Coco coir and calmag

Im trying to get a feel for the coco/perlite medium, im doing 50/50. Im hand watering from 1 gallon water jugs. How often should i be using cal mag and how much cal mag per gallon during flower?

710slickxx said:

Im trying to get a feel for the coco/perlite medium, im doing 50/50. Im hand watering from 1 gallon water jugs. How often should i be using cal mag and how much cal mag per gallon during flower?

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Are you using tap water? If so do you know what the TDS values are for it?

hotrodharley said:

Are you using tap water? If so do you know what the TDS values are for it?

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Yes i use tap. Ppm on tap is 110

Hi 710,
My water is close to that. I use about 100 ppm of calmag on top of what's already in my tapwater. Doesn't really matter if you're in veg or bloom...you'll want the calmag all the time.
JD

JohnDee said:

Hi 710,
My water is close to that. I use about 100 ppm of calmag on top of what's already in my tapwater. Doesn't really matter if you're in veg or bloom...you'll want the calmag all the time.
JD

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Agree

What nutes are you using? I use Coco specific nutes and tap water (150ppm) and the majority of time I only need to add Cal mag after transplant. If I do add Cal mag I shoot for it to raise my ppm in 250-300 category so I'm only adding 100-150 ppm of Cal mag

Apalchen said:

What nutes are you using? I use Coco specific nutes and tap water (150ppm) and the majority of time I only need to add Cal mag after transplant. If I do add Cal mag I shoot for it to raise my ppm in 250-300 category so I'm only adding 100-150 ppm of Cal mag

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Good point Apa,
With some nutes and spacific brands of coco...no calmag needed because it's already in nutes.

I just use Maxi.bloom and KoolBloom when I want a {K boost. I add in epsom salts toward the end. Sulfur helps with terps and the mg is always needed late flower.
JD

know the difference from mg def and cal def

2 mil cal mg per gal every time seedling to flush

You guys are awesome, ty

Coco college.
https://cocoforcannabis.com/toc/

..."Buffering the coco in advance is a critical step to creating an ideal growing media.
However, even in fully and properly buffered coco, you should continue to provide additional Cal Mag supplement.

Why do you need Cal Mag Supplement If the Coco is Buffered?
The simple answer is that the coco is constantly breaking down. As large fibers of coco break down in the pots they expose new surface areas of the coco fiber. This also exposes new cation exchange sites that will take Ca and Mg from your nutrient solution and reduce the amount available to the plant."

I grow in coco and never use calmag but I also use calcium nitrate as my nitrogen source and the micronutrient blend I use has plenty of magnesium. I don't stop using the nitrogen in flower. I've never had the calcium deficiencies that some seem to have using major brand nutrients. Any formulation of nutrients designed for hydro should contain all the calcium and magnesium necessary. Most do. The majority of the ones that don't are overpriced cannabis specific nutes because they want to sell that bottle of calmag. There is a reason they leave stuff out. If they didn't there would be no need for some people to buy a dozen bottles of stuff that should already be in the base nutrients.

Imagine Coca Cola leaving the sugar out and making you buy it on the side. That's what cannabis specific nutrient companies do.

Any good Hydroponic nutrient should contain all of these elements; Nitrogen (N), Potassium (K), Phosphorous (P), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sulphur (S), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Molydenum (Mo), Boron (B), Chlorine (Cl).

I use a high end coco specific nutrient line but I give them half strength(2.5 per gal)CalMag every water. Put it this way I'll never have deficiency.

Blue back said:

I use a high end coco specific nutrient line but I give them half strength(2.5 per gal)CalMag every water. Put it this way I'll never have deficiency.

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I never have any deficiencies and I just use bulk chemical salts in the proper proportions. What is a high end coco specific nutrient line other than overpriced? But if it's working for you and you don't mind paying for it then keep rolling how your rolling. The end result is what matters. There are many paths that all end up in the same place.

It's Canna that I use and I say if it ain't broke don't fix it. I'm more than happy with its results in every way for many many years now. I say if you can afford it use it. But that's just me it returns big time.

Elementals vary for sure...

I'm not a big fan of Maximum Yield but they got it right with this article.
https://www.maximumyield.com/how-to-boost-the-calcium-levels-in-your-hydroponic-system/2/3317

"In hydroponics, calcium nitrate fertilizer is typically used in nutrient products and formulations to supply calcium. This is highly soluble and rapidly taken up by the root system. However, the use of the ammonium form of nitrogen in nutrient solutions can significantly aggravate calcium uptake from the plants, despite optimal levels of calcium being present in the root zone.

This is because ammonium competes for the uptake of calcium. Lettuce and other leafy vegetable formulations in winter may incorporate as much as 15 per cent of total nitrogen as ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate, while the rest is available as nitrate (either calcium nitrate or potassium nitrate."

And the thing is that most of the cannabis/coco specific nutrient lines continue to use the ammonium form of nitrogen. That allows them to sell their customers a bottle of calmag. If you use calcium nitrate for your nitrogen source in hydro/coco there is never a need for calmag.

Calcium nitrate has all the calcium a plant needs. 13.0.0 and 13% calcium. No need for calmag. It's all about using the right stuff. VitaGrow was formulated for hydro before the fancy labels took over and came out with a dozen different bottles of stuff when it should have already been included in the base nutrients. They've pulled stuff out and put it in another bottle to sell. And people fall for it.

TintEastwood said:

Coco college.
https://cocoforcannabis.com/toc/

..."Buffering the coco in advance is a critical step to creating an ideal growing media.
However, even in fully and properly buffered coco, you should continue to provide additional Cal Mag supplement.

Why do you need Cal Mag Supplement If the Coco is Buffered?
The simple answer is that the coco is constantly breaking down. As large fibers of coco break down in the pots they expose new surface areas of the coco fiber. This also exposes new cation exchange sites that will take Ca and Mg from your nutrient solution and reduce the amount available to the plant."

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Ty for this. Ive been searching for something like this