Feeding schedule question and are red stems not that bad?

A much more experienced grower told me on an earlier thread that i should be feeding every other watering rather than every watering. So, a day or so back I watered with just pH balanced distilled water. The next day or so, I aready noticed red stems coming back (back when i was figuring out how much i should feed them, they stayed around until i found a balanced amount of nutes to feed). I'm wondering, are red stems kind of a minor thing?

I heard that it may be genetics but also red that it's also signs of a deficiency along NPK. When I did up my nutes a bit the leaf stems were nice and green again (and some that were on the main stem stopped appearing).

Also, because I watered them with just distilled water and they appeared, I'm guessing they'd lessen so the next time i feed em, but come back again when i water again.

Which brings me to my question,
let's say my schedule is FEEDING EVERY OTHER WATER with HALF NUTES.
Would that be the same effect, salt buildup, as FEEDING EVERY WaTER with FOURTH NUTES?
or
is 'feeding every other watering' much more important that i should up my nutes so it'll carry over through the watering period?

You don't have to water without nutrients. Just give it a good runoff each time, and you'll not have salt buildup even if you feed with every watering! Edit: Do not water with distilled water, the plants really NEED the elements (which are found in tap-water or mineral-water).

For 'give it a good run off each time' do you mean water until it has some run off collected and then dump it? Cuz i just let it soak back up into the soil so im guessing it'd keep that salt content.

I wouldn't use distill water if my tap wasn't hard, around 300-350ppm or something. There's alot of unnecessary elements in tap. not so much mineral-water(bottled?) that stuff im sure is on point.

anyway, if my question poses true, then you're right. i don't have to water without nutes if using quarter strength nutes every feeding equals the same content as half nutes feeding every other watering. maybe me feeding half nutes every watering is the schedule i need if it keeps red stems at bay, and maybe that would equal feeding full strength nutes every other watering. i just want to make sure i'm not missing something.

its okay to give nutes with every watering, just dont give them to much

stateless said:

For 'give it a good run off each time' do you mean water until it has some run off collected and then dump it? Cuz i just let it soak back up into the soil so im guessing it'd keep that salt content.

I wouldn't use distill water if my tap wasn't hard, around 300-350ppm or something. There's alot of unnecessary elements in tap. not so much mineral-water(bottled?) that stuff im sure is on point.

anyway, if my question poses true, then you're right. i don't have to water without nutes if using quarter strength nutes every feeding equals the same content as half nutes feeding every other watering. maybe me feeding half nutes every watering is the schedule i need if it keeps red stems at bay, and maybe that would equal feeding full strength nutes every other watering. i just want to make sure i'm not missing something.

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Sounds like you are on the right track.

Personally, I keep my pots 1 inch above the trays (1 inch of air under them), so the runoff never gets sucked back up. Therefore I tend to feed (water) quite a bit - about 10% runoff.

In your situation, I guess I would empty the tray rather quickly - as I would still give it about 10% "too much".

If you don't, you are depriving the roots of proper gas exchange and old salts build up.

I always feed with every watering, but of course - you have to read the plants and alter fertilizer-strength accordingly.

Alright, thanks for the heads up. Dumping my runoff will be one of my changes while i find my fertilizer-strength then.