Is coco runoff really not worth checking?

[SeaMaiden]

Well... while I don't agree fully with everything that's been mentioned here, I do agree that it's quite useful to keep a log of parameters. My experience raising and keeping other living things tells me this is true. It's not a must, but if you get into the habit, it can be an incredibly useful tool.

I'd like to add to what SC has posted regarding testing methods is that I also test the water that I'm going to use for the slurry so I also have an idea of how much of a change is being observed.

I would also like to add my own observation regarding how long to let the sample sit, as I've experimented with times. I have found that no changes occur after 7 minutes. If you want to let it set for 10 just to be safe, go ahead. If you forget about it for 2 hours, no big deal, though pH may change a wee bit depending on CO2/O2 saturation levels when you began the test and whether or not any gas exchange may have occurred during the waiting period. I've played with timing from 1 minute to 120 minutes, and 7 minutes seems to be the golden spot where you get the information you're after.

 

[SmokeyMonster]

Testing COCO runoff

Testing COCO runoff

I've read quite a few posts saying that checking the runoff EC and pH is pretty much pointless...but if coco really is "hydro"...why? Because the coco ion bank holds certain things that will mislead you?

Reason I ask is that right now I'm at day 20 in flower, feeding 1.5EC 5.8pH once a day (5 gallon pots) with 20%runoff to waste. When I check the runoff it's almost always at about 0.6EC.... Doesn't this mean the plants are eating like crazy and I should be feeding more? Then I look at the plants and they all have minute tip burn, the sign you are at max EC that the plants can handle.

What gives? I'm normally the DWC guy and when EC drops you give more food....so not sure about this whole coco stuff yet.

HELLO!!! EVERYBODY! first post! Hope it helps So essentially the EC is dropping because the Plants root system and the coco are both catching some of the salts before runoff. The burn is most likly because your overfeeding, its a classif problem for coco. Try feeding at an EC of 1 regularly. and alternate a flush into your pattern every 3 feeds or so. Depends on your container size and medium mix and environment. THe ph is key on your runoff Steps to check if you have an issue. Slowly pour 5.8 ph water into the center of the pot untill it begins to come out the bottom, catch about 8 oz's or so, and measure the ph and the EC. A good range for the ph should be between 5.6 and 6.0, any higher and you begin to lockout certain nutes and force the plant to begin steeling from its lower leaves. EC Is the measure of salts in the water. Try using drip clean regularly if you arent already. Another helpful way to fix issues is to reduce watering to every other day instead of every day. Less is more with most Salt based nutrients Full strength will almost always result in a burn on the majority of strains i've ran. 30+ strains ran.

 

[Pragma]

Reducing your watering will only increase your salt buildup problems.
You should not be watering more than 1.2EC in veg and 1.4EC in flower.
If you run lower EC and water two+ times a day you will have a MUCH easier time in coco and your plants will explode, while keeping your medium relatively clear of salt buildup.

I only check runoff for the EC to make sure its lower than what Im putting it. If its higher, then I water with ~0.4EC for one watering or two to lower the buildup in the pot but that rarely happens if u stick to regular watering with good runoff and (relatively) low ec.

 

[Catatafish]

Good Read

 

[Pumpkin]

Reducing your watering will only increase your salt buildup problems.
You should not be watering more than 1.2EC in veg and 1.4EC in flower.
If you run lower EC and water two+ times a day you will have a MUCH easier time in coco and your plants will explode, while keeping your medium relatively clear of salt buildup.

I only check runoff for the EC to make sure its lower than what Im putting it. If its higher, then I water with ~0.4EC for one watering or two to lower the buildup in the pot but that rarely happens if u stick to regular watering with good runoff and (relatively) low ec.

I really don't believe there are any hard rules with EC. It really depends what is in your nutrients. Some nutes you can blast a lot harder than others.

Paying attention to runoff is less useful than paying attention to your plants. If you get to know your nutes, what you are feeding and how your plants are responding, this information is FAR more valuable. If that means 0.6 ec or 2.0 ec in your situation, nutes and environment, then that should be decided on how your plants respond. I feed at about 1.6 e.c at the moment, but that information is useless to you, because all situations are different, and so is every nutrient mix and environment.

Plant vigor is the only true measure of a good feeding cycle. And coco is so forgiving, so a bit of ph swing or ec swing really isn't the end of the world. You have a lot of leeway and only extreme fluctuations out of the norm will cause a problem.

When all is well, don't stress and be consistent.

I've grown is soil most of my life, so coco seems like basic arithmetic. If your leaves are too dark green or your tips are burning... back off! If your leaves are pale or yellowing, feed more. It can't be more simple than that, surely. Your mistake you made will take about a week to fully show, so wait a week for correction.

I'm only on my second coco grow, but I'm a lifetime gardener. And you coco dudes really have it simple. Organic soil is really forgiving also, but you are locked into your original feeding decision. Soil is like eating a ten strip of LSD, If it was too much, you just have to ride it out. Coco you can redose whenever you want, and with runoff, in my situation, there is a 5-7 day tolerance.

And I reckon there is no better thing to do as a gardener than to make mistakes. Resolving problems is what makes great gardeners. All the numbers in the world will not help you with that, but a keen eye and compassion will. Numbers will never help you as much as seeing the world from your plant's point of view. When you hear or feel your plants needs, e.c. reading are a secondary consideration, runoff e.c. is even less useful, because by the time your runoff is doing crazy things, your plants could have already told you the same thing. And runnoff can only tell you too much or too little and in a very unreliable way at that. Trust your intuition, make mistakes, and let the next grow be a combination of all the learnt mistakes. Those great mistakes you made created the expert gardener you are today

Gardening is a discipline that can be both art and science. In my experience people who focus on the art of gardening have a far deeper passion. Those that focus on the science realize that there is only so much to learn and get bored and move on. It's the emotional rewards that keep us sowing seed long term, and the love for plants, not love for numbers. Plants are not numbers, they are alive and brilliant and full of love for those that care and tend for them. When a human plant bond is made with love, then runoff ec become completely irrelevant.

 

[kingfisher021]

I am growing in a mix of coco-perlite-vermiculute in approx 5 gallon pots.

I noticed some of the lower leaves of my 2 plants were losing their color, some leaf tips browning and pointing upwards - and after reading a lot of problem guides/threads I came to the conclusion that it might be a mag deficiency.

So for the first time I checked the PH and PPM of the runoff. (Plants are about 2-3 weeks into flowering)

I started with a 850PPM (1.7EC) nute solution with a PH of 5.9 - runoff came out at 450PPM (EC .9) and PH of 7-7.1.

I have since figured out I was probably feeding a bit less since I wasn't feeding them every day, which is not the right way in coco-perlite mediums.

Could this may have caused salt build up which is increasing the PH of my run off?

I feel checking the run-off from time to time is a good idea, will be doing this moving forward!