Feed seedlings from day 1 in coco?
- Thread starter cottee
- Start date
Squidbilly
Well-Known Member
If you never used RO before there is a learning curve. First, you absolutely need to supplement with calmag, approx 200ppm (make sure you mix the calmag into your ro water FIRST) from day one till harvest.
Since coco is inert, I usually wait until the seedling breaks ground before I give it anything, usually 3-5days after planting the seed in it's root riot cube.
Just start low, like 50ppm calmag, 100ppm base nutrient(so 150ppm). I like to be up to 200ppm by the beggining of week two(from putting seed in cube) and keep slowly working my way up from there.
If anyone tries to tell you to go by the leaves or when the coytolons fall off they don't have experience with inert mediums. Contrary to what you read on these forums, seeds do not have enough energy to do much more then break the surface. When your in an inert medium like coco, rockwool, etc. then you need to feed almost immediately. I've never burnt anything giving under 200ppm.
Since coco is inert, I usually wait until the seedling breaks ground before I give it anything, usually 3-5days after planting the seed in it's root riot cube.
Just start low, like 50ppm calmag, 100ppm base nutrient(so 150ppm). I like to be up to 200ppm by the beggining of week two(from putting seed in cube) and keep slowly working my way up from there.
If anyone tries to tell you to go by the leaves or when the coytolons fall off they don't have experience with inert mediums. Contrary to what you read on these forums, seeds do not have enough energy to do much more then break the surface. When your in an inert medium like coco, rockwool, etc. then you need to feed almost immediately. I've never burnt anything giving under 200ppm.
cottee
Well-Known Member
thanks man. What r these riot cubes. I usually just germ them then plant them in 4 inch pots but I'm considering starting in 5 inch pots this time. What pots do u start in? I'm not using RO foR the whole grow. Don't have a macine so I'm geting it from the aqautic center. Just gonna use it while there in small pots cos I just got some great white.Just want to get a nice root mass before I transplant then I'm just gonna bubble some water for 48 hours. Do u bother puting micronutrients in?
Silky Shagsalot
Well-Known Member
irregardless of your medium, don't feed for the first 11 or so days, or when you have 3 alternating internodes. the cotyledons take care of "all," of your plants needs. also, there's no need to use cal-mag, if you use a coco specific line of nutes. i use r/o, in coco, and have never had any probs. i really like house and garden coco nutes... remember, run-off is key in coco.
Sativied
Well-Known Member
^cotyledons can help bring a plant to that stage yes but doesn't mean it's an effective way of reaching veg stage. I prefer to keep my cotyledons healthy, they are great indicators in that early stage. I will admit I have better results with that on dwc than coco (just started messing with coco).
For coco it's recommended (for optimal veg rates and health) to add nutrient starting the second watering (which with low light and large pots can be 11days but in my case is about 5 days after popping). Especially with RO since coco is inert. 250-300ppm will be enough. There's no need to use CalMag though, especially not the Mg if you're using proper (complete) nutrients already . A CA boast may be necessary, coco is notorious for being able to store (and not make available) large amounts of Calcium. This should not be a problem early on. H&G as recommended by the previous poster is one of those complete nutrients that provides plenty of Ca (especially if you let the PH be at 6.0-6.2 occasionally at which Ca and Mg uptake is increased).
For coco it's recommended (for optimal veg rates and health) to add nutrient starting the second watering (which with low light and large pots can be 11days but in my case is about 5 days after popping). Especially with RO since coco is inert. 250-300ppm will be enough. There's no need to use CalMag though, especially not the Mg if you're using proper (complete) nutrients already . A CA boast may be necessary, coco is notorious for being able to store (and not make available) large amounts of Calcium. This should not be a problem early on. H&G as recommended by the previous poster is one of those complete nutrients that provides plenty of Ca (especially if you let the PH be at 6.0-6.2 occasionally at which Ca and Mg uptake is increased).
cottee
Well-Known Member
I've run two different lines of coco specific nutrients (canna & ferro) and both needed to be supplemented with extra cal mag due to a deficiencies
Squidbilly
Well-Known Member
You don't need a coco specific nutrient(big waste of money/snake oil), and you should feed from day one.
Squidbilly
Well-Known Member
If your using ro you absolutely need cal/mag.
Silky Shagsalot
Well-Known Member
lol, really??? i've been in coco for over 10 years, never needed or used cal-mag. (if, i used coco specific nutes. i've used pure blend in coco. when i did, i used epsom salt once a week, no probs.) i really like house and garden coco line, and unless you're homeless, it's not very expensive, lol. i stopped using canna years ago, when they started diluting it. that's prob. when they started selling cal-mag. if you're in coco, using a coco specific nute that needs cal-mag, stop using that line. a quality line of coco nutrients "should not," need a cal-mag supplement.
one thing is for sure, there's more than one way to skin a cat. there are sooo many variables, what works for one, doesn't always work for another. i suggest to others, what has worked for me in the past. flat out saying that "you must," use this or that in coco, is pretty naive.
Squidbilly
Well-Known Member
Do yourself a favor and buy these things if you want to keep everything super simple(it will also produce just as good, if not better, then ANY of the super expensive nutes-and I've used them all)
For coco using RO water:
Start seeds that have sprouted with 100ppm cal/mag and 50-100ppm grow. My tap is 230ppm(mostly cal/mag) and it has NEVER burnt ANY plant so anything under 200ppm shouldn't. I am a control freak and like knowing the exactly what my plants are getting so I still use RO, it's also much more stable in my resevior then my tapwater ever was)
You should be at 200ppm cal/mag and 200-300ppm grow by the end of week 3. I always try to hit 500ppm @ 1 month from sticking the seed in the ground and I like to keep it under 800ppm in veg.
When I transition into flower I loose the root stimulator(the RapidStart) and go half grow/half bloom for the first week, then all bloom by week two of flower. I keep raising my ppm until I reach 1000-1200ppm MAX. 1000ppm if I plan on using the liquid Koolbloom(which will bring me to 1200ppm) or 1200ppm if I'm just using the Bloom and Floralicious.
These nutrients have given the best results/cleanest/best tasting/highest yielding plants at a 1/4 of the price of AN or H&G. If you want an idea of how ridiculous the cannabis industry is pick up a grow magizine and pick up a body building magazine. We all know the supplements in the body building mag are complete bullshit but if you look at the grow mag the only difference is pictures of buds or pictures of dudes. The supplements are strangely similar-MassBuilder-Boost-WeightGainer-VitaminZ-you get the idea...
ALWAYS MIX ANY NUTES 24HRS IN ADVANCE. Never mix nutes and check/adjust the ph immediately. Usually with GH and RO water(or any nutrients) the ph is like 4.5-4.7 when you first mix them, but if you let them sit for 24hrs it should be right on point or in range when using RO water.
This is part of the reason I LOVE these simple nutes-mix 24hrs in advance and the ph hits 5.8 and won't budge, WITHOUT any ph up or down. So if I added any immediately and brought it up to 5.8, in 24 hours it would be over 7!
Veg:
GH CaliMagic
GH FloraNova Grow
GH Rapid Start
GH FloraLicious Plus
*GreatWhite (optional, but if being used then once a week in veg)
Flower:
GH CaliMagic
Gh FloraNova Bloom
GH FloraLicious Plus
*GH Liquid Koolbloom (optional PK booster)
Everything is ph'd to 5.8, but the GH line in RO water is SUPER stable.
Squidbilly
Well-Known Member
Whoops, the cubes are called root riot cubes and along with a tray, 7" dome, and heat mat they are one of the best tools any grower who plants seeds or takes clones can have.
You should never germinate seeds outside of a medium, it wastes time. Put seed in moist root riot cube(Plain water is ok for sprouting). Put cube in tray, put dome on, turn heat mat on, give them low intensity light(like a t5 or other fluro) immediately NO darkness. You will have sprouts in less then 5 days. I get sprouts in 3-5 days.
For clones, it's almost the same thing. Take your cut, dip in clonex gel(or something similar), stick in moist root riot cube(I give them half strength feed of what the mother plant was getting), put dome on, put heat mat on, put them under low intensity light. Any clones worth keeping should root in 7-10 days. I usually get them in 5-7 now that I got this method down.
Super simple, super easy, great results! Heat mat is key for germ/cloning my success rate went from around 50% without one to almost 100% with one> worth the 20 buck investment.
You should never germinate seeds outside of a medium, it wastes time. Put seed in moist root riot cube(Plain water is ok for sprouting). Put cube in tray, put dome on, turn heat mat on, give them low intensity light(like a t5 or other fluro) immediately NO darkness. You will have sprouts in less then 5 days. I get sprouts in 3-5 days.
For clones, it's almost the same thing. Take your cut, dip in clonex gel(or something similar), stick in moist root riot cube(I give them half strength feed of what the mother plant was getting), put dome on, put heat mat on, put them under low intensity light. Any clones worth keeping should root in 7-10 days. I usually get them in 5-7 now that I got this method down.
Super simple, super easy, great results! Heat mat is key for germ/cloning my success rate went from around 50% without one to almost 100% with one> worth the 20 buck investment.
randomgrower420
New Member
When you say plain water is ok. do you mean plain tap or plain ro water?
Dr.StankNstein
New Member
You said irregardless.... so regardless I disregard even if your correct sir. I only look for 1 flawed thing when someone's talking before I ignore what they say.... you can't be half right if your stating facts my boy.
MickFoster
Well-Known Member
Does that mean that I should disregard what you said because of two flawed things? It's you're not your genius. You might want to proof read your own response before you disparage someone else my boy.
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Jypsy Dog
Well-Known Member
Major "DICK" sounding for a NEW MEMBER.
I just germed mine in a wet paper towel and enlosed it in 2 saucer plates and popped it on top of my WiFi router haha nice and warm here
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
replies to a 3 year old thread to correct grammar. such a noob!
MATTYMATT726
Well-Known Member
I wish people that bring up 1-5 year old threads should be deemed stupid for not being able to read and just banned from RIU. Its so irritating.
Jypsy Dog
Well-Known Member
If the info is relevant.. What's the problem? I've searched the net for an answer and been directed to old postings on here. If the info is solid, no reason not to build on it. Sorry you throw away older info... Guess books are stupid also?
MATTYMATT726
Well-Known Member
Im sorry but if a topic wasn't touched for 5 years nothing relevant is coming of it but dumb asses that can't read. Only people that assume are stupid.
