Would I need cal-mag with the nutes?

[NeWcS]

Can someone in the in the know tell me if I would still need to use cal-mag with this formula?


5-11-26

TOTAL NITROGEN All Nitrate (N)................. 5.0%

5.00% Nitrate Nitrogen

PHOSPHORIC ACID(P2O5) ......................... 11.0%

SOLUBLE POTASH (K2O) .......................... 26.0%



INCLUDED TRACE ELEMENTS:



Boron as (B) ............................................... 0.05%

Chlorine (CL) ..............................................01.0%

Chelated Copper (Cu) ................................. 0.05%

Chelated Iron (Fe) .................................... 0.10%

Combined Sulfur (S).......................................3.0%

Calcium (C).................................................. 0.03%

Soluble Magnesium (Mg) ...............................3.20%

Manganese (Mn) ..........................................0.05%

Chelated Manganese (Mn)..............................0.05%

Molybdenum (Mo)..........................................0.01%

Chelated Zinc ( Zn) ......................................0.05%




PLANT NUTRIENTS DERIVED FROM:

Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Nitrate,

Ferric Sodium EDTA, Manganous Disodium

EDTA, Zinc Disodium EDTA, Copper Sulfate,

Magnesium Sulfate, Sodium Borate, Sodium

Molybdate.

EDTA - Ethylenediaminetetraacetate.


This will be used for flowering.
Thank you!

 

[deacon1503]

The addition of cal mag is more related to using r/o water than to which base nute your using.

 

[NeWcS]

So you're saying no I don't have to?

 

[john guest]

It looks like a dry nute designed for agricultural use, my guess is its a commercial hydro tomato formula. They do omitt the calcium for a few reasons.
The source water provides some calcium but generally not all of it. The amount of N in the formula is also purposefully low to allow room to tailor the nutes to suit the particular growth stage. Calcium Nitrate and Potassium Nitrate are used for this job, one adds Ca, NO3 and NH4, the other adds NO3 and K.

The magnesium content of Calmag could pose a problem, there is 3.2% Mg already present in the base nute formula.

 

[NeWcS]

So it should be ok on its own with out anything added?

What about using a PK boost?

 

[deacon1503]

Cal mag is typically added when using r/o water bc through that process, those minerals are stripped out. When using tap or low hardness well water, its not so much of an issue bc those plus other trace minerals are still present.

Depending on the appetite of your strain, and which medium your using, r/o, tap, well, cal mag will most likely have to be added until week 5 or so, then stopped.

Whats ur question regarding pk?

 

[NeWcS]

have to be added until week 5 or so, then stopped.

Really? I've been using it from start to finish on my last two grows using tap water and ionic grow and bloom.

So should I only use cal-mag from day 1 to 5 weeks into flowering than stop it all together?

 

[john guest]

So it should be ok on its own with out anything added?
What about using a PK boost?

Here are the numbers for GH Flora using 5ml GMB per us gallon just for an example. The dry nute profile uses 3.1g by weight per us gal to provide an equal value of "P".

GH
N: 110
P: 39
K: 137
Mg: 30
S: 15
Ca: 81
Fe: 1.62

Dry nutes
N: 41
P: 39
K: 177
Mg: 26
S: 25
Ca: 0
Fe: 0.82

Spot the difference? The dry nute has no calcium (Ca) at all and a low N value. The magnesium (Mg) is reasonably close and potassium (K) a little high but ok.
Using Calmag for the missing calcium will double the magnesium value.
Your tapwater may provide enough calcium on its own but that also leaves you short of N.

This type of dry nute is designed to be used with additional calcium nitrate during the vegetative growth stages and a mixture of calcium nitrate and potassium nitrate during the bloom and fruiting stages.
For commercial hydro its economical and the 3 components allow them to adjust the N, Ca and K values to suit their crop and the growth stage.

 

[Bezy]

Cal-Mag 150 ppm before you add anything else. ONLY if you are using Reverse Osmosis (0 PPM) water, otherwise ur just wasting your money.

 

[Duder]

Cal-Mag 150 ppm before you add anything else. ONLY if you are using Reverse Osmosis (0 PPM) water, otherwise ur just wasting your money.

I have done the same thing. I've used the 150 all the way until flush, and then just straight r/o. Was curious if I should stop using after a certain week? (5 or 6 maybe depending on strain?) If anyone has any good info on this I'd love to hear it...

 

[steelyeyes]

Cal-Mag 150 ppm before you add anything else. ONLY if you are using Reverse Osmosis (0 PPM) water, otherwise ur just wasting your money.

I use treated well water that goes from really hard to just pretty hard by the time it's in my rez. I tried not running cal-mag and I had deficiencies with BC nutes, GH nutes, and H&G nutes following their schedules. Ran it and the plants thanked me for it. I run it all the time from start to finish now and I do not in any way consider it a waste of money.

Let the plants tell you what they like. If you add one thing at a time and wait for it to affect them you'll have your answer.

 

[j wizzle]

i run it all the way through with tap water....same deal as steeleyes above, had spots, now i dont. i run it all the way through, i cut my micro towards the end of flower and the cal-mag has enough N to keep the plants as green as they need to be....obviously they yellow towards the end


also, as stated above...run a BASE nute program and see what you are missing. your plants will tell you everything you need to know. its not as complicated as everyone wants to make it seem. if you are adding more than 5 things to your res, its too much IMO

 

[NeWcS]

Can you guys look at this and tell me if I should just run it all the way to flush and not stop once I start the blooming powder?

http://i.invalid.com/NtAoW.jpg

 

[j wizzle]

youre trying to turn a piece of paper into a regiment and its not going to work that way. there are 100 things to take into consideration. its much too general of a question to ask.


you are the ONLY one who can decide that. look at your plants, they will tell you everything. i think you run cal mag until the final weeks before flush, but you will decrease it as you get closer to the end. it all depends on the environment you are in and how much nitrogen your plants need. cal mag has N in it so you cut the micro out and the cal mag should give you enough N for the final weeks

i use powder only last week and then flush for 7+ days. but thats what ive learned works best for ME.

like i said, use a + b base formula, then adjust what needs to be adjusted based on your plants needs. every strain is different, every setup is different. keep it simple stupid....(not calling you stupid)

 

[Gaval]

If i was you i would follow the schedule they have on the piece of paper an tweak it as you go. If it seems like the plants are getting looking shitty when you stop using cal mag then start using it again