Just need a nudge …

[mikeydoughnut]

Right folks. Hope we’re all well. I’m new to coco so kinda feeling my way through. I’m trying to stay ahead of the curve so not a problem per se but more of a ‘what would/do you do?’ 
Noticed yesterday I had pinky stems. As far as I’m aware 3 things can cause this light, cold and hunger. 

They’re under a 150 MH and an LED each side only burning 80w each. Hardly a summers day. 

 

Temps are constantly well within range. I sleep in there. Don’t usually sleep bollocks out in January but I do this January  

 

Last resort was hunger. So when I fed yesterday @1.4EC and 6.1pH - this is 3.5ml GA a&b, 1.5ml Xtra Traces & 5ml Root Tonic - I decided to test the run off on a pinky stemmed plant. The truncheon read 0.8EC.

 

This to me means it’s gobbling up what I put in and could eat some more. First of all is my logic flawed at all? Secondly would it be wise to up there feed further (I’m already over what GA recommend) or water more often at my current EC keeping levels at a constant? 
 

Like I said it’s not owt drastic like but wouldn’t mind a bit of help from you coco poppers  Thanks in advance 

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by mikeydoughnut
To add pics

[hash72]

sorry i'm no help, i think you plants look real nice and healthy

[mikeydoughnut]

Cheers @hash72. They’re all very lush and healthy at the moment. They’re blackpoolbouncers creations. Been an absolute pleasure so far they have  

[catweazle1]

Your plants are looking ok atm, but with the drastic drop in ec the coco appears to not be buffered properly. Calcium, magnesium and iron are likely getting scavenged by the coco, and those deficiencies will probably appear at some point. You can use calmag or, as Fatboy77 does, keep running nutes at the current strength through frequently until the runoff ec is just about equal to the nutes ec that you put in. I'm assuming your meter is in good order. Unbuffered coco contains ion exchange sites where potassium and sodium ions reside. When it is prepared correctly by the coco processor, by washing in calmag, those 3 ions are replaced by what's in the calmag because they have a greater attraction to those ion exchange sites than sodium, potassium and chlorine, which are displaced. You've caught that early so, after doing that, it should tick along as it has been doing without any negative effects. Once you have sorted that you can lower the ec to 1-1.2ec.

Edited January 24, 2022 by catweazle1

[catweazle1]

Seeing as your new to coco, be aware that watering with nutes is done regularly, unlike soil. Each time you water to runoff you are restoring the ec to its target level. It is soil where you add nutes to the soil each time you water because you are not flushing it through every time, like with coco. Letting the coco dry out between waterings will concentrate the nutes and cause over-fertilisation issues. Just a bit more info.

Edited January 24, 2022 by catweazle1

[mikeydoughnut]

Cheers @catweazle1 I was warned about incorrectly buffered coco. I’m using canna. Dunno how reliable this is. Maybe i got an unlucky draw. 
Im about to have a brew then go up n have a look. Still rooting out a wee bit so were still a bit heavy when I got home from work. Next feed I’ll try that watering through until I’m nearing my input EC. 
Do you think it could be down to being shy watering? I’m waiting for it to feel right when I lift the pots, much like in compo. But then I read the cocoforcannabis page and that’s on about multiple fertigations a day.

Just now, catweazle1 said:

Seeing as your new to coco, be aware that watering with nutes is done regularly, unlike soil. Each time you water to runoff you are restoring the ec to its target level. It is soil where you add nutes to the soil each time you water because you are not flushing it through every time like with coco.

I do think you’re on to summat here. Although I’ve watered until I get good run off, the first time I’ve tested it was yesterday (or the day before, slept since). Perhaps I’ve not saturated it enough with the 1.4EC feed. Being new to coco perhaps I have to familiarise myself with what proper run off looks like.

 

Cheers again @catweazle1 

[catweazle1]

@mikeydoughnut. You don't need to do multiple daily waterings in pure coco... cocoforcannabis watering method assumes 70 coco:30 perlite. Evaporation is faster with the latter. In pure coco, whilst the roots are still filling out the pot, just don't let the top get too dry. Once they are big, once a day should be enough. It will need to be wet whilst you are bringing that ec up though. The pure coco lads here might advise better on watering frequency.... I mix mine. Once they get big, aim to keep the runoff ec within a couple of points either side of your target ec. ALWAYS water more to correct the ec in the normal routine... don't make the mistake of watering less to reduce ec, watering does that.... up and down. 20% runoff should be sufficient when things are going well. 

E2A corrected 'ec down though' to 'ec up though'.

Edited January 24, 2022 by catweazle1

[stu914]

@catweazle1

 

Hi bud,

 

Is ph 6.2 a bit high? Just wondered if this might be contributing to the problem?

[catweazle1]

@stu914 I used to be a stickler for 5.5 to 6.0pH, but I just keep it around 6 now. The lattitude seems to be quite wide as long as you keep total ec around 1.2 or less. Generally, less is more... the nute/pH level is replenished everyday at watering time, so they won't starve and you'll avoid over-ferting and consequent lockouts.  I don't think pH would have such an effect on ec as mike is seeing. Cheers.

Edited January 24, 2022 by catweazle1

[mikeydoughnut]

Cheers chaps. Some food for thought there. Still need to go up n have a look yet. Got sidetracked, well, I’ve been watching Malcom in the middle with the kids  priorities n that. But seriously thanks for the help. I’ll try the watering thing and see how we go and keep the pH thing in me back pocket should I need it 

[mikeydoughnut]

@Owderb … sorry owd chap, I’d seen you were online and hoped to pester you really quick like. 
 

The GA recommendation to water with just 5ml xtra trace once a week. I’m sorry if this sounds thick but if yer don’t ask n all that. When I do this does the medium need feeding again straight away or is it fine to leave until the next watering? When I’ve done it so far I’ve flushed with xtra at lights on then fed half way through their day. The plants look fine so I can’t be doing any harm but wondered if I was doing it reyt. 

[Owderb]

10 hours ago, mikeydoughnut said:

When I do this does the medium need feeding again straight away or is it fine to leave until the next watering?

 

Leave till the next watering but there's really no need to do it if your plants look fine. I only do it if my plants are starting to look a bit overfed or when I start reducing food towards the end 

 

Owd

[mikeydoughnut]

Thanks very much @Owderb much appreciated.

[Slippy One]

Just to add, my GA Bloom A&B hardwater edition feed gets my tap water to 6.5 and the plants love it, so never need to add ph down. My tap water cal:mag ratio is 19:1 so I never add cal, only mono mg @1.6ml/L. Check your loacal water supplier for the ration in your area. Pinky stems as in off colour or actual pink? I've got a creation called Sassberry it has beetroot stems, always has. I assume this is genetic, not ph or environment. 

 

I think the plain ph'd tap water with traces is great for those of us who keep multiple bonsai mums alive for months in coco. I know it would be cheaper and less work keeping mums in soil, but coco is so easy to work with, more impoortantly, I find it easier and faster to fix problems along the way. 

 

Another thing that has improved the plants is to dim the lights. Around 60-80% power on mine and this has reduced my rusty leaf spot issue which I suspect is actually 2 issues, mg def and too many lumens..

[mikeydoughnut]

Ey up @Slippy One  Aye when I add the feed the pH always drops to 6.2 on its own. Sometimes 6.1. The online water report is a little dated now (2019 I think) but going off the info available I’m in the golden ratio ballpark of 3:1. 
I made the assumption the pink coming through was an issue, albeit a slight one as the plants looked awesome, since it was just on the tops of the stems or a small patch just starting to turn. It’s never looked ‘natural’ to me.

 

I’ll have to pick your brains on mums in coco when the time comes. The reason for me moving to coco was the ability to water daily on my terms rather than hang about waiting for the soil to be ready. I had the same bother with my DB mum. Always looked a bit ropey … as have my last couple of grows in soil. If I can keep mums in coco that’s music to my ears  

 

Its funny you say that about the lights. I’ve never felt comfortable at 100% as it always seemed to exacerbate any issues I had or possibly helped create them. I was under the assumption it was a pill I had to swallow - in terms of not using all the power available from a light suited to the area - because I’m not good enough and couldnt figure out the feed and watering regularity for compost properly. Now I’m using coco I feel so much more in control. I’m upto 60% (120w x 2) and an added 150MH for heat but primarily was to prevent too much stretch and they love it. I’ll only crank them up to full once I’m in week 3 and using the boost it but based on my last two attempts I’ll be doing it very tentatively. 
 

Sorry for the essay bud