Grow Mediums Going forward...

[JP1]

So I'm wrapping up my 3rd run with the autopot megacrop v3 combo and honestly nothing has gone very well. I'm fine calling the current grow screwed due to pH pen failure and me not recognizing it sooner. But all 3 of these runs have been worse then any run I've really ever had before so I'm getting a little concerned that I'm totally trending in the wrong direction. I don't have enough megacrop for another run start to finish so purchases are gonna have to be made regardless. Basically every dtw plant I've ever grown had been better, but I don't have time for watering and mixing every day so I do love the autopot idea. I'm currently doing the MOG recipe of 3.5 megacrop, epsom, calmag, humic, kelp and B1. So my question is should I stick with the megacrop 1 part, switch to 2 part, change to different brand nutes, or mix some soil and just water in the rez? I leaning towards mixing soil or switching brands... I've always been Coco so I have no experience with soil but I'd assume base it on the night owl recipe... Appreciate any input

 

[DCLXVI]

That's a frustating situation. Were you using coco in the autopots? I thought that was supposed to work quite well. I've been thinking about trying them myself but have been unsure how to keep the reservoir ph'd properly. I've just cracked into coco so I'm far from knowledgeable but! It behaves like hydro so it's quite sensitive to things being off and can change quick. Were all 3 runs in coco with a bad pH pen? Probably silly questions but just trying to think out loud with you.

What pH were you running? You could always try the canna coco or the Advanced Nutrients pH perfect coco line. I did find the AN Sensi line wasn't "ph perfect" until you were using near full doses or R/O distilled water. What was your base water? Tap?

 

[JP1]

Everything in Coco/perlite. Keep, or at least try to keep pH at 5.8--6.0. Could all be pH related really but would seem odd that the pen went dead at the same time I switched to mega/autopots. I usually just recalibrate at the beginning of each run. MOG gave me a recipe to switch to halfway through this run and I recalibrated for that and the plants got much better. Then they got worse, so that's when I figured out the pen was trashed, but I don't truly know when it broke

 

[DCLXVI]

It sounds like maybe get a new pen and give it one more try? But if you didn't like the MegaCrop there are tons of coco specific lines that might be easier. I did find that the AN line held pH very very well. I didn't like it in soil so I tried to use it up with coco outdoors for melons.Yes, I ran their soil line in coco. And I still had more melons than I knew what to do with. I had a bucket reservoir with a pump/timer and just loaded water and nutes. It might be worth looking into for reservoir stability. Just an idea.

If the pen broke at some point it could have been giving terrible readings for a while before it was evident to you. Especially trying to stay in as tight a range as you were.

 

[JP1]

Got a new pen Friday. Mine was still under warranty and they actually sent me a new one. Only got the new fancy pen and did away with the $10 one maybe a couple weeks into switching nutes/system like a year ago. But the pen was expensive and new so I just calibrated it when I got it and then again at the start of each grow. So it could be pH all the way, but I'm out of headstash and this run won't last me very long either, so I kind need better numbers to sustain myself then I've got over the past year

 

[Peacefulgarden]

~700ppm/~1.3 e.c. dynagro grow (or same suggested ration for any nute/s with 1.3ec final mix), wait till plants are at least as big as your auto pot before turning on, the bigger the better. ph 5.6-5.8 depending if your ph rises within a few days of making nute.

 

[Sportyridr]

Get yourself some pH drops as backup...I'll never be without after a pH meter debacle not long after I first started...been a Megacrop user for 2 years, got 1/2 way thru this last run and had enough bs issues to do me for a good long time. I switched to Jack's and have not looked back...far superior nutrient line IMO...I probably could have went with the MC 2 part but I wanted to completely step away from Greenleaf Nutes...my plants have never looked better...good luck

 

[JP1]

Drops as backup is a great idea. Gonna change to calibrating meter every weekend just to make sure. And I already have a ton of calibration fluid to use up from recent issues. Also switched from megacrop. Trying Athena bc of a sale. Was gonna try Jack's but felt like it was gonna give me megacrop flashbacks. I'm going back to liquid which used to do me fine. All 3 runs I did with it were all the worst plants I've ever grown in Coco and not a trend I want to be on

 

[AJrexxx]

Well that's just no good. I use mega crop when run coco and it does well. I still top feed though. Bought the damn autopots and did one run and never really used them again. No real reason just didn't. I did find I was better PHing to 5.6 then I would let it drift up to about 6 add more mixed nutrient and PH back down to 5.6 this would bring my pot PH down at first and then as it drifted up would get them back in a better range.

Although for a long time in coco I was growing monsters with just Maxi Bloom and Calimagic. Literally that was it. I would PH that at 5.6 and top feed it. I did 5.6 because how I understand it as the plant pulls nutrients you will drift up regardless and there is one nutrient that does not uptake well under 5.8. Need to brush up on my coco knowledge.

What PH pen did you get. When it comes to them I would rather spend to much than not enough. A bad pen can do nightmare's to your grow.

I personally have had a blue lab for about 4 years and just pulled it out of storage for a coco grow 3 minutes to calibrate and clean it and it is spot on.

Good luck with your new line.

 

[JP1]

I switched to megacrop and autopots at the same time and never grew 1 real good plant. With the pH meter problems I can't really pinpoint whats gone wrong, other then everything, including clearly my own errors. I'd love to use the autopots since they save me a lot of time over mixing 5 bottles, phing and top watering every day. Although the 5 bottles grew great plants and I'll go back if I have to. I have an apera pH pen with replaceable probe, ph60 I think, so not bluelab fancy but supposed to be a pretty good one and they were good with the replacement. I'm just gonna have to pay more attention to regular calibration checks instead of just at the beginning of a run from the jump