Is cal mag a must have?

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ImpulsiveGrower

ImpulsiveGrower

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New grower here going all organic with purple cow indicanja and roots organic terp tea bloom nutrients. The soil should carry me along for a good while and then I’ll be making compost teas. My question is should I have cal mag on deck and ready? Should I just add it to my nutrient regimen? Or wait and see if a deficiency pops up? Seems to be marketed heavily so are they just trying to sell me more nutrient bottles or not a this a real big issue I should be concerned with?
 
mancorn

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“You need Cal/Mag” & “It looks like a mag deficiency” are the two most widely posted advice on all cannabis forums (primarily by people on their 2nd grow). Much better advice is to simply look at the breakdown on your ferts, as I’d bet it contains both. Unless your growing with hydroponics, coco, or use distilled or RO water you probably do not need it. Your tap water almost assuredly contains calcium. (Calcium carbonate is the mineral most commonly associated with water hardness.) You can get Magnesium from Epsom Salt (which you can pick up at almost any drug store for a couple dollars.)
 
MIMedGrower

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I am not familiar with terp tea and I’m sure it’s a gimmic but make sure you have a veg ratio complete nutrient available. If you run out of nitrogen you will have faded plants early and no way to fix.
 
Effendi

Effendi

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“You need Cal/Mag” & “It looks like a mag deficiency” are the two most widely posted advice on all cannabis forums (primarily by people on their 2nd grow). Much better advice is to simply look at the breakdown on your ferts, as I’d bet it contains both. Unless your growing with hydroponics, coco, or use distilled or RO water you probably do not need it. Your tap water almost assuredly contains calcium. (Calcium carbonate is the mineral most commonly associated with water hardness.) You can get Magnesium from Epsom Salt (which you can pick up at almost any drug store for a couple dollars.)
the ghost of Jack Herer? lol, I don't know you dude, but this post should be a sticky post on the top of every deficiency thread on every board.

Or at least a must read capcha that must be marked as read before one posts up that variations of these most asked questions.
 
Aqua Man

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“You need Cal/Mag” & “It looks like a mag deficiency” are the two most widely posted advice on all cannabis forums (primarily by people on their 2nd grow). Much better advice is to simply look at the breakdown on your ferts, as I’d bet it contains both. Unless your growing with hydroponics, coco, or use distilled or RO water you probably do not need it. Your tap water almost assuredly contains calcium. (Calcium carbonate is the mineral most commonly associated with water hardness.) You can get Magnesium from Epsom Salt (which you can pick up at almost any drug store for a couple dollars.)
+1
I am not familiar with terp tea and I’m sure it’s a gimmic but make sure you have a veg ratio complete nutrient available. If you run out of nitrogen you will have faded plants early and no way to fix.
Ha e a buddy using terp tea... Im going to give coco a try with it in the future.

Bit low in calcium but most of the soils have plenty for a grow. Was going to add some gypsum to my coco for that as calcium and phosphorus are a bit harder to get with organics... by that I mean available cal and phos.

But yeah can't say it's needed at all in soil
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

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+1

Ha e a buddy using terp tea... Im going to give coco a try with it in the future.

Bit low in calcium but most of the soils have plenty for a grow. Was going to add some gypsum to my coco for that as calcium and phosphorus are a bit harder to get with organics... by that I mean available cal and phos.

But yeah can't say it's needed at all in soil


I could never buy it just because of the stupid name. ;-)
 
ImpulsiveGrower

ImpulsiveGrower

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I am not familiar with terp tea and I’m sure it’s a gimmic but make sure you have a veg ratio complete nutrient available. If you run out of nitrogen you will have faded plants early and no way to fix.
Terp tea is by roots organics and it’s a bloom nute. It’s a dry nutrient that you can top dress or mix with water. My purple cow organics indicanja soil has everything it needs to carry the plant far. Pic included to show ingredients
 
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Aqua Man

Aqua Man

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Terp tea is by roots organics and it’s a bloom nute. It’s a dry nutrient that you can top dress or mix with water. My purple cow organics indicanja soil has everything it needs to carry the plant far. Pic included to show ingredients
They have grow and bloom and many other products and microbes.

Generally the calcium in it is sufficient. They use dolomite lime... there is a difference in how fast these become available for uptake.

So having some cal mag on hand is not a bad idea for this reason. But in most cases not necessary
 
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ImpulsiveGrower

ImpulsiveGrower

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im using the purple cow indicanja

day 26 flower (58 days 0ld), auto caramelicious

no extra added anything. used 1/3 in the bottom and the rest Bushdoctor Coco Loco

View attachment 1119040
Wow so I may not even need any bloom nutes huh? Ya I’ve heard this stuff is really good and pretty much like “super soil”. So you only used it in the bottom 3rd and you haven’t had to use anything!?!? What size pot are you using? I transplanted mine into 3 gallon pots with 100% indicanja so I probably won’t need anything since you are getting these results with just using it on the bottom. That’s awesome man foreal I’m so glad I got this soil!
 
lvstealth

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how you are thinking... the more of the super soil, like the 100%, makes it last longer, is not quite right. the roots use what they want, and your soil has all the nutes they want. so as long as the roots have room, they "eat" what the soil contains. no matter if it has lots or just enough, they eat exactly what they need. they make lots of roots and then you will need to up-pot again. not because it "stopped working" or you "used it up" and just need to add stuff. it is because there is not much soil left, the roots break it down, and there are lots of roots, so the water just rinses through it - your plants will look like they need nutes, which they do, but through up potting, not through dumping stuff in them. you are trying to combine two methods, and that is fine, but i would figure one or the other out before blending them.

the 1/3 is because that is what they need, it is not exactly a more is better scenario. if they use up the 1/3 they will have filled the pot with roots. any more and the same results, they fill the pot up with roots - 100% or just what they need have the same result because the plant will only take what it needs when it needs it. when that happens, you cant just add stuff to the top, or dump stuff in their water, the roots cant drink, the water doesnt have anywhere to hang out for the roots to take sips. so putting 100% or 1/3 doesnt change what the plants take, they take what they want

if you use another method, not super soil, and you do the "add nutes to water then feed the medium" method, that is a different thing. (or any other way of doing it) you control what is available to the plant and for how long, if the plant needs more it tells you and you give it. with the "super soil" it has it all, the plant takes what it needs. so if it tells you something, it is most likely different than what it tells the guy feeding stuff. mostly what it tells you is "up pot me", or "omg, there are bugs!" it wont tell you it needs cal or mag or anything, it has it, as long as it has the soil, it has the good stuff in the soil. the problems dont come till it uses up what soil is there. it doesnt just use up the nutes and leave you with blank soil, it breaks down the soil as it goes.
 
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