When to start feeding with coir/perlite

[Løw Spark]

Hello. I just started a new grow and it is my first time trying a soilless medium. Previously I was using pre-mixed soils like FFOF. From what I understand, I will need to begin feeding sooner, but I’m not sure exactly when. I’m using a 50/50 coir perlite mix and I feed with Megacrop (1 part original; 9-6-17) and Sea-K Kelp (0-0-15) during veg. I have also attached a picture of where things currently stand.

 

[exploziv]

You should feed it from the start, but very low concentration, well under 1 EC (total) to start. Then you up the dose from there.

 

[Løw Spark]

You should feed it from the start, but very low concentration, well under 1 EC (total) to start. Then you up the dose from there.

Oh wow. Right from the start. Got it. I’ll try .1/.2ish and go from there.

 

[Creeperpark]

You may want to start at 1/10 the recommendations maybe 80 ppm.

 

[Creeperpark]

Hello. I just started a new grow and it is my first time trying a soilless medium. Previously I was using pre-mixed soils like FFOF. From what I understand, I will need to begin feeding sooner, but I’m not sure exactly when. I’m using a 50/50 coir perlite mix and I feed with Megacrop (1 part original; 9-6-17) and Sea-K Kelp (0-0-15) during veg. I have also attached a picture of where things currently stand.
View attachment 18808661

How is it going Law?

 

[Ca++]

Sounds like a K fest. Very high K feed, with K supplementation, in a substrate that provides so much K, that it needs care with Ca and Mg. I dare say you could use coco with no K in your feed at all. I have done it for days on end, then analysis found enough K in the runoff still. So I'm really not exaggerating.


So far the seedlings have been using what their moma gave them. They need to find their own food now though. Me, I would of wet the coco with an ec around 0.5 anyway. Which I feel is less than some potting mixes. As a gauge, consider that you couldn't grow with a 0.5 so why would you try using less. It's not enough? I root cuts with about 0.8 and my seeds tend to be getting the same. Though an early start does seem to burn then quite easy, so I won't hatch them with more than 0.5 which is as low as coco the substrate needs as maintenance. Or you get a crazy amount of K.

 

[Creeperpark]

Sounds like a K fest. Very high K feed, with K supplementation, in a substrate that provides so much K, that it needs care with Ca and Mg. I dare say you could use coco with no K in your feed at all. I have done it for days on end, then analysis found enough K in the runoff still. So I'm really not exaggerating.


So far the seedlings have been using what their moma gave them. They need to find their own food now though. Me, I would of wet the coco with an ec around 0.5 anyway. Which I feel is less than some potting mixes. As a gauge, consider that you couldn't grow with a 0.5 so why would you try using less. It's not enough? I root cuts with about 0.8 and my seeds tend to be getting the same. Though an early start does seem to burn then quite easy, so I won't hatch them with more than 0.5 which is as low as coco the substrate needs as maintenance. Or you get a crazy amount of K.

Well put and thank you friend you make a lot of sense with your coco information.

 

[Løw Spark]

How is it going Law?

Not terrible, but I feel like I am always dealing with some sort of deficiency regardless of medium. Ph meter is always calibrated, and I always shoot for 6.0. This plant had a nice dark green color and sheen just a few days ago. Now it is fading in color and looking lazy as shit.

 

[goingrey]

Increase the feed..

 

[exploziv]

Also make sure your nutes contain Mg, or add some more.

 

[Ca++]

I'm not convinced more feed will fix this, though I do agree it's an availability issue.

This is running too dry. Coco doesn't need extra drainage, and fabric pots might work in big sizes, but here we have water retention problems. The more the roots have to occupy the dry space, the worse the issue will get.

This high K environment is reported to block Mg. I think Mg could green them up, but in these dry conditions it's going to head to towards toxicity.
Both Ca and N are said to block K, but I have balanced K against N and seen it the other way around also. I think that Ca could also be a problem with high K levels, where Ca is unable to move as it's too dry.

The K Ca and Mg are a group of their own. In some circles, the ratio between them is seen as very important.


In the interests of transparency, I don't like the look of this grow. I just see problems with it.

 

[Løw Spark]

Good to know. These are more of an open mesh too, so probably even worse. I’ll try to get them into something plastic. I never ended up using the Sea-K with these. Strictly Megacrop 1 part so far.

 

[troutman]

I feed like I'm feeding a baby initially.

Just a few drops of nutrients per litre of water and go up slowly.

 

[exploziv]

If there is change to hurt the roots I would not transplant them. Actually, I wouldn't transplant them. Just do better next time.
You can just water more often, to keep the coco moist.

 

[Løw Spark]

If there is change to hurt the roots I would not transplant them. Actually, I wouldn't transplant them. Just do better next time.
You can just water more often, to keep the coco moist.

Roger that. But I can just use something as simple as a 3g nursery pot with coco?

 

[exploziv]

Sure, any pot with proper drainage is good.

 

[Løw Spark]

Can they be fed daily at this point?

 

[Ca++]

I doubt it could get too wet, so a daily refresh might also help with the fast dry-back I envisage at the sides. People have also spoke of a dry side issue, allowing feed to run out easily. Giving a pour through, that's not really wet all it should of done. Perhaps watering with a rose (and perhaps using some of the copious amounts of waste again) you could carry on carefully.

I'm having crazy ideas about running some wrap around them, as a moisture barrier. I know they are not impossible to work with, but that's quite a bit of perlite. I think you will soon get run-through.

 

[Løw Spark]

Goddamn, what a difference already. I think a huge part of the problem was me treating this too much like soil. I’m only running at 1.0EC/500ppm right now and they already look a million times better.

 

[Løw Spark]

I am starting some new seeds again and I want to be on top of this from day 1.

At the time of sowing, when I soak my perlite/coir mix for the first time, how strong (in EC) should this first feeding be?

I use Megacrop Original as my base.