Recommendations for Calcium deficiency - Coco

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BCrocker

BCrocker

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Hi,

Helping a friend with his garden and he has a visible calcium deficiency. Starting to get tiny brown spots. So far we have done the following:

He has been using CalMG @ 5 ml/Gallon every feed.
Nutrients @ 5.8

His coco ph test came back to 6.4

We flushed with more volume @ 0.5 EC (Ro water + Canna A+B) @ 5.6

No sign of improvement, but it hasn't gotten worse. I was thinking a CalMG foiler to help them out? They are about 14 days into flower.

Thoughts?
 
KennyPowers

KennyPowers

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those are good numbers really. so hes rocking somewhere around 150-165 ppm calcium. that should be putting him in a good range. maybe, just maybe a little on the high side but i dont think its high enough to cause problems.

is the strain a calcium whore? if not id be lookin at that high ph a little more closely, because the plants CA needs should be taken care of at that level.
 
BCrocker

BCrocker

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Could his adding additional CalMG be causing an issue? It's a kush strain, but we are not sure exactly what. They seem to be growing quite different than the last batch. Btw, this is a 60/40 , coco/perlite mix.. I expect the soil pH to be coming out at around 6.0
 
KennyPowers

KennyPowers

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yea it can. i dropped calmag awhile back and my calcium issues cleared up. deficiency and toxicity look pretty much the same. now i rock calplex in veg and drop a Ca supplement altogether once i hit full strength with my canna formula.

once i get to 8ml/gal with canna i very rarely see a need for additional calcium. i am running tap water though, so he will need to supplement some to get where i normally am but 5ml/gal could very well be overkill. i think estimates are normally around 20ppm usable Ca in tap water.
 
BCrocker

BCrocker

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Do you go over 8ml at all?

I'll get the cal cut down

The leaves are mostly pale compared to the norm
 
BCrocker

BCrocker

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Yea, I always cut it out @ week 4... it seems there is either a dificiency here or a toxicity...
 
KennyPowers

KennyPowers

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143
sometimes i will go up to 10ml/gal. not that often, but plant size and wattage can dictate higher nute levels. what are you running?

i havent checked runoff or coco ppm in quite some time. something i need to start doing again. usually put 5.5-5.8 into the pot and call it good.
 
BCrocker

BCrocker

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These are the plants with the current issue. They are in 10 gals, vegged for 6 weeks. 4 plants per 1000w
 
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BCrocker

BCrocker

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I need to learn to scrog and push these tops under the screen, etc
 
KennyPowers

KennyPowers

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143
i can see getting up around 10/11 for plants that size. last time i had plants that wanted more than the normal 8 i was running 3 per 1000w. normal is 6 per 1000w in 5gal pots.
 
BCrocker

BCrocker

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Thx for the help :) Will see how these react in the next few days
 
DowNwithDirT

DowNwithDirT

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A) are you using botanicare cal mag plus?

B) I suggest going and getting some gypsum as this will lower ph and apply calcium. It can be top dressed, and if you get granular, top dress it, get it wet let it sit and then water a bit more.

You should be using 7-10 ml of botanicare calmag+, or 5-7ml of Gh calimagic.
 
DowNwithDirT

DowNwithDirT

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check your bottles and be sure they are transparent as applejuice. If they are cloudy at all they are bad.. Shake it up good and pour some out. It should be clear with nothing floating around.
 
Seamaiden

Seamaiden

Living dead girl
23,596
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Hi,

Helping a friend with his garden and he has a visible calcium deficiency. Starting to get tiny brown spots. So far we have done the following:

He has been using CalMG @ 5 ml/Gallon every feed.
Nutrients @ 5.8

His coco ph test came back to 6.4

We flushed with more volume @ 0.5 EC (Ro water + Canna A+B) @ 5.6

No sign of improvement, but it hasn't gotten worse. I was thinking a CalMG foiler to help them out? They are about 14 days into flower.

Thoughts?
First thought is that it's really refreshing to see someone who actually knows what a Ca- looks like. That's my first thought.

Second thoughts are as follows: Get a separate Ca and Mg product. I like BioLink's 6% Ca, it's certified organic and doesn't give you extra N. Once I separated out Ca and Mg, I found everything went that much easier. Incorporating worm castings into the mix, as teas, top-dressings or part of your coir mix are quite helpful here as well, as can be good old molasses (it's part of my feeding regimen from start til end).

Allow pH to range a little more broadly, I feel that 5.8 is a bit tight and you'll see better uptake if you allow a range, easily up to 6.2, and ranges outside both ends, high and low, are also acceptable.

You will not observe any improvement in the already-affected areas. All you will observe is cessation of progression of symptoms. Know that Ca can be given via foliar application, too, which further allows you to push the EC of root feedings. With me so far?

You can do the same thing with Mg using MgSO4 at the rate of 1/4tsp/gal+surfactant (dish soap, JMS Stylet, aloe juice all work here).

What I do is alternate the supplements offered at feedings, one feed they'll get Ca (from the get-go, they're always getting it because it's immobile and is difficult to correct once onset is observed), the next they'll get their Mg.

Keep your Ca:Mg ratios at 3:1 or above.

As to using tap water to resolve any Ca or Mg problems, I personally was unable to do that because my (well) water, though very high in both Ca and Mg, had both minerals locked onto carbonates (the CO3 molecule). Carbonates affect pH, and they're difficult to break apart to make Ca and Mg available. It's available Ca and Mg that you're after here.

Was the coir charged with Ca or Cal-Mag, possibly + a light vegging solution, prior to planting? Obviously, this is brand-dependent, but I learned both by bein' tol' by a grownup and by making the mistake of not doing it well enough that it's rather important.

What else..? I've gotta think about it to get at what else, but right now you've got to resolve the Ca-. If you're late in flower (looking at around 2 weeks prior to choppy-chop) then it's a done deal, no need to spend time, money or energy on trying to resolve a problem that won't.
 
DowNwithDirT

DowNwithDirT

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263
seamaiden......in coir...if you have any carbonates as you stated ph is going to rise, and coir is typically always at a ph of higher than 6.3 at least, so you actually would want to be riding the scale lower for a swing. As low as 5.4, as it is going to rise.
 
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