Coco and Cal Mag

[MesaBoogie]

So as part of my feeding schedule I give all my girls a ph'd water (n molasses) feed: I know, no biolife etc but I do, deal with it.

I'd be interested in exploring this idea more. I did love the molasses in my peat grows. I see guys dumping tons of $$ into their coco with great white and stuff and haven't really found a good answer if it's actually beneficial in coco. Is @Jimmythenugg crazy with molasses or is he building up micro's in coco ?

(and I mean crazy in all the best ways possible buddy !!! ) :smoking:

 

[GeorgeCloney]

I use a 4:1 Cal to Mag ratio not modern feed charts 2:1
Maybe i'm behind the times, but when i go higher on the Mag my plants suffer.
My lights are usually on 24/0 so the stomata need more Cal.
You can test if the stomata are open or closed by dabbing a drop underneath a leaf with alcohol. You will see it discolor the top of the leaf if open.

The role of calcium in the opening and closing of stomata

An amino acid controls plants’ breath Anonymous (2016) in Phys.Org 2016-12-06 – Plants breathe and “sweat” through stomata, microscopic pores found on leaves, stems a…

plantstomata.wordpress.com

I suspect these ratios have been developed to avoid lockout from one an other.
I've also found calcium requirements to be strain specific to a certain degree.
I grow Dr.Feelgood which are very picky about Mg def'c. So knowing this, i start my feed mix with a 50-70ppm concentration of Mg.Then top off the Mega Crop to 550ppm
To overfeed and need to flush is wasteful and expensive needlessly. GN recommend using 4gm per gallon (1200ppm)
At this rate i get N tox in my plants.
So I just listen to my plants.

 

[Easy-T]

Add every feed I have no background ec, so add 1.5ml to 6lt water to bring ec to 0.2,not had any issues so far doing this

 

[Son of Hobbes]

I'd be interested in exploring this idea more. I did love the molasses in my peat grows. I see guys dumping tons of $$ into their coco with great white and stuff and haven't really found a good answer if it's actually beneficial in coco. Is @Jimmythenugg crazy with molasses or is he building up micro's in coco ?

(and I mean crazy in all the best ways possible buddy !!! ) :smoking:

Every answer I've gotten and person I've talked to has said "yes," that coco-coir does benefit from myco. From my understanding, the myco fungus is working in symbiosis with the root system of the plant, so even in coco-coir it's still benefiting the roots (versus the notion of feeding microbes in soil, which feed the roots, etc.)

My beef with myco products is the price; I think these manufacturers are taking the piss a bit when it comes to growers wallets.

As to adding cal/mag to coco-coir, personally I'd say the answer probably lay in your feed, water, and what the plants crave (Brawndo - it's got electrolytes!)

If your nutrient blend or feeding regiment introduces calcium and/or magnesium and it's sufficient for the plants, good to go.

If you're seeing signs of deficiency, cross your t's and dot your i's first on the checklist of things to check, but then you probably need to add it as a supplement. I don't think there's anything wrong with being preemptive either, but that should be an educated decision, not a knee-jerk one. Coco's inert, there's no nutrient value to it at all. What you put in is what you put in.

Your source of water may factor into this too; our municipal water supplies out where I live are ATROCIOUSLY high in minerals, and the type varies depending on where you're at. If your water source is naturally supplying certain minerals, well...

 

[Kinezokyprios]

If you water with plain tap water and fertilise regularly and in a systematic way, then you don't need call Mag supplements, this applies to all mediums. Cannabis is not tomato or pepper, we harvest before fruits(seeds) develop.
If you regulate the temperature to humidity ratio then the light stress from led lights will not appear as call Mag deficiency - a fake condition that people must ignore.
But in coco you have to be aware of over watering, because this can cause real calcium deficiency. However if you add slow release call Mag granules before planting, then this will not be an issue for around 1 month, when you can top feed calcium again for the rest of the grow.
But my opinion is that Cal Mag deficiency is something really rare and can be avoided by watering regularly for the plants to be able to absorb the calcium, but also avoiding run off water that does take calcium out of the medium. Just adjust humidity to temperature ratio. You can find the ideal ratios at different stages at many posts in the forum, but 25 degrees Celsius with 65% during veg and 45% humidity during flowering, can regulate the osmotic pressure well and calcium can transport inside the plants adequately.

 

[GeorgeCloney]

If you water with plain tap water and fertilise regularly and in a systematic way, then you don't need call Mag supplements, this applies to all mediums. Cannabis is not tomato or pepper, we harvest before fruits(seeds) develop.
If you regulate the temperature to humidity ratio then the light stress from led lights will not appear as call Mag deficiency - a fake condition that people must ignore.
But in coco you have to be aware of over watering, because this can cause real calcium deficiency. However if you add slow release call Mag granules before planting, then this will not be an issue for around 1 month, when you can top feed calcium again for the rest of the grow.
But my opinion is that Cal Mag deficiency is something really rare and can be avoided by watering regularly for the plants to be able to absorb the calcium, but also avoiding run off water that does take calcium out of the medium. Just adjust humidity to temperature ratio. You can find the ideal ratios at different stages at many posts in the forum, but 25 degrees Celsius with 65% during veg and 45% humidity during flowering, can regulate the osmotic pressure well and calcium can transport inside the plants adequately.

The light to humidity ratio you are refering to is called VPD( vapour pressure deficit).
Using the knowledge of how to controll vpd in my tent. Now cut my light bill and doubled my yeild

 

[Kinezokyprios]

The light to humidity ratio you are refering to is called VPD( vapour pressure deficit).
Using the knowledge of how to controll vpd in my tent. Now cut my light bill and doubled my yeild

You can do it with very small effort. A wet towel in a tray to increase and a sock filled with cat sand for decreasing. So simple.
For your light bill, well you need more efficient lights like led.

 

[Dobbie Dude]

Per grow I use maybe 10 mls Cal, find I have more Mag issues with Coco- I spray plants with ph water and mag (1 gram per 500 ml bottle)works really well- just spray as needed

 

[CannaDaTaBiz]

I dont remember where i first heard it. However we should point out that there are other sources for cal and mag than just bottled calmag. This being said, it is certainly possible to get enough cal and mag from other sources than dedicated calmag. Coco itself certainly does not have enough cal and mag, so if you dont get enough of them elsewhere, not adding calmag will most certainly cause deficiencies.

 

[GeorgeCloney]

Magnesium can be bought in bulk at a very exotic store called Walé marté
In the pharmacy department, ask for EPSOM salt.
2 lbs. $3.
Calcium?...google crushed egg shells in vinegar.
Leaves spotting with yellow rust ( calcium def'c.
Leaves twisting or purple stems of any kind (mg def'c.).
One does not include the other.
Let me reword that for the new at growing.
If one condition occurs, not both are deficient.JUST ONE.
Treat that ONE.
This is the problem with calmag.
People over do the application and create new issues.