[Wuddup_B]

I've been growing for about 2 years and started off with coco in cloth pots. I've always had to run my nutes at 1/2 strength or I'd start to get burn. Switched to Mega Crop and same issue with a dozen or so strains. Switched to MC and coco hempy buckets with no change, I didn't expect any change.

So now I'm on Jacks hydro and I used roughly 60% of the recommended mix per gallon for 321 to put my EC at 1200. As expected I'm getting lock out. Tonight I'll drop the feed back down to my 700-800EC range after a flush and see how they do. I have plants at different stages roughly 3 weeks apart.

What can cause all my plants to require such light feeding, GH, MC, Jacks all run low compared to what I see others use. Run off is about 50-100EC from the feed, runoff PH is roughly 6-6.4 with ingoing at 5.8. Using freshly calibrated apera TDS and pH meters. Tap water measures at 140EC and has been the same since I started. Temps during are usually around 74-80 depending on season. Lights on at night.

What cause my girls to take so little nutes. I can understand when it's hot and dry upstairs that I'd need to reduce the feed because of higher transpiration, but at close to 1 VPD I can't raise the feed amount. No deficiencies until I overfeed and they lockout.

Using 3.5 gallon coco hempies with hydroton at the bottom. Yields are usually around 4-7oz depending on strain.

I've recently had to give up on MC because my last batch is locking out my plants at 400EC. Way more calnit mixed in the bag than my last batch and must be screwing up the N.

If it's not problem, and really hasn't been, to keep the low EC then I'll just keep going and saving money on nutes. Otherwise if the low feed is hindering any potential yields, I'd like to know how to overcome this limit.

 

[Johnlandy420]

I've been growing for about 2 years and started off with coco in cloth pots. I've always had to run my nutes at 1/2 strength or I'd start to get burn. Switched to Mega Crop and same issue with a dozen or so strains. Switched to MC and coco hempy buckets with no change, I didn't expect any change.

So now I'm on Jacks hydro and I used roughly 60% of the recommended mix per gallon for 321 to put my EC at 1200. As expected I'm getting lock out. Tonight I'll drop the feed back down to my 700-800EC range after a flush and see how they do. I have plants at different stages roughly 3 weeks apart.

What can cause all my plants to require such light feeding, GH, MC, Jacks all run low compared to what I see others use. Run off is about 50-100EC from the feed, runoff PH is roughly 6-6.4 with ingoing at 5.8. Using freshly calibrated apera TDS and pH meters. Tap water measures at 140EC and has been the same since I started. Temps during are usually around 74-80 depending on season. Lights on at night.

What cause my girls to take so little nutes. I can understand when it's hot and dry upstairs that I'd need to reduce the feed because of higher transpiration, but at close to 1 VPD I can't raise the feed amount. No deficiencies until I overfeed and they lockout.

Using 3.5 gallon coco hempies with hydroton at the bottom. Yields are usually around 4-7oz depending on strain.

I've recently had to give up on MC because my last batch is locking out my plants at 400EC. Way more calnit mixed in the bag than my last batch and must be screwing up the N.

If it's not problem, and really hasn't been, to keep the low EC then I'll just keep going and saving money on nutes. Otherwise if the low feed is hindering any potential yields, I'd like to know how to overcome this limit.

The more I grow, the less nutrients I Use. Seriously, it’s a sham. I tell lots of ppl this but start at literally .25-5 recommended strength. Go up as needed based on what you see. I used to max at 2.4 now I’m at 1.7. Ur discovering what a lot of other ppl do.

 

[ArtfulCodger]

Watering frequency might be a contributing factor. Coco dries out quickly, if you don't water it often. As it dries, the effective EC in the root zone rises, because there's less water diluting the nutes. I know it's counterintuitive, but you might try fertigating more often. Just an idea. (I run Jack's at full strength into 100% coco through Blumats on a constant drip, and don't get burn.)

 

[Wuddup_B]

Watering frequency might be a contributing factor. Coco dries out quickly, if you don't water it often. As it dries, the effective EC in the root zone rises, because there's less water diluting the nutes. I know it's counterintuitive, but you might try fertigating more often. Just an idea. (I run Jack's at full strength into 100% coco through Blumats on a constant drip, and don't get burn.)

I'm running hempy buckets, which is like passive hydro. It only take about a quart and a half to make it run off.

The more I grow, the less nutrients I Use. Seriously, it’s a sham. I tell lots of ppl this but start at literally .25-5 recommended strength. Go up as needed based on what you see. I used to max at 2.4 now I’m at 1.7. Ur discovering what a lot of other ppl do.

We'll if it doesn't cause any issues then screw it and make the nutes last 2x as long, lol.

 

[ArtfulCodger]

I'm running hempy buckets, which is like passive hydro. It only take about a quart and a half to make it run off.

Is that flood and drain? Top drip? Sorry, I'm not familiar.

 

[Stokes]

what was the ec of your water again? You really shouldnt be burning @ 1.2 ec unless theyre seedlings

 

[Wuddup_B]

what was the ec of your water again? You really shouldnt be burning @ 1.2 ec unless theyre seedlings

It ranges from 130-140EC. Just tap and it sits out at least 24hrs before using. WQR shows no excessive N for the city, I've had to light feed since my first grow and that was with straight coco in cloth pots. It's understandable that Hempy's need less feed since it's passive hydro, but my EC has always been lower than what others have posted, always under 1000.

Over 1000 they burn. GH, Megacrop, and now Jacks all do the same.

I'm happy with my yield since I harvest about 1-1.5 lbs every 9 weeks from a 2x4x5 (perpetual grow with harvests ever 3 weeks). Just wondering if I'm giving up some potential yield feeding lightly.

 

[Ripen]

I'm in midflower feeding 450ppm.
No point in giving more than they need.

 

[Stokes]

It ranges from 130-140EC. Just tap and it sits out at least 24hrs before using. WQR shows no excessive N for the city, I've had to light feed since my first grow and that was with straight coco in cloth pots. It's understandable that Hempy's need less feed since it's passive hydro, but my EC has always been lower than what others have posted, always under 1000.

Over 1000 they burn. GH, Megacrop, and now Jacks all do the same.

I'm happy with my yield since I harvest about 1-1.5 lbs every 9 weeks from a 2x4x5 (perpetual grow with harvests ever 3 weeks). Just wondering if I'm giving up some potential yield feeding lightly.

Have you considered bottling it up an sending it off for an in depth analysis?

 

[Ripen]

what was the ec of your water again? You really shouldnt be burning @ 1.2 ec unless theyre seedlings

He's talking about 1200ppm which is 2.4 EC.

 

[Wuddup_B]

I'm in midflower feeding 450ppm.
No point in giving more than they need.

I'll just keep to the plan then.

I do wash and buffer my coco. I get it down to about 300-400 EC with a lot of manual squeezing handfuls at a time to get the salts out. Even the advertised washed coir comes out 1000-2000EC sometimes.

Have you considered bottling it up an sending it off for an in depth analysis?

I thought about but then didn't follow up since I thought I was doing good enough. Wife worked in water waste mgmt and I was gonna have her test it.

 

[Captspaulding]

The more I grow, the less nutrients I Use. Seriously, it’s a sham. I tell lots of ppl this but start at literally .25-5 recommended strength. Go up as needed based on what you see. I used to max at 2.4 now I’m at 1.7. Ur discovering what a lot of other ppl do.

Facts.

 

[Wuddup_B]

Is that flood and drain? Top drip? Sorry, I'm not familiar.

Drain to waste passive hydro. You drill a hole 2" from the bottom for drain and to have a small res for the nutes. Perlite, rocks, hydroton or whatever acts as the base to keep the coir from the bottom with coir/perlite on top. Top fed to aerate and flush a bit.

I like it because the coir doesn't dry out as fast and I can go up to 3 days without watering, but I feed daily.