Crysmatic
- 529
- 43
Precharging coir is important because it locks onto calcium and magnesium on a molecular level (depending on the brand you use, some come precharged as I understand it). Magnesium, being mobile within the plant, is very easy to correct if a deficiency occurs. Calcium, on the other hand, is immobile and I've spent some time with my first couple of grows chasing calcium deficiencies. If you get a coir that's not precharged with calcium at least, then you can expect problems UNLESS you make up for it in the feeds, which I've found can be touchy unless you're really good with math and chemistry.I've not grown in coco before. Can someone explain what you mean by precharge and what the dolomite lime is used for?
-- iCultivate --
Actually on another forum we were discussing how dolomite lime just isnt a good choice for super soil mixes or as a buffer. I dropped it a few mixes ago and havent looked back. Folks have found it particularly an issue in coco mixes screwing things.
I have never ever pre charged, and never had an issue. Not sure why its such a big issue for some...curious if it has to do with people relying on "calmag" instead of calcium only sources.
Precharging coir is important because it locks onto calcium and magnesium on a molecular level (depending on the brand you use, some come precharged as I understand it). Magnesium, being mobile within the plant, is very easy to correct if a deficiency occurs. Calcium, on the other hand, is immobile and I've spent some time with my first couple of grows chasing calcium deficiencies. If you get a coir that's not precharged with calcium at least, then you can expect problems UNLESS you make up for it in the feeds, which I've found can be touchy unless you're really good with math and chemistry.
I personally don't think DL is the best thing to use because it's chock full of carbonates (any time you see the CO3 molecule, you know it's a carbonate and chances are it's got whatever other molecule attached to it basically on lockdown, difficult to break apart without using strong acids). DL is CaMgCO3, that is calcium magnesium carbonate, so it's nothing but carbonate. What's the problem with carbonates? What they do to the water and eventually soil columns--buffer pH and tend to buffer upward into the 8 range IME in aquatics. In fact, we use dolomite, aragonite and crushed coral in the tanks of fishes that like high pH water in order to keep it buffered high.
I personally prefer to use Ca separately from Mg in coir cultivation for a few reasons, and I think other forms of calcium that aren't attached to a carbonate molecule are a better choice. Yes, even CaNO3.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?