Skillcraft
Well-Known Member
I will be flipping my plants to flower this weekend and was wondering if feeding once per day is sufficient or if I should feed twice a day. Thanks for any replies and advice.
How often to feed plants in coco coir?
- Thread starter Skillcraft
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lusidghost
Well-Known Member
It depends on the size of your pots. You can water them once a day unless they require more. I've never had to water mine more than once, but a few grows would get close towards the end of flowering.
Also I thought you were supposed to water close to lights on.
Also I thought you were supposed to water close to lights on.
Skillcraft
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the reply. I was thinking same thing you said. Much appreciated and happy growing.
TintEastwood
Well-Known Member
Star Dog
Well-Known Member
If you feed after lights on then before off it'll just run back out unused, the amount used during the night is minimal.
Just now It's early flower I'm feeding 2 hours after the light come on then 4 hrs x2 leaving 2 hours before off, itll go up to every 2 hours in the near future.
Does it make a difference...no what you might expect, you can get great results with a feed a day so long as you use the right pot size.
I only do it because I can if I was manually feeding it would be set up for one feed a day, if I could manage two feeds great but it wouldn't depend on being fed twice.
Just now It's early flower I'm feeding 2 hours after the light come on then 4 hrs x2 leaving 2 hours before off, itll go up to every 2 hours in the near future.
Does it make a difference...no what you might expect, you can get great results with a feed a day so long as you use the right pot size.
I only do it because I can if I was manually feeding it would be set up for one feed a day, if I could manage two feeds great but it wouldn't depend on being fed twice.
Skillcraft
Well-Known Member
My pots are 7 gallon fabric pots. I have the time since I am disabled to feed as many times as needed. Thanks everyone for the replies and advice it is much appreciated.
twentyeight.threefive
Well-Known Member
Never feed before lights out.
jondamon
Well-Known Member
I’ve been using coco for 12 years and never needed to go above once a day using 3.5Gallon pots.
jondamon
Well-Known Member
That’s not to say you CANT feed more though.
and I’m actually looking into a 2 plant drip system for automating the feeding lol.
Star Dog
Well-Known Member
If you are feeding once a day you have to make some allowance for the ec rising over the day depending on pot size, a bigger pot will reduce the ec rise in comparison to a smaller one.
Temperature and humidity also play a big part in the ec, hot dry conditions will elevate the ec much more than ideal conditions so more frequent feeding or lower ec offset is beneficial.
Temperature and humidity also play a big part in the ec, hot dry conditions will elevate the ec much more than ideal conditions so more frequent feeding or lower ec offset is beneficial.
Flowki
Well-Known Member
As others have pointed out pot size and foliage mass dictates watering frequency, but as does humidity and temps.
I don't know how else to explain this other than a 4x4 example so here goes.
If you were using 4 pots in a 4x4, each pot will use up 1/4 of the foot print (assuming you're using a net). That is a lot of foot print for one plant so that pot would need to be at-least 15L (5-6 gallon) for manual feeding. If you are using any kind of automated drip system you can use smaller pots, 7L or 2-3 gal, bigger than that is a likely waste of medium for automated.
Assuming you are manual feeding, 15L is quite big but it gives you very good options. If your temps are 78-80F and your humidity is 60+% you will be able to feed every other day in veg with 600W lighting. If using less light than that, don't expect to be watering as much, as less light = slower growth.
Further more, high humidity will reduce watering amount due to limited transpiration (it isn't always a bad thing btw), lower temps will also reduce watering amount since the plant processes are slowed down. On the flip side, higher than guided temps may increase watering amount, most certainly if humidity is low. Low humidity will increase need for watering, just like you drinking more on a hot day. Under 60% is where you will begin to see the effects of this, dry leaves etc, particularly where temps are getting above 75F.
With the above 4x4, if you were were running 4 plants in 2 gallon pots with humidity at 50% and temps at 80f, you are setting yourself up to be feeding twice if not three times a day in later veg/flowering. Miss one of those days and you will return to dead plants, guaranteed.
You'd want 4 plants in 5-6 gallon pots with humidity above 60% minimum, along with 80F temps. Humidity can be a difficult one to maintain in certain climates, but put out a dish or two of water on the floor if you are consistently below 60%. Or use a humidifier, let that do the work rather than you.
In flower the plants will begin to use more water, however, with the correct size pots you should not need to increase how many times you feed per day or every other day. All that should happen is that you increase the amount that you feed. For example if you were feeding 3-4L ever other day in veg, you should be looking to step up to 6-8L every other day in flower (depends on pot size, be it 15L pots or 20L pots)
You can get away with feeding every other day in flower just like that, but you need to have the environment, pot size and one other thing. In late veg or first week of stretch, remove ALL of the lower leaves and branches 1/3 way up the plant. Basically anything you know is not going to make it into the light by the end of stretch. Although this lower foliage is not getting great ligtht and the lower leaves will eventually die out by week 5 or so, they will take water to stay alive until then. If you don't remove these then you can expect to see wilting when feeding every other day. The plant doesn't prioritise any given leaf based on light. It will try to keep them all alive for as long as it can. Removing the lower stuff will essentially mean you free up enough water so that the upper leaves will never wilt feeding every other day. If they are wilting, then you have a pot size or environment issue.
My personal opinion and advice is to step up-to bigger pots if manual feeding. I have tried this so many times, feeding every other day vs every day. It actually makes no noticeable difference so long as you have accounted for all of the above. That said, it is better to feed multiple times daily.. but do you really want to do that?. At that point go automated, you will definitely yield some 10% more that way. Only issue is that automated comes with flood risks and more logistics, along with cleaning things up between runs. If you don't want that hassle and don't want to be in your garden every day, don't be shy of feeding every other day in coco. You won't notice a yield hit when done right.
Don't take any of the above L or gallon measurements as complete gospel, it's just a ''close enough'' guide of the principles involved. You may get away with smaller, or may need larger pots or amounts. That parts for you to play with.
I don't know how else to explain this other than a 4x4 example so here goes.
If you were using 4 pots in a 4x4, each pot will use up 1/4 of the foot print (assuming you're using a net). That is a lot of foot print for one plant so that pot would need to be at-least 15L (5-6 gallon) for manual feeding. If you are using any kind of automated drip system you can use smaller pots, 7L or 2-3 gal, bigger than that is a likely waste of medium for automated.
Assuming you are manual feeding, 15L is quite big but it gives you very good options. If your temps are 78-80F and your humidity is 60+% you will be able to feed every other day in veg with 600W lighting. If using less light than that, don't expect to be watering as much, as less light = slower growth.
Further more, high humidity will reduce watering amount due to limited transpiration (it isn't always a bad thing btw), lower temps will also reduce watering amount since the plant processes are slowed down. On the flip side, higher than guided temps may increase watering amount, most certainly if humidity is low. Low humidity will increase need for watering, just like you drinking more on a hot day. Under 60% is where you will begin to see the effects of this, dry leaves etc, particularly where temps are getting above 75F.
With the above 4x4, if you were were running 4 plants in 2 gallon pots with humidity at 50% and temps at 80f, you are setting yourself up to be feeding twice if not three times a day in later veg/flowering. Miss one of those days and you will return to dead plants, guaranteed.
You'd want 4 plants in 5-6 gallon pots with humidity above 60% minimum, along with 80F temps. Humidity can be a difficult one to maintain in certain climates, but put out a dish or two of water on the floor if you are consistently below 60%. Or use a humidifier, let that do the work rather than you.
In flower the plants will begin to use more water, however, with the correct size pots you should not need to increase how many times you feed per day or every other day. All that should happen is that you increase the amount that you feed. For example if you were feeding 3-4L ever other day in veg, you should be looking to step up to 6-8L every other day in flower (depends on pot size, be it 15L pots or 20L pots)
You can get away with feeding every other day in flower just like that, but you need to have the environment, pot size and one other thing. In late veg or first week of stretch, remove ALL of the lower leaves and branches 1/3 way up the plant. Basically anything you know is not going to make it into the light by the end of stretch. Although this lower foliage is not getting great ligtht and the lower leaves will eventually die out by week 5 or so, they will take water to stay alive until then. If you don't remove these then you can expect to see wilting when feeding every other day. The plant doesn't prioritise any given leaf based on light. It will try to keep them all alive for as long as it can. Removing the lower stuff will essentially mean you free up enough water so that the upper leaves will never wilt feeding every other day. If they are wilting, then you have a pot size or environment issue.
My personal opinion and advice is to step up-to bigger pots if manual feeding. I have tried this so many times, feeding every other day vs every day. It actually makes no noticeable difference so long as you have accounted for all of the above. That said, it is better to feed multiple times daily.. but do you really want to do that?. At that point go automated, you will definitely yield some 10% more that way. Only issue is that automated comes with flood risks and more logistics, along with cleaning things up between runs. If you don't want that hassle and don't want to be in your garden every day, don't be shy of feeding every other day in coco. You won't notice a yield hit when done right.
Don't take any of the above L or gallon measurements as complete gospel, it's just a ''close enough'' guide of the principles involved. You may get away with smaller, or may need larger pots or amounts. That parts for you to play with.
Last edited:
Skillcraft
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the detailed and great advice you gave in your response. I have a much better grasp on how to move forward. I also want to thank everyone who responded. Everyone's help is greatly appreciated.
agare$969
Member
I know this is an older post but I'm feeding twice per day and im in the 3rd week of flower and I do notice burnt tips on some if not all fan leaves. Nothing too crazy but I'm wondering if I'm overfeeding a bit. I'm currently using a coco perlite mix of about 80/20 with dyna gro, bloom nute. Ppm is about 600-650 and pH is 5.9-6. I've been finding too lately that after I test my run off in the evening After feeding my ppm is coming in at about 500-530. I'm not sure why that is. It's my 1st grow as well.
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Star Dog
Well-Known Member
It doesn't look or sound like you're overfeeding, your plants look fine in general.
Do you feed 2x a day because you have to due to plant size or are you just happy to keep on top by feeding twice, i can't see your pot size?
agare$969
Member
I'm actually not even sure why I'm feeding twice daily. I was told by a few folks on here to water multiple times daily if using coco during veg but this is the first plant I've ever grown and brought to flower so when I flipped from veg to flower I went from 3 daily feedings to two during flower and I slowly introduced bloom nutes after the first week of flower and the stretch. I was told that bc I'm using coco and salt based nutes and I'm manually feeding them to feed multiple times daily to avoid root damage or nute burn from excess salt In the media as well. But again I don't know. I've just been sort of going based off my run off and Ive been sort of scared to drop a feeding bc they do Look healthy aside from the tips of the fan leaves that's the only thing I can see. I believe it's a 3 gallon pot.
Star Dog
Well-Known Member
There's truth in multiple feeds but it plant + pot size related, a big plant in a small pot will need multiple feeds a day to stop the ec getting out of control, a small plant in a big pot has limited impact on the available ec.
When you feed the 2nd time use a set amount then check how much is actually staying in the pot.
Fwiw if that's your 1st you're doing well, for nutrient strength i also use the run off as a guide it's generally kept me right.
agare$969
Member
See I still don't fully understand ppm to ec and vice versa or if I'm even using these terms In the right context lol. I'm just doing what a few other growers have told me to do as far as getting my pH and ppm dialed in then I just sort of made up a feed schedule. So for a 3 gal pot and a plant that size would you say 1 feeding per day would suffice or would I still need multiple feedings. The tent I'm running is (2x2x4') so the plant she's about 3.5' tall. I'm assuming she's a photo bc I started them in early September and I feel like if It was an auto it wouldn't be that big and would've flowered already. Thanks for the kind words though and the advice. Hopefully the rest of the grow goes well. If I need any advice you'll be hearing from me.
Star Dog
Well-Known Member
EC is a universal scale if you're using ec there's no mix ups with ppm scales.
You're doing just fine it takes a bit of time before you understand the reasons for various things required like pot size and it's relevance, a bit at a time!
It's difficult for me to get a scale of your plant and idk your environment, that plays a in the feed frequency/strength equation.
A hot dry environment will get through nutrient quicker than one that's in point because of water evaporation.
Going by how much your plant takes on the 2nd feed would be the decider for me, in the meantime anyway.
How much does it take in the morning and how much does it take at night?
agare$969
Member
I know I know. My thirst for knowledge exceeds my ability to retain it at times lmao. Fr though, I fell head over heals for these plants. My morning feed just measured 535ppm and 5.3ph which I'm not sure what that means considering what I'm feeding had a ppm of 650 and a pH of 5.9. I'm not sure if I'm giving you what youre asking for. Like the right numbers. Is that what you meant by how much it takes? I'm converting ppm to ec to get my ec btw IDK if I said that. I have a tds/EC meter but it only calculates in ppm and gives you the temp.