Dialing In MEGA CROP for Auto's

[Mañ'O'Green]

I think there is more information about what is in every single GreenLeaf product made on their website than any other fertilizer vendor out there. Who else lists every ingredient in any given product? Most do not list half of what is in their "Secret Sauce"

If you look at the FAQs it explains why the bags are generic. Basically it keeps the price lower for us. Their 2 part nutrient calculator is amazing but you have to be smart enough to use it. The 1 part calculator requires no extra knowledge.

I am growing this following their schedule precisely The only thing I added was Bio-stimulants since the 2 Part does not have them.

I harvested this today. The main cola alone weighed in at 369g wet so maybe 3 ounces dry.

Then there is the rest of the plant:

I need to do the math but it is around $60 worth of GL used in this grow. Who else can do that? I have used many others and It would have been well over $500 of House & Garden.

If you have problems growing with GL it is not the fertilizer's fault.

 

[pop22]

Greenleaf is shy about forums....... They are actually guys who started out on RUI and were advertisers. RUI screwed them over to get Dynagrow in their place.

I don't know what happened to their support but let's give them benefit of the doubt in these terrible times.

Isn't it amazing that Greenleaf have never corrected their instructions.
Either online or on the bag.
Goes to show how an excellent product can lose credibility because of poor product support.
Kinna makes me wonder why nobody from Greenleaf have representation here.

.....can you hear the crickets??

 

[elcoloan]

I'd also like to add that in my case my smoothest grows and those of my friends who still use MegaCrop 1-part version 1 as I do have been with just MegaCrop and at ECs a bit lower than the targets they suggest in their website's calculator... granted that buds did come out pretty leafy, but damn it was easy and flowers were very very tasty, extremely frosty and bigger -and cheaper- than with most nutes we've used (have'nt tried Jacks). We still got lots to learn and nutes to try though, but still have lots of MC which we will happily continue using and learing with.

Also... when we've had deficiency symptoms they have mostly been because of something out of place... mostly pH, over/underwatering, and always focusing more on EC instead on focusing on healthy roots first.
With the 1-part version 1 maybe some little additional Mg is the only thing I think would be needed and only really if deficiencies did show up and everything else were in place... would prob say the same for Ca... but adding those and others such as P or K is something that can screw up the ratios easily if not carefully calculated i think, so if done properly (not what happens usually apparently but some do seem to get it right regardless) i think it could be done with out a problem. But while learning to grow and to use MC i think it is better just to use MC which will definitely give good results by itself if environmental variables are in place.

And i gotta say... the times i've contacted GreenLeaf they haven't been very helpful and the threads at some other places were they are active can be very insightful but also kind of annoying to read because of them not always answering kindly, so i don't really miss them here if AFN has the kind, patient and experienced people that already are here. I really like their calculators, though... just recently discovered the elemental calc and have learnt a lot by trying to understand it.
BTW, i have some screenshots of their MC 1-part calculators so if anyone finds them useful here they are:

MC 1-part targets per stage (in EC)


MC 1-part targets per stage (in PPM 500 scale)


MC 1-part targets per stage (in grams per galon)


MC 1-part elemental ppms (for 2 g/Gal)


MC 1-part elemental ppms (for 4 g/Gal)


MC 1-part elemental ppms (for 4.5 g/Gal)


MC 1-part elemental ppms (for 5 g/Gal)


MC 1-part elemental ppms (for 5.5 g/Gal)


MC 1-part elemental ppms (for 6 g/Gal)


EDIT: Oh and here is a useful piece to understand how to calculate fertilizer quantities when adding or preparing them: http://www.greenhouse.cornell.edu/crops/factsheets/FertilizerCalculations.pdf

 

[GeorgeCloney]

I think we all agree that MC is hard to beat on many plans.
Its just unfortunite that there isn't better product support.

The nute industry have donne a great job in educating people to believe more is better.
When in fact we all know, less is usually better when growing pot.

This is where the issue begrings with MC.
The problem is not the nute, its how its used.

Those of you that are old enough to remember the Audi's going into reverse by themself in the 90's know what I mean.
We've found the problem,...its the driver...not the design.
So they made it foolproof, until a better fool comes around.

MC is no different.
I grow the same 4 or 5 strains all the time.
All get MC.
With time you get to know the strains behavior and ADAPT.

PH vs feed is a complete chapter on its own.
@pop22 sums it up quite well saying, stay in the 6.0 to 6.5 range ,and you'll be fine in soil.
I know, coco is a bitch if not conditioned, and peat has its own issues as well.

This thread sounds like a conversation I often have with my wife, it goes like this.

What do you want I ask?
And she can give me 1000 explanations of what she doesn't want.
Thats not what I'm asking, and she goes on,..and on...

I would propose that we begin a thread to be included in the infirmary section of the site titled.

Using Mega Crop 101

 

[terp182]

Thanks for this. It's clear I just needed to back off the EC/PPM, so I washed each 3.5ish gallon plant with 6ish gallons of 510ish PPM MC-only last night, bringing their starting PPM down from the high 700's to ~550, ph ~6-6.2.

Those elemental screenshots will be super beneficial. Coming in as a novice, my problem was a) I chose another first timer to emulate (who was emulating another's grow), which from the get go had too much calmag and MC in the seedling nutes, b) once his grow went off course, I had no real idea of baseline PPM levels per stage, and kept running across advice to add mag or add calmag, so I assumed *some* was needed, and then c) once I decided to "just follow the directions" and use the website calculator, those were still too high PPM. I'm still struggling with recognizing and maintaining nute ratios - that'll be the next step, and I'm sure that's what I was fucking up in my last couple feeds. The brown spots on my Zamaldelica can attest to that.

Agreed with the comment above that maybe there should be a MC sticky in the Infirmary, for FAQs like mine - what's a good baseline PPM level by growth stage to shoot at for autos, especially for first time growers, using autopots or not, etc. Perhaps advice to dial down the recommended dosage from the website calculator.

Really hoping after a few days the girls hit their stride again. I'll report back with how they're looking. Can't thank you guys enough for setting me straight. I was feeling like a dummy replying back again with my ongoing failures.

I'd also like to add that in my case my smoothest grows and those of my friends who still use MegaCrop 1-part version 1 as I do have been with just MegaCrop and at ECs a bit lower than the targets they suggest in their website's calculator... granted that buds did come out pretty leafy, but damn it was easy and flowers were very very tasty, extremely frosty and bigger -and cheaper- than with most nutes we've used (have'nt tried Jacks). We still got lots to learn and nutes to try though, but still have lots of MC which we will happily continue using and learing with.

Also... when we've had deficiency symptoms they have mostly been because of something out of place... mostly pH, over/underwatering, and always focusing more on EC instead on focusing on healthy roots first.
With the 1-part version 1 maybe some little additional Mg is the only thing I think would be needed and only really if deficiencies did show up and everything else were in place... would prob say the same for Ca... but adding those and others such as P or K is something that can screw up the ratios easily if not carefully calculated i think, so if done properly (not what happens usually apparently but some do seem to get it right regardless) i think it could be done with out a problem. But while learning to grow and to use MC i think it is better just to use MC which will definitely give good results by itself if environmental variables are in place.

And i gotta say... the times i've contacted GreenLeaf they haven't been very helpful and the threads at some other places were they are active can be very insightful but also kind of annoying to read because of them not always answering kindly, so i don't really miss them here if AFN has the kind, patient and experienced people that already are here. I really like their calculators, though... just recently discovered the elemental calc and have learnt a lot by trying to understand it.
BTW, i have some screenshots of their MC 1-part calculators so if anyone finds them useful here they are:

MC 1-part targets per stage (in EC)
View attachment 1253042

MC 1-part targets per stage (in PPM 500 scale)
View attachment 1253044

MC 1-part targets per stage (in grams per galon)
View attachment 1253043

MC 1-part elemental ppms (for 2 g/Gal)
View attachment 1253045

MC 1-part elemental ppms (for 4 g/Gal)
View attachment 1253046

MC 1-part elemental ppms (for 4.5 g/Gal)
View attachment 1253049

MC 1-part elemental ppms (for 5 g/Gal)
View attachment 1253047

MC 1-part elemental ppms (for 5.5 g/Gal)
View attachment 1253050

MC 1-part elemental ppms (for 6 g/Gal)
View attachment 1253048

EDIT: Oh and here is a useful piece to understand how to calculate fertilizer quantities when adding or preparing them: http://www.greenhouse.cornell.edu/crops/factsheets/FertilizerCalculations.pdf

 

[4d-Rock]

All good info guys, thanks.

I’m not sure we need an infirmary post, we have this thread and the GLN section.

Sucks when you do run into a deficiency or lockout when trying to dial it in, because then the damage is done and you have to wait until the next grow to make changes. Guess that’s why it takes years to improve and longer to master

 

[Proph]

Lol.. Waira, myself and Man-O work the infirmary thread.. Unfortunately there won't be a special section for MC. That's what this thread is for.. All the MC users can put their ideas/issues/experience right here and try to come to some conclusion or consensus for all of the versions. The real issue is the spreading of bad info, and not knowing the basics of how nutrients work.. Bad info like adding/using calmag from day one, feeding with every watering, not watering to run off etc... Not knowing that Ca can lock out Mg and vise versa.. Not understanding or using ppms.. It's just as much user error as it is product issues.. Those that have eliminated the user error part, have also learned how to work around the product issues. But I think the sooner we stop spreading bad info to each other the sooner those with issues will learn the correct things to do.. I've never seen a product grab the cannabis home grower by the balls the way calmag did, lol. If you don't understand the basics, (like calcium and magnesium being two completely different nutrients that work differently), you'll always have issues, regardless of the nutrient line used. Calcium is immobile.. Magnesium is mobile.. So as much as I personally don't feel MC was made for cannabis grows, I also feel like there is so much misinformation out there derailing new growers, that it creates a perfect storm for bad grows.

 

[pop22]

Actually, MC was developed by cannabis enthusiasts for cannabis. I use to participate in their RIU thread.

Lol.. Waira, myself and Man-O work the infirmary thread.. Unfortunately there won't be a special section for MC. That's what this thread is for.. All the MC users can put their ideas/issues/experience right here and try to come to some conclusion or consensus for all of the versions. The real issue is the spreading of bad info, and not knowing the basics of how nutrients work.. Bad info like adding/using calmag from day one, feeding with every watering, not watering to run off etc... Not knowing that Ca can lock out Mg and vise versa.. Not understanding or using ppms.. It's just as much user error as it is product issues.. Those that have eliminated the user error part, have also learned how to work around the product issues. But I think the sooner we stop spreading bad info to each other the sooner those with issues will learn the correct things to do.. I've never seen a product grab the cannabis home grower by the balls the way calmag did, lol. If you don't understand the basics, (like calcium and magnesium being two completely different nutrients that work differently), you'll always have issues, regardless of the nutrient line used. Calcium is immobile.. Magnesium is mobile.. So as much as I personally don't feel MC was made for cannabis grows, I also feel like there is so much misinformation out there derailing new growers, that it creates a perfect storm for bad grows.

 

[terp182]

Didn’t mean to imply anything other than user error - I completely agree that understanding the basics is key and definitely what I’m struggling with. Forums are far from ideal for capturing best practices in an easily preserved format and the noise to signal ratio is often very high, even for communities as mature and informed as this. That’s an artifact of the form and not the users though.

100% agree that the misinformation is way worse than poorly collected data. Maybe instead of an Infirmary thread there can just be a MegaCrop Best Practices thread or something. Or maybe just more of this, but trying to get through 50+ pages and multiple versions of the mix can be overwhelming.

Lol.. Waira, myself and Man-O work the infirmary thread.. Unfortunately there won't be a special section for MC. That's what this thread is for.. All the MC users can put their ideas/issues/experience right here and try to come to some conclusion or consensus for all of the versions. The real issue is the spreading of bad info, and not knowing the basics of how nutrients work.. Bad info like adding/using calmag from day one, feeding with every watering, not watering to run off etc... Not knowing that Ca can lock out Mg and vise versa.. Not understanding or using ppms.. It's just as much user error as it is product issues.. Those that have eliminated the user error part, have also learned how to work around the product issues. But I think the sooner we stop spreading bad info to each other the sooner those with issues will learn the correct things to do.. I've never seen a product grab the cannabis home grower by the balls the way calmag did, lol. If you don't understand the basics, (like calcium and magnesium being two completely different nutrients that work differently), you'll always have issues, regardless of the nutrient line used. Calcium is immobile.. Magnesium is mobile.. So as much as I personally don't feel MC was made for cannabis grows, I also feel like there is so much misinformation out there derailing new growers, that it creates a perfect storm for bad grows.

 

[Proph]

Actually, MC was developed by cannabis enthusiasts for cannabis. I use to participate in their RIU thread.

Again.. I don't believe that, lol.. I consider myself a "cannabis enthusiast", lol.. Im here EVERY DAY, enthusiastically growing and trying to help others. If they were enthusiasts, they would be in one on the 3 major threads we have full of MC issues/questions/cincerns, lol. They dropped a product on us and haven't been seen since, lol. That's not a cannabis enthusiast. RIU is based around photoperiods.. Autos are much different. They feed/grow differently.. So maybe it was created with photo period plants in mind.. But obviously they aren't enthused enough to deal with these continued issues on AFN. Or enthused enough to make a final version. IMO, it's not a badge of honor that they started this product on RIU, it more so explains why they arent around and why there are so many versions.