Maxibloom in drip using Coco.

[Prestige]

Hey guys! Got a question for all you Coco-heads out there:

My new setup will be recirculating, top-fed drip, in coco, 3 gal airpots (I know, kinda big).

I plan on running Maxibloom and K.I.S.S.

Will Maxibloom clog my lines? Should I expect a lot of buildup? What are you all doing to prevent or remedy this?

Also, do I need any micro nute with Maxibloom? I know it already has calmag and iron, but I would think it needs zinc, molybdenum, etc., etc. what product would you recommend for this? Is there something out there that is wide-ranged/comprehensive in micro nutes, but with little to no NPK values?

Much thanks in advance, I know the Farm will set me straight :)

 

[red x]

You could still use Epsom salt

 

[Prestige]

I plan on running Epsom Salts and CalMag as needed, but that's still only Cal, Mag and Sulpher. What about all the other microelements or nutrients?

 

[justanotherbozo]

...i only ran MaxiBloom for about a year and i hand watered so there were no lines to clog but there was often sediment in the bottom of my watering can so i expect you'll want to include something like H&G's Drip Clean, ...i can't swear to it though because i've never used it but i have read postings by other Maxi users who do swear by it, ...it's kinda pricey though so you'll have to decide for yourself.

peace, bozo

 

[Prestige]

Drip clean it is!... Or some other less expensive, but comparable product... Lol

Thanks Boz! Always on-deck with the good advice!

 

[dirtyshawa]

I think there might be another comparable product to drip clean, but I'm unsure. I wanna say I read it somewhere. Anyway, I fully cosign the Drip Clean...i would not grow in coco without it. Also, I always thought Drip Clean was relatively cheap, because you only need a few drops (.4 ml) per gallon. The value I get out of Drip Clean is right under the value I get from Superthrive and that shit lasts forever!

 

[justanotherbozo]

I think there might be another comparable product to drip clean, but I'm unsure. I wanna say I read it somewhere. Anyway, I fully cosign the Drip Clean...i would not grow in coco without it. Also, I always thought Drip Clean was relatively cheap, because you only need a few drops (.4 ml) per gallon. The value I get out of Drip Clean is right under the value I get from Superthrive and that shit lasts forever!

...my bad, it looked pricey to me 'cause i've never used it so i didn't know how little you use per gallon, i hand water so i have no need.

...i did know of the product though and the need that it fills so i offered what little i knew in hopes someone like you that actually was familiar with the product would come in and offer some actual experience.

peace, bozo

 

[dirtyshawa]

...my bad, it looked pricey to me 'cause i've never used it so i didn't know how little you use per gallon, i hand water so i have no need.

...i did know of the product though and the need that it fills so i offered what little i knew in hopes someone like you that actually was familiar with the product would come in and offer some actual experience.

peace, bozo

Don't sweat it bro...I hand water too. I use it, because it turns the salt that coco tends to build up into potassium or something that doesn't harm our plants...I forget exactly what it converts the salt to. My first coco grow I had tons of issues and couldn't figure out why I kept getting lockouts. Then I read about Drip Clean and all my problems were solved. The more I used it, the more I realized I didn't have to keep my coco wet or have any runoff. I let my coco dry completely out or very close to it before I water again. My root system gets a lot of beneficial oxygen this way, which increases the growth rate of my plants. Not sure, but I think the growth rate is something close to or if not double the rate of constantly keeping my coco wet. I use less nutrients this way and I don't have to worry about algae developing either. Drip Clean and Roots Excelurator are like gold to me, they've made a huge difference in my grows throughout the years! Those two are worth every penny.

 

[Lowman]

The more I used it, the more I realized I didn't have to keep my coco wet or have any runoff. I let my coco dry completely out or very close to it before I water again. My root system gets a lot of beneficial oxygen this way, which increases the growth rate of my plants. Not sure, but I think the growth rate is something close to or if not double the rate of constantly keeping my coco wet.

I will challenge that statement. I use coco hempys in a drip setup. Fed 7 times a day. Never any drying out. I get much faster growth than when I used to water as needed. Coco is a hydro medium. The more you water...the better it performs. I have also used drip clean....but I find it to be a useless expense.

 

[dirtyshawa]

I will challenge that statement. I use coco hempys in a drip setup. Fed 7 times a day. Never any drying out. I get much faster growth than when I used to water as needed. Coco is a hydro medium. The more you water...the better it performs. I have also used drip clean....but I find it to be a useless expense.

I really don't know how we're going to test our hypothesis, but I'm doing a very detailed journal of my current grow. Each weekly update, I take the height of my plants, so if you'd like to compare how much your plants grow from week to week be my guest. Of course, there's a million different variables, nutes, sups, environment, lighting, genetics, vert vs horizontal, etc. Do you have a grow going, so we can do some uncontrolled analysis? Some things work better for others as I'm sure you know, but I think think it would be an so interesting thing to test...I like challenges...

 

[dirtyshawa]

Not trying to throw shit on you @Lowman, but I have to take your opinion on Drip Clean, salt build up, and growth rate with a BIG grain of salt (pun intended). You had a BIG problem with salt build up, burning your plants up, and obviously lockouts because of it. No offense bro and like I said I'm not trying to throw shit on you; I'm just pointing out what YOU yourself have said on the matter and your personal experience. I have never had salt build up, other than my very first grow (the only time I didn't use Drip Clean) and I have never burnt up a plant other than my very first grow. There's no way i can believe plants with lockouts/salt build ups will grow faster than plants with ZERO deficiencies. I'll update my grow later today, where the growth I get is easily calculated. No flame or hate bro Ijs...nice colas though!

https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/posts/824062/

 

[Prestige]

I have 2 brands of flushing solution. One is from the same makers of MOAB and the other I will have to check. It's dark time for my gurls right now, so I can't get in the room, lol.

Will this stuff work or do you recommend ONLY going with Drip Clean?

 

[Prestige]

Also, how do you use it? Just mix it in with every feeding? What way to do find to be the best way with coco?

 

[Prestige]

Would you say Roots Excelurator is superior to other rooting products? Because I have tons of them, literally like 6 or 7 different rooting products (Indoor Gardening Expo, GO!), are they all pretty much the same, in your experience?

I have been using Rapid Roots from GH and bought a bottle of Rhizotonic. They work well, but I feel like I could be using something better than Rapid Roots.

 

[dirtyshawa]

@Prestige it's really simple. Prior to this grow I used H&G's entire line...i added it last then. Now I use Canna Coco, Botanicare Calmag, Roots Excelurator, Drip Clean, and Superthrive...mixed in that order...Every feeding. I have interchanged the order of DC & ST before without an issue. I can't honestly say from experience whether Roots Excelurator is the best, but there are a lot of growers will true skill that I highly respect and who run hydro stores who swear by it. Now from personal experience, I use two rooting agents in tandem Earth Juice Micorrhazie and Roots Excelurator. Prior to adding REXCEL I had good root systems, but once I added REXCEL I had GREAT root systems. Faster growth rates, stronger stems, and branches became the norm. Also, you don't need cloning gel when you have REXCEL, just take your cuts (cut 45 angle), dip in REXCEL and plant. As far as flushing in coco goes it depends on how you feed. Drip Clean isn't a flushing agents it just bounds with the salts in coco and drip lines. Look at it this way, if you feed 1000 ppms, by the time your coco dries completely out your plant will not have eaten all of those 1000pms of nutrients, so there will be trace elements of NPK etc. left in your medium. This is where paying attention to your plants comes into play...leaf curling, burnt tips, new growth yellowing, plants too green, a lot of different signs to pay attention to before flushing. If, you don't have any of those issues or don't see any early signs of them then I don't 'personally' see the need to flush. Lastly, when you do flush always check the ppms of your runoff that will tell you pretty much what the problem is or could be. Lowman also said something I disagree with...something to the effect of keep feeding when you have deficiencies/lockouts. That makes zero sense to me. When I see the slightest of problems I feed straight R.O. With Drip Clean, then check my runoff. The most important part of flushing that i suspect people have a problem with when flushing is failing to ph the flush water.

 

[red x]

I have two brands of flushing
tap
and
ro
peace
ez

 

[Prestige]

Looks like drip clean is derived from
Phosphoric Acid and Potassium oxide. One of the flushing solutions I have is derived from citric acid and potassium oxide, I think I can use it instead. Haven't had any problems so far, except for calmag deficiency with my first Coco run. I was thinking of using it as more of a preventative measure.

What dose do you use it at, I mean.

 

[dirtyshawa]

I forgot to add something very helpful when growing in coco and the reason why i sold my ph pens and went back to the cheapo ghydro ph kit. This chart shows where all of the nutrients get locked out at and where they have the highest availability. Ph your runoff then you'll know exactly what's missing or is the problem.

 

[Prestige]

I always mix-in calmag first, to avoid bonding, making elements like P and K unavailable, too.

Thanks, bro, Good info! I check my runoff pH and ppms about once every 2-3 days (get lazy sometimes). Once I get my new setup up and running, I'll check everyday.

 

[Prestige]

Personally, I like to feed/water as many times as I can in Coco too, once they get root-bound. For me, that's when all the magic happens.