It sounds like you're flying an airplane without instruments, Flowa. You are a Zen Master of growing for sure!
So... after about the 3rd week of veg, do you give the
full strength of nutes in the mfgr's instructions
until the end of flower? (I know that you need to go easy on the clones/seedlings before then.)
And if your monster plant needs more, do you -just- set the watering cycle to water more frequently? Or do you make the nute solution more concentrated?
If you do play around with the nute concentration... do you check your plant to see whether it's too weak or strong for her?
- What are the signs that you mixed the solution too strong?
- What are the signs that you mixed it too weak?
Sorry if these are very basic questions, but in my previous DWC/fogger system I had a lot of problems dialing in the right concentration, and it was always MUCH lower than what the mfgr recommended, all the way through flower. My plant would stop drinking whenever the nute solution was only up to about half strength or more. Then I'd have to dilute it down again. I hope this system eliminates that problem and I can give her the full strength recommended every week. That would greatly simplify my life!!!
[Just a correction to my previous post -- I wrote that when the nute concentration is too high, the pH jumps UP -- WRONG! It goes down. And if it's ok, the pH gradually goes UP, like you correctly stated. Can you tell I'm dyslexic?
]
I have my moments don't worry! Its all i know in this world, and i feel like its the one thing i'm meant to do
I appreciate your compliments! I have done many years of in depth research and grown up around cabbage patches
Plants can be manipulated quite drastically.
Yes after the 3rd week i will be giving what the online calculator tells me
I am using bare minimum for flowering, just Base A+B Gold range, Cyco's Silica and Dr. Repair But her'es the thing, because i'm combining 2 companies different nutrients they are quite different, I have to be careful with Dr. Repair anything over 1ml in combo with Dutch Masters seems to tickle her tips, which i JUST noticed, and Emptied 8 litres of water and replaced with neutral water. I would imagine her PH to be around 6.4 right now, and that is completely fine by my means. The higher margins will allow for more uptake of Magnesium which in turn will build and store carbs for flowering out, also Nitrogen will be maxed out and taking on more than enough lush green for the long run
as the iron won't be as dominant now from diluting the Dr. Repair. She will balance out by morning no problem. I'm expecting another earlier flush on saturday or sunday rather than Monday, as I noticed last grow the salt build up in the res was a little rough and i could of used florakleen perhaps. This was due to me over-feeding Potassium (potash) on top of Gold range add.27 which is already enough Potassium for 4-5 weeks before CYCO's 'Swell' changeover.
My watering schedules go according to climate conditions. Hotter weather requires more frequent waterings and more consistent. This weird spring/winter weather i'm confused as to how things should be, especially with this being a new strain for me i know nothing about.... She looks pretty happy given her High canopy level and 2 x 600 HPS in a 140 x 140 x 200 tent
temps are an absolute crazy 26 degrees at canopy level the new fan/filter combo is sooo good that i had to 'snake' the ducting around the room to maintain SOME warmth! This is with 2 x 600s!!! Mainly around every 3 hours and when lights are off just 2 feeds to keep humidity stable.
Another thing is, sometimes we can perceive the plant as having too much food, when it could be something else entirely. Always double check the checklist on the way out of the grow room, that has been my main fixer on most of my brain melting moments! do the checklist
Sometimes the plant is getting accustomed to the stronger mix and while she changes her chemical makeup slightly she may be enlarging her rootzone, to be able to sufficiently take on all the extra combo
A tiny bit of leaf burn is a good sign you're pushing the boundaries, like i say tease them bit by bit and obsess in the grow room
check every day, and change small things to see what things change what, you would be amazed at how little many know about growing plants! There is a simple side to things, taking the nature way, or pushing boundaries, and finding out new possibilities, something many might NOT have tried
I will happily say without an issue I'm MORE than happy with my product each and every time, as when you grow only 1, and lets face it, it not a 2 ouncer.... you want it to work out!! so i try not to spice things up too hard, but my research is taking me to new found answers, and lost information due to the legality side of things damn it...
Signs that you've mixed too weak or too strong. bit of a toughy! um i would say to little is going to show slow growth, and relaxed low energy look/appeal. Too much nutrient and she can change colours, become brittle and her stems may snap at the slightest touch MAAAAAYBE usually burnt leaf tips. That is where growth energy is displaced. Imagine the leafs tip as a skin pore, too much nutrient and the nutrient will try to leach itself out of the plants tips (leaf tips) and the excess metals result in a 'burnt' or discoloured ends/tips of leaves across the OVERALL plant... Too much nutrient can and will stop growth to an almost nothing, where the rootzone is wasting space, ad trying to fight off a never ending battle against excess salts (minerals that become oxidized and useless) Best thing i would recommend would be a florakleen flush for a day or 2 depending on how bad, i wouldn't starve a plant for longer than that, more problems may arise than you had to begin with.
"I watch my leaf vigor and her smell which i feel is more than enough if not better that a ph/ppm reading"
WTF? You smell your plant to check PPM/PH? You must be a savant or something...maybe a sixth sense?...idk? You should start a cult. I would follow you. Jk. That's amazing. I'm still a bit confused about your process.
You add nuts to tap water and your PH ends up within range with no adjustment? You're not using PH perfect right? I thought just about all nutrient lines will knock your PH way down and require some adjusting.
"If you put your base in first you are adding a salty solution, then say you add 'silica' The silica will react because of the way it has been 'precipitated' and this happens if you add this in concentration on top of your base."
I'm using the FF line. Right now it's Micro Bloom or Kangaroots, Open Sesame then base nuts & Calmag Plus. Correct me if I'm wrong...Micro Bloom, Kangaroots and Calmag Plus are the only ones considered to be additives. If I'm using 2 additives like Calmag and Micro Bloom, does it matter which is added first? I wasn't sure if the Calmag Plus counts as an additive or base because it has base nutrients (N) in it also.
"Plus i flush extremely thorougly and add the flower nutrient ASAP"
Do you flush once every week for about 24 hours and the same before flowering? Thanks for the help.
I say additives first just to re-enforce the idea what can happen with precipitates. CalMag, is Calcium nitrate and magnesium sulphate sourced from a pure form, these are highly soluble in water and won't react anything like Silica. Silica is a very unique synthesis. But plays a vital role in transporting vital vitamins and beneficial bacteria. It also helps to maintain strong supportive stems and rids the system of systemic diseases ( attacking the cells ) Depending on how the company went about their additives, some may add them to a base as a 1 part formula, there is easy ways and complicated ways i like a bit of excitement and have much more control over how i want my product to be. We can all manipulate things like weight and flavour including enhancing original characteristics. Technology these days.... scary. We're talking Scientists in labs working with Nano elements and atoms. There are so many nutrient companies out there, but finding out the KEY elements and minerals and knowing their job and abilities helps to go a looong way.
Calmag may have a little nitrogen in it to buffer it back up a little, I've never used the product but heard many talk about it. I love Dr. Repair because it works similar to calmag as far as i know, having the iron helps bring those heavy metals down to where they are needed. There is a very in depth science to all this nutrient stuff! But there's just as many Pros out there saying its more simple than that. It's what you want to make of it
I think you maybe right about the 6th sense thing though... i get that alot. Mrs flowa is baffled when i pull out the measuring containers and add things up in my head
Haven't buggered it up yet touch wood
Advanced hydroponics of holland and rainwater ends at 5.9 to 6.0 ph. I only use ph up down when i use things like flower stimulator and pk booster.
Good stuff
the less ph adjuster the better!
im in dwc and dont have a ppm meter i used to use ph drops and check daily now in i just make a solution occasionally use drops to check, then let her get on with it for the week. if theres problems i let the plant tell me through again leaf, colour and overall growth....
all growers can do this more growers just need to start reading there plants better and let the plant do some work we baby them enough!!
You are spot on
i believe we ALL can, I think people are more observant these days, well i feel i am
I took pics tonight but may upload them tomorrow, haven't gone through them yet, if i will.... so stoned lol
AWESOME INPUT TO EVERYONE!!! Questions get Answers and people learn
There's nothing quite like standing 5 feet back from the tent with my beautiful woman with the door wide open at harvest time seeing that massive tree in one of my bedrooms..... its SUCH a remarkable WONDROUS thing!! in such little time as well. GOOD LUCK.
