Ionic Nutes Vs Gh Floraduo Vs Cutting Edge

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JMcG

JMcG

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Greetings growers!
( I started this with Ionic and Floraduo on my brain, but also should have included Cutting Edge in the title, can't edit it now tho... any help admin?)
Thought I would start a thread on this one. I have hinted around on other threads that I am switching from a GH Lucas formula to something different. I have used them for years in other systems with pretty decent success actually, but with my UC things are not finding the sweet spot so well. In trying to keep a low EC I end up deficient in some areas but seems over fed with Nitrogen most of the cycle. My hydro store says GH has increased the N in some of their additives as well and I am tired of chasing it down. I am at the point where I need to buy a new stock of bulk nutes anyway, so I am wanting to try something new. I am not interested in making this more difficult though, I like it simple... hence the two parts.
I have looked into Cutting Edge, Ionic, and now I am interested in the FloraDuo line as well. In fact, I picked up some FD yesterday, it was 25% off so I pulled the trigger on a qt of A and B.
I have two UC 4xl (13 gallon) sites, one that just got flipped a week ago and one that will be flipped in a couple of weeks. I plan to switch form Lucas to the FD in the first one in the next day or two. The lines are pretty similar so I think I can get away with it. The other pod will get either the CE or the Ionic. Either one is special order so I was hoping to get input right away.
So I guess my questions are:
Anyone ever compared the CE to Ionic?

Does anyone have a suggestion as to where to start with FD in UC? So far my runs have not wanted more than 300 ppms at peak with Lucas formula. My thought were to treat it like I did with Lucas, that is, use the " recipe" to make a concentrated solution and then dilute that down to 250- 300.

Will GH CaliMajic work with all of these too? Still have some to use up.

Thanks in advance for the input!
 
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JMcG

JMcG

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IMG 0050
IMG 0047

Here are FD feeding charts... I like the simple version!
 
JMcG

JMcG

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Cool , thanks for giving me a baseline to start with.
I flushed and recharged the four pod with FD last night. If I am reading you right, that 2-1-3 ratio in five gallons of RO got me to about 320 ppm. Just to hasten the re fill I actuall doubled the ratio in that five gallons to increase the ppms to around 650 and then added that to the 55 gallons or so of RO that the system holds. In the end I took it to 270 ppms which is close to what I was running before.
sound about right?
 
F

FooDoo

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My FD was 1:1:3 Calimagic:a:b which is actually what's recommended on the bottles. I didn't have to mess with it at all.

Depending on what week of bloom you are in you most likely shouldn't be diluting . By week 4 you should be around .6 ec and by week 7 you should be almost double that.
 
JMcG

JMcG

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Cool, thanks!
Yeah I thought it was a bit early for a 2:1:3... I will follow the bottle.
Week three right now. They are happy with my ppms right around 275 and I have not had to go much higher than 3-350 in the past. Are you really ending up closer to 600 ppms by peak flower?
 
JMcG

JMcG

517
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JMcG said:
Cool, thanks!
Yeah I thought it was a bit early for a 2:1:3... I will follow the bottle.
Week three right now. They are happy with my ppms right around 275 and I have not had to go much higher than 3-350 in the past. Are you really ending up closer to 600 ppms by peak flower?
Click to expand...
Moving into week five of flower and a couple of weeks since the change to Flora Duo on this run. I like what I am seeing so far. I have upped the ppms on my Rez changes to 400- 420 and let it drop slowly over the next seven to ten days. The ladies are looking really happy right now and exploding with growth. Just a hint of tip burn on a couple but no sign of curl or canoeing.
I just received my order of Ionic nutes and got the next four girls in veg switched over. Looking to start them in flower in a week or so. Should be interesting to see what happens between the two nutes.
 
JMcG

JMcG

517
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The plants using the Floraduo are chugging along nicely! I have been following the chart for the most part but only using it at 1/3 strength. I had it up around 420ppm and it seemed a bit too much for them so I backed it down to 375 and they are digging it. Upped the Cali magic to 3 Mlsper gallon, may go to four...
The ladies in veg made the nute transistion from GH Lucas to Ionic really easily. In fact, they flourished almost immediately. After a week they were ready and got moved into the bloom room under the big lights. I really like the simplicity of the Ionic line. Two part a and b but I only need to use one ata time... part a in veg, Part b in bloom, and maybe their PO booster a bit later on. I am also using botanicare silica at 2 ml per gallon as well.
I will try to get some pics up and keep this going
 
Aktommy

Aktommy

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I switched from GH (Lucas formula) to ionic years ago and haven't looked back. I use ionic PK boost/veg/bloom as needed. My plants love it.
 
snoopytime

snoopytime

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Thx guys trying Ionic now as well. got a 16 site UC running .5ml of CalMag Plus and 4ml of Ionic Grow, only been a few days but they like it so far . . no stunted growth or abnormality.

Any of you experienced chaps feel free to scribble down your rough usage, especially with the PK Boost . . . thx!
 
JMcG

JMcG

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Thanks six!
Update... the pod with the FD is in week six now. It has been a similar grow to the results I saw with the GH Lucas formula. Keeping ppms around 375 to 400 seems like a sweet spot in this UC set up, when I tried to push them a bit at week four they curled a bit and tips browned. Also seeing what I think is mag def. I just started using Epsom salts so we will see what happens on future runs. Overall plants look good. One GG4, one Death Star, and two 24k x LSD ( I think) in this pod.
The Ionic pod is in week three and they look very happy. Been using around 310 ppms , but they look like they want a bit more so I upped it to 325 yesterday. No pk boost yet. Two LSD and two Critical kush in this run.
 
JMcG

JMcG

517
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snoopytime said:
Hey there - either of you guys on Ionic in UC adding calmag as well? thxx
Click to expand...
So far, no.
But thanks for bringing this up... I was just looking at some brown specks in a couple of lower leaves on one of the lsd plants and wondered about throwing some cali magic at them. It's not in their feeding chart.
Glad to see you here six string. I was hoping someone with extended experience would chime in. What type of system are you in ?
So far I am liking what I see with the Ionic vs the Floraduo...
 
sixstring

sixstring

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Full disclosure, i.never ran a uc system.i used it in dwc for years though.i know ionic has some calcium and magnesium in it but not enough for hydro imo.i used 5 to 6ml calmag plus per gal when mixing up new res.but for topoffs i just used either grow or bloom depending on where the plant was.i also used the fossilfuel and from time to time the nitrozyme from the same company,hydrodynamic Inc. But my best runs were just the 3 part with adding calmag 1 x at res change which for me was every 7 days i reloaded with fresh and just did topoffs through the week.
 
JMcG

JMcG

517
93
Last night I flushed and refilled rez with Ionic nutes and added 2ml cali mag as well. Just did a couple of lights out epsom salt foliar apps a couple of days prior to that.
 
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