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ADVICE AND COUNSEL FOR 1st COIR GROW...HOW MUCH NUTES, HOW MUCH CAL/MAG

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    ADVICE AND COUNSEL FOR 1st COIR GROW...HOW MUCH NUTES, HOW MUCH CAL/MAG

    Just starting my second grow. This is my first attempt with coir and vermiculite mix in a 4 gallon fabric pot, under a combo of LED and CFL lighting. Northern Lights seed.

    I have done a lot of research and, of course, re-read everything on GWE! My last grow was in soil.

    My biggest questions...for now...have to do with the amount and frequency of nutes and cal/mag. I will be using all Botanicare products. Progrow for soil and Bloom. Also cal/mag which has no instructions for use.

    I have a chart for the nutes dosage...from Botanicare. But everyone says to reduce the dosage of manufactures recommendatons.

    Ist question: Is that true for Botanicare? They seem to be oriented to weed growing, so have they already made the reduction?

    No. 2: When should I start applying the nutes and cal/mag to my seedling, what dose should I use of each and how often? I plan to put my sprouted seed into the coir mix in a solo cup until it is ready for transplant to the final grow bag.

    No 3: Should I apply cal/mag and nutes to my coir bag before I transplant the new plant? If so, how much of each? Mix it up, or just water it till run off?

    No 4: Once my plant is settled in its final pot, what dose of nutes and cal/mag should I be using over the course of veg, and how often? Over the course of bloom?

    I have read that I should alternate nutes with plain water every other watering or not. I have read I should only water when dry, or keep moist. I have read I should water with nutes only or add cal/mag to nutes. I have read I should stop cal/mag when I get to bloom as it has nitrogen, or I should continue cal/mag till the end. I have read I should flush my plant regularly to remove unwanted salts, or I don't need to worry if I am watering plain water every other time.

    Do I sound confused? Sometimes the advantage of a lot of resources makes me want to curl up in a ball and just let my head explode!

    Finally, if you will indulge me, I'd like to tell you a bit about my first grow. I had lots of ph problems. In the middle of it, we added a water softener to our well water. Salt based! Never connected the grow with this! I know. Really, really dumb!

    I now have a ph kit so I will test everything...probably twice. I have even adjusted the ph for the glass of water I plan to start my seed in (I know, no more that 24 hours!) Fortunately, we by-passed the filter and water softener on an outside faucet so I will use only water from that faucet. If I can find the results of our outside lab water test, I will add any information we recieved on our levels of calcium and magnesium.


    If anyone has any advice about using these products or things I should watch out for in growing with coir, I would be so grateful for your help! Than you!

    #2
    The state lab test of our water didn't give information on calcium or magnesium. All it says is our water is moderately hard. Our iron is less than .01 ppm.

    Comment


      #3
      Hey Spanky I don't use Botanicare so I can't speak to your nute questions but I do grow in coco and you should always include cal/mag in your feeding and waterings. I use 1 tsp cal/mag per gal. for veg and 1/2 tsp for flower and that seems to work great. Also water to runoff always and check the ph of the runoff, if theres nute lock or another problem in your medium/roots you'll be able to react hopefully before the plant does. Good luck

      Comment


      • carblevel
        carblevel commented
        Editing a comment
        Yes I ph to 6 going in , if the runoff ph is higher than 6.5 for example then the next couple of waterings/feedings I'll ph @ the lower end of the scale(5.5-6.5) say 5.5 going in and try to bring down the runoff ph to where I'd like it @ 6.0 if that doesn't work then I would flush the plant and that usually clears up the coco. Usually I find if the runoff ph is acting up its from nute lock or nute buildup it would take a lot of cal/mag to create problems, that's why is so important in coco to water to 20% runoff every feed/watering it helps prevent the nute buildup. I usually flush the plants a couple times during the grow just to keep the ph in check. Hope this helps.

      • Spanky
        Spanky commented
        Editing a comment
        Carblevel, I plan to follow your excellent suggestions. I love it when someone with experience takes the time to explain things to a neophyte like me! BTW, one of my two seeds sprouted a little root today! The process begins! Thank you!

      • carblevel
        carblevel commented
        Editing a comment
        Good Luck!!!!!!

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