Ph runoff is too low.

[Prime C]

Im running gh 3 part in coco and im having a prob with my ph. It goes in 5.8 and comes out 5.2. Or 6.3 in and 5.6 or lower coming out. Im getting a little claw and slight tip burn on new growth.

So ive read that coco will hold "K" or Potash and if its in excess can lead to Magnesium lockout. That's what im getting. Lighter green with darker veins "purple streaking". Blotchy looking leaves. Now this just happend when I got back from salmon fishing. I flushed once with 6.4 then fed at 6.4 and then resumed my normal 5.8. Now its happening again. Prob wont be as bad cause im catching it quicker. Any ways its startin to piss me off cause I had everything cranking and now a stall of sorts.

I know I need to get a ppm meter but money been tight lately. Im pretty sure this is why my summer runs sucked. Been thinking of flushing once a week? Any other coco guys with some info on this?

 

[GR33NL3AF]

Maybe run a product like or similar to drip clean? Sounds like a build up and normal flushing wont help.

 

[Prime C]

Maybe run a product like or similar to drip clean? Sounds like a build up and normal flushing wont help.

I use hygrozyme. I thought that was supposed to help.

 

[Confuten1]

yea i also run drip clean most feeds. I don't flush but i do feed-feed-feed-tea, so I'm sure that acts like a flush. I've read with coco ur not supposed to only add straight water(flush) try lower nutes with a lil higher N than normal( suggest the higher N due to what u described ur seeing on ur plants), u running any cal mag? and yes, do ur self a favor and get a ppm meter to monitor intake and runoff. you do have runoff right( drain to waist?)

confu

 

[KennyPowers]

have you done a slurry test? runoff pH in coco isnt the most reliable test of whats going on. runoff is better left for ppm testing.

take a couple parts distilled water mixed with a part coco, let sit a few minutes and take the pH of that.

 

[Dynamite]

when your PPM's are too high your PH will drop , and when PPM's are low , PH will rise

sounds like your feeding too heavy - this theory only applies in a healthy garden

 

[Prime C]

yea i also run drip clean most feeds. I don't flush but i do feed-feed-feed-tea, so I'm sure that acts like a flush. I've read with coco ur not supposed to only add straight water(flush) try lower nutes with a lil higher N than normal( suggest the higher N due to what u described ur seeing on ur plants), u running any cal mag? and yes, do ur self a favor and get a ppm meter to monitor intake and runoff. you do have runoff right( drain to waist?)

confu

Dtw is correct. Yes im using cal/mag 2ml per gal with city water. 4-3-1 grow micro bloom ml per gal Rapid start,Seagreen,Hygrozyme.

I just got home from hunting and checked the ladies and they already seem happier since I raised the ph yesterday. Im gonna give them the veg again at 6.3 tonight.

have you done a slurry test? runoff pH in coco isnt the most reliable test of whats going on. runoff is better left for ppm testing.

take a couple parts distilled water mixed with a part coco, let sit a few minutes and take the pH of that.

I havent done a slurry test. Hell i just started checking the runoff the past cpl months. I will def get a ppm meter when my current round comes down. Which I might add was affected by the same ph prob. It looks pretty good but I know it could be better. Much better. Thx for the slurry test Kenny really good to see ya around bro.

when your PPM's are too high your PH will drop , and when PPM's are low , PH will rise

sounds like your feeding too heavy - this theory only applies in a healthy garden

Thats what I was thinking ppm's to high. I dont think my veg formula is too strong though. Again I need a ppm meter. My thinking is that 5.8 is too low and maybe 6 - 6.1 would be better.

Part of my problem i think is that im mixing up fresh everyday and pegging the ph at 5.8 - 5.6 and other nutrients arent available so they build up and voila fucked up again. I was automated for a bit so there was some drift up and now im missing that unless i give them day old nutes which gets a little cloudy after 24 hrs.

 

[Prime C]

 

[Prime C]

Here's my current veg lings with some leaf shots

 

[Prime C]

 

[Seamaiden]

Im running gh 3 part in coco and im having a prob with my ph. It goes in 5.8 and comes out 5.2. Or 6.3 in and 5.6 or lower coming out. Im getting a little claw and slight tip burn on new growth.

So ive read that coco will hold "K" or Potash and if its in excess can lead to Magnesium lockout. That's what im getting. Lighter green with darker veins "purple streaking". Blotchy looking leaves. Now this just happend when I got back from salmon fishing. I flushed once with 6.4 then fed at 6.4 and then resumed my normal 5.8. Now its happening again. Prob wont be as bad cause im catching it quicker. Any ways its startin to piss me off cause I had everything cranking and now a stall of sorts.

I know I need to get a ppm meter but money been tight lately. Im pretty sure this is why my summer runs sucked. Been thinking of flushing once a week? Any other coco guys with some info on this?

That sounds more like a P- than Mg- to me. Pix of the whole plant would help.

I say pay less attention to what's coming out than going in. The issue with coir is that it itself has high available K levels. The real driver, the real limiter here, besides pH, is calcium.

Yep, no Mg- in those girls, slight P-, may be hot, or excess N in relation to other nutrients.

SUPER quick & easy way to tell if you've got Mg- is to perform the following:

1/4tsp MgSO4 (that's Epsom salt) dissolved in 1gal water + a few drops of soap or a sticker/spreader (something like SM90 works great here, but you can go as simple as a couple drops of Ivory or Dr. Bronner's. DO NOT use something like Dawn, that's a detergent, not a soap). Apply as a foliar, ensuring thorough coverage of the undersides of the leaves. Does the plant's color change at all? If it greens up more, then you know that Mg is playing a role here. My guess is that it will only cause the leaves to display greater turgor, a result of higher humidity.

 

[Prime C]

Im going to get a ppm/ec meter today. I really appreciate all the feedback from everybody. :)

 

[Prime C]

When you do get your meter….i'd be sure to check the ppms/EC coming directly out of the tap since your using that to water your plants with.
If your tap water is too high in the EC department, you may have to cut it with RO.

My tap comes out at between 400-450ppms so i had No choice but to invest in an RO unit years ago.
I prefer it this way because I know exactly what I'm feeding my plants at all times.

good luck

first thing i checked when i got home 240 ppm and .5 ec.

 

[Prime C]

I'd definetly either start cutting your tap with RO or stop using calmag every watering.

240ppm is borderline.

On my base veg formula 4/3/1 im at 670 ppm and 1.3 ec.
10 ml of cal mag in 5 gal of tap water adds 100 ppm.

I need to experiment with this a bit.

 

[Prime C]

I'd definetly either start cutting your tap with RO or stop using calmag every watering.

240ppm is borderline.

now i wish i had a water analysis on my tap.

 

[Prime C]

ok so tonight i checked my runoff and Holy Shit!! 3400 ppm and 6.3 ec so i checked another and over 4000 ppm's!! I guess im gonna flush it hard and resume a lighter feed. Tomorrow is first day of 12 hr so I need this in check now. I checked my veg table and it was like 1100 ppm's so not as bad. Crazy how that shit builds up.

 

[KitsapGrapeApe]

ok so tonight i checked my runoff and Holy Shit!! 3400 ppm and 6.3 ec so i checked another and over 4000 ppm's!! I guess im gonna flush it hard and resume a lighter feed. Tomorrow is first day of 12 hr so I need this in check now. I checked my veg table and it was like 1100 ppm's so not as bad. Crazy how that shit builds up.

As I was reading though this thread I kept thinking this seems familiar. Then bam. Yep familiar after 2 years of using coco I started having mystery issues, I thought it was everything else, for months I was chase the correct answer and one day I decided to test run off and bam, 4000ppm. Got it fixed and everything is looking great. Good luck, I'm sure you'll never make the same mistake again. I know I won't.

 

[Prime C]

As I was reading though this thread I kept thinking this seems familiar. Then bam. Yep familiar after 2 years of using coco I started having mystery issues, I thought it was everything else, for months I was chase the correct answer and one day I decided to test run off and bam, 4000ppm. Got it fixed and everything is looking great. Good luck, I'm sure you'll never make the same mistake again. I know I won't.

Ive had a few issues here and there. Makes sense now that i have the ppm meter. Especially when i start seeing the claw lol. I'll add a flush day here and there and keep checking things. My regemine is almost dialed in and I think this will be the last piece to the puzzle.

 

[Puscifer]

4-3-1 grow micro bloom ml per gal

4-3-1 is waaaaaaaay too strong! The MAX GH calls for is 3-2-1, so that should tell you something right there.
In veg i use GH 3-2-1 @ half strength plus 1 tsp/gal of MagiCal (technaflora).
Also, try using tap water instead of ro. Don't listen to people who tell you that X amount off ppm tap water is no good or too much hardwater. My Florida tap water runs between 300-420ppm's and I don't ever have issues, NEVER.

 

[Prime C]

4-3-1 is waaaaaaaay too strong! The MAX GH calls for is 3-2-1, so that should tell you something right there.
In veg i use GH 3-2-1 @ half strength plus 1 tsp/gal of MagiCal (technaflora).
Also, try using tap water instead of ro. Don't listen to people who tell you that X amount off ppm tap water is no good or too much hardwater. My Florida tap water runs between 300-420ppm's and I don't ever have issues, NEVER.

I dont know what chart your looking at bro. 4-3-1 with my tap ( no RO )is 580 ppm's so 340 ppms of nutes isnt way too much.Or maybe it is and i just havent figured it out yet.:banghead: My problem is the coco im reusing has a cpl thousand ppm's in it that needs to be flushed but im gonna toss it and get some new so this doesnt happen again. I got lazy this summer but all is back on track. I am re motivated! I am going to try lower feed rates in my next cpl runs and see what happens.;)

Glad you stopped in though Puscifier and I appreciate the help. I was gonna ask you about your opinion on the flora nova? I frequent the florida grower thread and read you mentioning it. I gotta guy im helping and trying to get him on something simple in coco.