Salt Lines Vs Nftg Calcium Based Line

[Pauly Cicero]

So it all starts from here....The calcium and magnesium lockouts that everyone in the industry stresses over is because most nutrient lines are either salt based or have salt preservatives. Most of the cal/mag issues we see in the use of coir is blamed on the coir fiber for consuming or tying up the calcium. The funny thing is is that it's not the coco robbing them of calcium rather then the salts building up and blocking the calcium from entering the plant. That is when the industry cal/mag products come in to play. Most of those cal/mag products are Nitrate based, which require a lower pH to enter into the plant. This lower pH allows the plant to fix its cal/mag deficiency by absorbing the nitrogen as a salt. Hence why the industry says you need to run a lower pH in coco. But with the Nectar, our calcium forms don't change from a soil garden to a soilless garden. The calcium forms we use are much large then that of a calcium nitrate and require a larger stomata to be absorbed through. And because calcium is such a reactive molecule it wants to bond to anything it can get a hold of. We still would like to see the addition of a compost tea, microbial tea or some form of microbial inoculate to speed up the chelation process. The microbes will aid in breaking down the calcium bonds and make those portions and elements available through microbial digestion. So I still recommend treating a coco/perlite mix as a soil as far as the pH and feedings of. The roots will still need that pH stimulation to promote more aggressive uptake. But keep in mind that a lot of soilless and coco manufacturers (branded companies) in our industry also charge their coco fiber with products like cal/mag, or salt water composting. These additive can add unwanted slats into the medium and that is where the slurry test is helpful. I always check the new coir fibers PPM's before planting in it and have found fresh coco, right off the brick to be anywhere from 150-1300PPMs. Hence why I always check. And mid way through veg and midway through bloom I check the soil from the containers and have found that taking a couple of TBLS of soil from about 1.5 to 2 inches down next to the container wall gives me a good reference of what is going on through out the entire medium.

 

[GR33NL3AF]

Pauly, good post.

Only debate I have is with Uneducated grower's, not Nitrate based Calcium products. They work just fine, it's the under-educated grower's that do not fully understand nutrient profiles, uptake and chemical reactions. These grower's are the ones to create negativity around 'synthetic' or mineral based fertilizers.

Don't take my word for it though, check out grow log's from a highly educated Botanist like @nMEEKS
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/meeks-2013-dapper-grow-log.53463/

He clearly shows how simple water soluble, Nitrate based fertilizers produce Top Shelf Bud and how to properly monitor intake and run-off when feeding.

 

[gardnguyahoy]

So it all starts from here....The calcium and magnesium lockouts that everyone in the industry stresses over is because most nutrient lines are either salt based or have salt preservatives. Most of the cal/mag issues we see in the use of coir is blamed on the coir fiber for consuming or tying up the calcium. The funny thing is is that it's not the coco robbing them of calcium rather then the salts building up and blocking the calcium from entering the plant. That is when the industry cal/mag products come in to play. Most of those cal/mag products are Nitrate based, which require a lower pH to enter into the plant. This lower pH allows the plant to fix its cal/mag deficiency by absorbing the nitrogen as a salt. Hence why the industry says you need to run a lower pH in coco. But with the Nectar, our calcium forms don't change from a soil garden to a soilless garden. The calcium forms we use are much large then that of a calcium nitrate and require a larger stomata to be absorbed through. And because calcium is such a reactive molecule it wants to bond to anything it can get a hold of. We still would like to see the addition of a compost tea, microbial tea or some form of microbial inoculate to speed up the chelation process. The microbes will aid in breaking down the calcium bonds and make those portions and elements available through microbial digestion. So I still recommend treating a coco/perlite mix as a soil as far as the pH and feedings of. The roots will still need that pH stimulation to promote more aggressive uptake. But keep in mind that a lot of soilless and coco manufacturers (branded companies) in our industry also charge their coco fiber with products like cal/mag, or salt water composting. These additive can add unwanted slats into the medium and that is where the slurry test is helpful. I always check the new coir fibers PPM's before planting in it and have found fresh coco, right off the brick to be anywhere from 150-1300PPMs. Hence why I always check. And mid way through veg and midway through bloom I check the soil from the containers and have found that taking a couple of TBLS of soil from about 1.5 to 2 inches down next to the container wall gives me a good reference of what is going on through out the entire medium.

Good read, thanks for the post.

I heard recently the calcium creates a gum on the top soil that needs to be broken down. Ive notcied this when running the full advanced line of nftg.

I forget who mentioned this or id tag them. But he had a specific product that helped break down the calcium build up.

I perosonally run the calcium a little high. 1 tsp per gal extra. And i also occasionally water with an ewc alfafa tea by itself every few waterings

 

[GR33NL3AF]

Good read, thanks for the post.

I heard recently the calcium creates a gum on the top soil that needs to be broken down. Ive notcied this when running the full advanced line of nftg.

I forget who mentioned this or id tag them. But he had a specific product that helped break down the calcium build up.

I perosonally run the calcium a little high. 1 tsp per gal extra. And i also occasionally water with an ewc alfafa tea by itself every few waterings

SLF Enzyme will break it down

 

[gardnguyahoy]

SLF Enzyme will break it down

There ya go lol. I need me somma dat!

 

[We Solidarity]

I'd also tend to disagree with the op- if you're dealing with lockouts with salts it's because you don't have the knowledge...it's not the salts fault at all and changing nutes won't help that.

And also I'm not sure you know what you're talking about with salt buildup and lower ph...the industry standard with coco is to water to runoff, maintain a consistent feed, and never let your coco dry out. I've never had a real grower tell me I need to feed extra cal mag and a lower ph in coco in order to combat salt buildup.

High salinity in the coco only affects calcium uptake by restricting water uptake, hence why runoff is important. High salinity in coco is only possible if you feed inconsistently or too strong with no runoff, or if you let your coco dry out to the point where salts recrystalize.

 

[Pauly Cicero]

Great replies and info all! Thanks for the humble and informative opinions. As for build up on your topsoil, scarifying the soil helps me to break the build up into pieces and allow good drainage. I won't debate what most of you are saying. I grew wonderful herb with salts for many years. To each his own. Thanks for the link to check out.