Coco & Cal Mag deficincies

irishboiii · Jun 22, 2014

Hey guys, so I keep hearing about how coco leeches cal mag and just wanted to know at what point you start adding cal mag to the water?

I have 4 seedlings in solo cups, 2 days old and the first true leaves are now about the same size as the cotyleydons. The leaf tip on one look a bit purple, and another seedling leaf tip looks a bit pale yellow.

The only cal mag I could get was "plant magic magne cal" and its details are:

2.6 - 0.1 - 0.3 and contains 4.96% Ca and 2.58% Mag

Should I add a bit of this to the distilled water Iv been giving them?

Also, how do I go about adding this to the nutrient mix during veg? It seems a tad high in Nitrogen and since Il be using AN Grow Micro Bloom combo would that end up in a Nitrogen overdose?

Total noob to all this and when the seedlings outgrow the solo cups Il be transplanting into 3gal hempy buckets.

Thanks in advance guys

Seamaiden · Jun 23, 2014

Did you pre-charge the coir? That's what usually needs to be done UNLESS it's a brand that pre-charges for you.

irishboiii · Jun 23, 2014

No I didnt add anything to it as I always thought that you never add nutes until its at least a week old.

Im also freaking out right now, I dont understand my EC meter at all. I mixed up a small amount of nutes into 1L of water and got the PH to 5.5

Then I test the EC and it says 999 with an upside down h and an S next to it.

I take the meter out, rinse it, test it again and it says "100 x10".

I rinse again, test again, and its at 968 with that upside down h and S next to it again.

What the hell is going on? I dont know what any of this means. Im using an EC-3 made by HM Digital

dieseldawg2480 · Jun 23, 2014

should pre-charging only be done with seedlings planted in coir? or all new coir being used?

Seamaiden · Jun 23, 2014

All new coir being used, UNLESS it comes pre-charged for you.

irishboiii said:
No I didnt add anything to it as I always thought that you never add nutes until its at least a week old.

Im also freaking out right now, I dont understand my EC meter at all. I mixed up a small amount of nutes into 1L of water and got the PH to 5.5

Then I test the EC and it says 999 with an upside down h and an S next to it.

I take the meter out, rinse it, test it again and it says "100 x10".

I rinse again, test again, and its at 968 with that upside down h and S next to it again.

What the hell is going on? I dont know what any of this means. Im using an EC-3 made by HM Digital

I can't tell you what's going on with your meter. I would call the manufacturer for help.

The 'never add nutes' is, in my experience, true with soil. I've never started seedlings in coir, so I couldn't say whether or not for sure, but I do know that it's not soil and thus gives absolutely no nutrition until/unless you add it in.

irishboiii · Jun 23, 2014

I dont have any phone credit to ring them, literally dont have a cent until Friday. This is very frustrating

dieseldawg2480 · Jun 23, 2014

irishboiii said:
I dont have any phone credit to ring them, literally dont have a cent until Friday. This is very frustrating[/quote
try taking batteries out, then put back in and recheck reading. or replace batteries? also u could try gently cleaning probe with toothbrush.[/quote

irishboiii · Jun 23, 2014

I just created a thread about the EC issue to get more eyes on it as its urgent.

Could the upside down h just be a U, which with the S beside it would mean its giving a reading in US PPM?

irishboiii · Jun 23, 2014

View attachment 416926

Heres a pic of the specifications, maybe one of you might understand it. The EC range shows that upside down h symbol

irishboiii · Jun 23, 2014

Just in case the other pic wont work

Coir · Jun 23, 2014

uS is "microsiemens". Take a look here for more explanation and how to convert those numbers to other measurement units if you need/want to. http://www.translatorscafe.com/cafe...calculator/microsiemens-to-millisiemens-[mS]/

irishboiii · Jun 23, 2014

Thanks man, figured it out after much searching on google lol.

Im still overwhelmed by PH and PPM in general, I dont know how to balance them. One goes up and the other goes down.

I just tried to make a litre of 5.5 PH and 300 PPM plain water (distilled) there and just ruined it. By the time I got the PH correct I had added so much PH+ and PH- that the PPM was through the roof

Coir · Jun 23, 2014

You should never be adding both pH up and pH down at the same time. Always start with a very small amount of one or the other(whichever is necessary) and make more tiny adjustments as needed. Adjusting a larger volume of water will be easier than 1 litre as well. You don't need your water to be exactly 5.5. If growing in coir(coco) then anywhere between 5.5 and 6.5 will be fine. Also, add your full strength nutrients first to your makeup water and then check your pH. No need to pH it first unless it's really high or low to begin with.

irishboiii · Jun 23, 2014

Thanks for the tips man. Never knew that your not meant to add PH up and down in the same mix.

Il get the hang of it eventually, I think this is the only thing left that seems complicated now, once I learn this I should be fine.

So much to it, from trying to balance PH and PPM, to calibrating the meters etc.

How do you find the balance between PH and PPM? When one goes down it drives the other up

Coir · Jun 23, 2014

Nutes will lower the pH. How much depends on the brand and what they use for ingredients. Liquids tend to be more acidic because they need to remain in a liquid state so many manufacturers use phosphoric acid as a source of P. Powders will be less acidic. Depending on your startup water, once you add nutes, you might need to add an adjuster. I am lucky as my well water is 6.4 out of the ground and adding my nutrient brings the pH right to 5.8 so I don't use any adjustment for my coir or rockwool. For my NFT trays, I see a slight upward drift over time and use a small amount of pH down as needed. It's still important to make SMALL adjustments when using pH adjusting chemicals rather than over doing it and then having to go the other way. Time, patience, practice.....

irishboiii · Jun 23, 2014

But lets say I get my PH perfect, say 5.8 for examples sake. But then I test PPM and its way to high, or too low. How do I fix PPM without disrupting PH?

Coir · Jun 23, 2014

I think you are over thinking all of this. Mix up a gallon of water/nutes at your desired strength(ppm) and see what the pH is. Let me know what happens.

irishboiii · Jun 24, 2014

Ok, will do this later when I get home

irishboiii · Jun 24, 2014

Ah I think I get it now, you go by PPM first and THEN adjust the PH using PH+ or PH-?

Il try what you said anyway, just hope that when I get my desired PPM of 200-300 that the PH isnt sky high or too low in which case the PPM would skyrocket from the PH+ or PH-.

Il let you know how I get on anyway lol

urban1026835 · Jun 24, 2014

I rarely bother with my ppm meter. I will do a final rinse of my coco before using with a 1/2 strength nutrient mix. Once my cuts or seedlings need water again I start them at 1/4 strength and work my way untill I feel they are happy as they are gonna be.

sometimes overthinking can drive you nuts...just remember always start low and you cannot go wrong.

Coco & Cal Mag deficincies

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