MaxiBloom Feed Chart Recommendations do not match application?

I've been using Maxi & CaliMagic with RO water for a while now, there are a couple issues with this situation, I think Maxi is designed to be used with tap water, I do not have this option because my well water is 400 ppm (TDS) of bullshit.

That said, when I mix up 5ml/gal of Armor Si, 7 grams/gal of MaxiBloom and 2.5 ml/gal of CaliMagic I am only hitting 1.6 EC on 2 different Bluelab meters.

The large amount of Armor Si is for pH UP, I sometimes also have to add a few ounces of pH UP from GH (I like it doesn't cloud so much with the solution).

They recommend 5.7 grams/gal 3.5 ml/gal CaliMagic but that only yields around 1.2 EC final solution with Armor Si & pH UP (Potassium Carbonate)

Wondering what other people are doing? The plants look like they could take more, but worried I'm getting in the overfeed zone.

Environment:
600-700w LEDs
1000 PPM Co2
70-77 night-day temps
45-50% humidity
coco/perlite with drain to waste system

I am finding with RO water, 5grams/gal maxibloom 3ml/g calimagick and 2ml/gal armor SI I was only around 800-900 PPM as well. My PH is starting in the 4s and requiring 10-15ml total of ph up to get in range.

Girls are looking happy/healthy at the moment though. Could push em harder I suppose to bring the EC up but I've let em ride. Per recommendation I dropped the armor si in flower and swapped in 1-2 ml/g koolbloom depending on stage.

sandman83 said:

I am finding with RO water, 5grams/gal maxibloom 3ml/g calimagick and 2ml/gal armor SI I was only around 800-900 PPM as well. My PH is starting in the 4s and requiring 10-15ml total of ph up to get in range.

Girls are looking happy/healthy at the moment though. Could push em harder I suppose to bring the EC up but I've let em ride. Per recommendation I dropped the armor si in flower and swapped in 1-2 ml/g koolbloom depending on stage.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I'm in the same boat. They look like they could maybe take a bit more, I heard somewhere Ammoniacal Nitrogen doesn't read on Ec meters. Maybe that could be why there's some points missing? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I might crank one "row" of plants up to 2.0 EC and see what they do, that's probably going to be ~8g/gal territory. I just don't wanna be missing out on yields because I'm pussy footing the fertilizer.

calvin.m16 said:

Thanks, I'm in the same boat. They look like they could maybe take a bit more, I heard somewhere Ammoniacal Nitrogen doesn't read on Ec meters. Maybe that could be why there's some points missing? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I might crank one "row" of plants up to 2.0 EC and see what they do, that's probably going to be ~8g/gal territory.

Click to expand...

Yeah Im still dialing back in after a long lay off so i run on the lighter side vs pushing em hard. tbh I thought I was measuring mine incorrectly for awhile? since I use a scale and started at the 4.0g per gallon and it wasn't as strong as I'd anticipated.

Using the bluelab truncheon for ppm checking.

Here is how they look with 7g/gal of maxi, 5ml/gal armor si, 2.5 ml/gal CaliMagic, definitely think they can eat more.

sandman83 said:

Yeah Im still dialing back in after a long lay off so i run on the lighter side vs pushing em hard. tbh I thought I was measuring mine incorrectly for awhile? since I use a scale and started at the 4.0g per gallon and it wasn't as strong as I'd anticipated.

Using the bluelab truncheon for ppm checking.

Click to expand...

Yeah this is a common trend with most brands, the only brand that had accurate dosing & feed chart cross references that I've personally used is House & Garden. WIth that stuff it was easy to over-feed where with this even though I'm weighing dixie cups worth its just not enough for what their chart reads. Maybe their starting water has like 500 PPM in their testing??

calvin.m16 said:

Yeah this is a common trend with most brands, the only brand that had accurate dosing & feed chart cross references that I've personally used is House & Garden. WIth that stuff it was easy to over-feed where with this even though I'm weighing dixie cups worth its just not enough for what their chart reads. Maybe their starting water has like 500 PPM in their testing??

Click to expand...

I feel better that Im not the only one seeing this results now TBH . I'd mix the whole batch and swear it was stronger then check and "bam 800ppm"

I use it at 1tsp/gal all the way through flower with great results.

From memory I run RO with maxi-bloom or maxi-grow and calmag from botanicare.

4.5g maxi per gallon
2mL calmag per gallon
1.5mL GH pH up per gallon
If I am remembering correctly, that puts me at about 1.6ec and 5.9-6.1 pH.

In all honesty, I have quit measuring every batch. I started making 1 gallon of concentrate that makes 8 gallons of feed at 2 cups of concentrate per gallon. I mix the maxi into warm water. Once that is mostly dissolved, I add the calmag. 2 cups goes into each gallon jug. Top off with RO water. Mix and add 1.5mL of pH up.

you nailed it, thats ~1.6ec / 800ppm on the 500 scale. its a pain to dissolve for sure, I use a drill and paint stirrer. Thank you for confirming!

If the plants are healthy.........why increase the nutrients?
Doesn't make sense.

I stir in two large scoops of MaxiBloom to five gallons of water several hours or the day before I need it. Takes a few hours to dissolve fully. Then I mix that with RO water in the res to get to final ec.

TCH said:

From memory I run RO with maxi-bloom or maxi-grow and calmag from botanicare.

4.5g maxi per gallon
2mL calmag per gallon
1.5mL GH pH up per gallon
If I am remembering correctly, that puts me at about 1.6ec and 5.9-6.1 pH.

In all honesty, I have quit measuring every batch. I started making 1 gallon of concentrate that makes 8 gallons of feed at 2 cups of concentrate per gallon. I mix the maxi into warm water. Once that is mostly dissolved, I add the calmag. 2 cups goes into each gallon jug. Top off with RO water. Mix and add 1.5mL of pH up.

Click to expand...

Very interesting because their support said it is not to be used as a stock concentrate both with the MaxiBloom and KoolBloom Dry. I want to go against what they say, mix until it stays participated and just dump that in, mix until desired EC. Having a stock concentrate version that you can just dump in until you hit desired EC vs measuring 2 different things would be rad.

I have not had the same problem with getting MaxiBloom to dissolve that others have described. I think that is because I don't try to mix it so strongly concentrated. More water, less concentrated and it dissolves with minimal stirring.

MickFoster said:

If the plants are healthy.........why increase the nutrients?
Doesn't make sense.

Click to expand...

Mainly out of curiosity of how they'd perform with the actual recommended EC ranges GH gives. Also, using recommended rates results in sometimes underfed looking plants (not the ones in pics but in the past).

Highway61 said:

I have not had the same problem with getting MaxiBloom to dissolve that others have described. I think that is because I don't try to mix it so strongly concentrated. More water, less concentrated and it dissolves with minimal stirring.

Click to expand...

I use a 32 gallon brute bucket with their rolly wheel attachment, fill with water, mix 220 grams of maxibloom in, stir with a pvc pipe or plant stake for a couple mins, pH to 6.0 and feed. The stuff will dissolve easier in larger bodies of water. If you try to mix it into a jar or gallon jug for a 5 gallon reservoir its going to dissolve way slower. Also GH recommends not using heated water to dissolve it.

I don't even measure EC typically cause I've learned 220 grams gives me a strong feed without causing tip burn or deficiency. I'm growing 4 different cuts so I want to have a good balanced feed for all the plants. I also need to feed heavier because my plants veg for 9-10 weeks and are grown in 10 gal pots that are only fed once every 1-2 days.

Highway61 said:

I stir in two large scoops of MaxiBloom to five gallons of water several hours or the day before I need it. Takes a few hours to dissolve fully. Then I mix that with RO water in the res to get to final ec.

Click to expand...

I'm thinking about measuring off EC from now on, just hit that # and should be good vs weighing grams or measuring scoops. That's how I used to use Jacks RO.

IDK why it takes you hours to mix the maxibloom into water I'm able to fully dissolve 1.6 EC worth of maxi into a res within 5 minutes with light stirring. Cold water too, like 68 °F.

Highway61 said:

I have not had the same problem with getting MaxiBloom to dissolve that others have described. I think that is because I don't try to mix it so strongly concentrated. More water, less concentrated and it dissolves with minimal stirring.

Click to expand...

shrug, there's a few solids that precipitate down and dissolve over time, my bag is a little older so could've absorbed moisture. I use 32 gallon trash can as well for mixing.

calvin.m16 said:

Very interesting because their support said it is not to be used as a stock concentrate both with the MaxiBloom and KoolBloom Dry. I want to go against what they say, mix until it stays participated and just dump that in, mix until desired EC. Having a stock concentrate version that you can just dump in until you hit desired EC vs measuring 2 different things would be rad.

View attachment 5301527

Click to expand...

I bet they say that so you buy their liquid Floranova line

calvin.m16 said:

I use a 32 gallon brute bucket with their rolly wheel attachment, fill with water, mix 220 grams of maxibloom in, stir with a pvc pipe or plant stake for a couple mins, pH to 6.0 and feed. The stuff will dissolve easier in larger bodies of water. If you try to mix it into a jar or gallon jug for a 5 gallon reservoir its going to dissolve way slower. Also GH recommends not using heated water to dissolve it.

I don't even measure EC typically cause I've learned 220 grams gives me a strong feed without causing tip burn or deficiency. I'm growing 4 different cuts so I want to have a good balanced feed for all the plants. I also need to feed heavier because my plants veg for 9-10 weeks and are grown in 10 gal pots that are only fed once every 1-2 days.

Click to expand...

I usually initially ph to a number lower than what I want because my ph drifts upward for a while with MaxiBloom. My targets are 5.8 to 6.3. I usually ph to 5.6 in the res and then check and adjust as needed before using that mix for the first time.