Getting ready for 1st Vertical grow

[OG Tree Grower]

Get a pool test kit and you can at least see the cal/mag levels and adjust accordingly, or your best option is to use RO and cal mag substitute , then you know what your giving the plants. Given your current situation I would use ro and calmag

 

[chronosync]

I had to stop calimagic at one point because my tap is on the hard side and running cocotek nutes, they have plenty. But I've recently switched to using RO so I'm kinda figuring it out, same deal, I have no clue what's in my well. So far it looks like half my plants are cool with it and the other half.....want calcium.

I've mostly been adding back to make 100ppm water and leaving it out of my ec equation......

That's like, the best I got.

 

[Mr. Miyagi]

Get a pool test kit and you can at least see the cal/mag levels and adjust accordingly, or your best option is to use RO and cal mag substitute , then you know what your giving the plants. Given your current situation I would use ro and calmag

I've personally never used a pool test..so no exp there, but considering you're trying to finish out the grow, this may be your best bet.

Regarding the RO, there is a lot more that needs to be replaced than Cal/Mg... but as I said, using omething like Big Bloom or Bio Boost should help with that...

Going forward from a fresh new grow, using the RO will give you a better chance to find out a mixing regimen, and will let you know what's going on with your plants, vs trying to put a bandaid on a bullet hole.

 

[OG Tree Grower]

I've personally never used a pool test..so no exp there, but considering you're trying to finish out the grow, this may be your best bet.

Regarding the RO, there is a lot more that needs to be replaced than Cal/Mg... but as I said, using omething like Big Bloom or Bio Boost should help with that...

Going forward from a fresh new grow, using the RO will give you a better chance to find out a mixing regimen, and will let you know what's going on with your plants, vs trying to put a bandaid on a bullet hole.

What other elements would you want to add if your using hard water nutes?

Gr- I'm not a coco grower or a chemist so I'm gonna step out of this and hope someone else like miyagi will step in and help ya. But I will say this one last thing.

I have a few different nute schedules that I use, some are formulated for tap water and some built to run RO water, I stick to what I know because with today's nutrients no one should be getting deficiencies unless it's ph or moisture related, now back in the day when we all played with the gh 3 part to create npk ratios things could go south quick and all you did was flush and go back to your last feeding that u know worked because that's all we had to go by. That was the hardest part of growing imo , and that's what your doing right now. Your taking something that worked and your fucking with it. So my very best advice is to go with something designed for coco and designed for RO and be done with it. Then once you get your system working right the plants will grow them selfs, literally

 

[chronosync]

Thanks OG for breaking it down like that, I needed to hear it myself.

The only thing I'd add is say for trace elements you'd be missing..... I'm pretty sure when a nutrient is formulated for using (average hard tap) they don't include any because its understood they occur naturally enough it's not necessary.

With ro you miss out on a lot of that I assume. Silicon and silicates for one example

 

[gr866]

What other elements would you want to add if your using hard water nutes?

Gr- I'm not a coco grower or a chemist so I'm gonna step out of this and hope someone else like miyagi will step in and help ya. But I will say this one last thing.

I have a few different nute schedules that I use, some are formulated for tap water and some built to run RO water, I stick to what I know because with today's nutrients no one should be getting deficiencies unless it's ph or moisture related, now back in the day when we all played with the gh 3 part to create npk ratios things could go south quick and all you did was flush and go back to your last feeding that u know worked because that's all we had to go by. That was the hardest part of growing imo , and that's what your doing right now. Your taking something that worked and your fucking with it. So my very best advice is to go with something designed for coco and designed for RO and be done with it. Then once you get your system working right the plants will grow them selfs, literally

OTG,

Thanks, so I have the Canna nutes but I do not want to use my tap water, it is just too bad. Looking at the label Canna show calcium at 4.5% and mag low, I believe that is why they recommend tap water. But my just totally sucks so I will be adding Cal/Mag and going with the Canna nutes for coco.
This may be a mistake but I will learn and be the better for it. I do really want to learn to use coco and coco specific nutes. I do appreciate everyone's comments and the help they give me. This has been way to hard and depressing but will come through it and things will be good.
Thanks for the advice,
GR

 

[gr866]

Thanks OG for breaking it down like that, I needed to hear it myself.

The only thing I'd add is say for trace elements you'd be missing..... I'm pretty sure when a nutrient is formulated for using (average hard tap) they don't include any because its understood they occur naturally enough it's not necessary.

With ro you miss out on a lot of that I assume. Silicon and silicates for one example

Have contacted CAnna to discuss this with them and expect an email tomorrow, if not I will call them.
This next week will be a test, I will be out of town for about 5 to 6 days to attend a wedding in CO. Setting up a larger rez, going from 7 to 13 gallons, no chiller. I think next grow I will put the rez's in the room with the AC and get it out of the tent. Will just have to reconfigure the way the tubing will be run into the tent. I have the Blumats fairly dialed in and will start with a lower pH in case it rises during my absents.
Thanks, I am hoping that I get some good answers from Canna.

GR

 

[Mr. Miyagi]

Thanks OG for breaking it down like that, I needed to hear it myself.

The only thing I'd add is say for trace elements you'd be missing..... I'm pretty sure when a nutrient is formulated for using (average hard tap) they don't include any because its understood they occur naturally enough it's not necessary.

With ro you miss out on a lot of that I assume. Silicon and silicates for one example

Exactly...trace elements is what I was referring too... there are several trace elements that are found in tap, that obviously aren't in RO, many strains probably wouldn't show a problem, but then again, some are very fickle and like certain things... a lot of these elements you take for granted until it's not there. I've used RO water in the past... there is a reason I said past lol

My tap is 250.... RO may indeed be your best bet, what is your ppm if you add the recommended 40m/gal ratio to the RO? What is your ph?

 

[Levitationofme]

I think pollutants. You guys who can use Tap water, I am jealous of you.

I have well water. I live near many Farms and residences. As a precaution against pesticides and other such crap we use R/O for all consumption. I have to add some sort of cal/mag supplement to all water used in the garden. Even if I am just hittin plants with plain water.
At least I know about how much I need to add

I add supplement to water in my mini blumats

Im an old fart, not sure I trust my county to get me water.

 

[Mr. Miyagi]

I think pollutants. You guys who can use Tap water, I am jealous of you.

I have well water. I live near many Farms and residences. As a precaution against pesticides and other such crap we use R/O for all consumption. I have to add some sort of cal/mag supplement to all water used in the garden. Even if I am just hittin plants with plain water.
At least I know about how much I need to add

I add supplement to water in my mini blumats

Im an old fart, not sure I trust my county to get me water.

lol heard that!

 

[gr866]

as of one minute ago the ppm of my tap water was 742 and the pH was 7.52.
Better than two days ago when it was 872 and a pH of 7.40.
I will be going with RO.
Made a batch of mix today and will put it in after the light comes on. Have all numbers written down.
GR

 

[gr866]

New lower rez, 13.2 gallons, upper rez, 10 gallons, total nutrient solution used between the two rez's is 20 gallons

Using RO water and Canna coco nutes, I added Cal/mag low rate. Per gallon:

2 ppm - starting ppm of RO water
5.05 - Starting pH of RO water

3.5 ml Cal/Mag
6.5 ml Canna coco A
7.0 ml Canna coco B
7.5 ml Liquid KoolBloom, this one week only.
8 ml Cannazym
1.5 ml SM90
0.4 ml Drip Clean

Total rez - 20 gallon, includes low and upper rez.

PPM - 684
pH - 5.9 adjusted to 5.82

Finely got a response from Canna after I had made my solution. They said to add enough tap water to the RO to get 120 ppm, then build on that. With my next mix on Wed I will begin using that number and method for my future mixes. One question I have is if I start with that number (120 ppm) do a adjust my overall mix to include the starting number or use it in my final calculation. ex. if my target number in 650 would my nute solution be 650 + 120 = 870 nutes and starting water or 650 - 120 = 530 ppm of nutes. Thinking it would be the latter.

GR

I want to get this dialed in before my next grow, going to finish this one even though I am not expecting much of anything from it.

 

[Mr. Miyagi]

The latter my man...

As I said, my tap is usually right around 225-250, so I simply (at least for my youngins) make a full strength mix (40ml/gal) which ppms out to around 1600...and then I dilute it down to about 600 or and then progressively let the numbers get higher as they get older. But with the addition of Drip Clean, I usually shave off around 200ppms, and see how the plants respond. You gotta remember what Drip Clean does for your plants and medium... so keep that in mind. It's always best to UNDERFEED and let them tell you they want more, than to OVERFEED, and you're chasing your tail trying to figure out what's going on.

Halfway through flowering or so the ppm levels are usually around 1200... depends on strain... but 1200 is usually pretty good with most of the strains I've had in my gardens throughout the years.. but keep in mind I've only used Drip Clean for the last 2 runs before my "retirement." I've got some now, and use it...and like I said, if you're using DC, throttle back on the nutes ad see what the plants say.

 

[OG Tree Grower]

How's everything going?

 

[gr866]

Just got back from CO, minutes ago.

Had two runways, one minor, the other drained the rez's. Not sure when it happened but must have been in that last day or so. All plants ok, the two set in about an inch of mix for don't know how long.

More tomorrow, tired after getting them put to bed.

GR

 

[gr866]

Day 44 of 12/12

Ok, got everything cleaned up, fan leaves tucked, and plucked a few dead or dying ones.
Well, found out how deep the water gets in my tent and it's not as bad as expected. Had only one over flow the trays they sit in.

Over all appearance is not that good, buds are thickening but they missed a lot of growth during the couple of weeks that we had the problems with "The Claw"!

Going to get something out of harvest, just not sure what.

Here are a few pics,



More in next post!

 

[gr866]

Few more pics, day 44 12/12!



GR

 

[gr866]

Day 48 12 / 12

Things are going along and the bugs are getting fatter, which is a good thing.
Good one bud get too close to the light got some burn. I will not be removing the plants from the tent until I return from my next trip. Leaving on Thursday and returning next Wednesday. The Blumats are workng good at present so don't want to mess with them. Got about 6 sec between drips at the end of the light cycle and about 10 sec between drips at the start of the light cycle.
I have been maintaining the reservoir around 875 PPM & pH of 5. 87, pH has been creeping up or down not major. I have been using the Canna nute regime, with the only addition being koolbloom dry at 1 gram per gallon, started last Thursday and will run for the next 10 days or so.
Overall appearance of the plant still sucks but they are building buds so that is a good thing. Going to remove the dead/damaged leaves and some fans that are blocking light.

RH is 67 to 73%, not sure about that.



GR

 

[kanzzzz]

Love it .

Looking threw the thread I couldn't see anything about the size of the tent , was wondering how big an area your working with?

May the gods be with you .

 

[Mr. Miyagi]

they look real good, esp considering...log what you're doing...adjust mistakes, and don't repeat next grow... you should see a significant improvement!