Please help, first time grower! I think my plants have Iron deficiency / Nutrient lockout

Masterdank420

Well-Known Member
Lol i just caught on ewc is earth worm castings. My bad.... im terrible with abbreviations. Either way the earth worm castings don't have any life left in em to break down the amendments enough in time to feed em. I'd opt for some organic liquid fertilizer instead of synthetics, it may be possible the microbes will take back to the medium eventually if there are sufficient enough castings in it.
 
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calvin.m16

Well-Known Member
Pretty much this, trying to do the Canadian style grow of Canucks, and how do you know, This question for the 5x5 grower that started this thread, how do you know the soil\media pH is too high?
Canuck is doing micro closet grows I wouldn't listen to that guy. Run coco with a liquid nutrient save your time and money. I run Cyco platinum and buy and use everything except B1 Boost, Grow XL & Ryzofuel. I run supplements at 1 oz per 10/gallons and feed at a constant 2.0 EC in flower 1.8 EC veg and get amazing results. I'm pulling 2 pounds per/1000w HPS with ease. I also don't have to screw with PH at all. Just take it easy on the silica.
 

Masterdank420

Well-Known Member
Canuck is doing micro closet grows I wouldn't listen to that guy. Run coco with a liquid nutrient save your time and money. I run Cyco platinum and buy and use everything except B1 Boost, Grow XL & Ryzofuel. I run supplements at 1 oz per 10/gallons and feed at a constant 2.0 EC in flower 1.8 EC veg and get amazing results. I'm pulling 2 pounds per/1000w HPS with ease. I also don't have to screw with PH at all. Just take it easy on the silica.
Canuk switched to living soil recently too, probably because it makes more sense than trying to grow organic in coco lol. Worm castings are expensive too.
 

elementhc

Active Member
If you want to grow with organics, use a peat based mix.

If you want to grow with salts, coco has it's benefits.

And a pH of 6.0 is pushing it with organics.
What should the water Ph be for organic dry amendments in coco? I read so many different forums they are going from 5.8-6.2 and then some are saying 6.0 to 6.5 or 6.5 to 6.8.
 

elementhc

Active Member
6.5 -6.8
Come to think of it that low ph is why you're microbes are dead.
That would explain the sudden deficiency after the last tea a week ago. I didn't check the ph of the tea before use and doesn't the tea lower the ph in the soil? Would making another tea at a higher ph bring the microbes back into the worm castings already in the soil?
 

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
What should the water Ph be for organic dry amendments in coco? I read so many different forums they are going from 5.8-6.2 and then some are saying 6.0 to 6.5 or 6.5 to 6.8.
I wouldn't use coco with dry amendments personally. And I barely ever adjust pH, even though my well water is at around 7.8.

But around 6.5 is the appropriate medium pH for organics with soil.
 

Masterdank420

Well-Known Member
That would explain the sudden deficiency after the last tea a week ago. I didn't check the ph of the tea before use and doesn't the tea lower the ph in the soil? Would making another tea at a higher ph bring the microbes back into the worm castings already in the soil?
Like i said, it's too late for the microbes to bounce back in time to break down the organic mater into nutrients and feed the plants sufficiently to not stunt the growth significantly.you're better off with bottled stuff. If you want to try it again next time go ahead but it's gonna be rough in coco. There's not much info on growing with dry amendments in coco because it's experimental and not for novice growers and isn't even recommended by experienced growers. Stick to soil if you want to do organics.
 
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Grojak

Well-Known Member
With new/hound clones and seedlings, I feed little to nothing until they show they need it. You should be fine but probably set yourself back a couple weeks
 

bamboofarmer

Well-Known Member
I'm kinda late to the party, and don't have much to add. Add nutrients as it becomes apparent they are needed. Teach the plants to be misers, rather than gluttons. Also, maybe a little over-watered?
 

elementhc

Active Member
Like i said, it's too late for the microbes to bounce back in time to break down the organic mater into nutrients and feed the plants sufficiently to not stunt the growth significantly.you're better off with bottled stuff. If you want to try it again next time go ahead but it's gonna be rough in coco. There's not much info on growing with dry amendments in coco because it's experimental and not for novice growers and isn't even recommended by experienced growers. Stick to soil if you want to do organics.
I'm going to the hydro shop today as soon as they open, do I just tell them I need a organic liquid fertilizer kit for coco?
Also when I get the liquid fertilizers what should I treat my coco like hydro or soil as far a ph goes or do I just follow the steps on the fertilizer bottles?
Do I wait for the medium to dry a bit more before introducing the liquid fertilizer?
With liquid fertilizer do I start feeding to 15% run off and should I go full strength on first feeding?
Thanks for the help just trying to get as much info before I go to the hydro shop.
 

twentyeight.threefive

Well-Known Member
I'm going to the hydro shop today as soon as they open, do I just tell them I need a organic liquid fertilizer kit for coco?
Also when I get the liquid fertilizers what should I treat my coco like hydro or soil as far a ph goes or do I just follow the steps on the fertilizer bottles?
Do I wait for the medium to dry a bit more before introducing the liquid fertilizer?
With liquid fertilizer do I start feeding to 15% run off and should I go full strength on first feeding?
Thanks for the help just trying to get as much info before I go to the hydro shop.
I wouldn't be looking for liquid organic nutrients for coco. Something like a one part nutrient like MegaCrop 1 part or MaxiBloom might be you best bet as a new grower.

The other problem you're going to run into is, how much dry amendments are still in that coco? Adding more nutrients on top of what's in there is bound to create issues but you can give it a shot. May take a little bit before they recover.

When growing normally in coco it should always stay wet, always be feed with nutrients, and always fed to runoff that doesn't stay in contact with the bottom of the pots.
 

Masterdank420

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't be looking for liquid organic nutrients for coco. Something like a one part nutrient like MegaCrop 1 part or MaxiBloom might be you best bet as a new grower.

The other problem you're going to run into is, how much dry amendments are still in that coco? Adding more nutrients on top of what's in there is bound to create issues but you can give it a shot. May take a little bit before they recover.

When growing normally in coco it should always stay wet, always be feed with nutrients, and always fed to runoff that doesn't stay in contact with the bottom of the pots.
Thats the thing, the op added worm castings to the medium and will now hold moisture better than just coco and works differently than only coco. Thats why im recommending organics instead of synthetics.
 

Masterdank420

Well-Known Member
I'm going to the hydro shop today as soon as they open, do I just tell them I need a organic liquid fertilizer kit for coco?
Also when I get the liquid fertilizers what should I treat my coco like hydro or soil as far a ph goes or do I just follow the steps on the fertilizer bottles?
Do I wait for the medium to dry a bit more before introducing the liquid fertilizer?
With liquid fertilizer do I start feeding to 15% run off and should I go full strength on first feeding?
Thanks for the help just trying to get as much info before I go to the hydro shop.
Yeah I'd go the full recommended dose as the girls are hungry. Im not sure if you should water until runoff in this particular situation... I've done bottled nutrients with coco only with good sucess which requires watering until runoff. Im concerned the earth worm castings will change the way the coco behaves making more like a soil and less like coco. I'm leaning towards no runoff though.
 
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