flush mid run if i see signs of nutrient burn - different strains handle different protocals. Drip Clean is used through veg and flower and I believe it is helpful.

I also find a short flush best. I aim for a week tops, using blaskstrap molasses regularly. I use small pots and water multiple times per day so the has an effect. Flushing much past ten days affects overall quaility negatively in my experience. Special flushing solutions not needed, I just use the enzymes I use regularly, SLF-100 and Enzymes complete, during flushing. Lots of molasses. It can lower pH if solution sits so i try to use what I make daily.
 

Nannymouse

Well-known member
We went to using a bunch of peat, this year, in some 'general' potting mix. Maybe that is why the houseplants and veggie garden starts are seeming to have a tough time of it. Usually, i only use the coir based potting mix. I know that peat is environmental no-no, but our water is so base that i gave it a try.

So, i was thinking about foliar feeding, and when i read this post, the foliar feeding also came to mind. I suppose it is considered not good when the plant is in bloom? How would this relate to using coco? I mean, if foliar feeding, then what all needs to be addressed in the root zone?
 

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