New Coco Grow

[Guest Poacher]

Your ph pen will need calibrating on a regular basis to make sure the pen is reading accurately. The calibration process will be detailed in the instructions but basically when you the pen should read 4 if you put it in buffer 4 solution. If not, the pen is adjusted until it reads 4. You must adjust the pen to the solution. The process is repeated with the buffer 7. You now have a pen that is accurate to two pints and ready to use.

The principle is the same for the ec meter.

I hope I haven't confused you further.

Cheers chrisesq, that has cleared me up nicely! I know what I need to order now. All of it! >(sound of piggy bank smashing)< Right then...

alright there Jim,

if you aint ordered already id give greens a phone and ask about the calibrating fluid because depending on the meter you may only need one. I used to use a horticare ph pen and it only needs the ph7 fluid.

[Organic Jim]

OK mate, I plan on a Monday phone call then placing the order.

[Organic Jim]

OK, final (I hope!) question before the grow begins.

If I don't use Vitalink's Plant Start, do I use the Grow food at 1/4 strength or something?

Cheers all

[Guest Poacher]

yup that would be fine, i just use grow nutes for young plants and start them of on an ec of 0.8-1.0 then take it from there

[heyboy]

Hi Jim

try this thread

http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?show...=197864&hl=

hb

[Maxigrower]

Hi mate,

Many good tips so far. But I'd say think seriously about the cf truncheon by blue lab. Costs a tad more than the one your looking at but you won't regret it!

Also as Poacher said the horticare ones only need one solution and they work fine. Mine is the Hydro garden essentials which I'm quite sure is the same but different packaging.

Yes you can use weak nute for young plants. I personally only use plant start for soaking propagation plugs and sometimes for flushing.

Also as someone said, you may only need PH down and not up. But if you are gonna ditch the plant start and but root stim instead. You could get Canna Rhizotonic and then use as PH up!! As its very alkaline in its self, so is silicon which many people use, But I would refrain from using at 4ml per litre as you just don't need that much.

One thing I will kind of disagree with poacher on though is that how much PH down you will use depends on different things . So although a bottle may last years for some it won't for others! I use three different types bu mainly canna organic. Which is just citric acid I think. And the thing is. when you've got a lot of beneficial bacteria they will feed in that and you PH will rise surprisingly fast. My tank in my IWS used to be adjusted everyday to around 5 and by the next day would be at 7.4! the same as my tap water ?? I was told its down to all my heard munching on the citric acid. But if you use the more common Phosphoric PH down you wont have that problem as it holds the PH much better.

Hope that helps matey.

Kind regards, Maxi ;-)

[Organic Jim]

Nice one chappies, order placed, order sent! Should be here later today. Thanks for all your help everyone. Let the diary commence.