EC when using RO mix.

[GreenVision]

Hi all. In coco for another grow, just got round to starting it and the tiny ones are little baby pots of Coco now.

 

The water from the tap in my area is abysmal it really is, if I see 0.6 out of the tap its a really good day. I've noticed over th last few years that its so bad it doesn't like mixing with nutrients at all, especially with Hydro' nutrients. The water will ALWAYS precipitate and split the nutrients if use tap water, its that bad that in my Aro cloner I have to use teo 5L bottles of mineral water, if I dont the following day I'll check and there will be a sand like residue on the bottom of the res.

 

So I've done a proper job of fitting the RO filter in the loft groom, its not got a feed going up there, wastye coming back down, all hidden up behind a new false wall in a built in cupboard and drilled through to the bathroom sink etc.

 

I've had a read up and by all accounts Coco doesn't need, or much agree with, full on RO. So I'm going to try about 70% RO to 30% Tap water mix.

 

I done a test run with a small amount, I was quite shocked that even with only 70% filtered water the EC was still struggling to read 0.2 EC.

 

I'm hoping someone with either VERY soft water or anyone that uses RO with Coco might have some advice on the EC values I should be looking at.

 

The first feed I done 2 days ago I added 0.1 EC worth of Cal/Mag, then took it to 0.6 with the Canna Coco Nutrients, does this sound OK?

 

ATM they are only about 7" tall in 1L pots. Shoud I up the EC a little as I'm only adding about 0.4EC at very most of Nutrients. I'm hoping to not wait until I get hungry or over fed plants before dialing in the EC they will need with such a low base water, as I say Im used to 0.7 before I even add anything.

 

Cheers.

[GSZZ]

47 minutes ago, GreenVision said:

I'm hoping someone with either VERY soft water or anyone that uses RO with Coco might have some advice on the EC values I should be looking at.

 

i make a hard n soft water solution for me and my mate - his tap water doesn't read on the truncheon, the water supplier report says its something like 0.07ec of which its a trace amount of nitrate and calcium/mag carbonate. We're getting it up to about the 1.4 mark at full strength, in my water (0.6) thats 2.1

 

47 minutes ago, GreenVision said:

The first feed I done 2 days ago I added 0.1 EC worth of Cal/Mag, then took it to 0.6 with the Canna Coco Nutrients, does this sound OK?

 

Canna advise that you use their cal-mag to buffer RO/soft water to 0.4. 

 

*edit* I misread that last bit sorry, but that being said I'd probably start (seeds/cuts) at 1.0 ec total anyway so buffer up to 0.4ec and then add feed to make it up to 1.

Edited February 22 by GSZZ

[darXound]

@GreenVision can't post a link here but search for a company called spotless water and see if they have a pump near you.

 

0 tds water at less than 4p a litre. My water is pretty hard too so I use it as an 'ec down'

 

Send me a DM if you want a referral 

[GreenVision]

3 hours ago, GSZZ said:

Canna advise

 

I did have a read through their site, seeing more brands noticing the use of RO water actually.

 

Seems like I may be a little low on what I'm adding going on what you've said there. I love coco but like most I learned the hard way that you need to feed it more full on unlike soil which gives you a "helping hand" with keeping the plants fed correctly, hence the slight concern here as I've not used a larger % of RO with coco all the way through before, but on my last grow I had a couple of issues, only minor but I know its my tap water causing it. The salt buildup on my pots was the worst I've ever seen.

 

My instincts were leaning towards me being too low, if the water was 0.1 - 0.2 area once the tap and RO was mixed and I'm going up a point or two with Cal/Mag and then up to 0.6 ish with nutrients and your going to 1.0 and upwards with water as low as 0.1 start base with good results then I'd say im going in too low.

 

The reason I was leaning towards too low is that I would raise my normal tap water up by about 0.7 EC above the base tap reading at this stage of my plants growth normally.

 

I think I'll go up 0.2 from base reading with Cal/Mag then up to 1.0 EC with nutrients and see how they're doing after 3 or 4 feeds.

 

Cheers.

[GreenVision]

1 hour ago, darXound said:

spotless water

 

There's one really close to me mate actually. Its a drive but maybe a 2o min round trip at most. I'm not sure the frequency I'd have to vist while using coco for what little I'd need to take weekly would be worth it as I have a large RO that does me.

 

But I want to be back in hydro this year, and I may well consider it then.

[darXound]

57 minutes ago, GreenVision said:

 

There's one really close to me mate actually. Its a drive but maybe a 2o min round trip at most. I'm not sure the frequency I'd have to vist while using coco for what little I'd need to take weekly would be worth it as I have a large RO that does me.

 

But I want to be back in hydro this year, and I may well consider it then.

It's been an absolute godsend for me, if you have RO though you're good - sorry, I didn't read that bit

Edited February 22 by darXound