twentyeight.threefive
Well-Known Member
Did you raise the lights?
Plants are looking terrible and idk why? Coco/Perl + salts
- Thread starter YourStonerBuddy
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YourStonerBuddy
Well-Known Member
twentyeight.threefive
Well-Known Member
Also, I’d skip focusing on runoff and worry about what’s going in.
EKG Cal Canna
Well-Known Member
I started running a 3 part salt after Years of liquid/organic.Had a similar problem,started flushing after every 9th feeding with just tap water & 5ml cal mag & it cleaned it up.Even if youre using cleanse or hydro cleaner,it still seems to clog up
If you're in coco and feeding properly, you can go from seed to harvest without ever flushing or getting "clogged" up.
- keep the coco wet by feeding at least once daily
- feed to at least 10% runoff at each fertigation
- feed at the appropriate EC
EKG Cal Canna
Well-Known Member
I've grown in coco forever & come out with better roots/more flower by almost drying out between feedings. When I've kept em wet my root growth & yield isn't as great & I run a veg & 2 flower rooms so I cut a crop every 30 days,When finished I cut the 5g bags open & check the rootball on a bunch & almost always have much more root.My personal thought is that they work harder & roots dig deeper when they're getting close to dry.Weve all got our ways!
twentyeight.threefive
Well-Known Member
Do whatever you like in your grow but that’s not how things work with the roots.
EKG Cal Canna
Well-Known Member
We've all got our ways like I said.. Ive done this commercially for many years,Do Much research as to improve product & yield,faced Many obstacles,disease & bugs even the dreaded Pythium, facility wide & recovered.I take lots of notes & do Much research to come to my conclusions.My biggest problems have always occurred when running wet,root aphids phythoprotha fusarium Pythium ect.Luckily there's much information in these threads & one can always do his research from all the info we put out there & come to his own conclusions! I don't have a PhD in botany or horticulture,only experience & only here to share my experiences with those having issues so they might have more success in their growing. I don't run in coco anymore at The Shop since converting to double stack pallet rack & led 6 mos ag
nly at my r&d side gro. I'm now running rockwool on automation
nly at my r&d side gro. I'm now running rockwool on automationAnd that's why you're flushing every nine feeds - letting the substrate dry using salt-based ferts causes salt build up.
Perhaps your coco contains too much coco peat (coco dust) which compacts the substrate because you're the only person I've ever heard that had better growth using a wet/dry cycle with coco. It's effectively hydroponic; the coco is literally only there to hold the plant upright.
If your plant root theory were correct, then everyone in DWC would have shitty root growth and yields.
budtoker221
Well-Known Member
There’s a difference between letting the substrate dry 100% and letting it dry 60%, all the salt build up references seem to be referring to when it dries 100
Incorrect. Due to transpiration and evaporation, which removes water faster than the plant can take up nutrient salts, the EC of water suspended in the substrate will always rise. By feeding the correct EC frequently enough to keep the coco wet and to at least 10% runoff each feeding, the water suspended in the substrate will maintain a consistent EC.
Don't do either one, and the salinity will rise in the root zone. This is exactly why you're flushing on the 9th feed. You can't claim that you flush with calmag water every 9th feed because "things clog up" but also claim that your 60% dryback protocol will not cause a salt build up because that "clog" you're speaking of is a salt build up.
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EKG Cal Canna
Well-Known Member
To each their own, I get it. I've run a 300 current culture & never gotten the yields as I've got from coco cause I couldn't get enough plants under 1 light. Now I have gotten some Premium flower out of dwc! Just not enough of it to justify the work/ expense of dwc. there's 100 ways to skin a cat,Don't shoot the messenger. Growing isn't just a hobby for me,it's how many of us now are fortunate enough to make a legal living.I don't Know Everything that's why I follow forums as to keep learning & share my experiences.
EKG Cal Canna
Well-Known Member
I don't think anyone let's it dry out 100% ! Let me rephrase that.,uptake slows & a flush starts them eating again.,a little calmag seems to keep my dark green for a couple days til pots aren't soaked & they're ready to eat. When they're wet & not eating & pots are staying wet,I don't keep feeding because of root rot. I've seen The Best, 5 a light, Best weed ever growers online, behind a keyboard..I didn't write The Book.Theres lots of ALL knowing folks online.I just share what's worked for me.
EKG Cal Canna
Well-Known Member
That's it !
budtoker221
Well-Known Member
I haven’t been flushing or use cal mag, I think you’re message was a response Cal Cannas post?
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60% dry, 100% dry, it doesn't matter. The EC will rise.
Yes, uptake slows because you're starving the plant of water due to 1) not giving it enough and 2) the bigger is of the ratio of salt to water in the substrate increasing due to drybacks, making it difficult for the plant to find non-salty water. Think of a human trying to drink ocean water when dehydrated. To prevent pythium, you use the same protocols as in DWC.
As for the sarcasm about keyboard growers, I know plenty of people in all sorts of occupations a hell of a lot more scrutinized than growing weed that do sub-optimal work for decades and think they're spot on.
You can certainly grow in coco doing a wet/dry protocol, but it is not the most optimal way of doing it. I'm not trying to convince you of anything - I'm posting it for others that want to grow in coco.
Yes. My apologies.
waterproof808
Well-Known Member
Sea salt is made by evaporating salt water. The same process happens in your medium when you let it dry back too much, salts fall out of solution and crystallize causing your EC to spike.
Some feeding methods like crop steering, do intentional drybacks to allow EC to slightly spike at night. Then the next day they do a bunch of very quick feedings periodically until run off is achieved which brings the EC back down.
Some feeding methods like crop steering, do intentional drybacks to allow EC to slightly spike at night. Then the next day they do a bunch of very quick feedings periodically until run off is achieved which brings the EC back down.
One of the most illustrative examples of why drying coco isn't great. Well done!