New Grower 1st grow; Amare SolarEclipse 450, Advanced Nutes, Coco

[Kiefshagger]

I've never bothered measuring runoff pH or the pH of my medium growing in Coco. The reason being is I figured you're only one or two heavy waterings away from completely changing out all your nutrients and your pH balance.

I pH my nutrient mix to 5.8 or as high as 6.1 I never pH lower. I think those advanced nutrients are supposed to be self buffering as long as you don't have to high an input pH or to low an input pH.

My Philosophy to Growing has been to make very slow changes over time. So I started out growing with just the General Hydroponics Trio. Then after a couple grows I added in some rapid start, etc. I just always make sure that I grew the plants for two or three grows before I added something new in.

What I've learned over time is that everything comes down to either pH, ppm, or run off. That's it in Coco. As long as you use a cannabis specific nutrient line you just can't blow it.

Now that doesn't mean Gathering objective data with meters and such isn't a good idea. A grower the learns to grow Gathering that data can just about always help another one from a distance just by knowing those numbers. That just isn't my temperament or my way of approaching life.

Current Diaries​

Jingo grows zambeza white widow and supper silver haze
Jingo does Remo nutes, Dinafem white cheese and portal kracken.
Jingo grows Dinafem White Cheese, lumigrow pro 325, gh and remo nutes
Jingo's continuous cbd grow, lumigrow pro LED, GH nutrients in coco, with test results.

Very wise words jingo!
Great to see people like yourself helping us newbies!

 

[Kiefshagger]

Yeh, @jingo, I'm with you on that. Honestly, this is the first time in the grow that I've checked pH on either the nute mix or the coco soil. I'm using AN's coco-specific base nutes, so I was hoping there wouldn't be an issue. But since I bought all these damn meters, I figured that once Trip asked about pH, then I'd better check it out. BTW, today's nute mix had a PPM of 540 and consisted of 1 ml/l Sensi Coco Base nutes and 2 ml/l of GO CaMg+ (1-0-0).

PH for your coco is essential. The coco can act as a buffer its self. My run off comes out at 6.5 but it's what you put in at the top that matters. I seen a nutrient lockout chart for coco and 5.8/5.9 gets everything the plants need. Google it you'll be surprised.

 

[tripaholic88]

Today's feeding of Trainwreck & Girl Scout Cookie and had a ph of 5.3 in the mixing pail. After feeding to runoff I used the Control Wizard Accurate pH8 Meter. Trainwreck and GS Cookie both average 6.5 coco ph. I also tested the other two that were fed yesterday, Chemdog = 6.8 and OG Kush = 6.9.

@jingo and @tripaholic88 -- thanks for stopping by and providing this feedback. How do the ph numbers look?

ahh so you have an A* soil Probe for pH?!? if so GREAT, they are the best! i have one and only use it when i see some problem going on wit a plant. pH will tell you pretty much everything you need to know! whether its a deficiency or lockout ect. are all them plants in coco?? sorry i have a terrible memory

What I've learned over time is that everything comes down to either pH, ppm, or run off. That's it in Coco. As long as you use a cannabis specific nutrient line you just can't blow it.

EXACTLY BROTHA!

 

[Burr_nit]

Yeh, glad you identified your issue as being pH. Now hopefully you and I both can watch the Amares do their magic. BTW, what is the CalMag you're using that is 0-0-0 ?

Yeh hopefully things will be smoother for us both here on out. Lol.
And actually it's the same exactly brand and product you are using now, but general organics make one without the Nitrogen in it.

 

[Only1Sky]

ahh so you have an A* soil Probe for pH?!? if so GREAT, they are the best! i have one and only use it when i see some problem going on wit a plant. pH will tell you pretty much everything you need to know! whether its a deficiency or lockout ect. are all them plants in coco?? sorry i have a terrible memory

EXACTLY BROTHA!

Hi Trip, yep, all my 4 girls are in pure coco (no perlite this time) in 3 gallon fabric pots. I'm using reverse osmosis water with the specially formulated "coco" versions of Advanced Nutrients Sensi Grow A&B. Advanced Nutrients folks say, "The additives in the base nutrients will help the plants uptake spectrum work between 4.0 and 8.0."

So, what do my pH numbers tell you? Do you think this is any deficiency or lockout? Thanks.

 

[tripaholic88]

 

[tripaholic88]

are the markings on the leaves spreading since you bumped up the calmag??

 

[Only1Sky]

are the markings on the leaves spreading since you bumped up the calmag??

Well, I'm going to say that the discoloration is NOT spreading, but I feel it's a bit too soon to be sure. Since the problem resurfaced with this plant, I've done a CaMg+ foliar spay 3 times, and today gave her a thorough drink with base nutes dialed back to 1 ml/l and 2 ml/l of the CaMg+. I've also discontinued use of the AN's nitrogen-rich version of CalMag. I'll know more in another day or two.

Regarding the chart you sent, and others like it on the web, one would think that my feed mix today (pH 5.3) is a bit too low for proper calcium uptake. But then there's that quote from the folks at Advanced Nutrients saying that I'm ok with pH from 4 thru 8 as long as I'm using their coco pH perfect base nutes. So .... beats me. I don't know what to think. Live and hopefully learn. It will be interesting when, on my next grow, I switch to AutoPots and maybe a dualing face-off of BioTabs versus Advanced Nutes.

 

[jingo]

So you're saying you're pH is 5.3 after you mix your nutrients? What is your pH of your water before you add your nutrients?

I knew a guy that had 7.6 or something pH and he couldn't get his advanced nutrients to buffer down properly unless he PHd his water down to 6 before he started. Then he wouldn't have any problem at all.

It made me think you may need to pH your water up a little bit before your ad your advanced nutrients in order to get that proper balance. But you're not going to correct that calcium def at 5.3 pH you actually pretty much lose all your ability to uptake calcium by 5.4 pH.

Current Diaries​

Jingo grows zambeza white widow and supper silver haze
Jingo does Remo nutes, Dinafem white cheese and portal kracken.
Jingo grows Dinafem White Cheese, lumigrow pro 325, gh and remo nutes
Jingo's continuous cbd grow, lumigrow pro LED, GH nutrients in coco, with test results.

 

[Only1Sky]

So you're saying you're pH is 5.3 after you mix your nutrients? What is your pH of your water before you add your nutrients?

I knew a guy that had 7.6 or something pH and he couldn't get his advanced nutrients to buffer down properly unless he PHd his water down to 6 before he started. Then he wouldn't have any problem at all.

It made me think you may need to pH your water up a little bit before your ad your advanced nutrients in order to get that proper balance. But you're not going to correct that calcium def at 5.3 pH you actually pretty much lose all your ability to uptake calcium by 5.4 pH.

@tripaholic88 & @jingo Well isn't this a fine predicament? I've just come back from the tent and my mixing station. I can't be sure, but I think just maybe some of my other plants are showing a couple of stressed leaves, and the claws on the Trainwreck have not straightened out. Anyway, to the tests. I just checked status of my pure RO water -it's 0 PPM and 7.8-7.9 on the pH. That's using my BlueLab Combo Meter. So then I rechecked the mix, and sure enough, it reads a pH of 5.3.

So my RO water goes from 7.8 to 5.3 when I add 1 ml/l sensi coco A&B and 2 ml/l of CO CaMg+ (1-0-0). Do I believe the hype from Advanced Nutrients, who say I should be fine. Maybe not so much, eh?

Am I correct in assuming that you guys would recommend that I get some pH UP and boost the raw RO water? And if so, what would be a good "final target" pH for the mix when I finally deliver it to the girls? Keep in mind, that all 4 plants showed a coco/soil pH today of 6.5 - 6.9 using the CWA pH8 Meter. And that was after getting the 5.3 mix.

Thanks a bunch for staying with me on this. I think we may be getting close.