Is, getting a little run off every time I water going to achieve a much leaching as 1 or 2 big flushes would?

ClaytonNewbilFontaine · Feb 28, 2023

For instance, if I got a total of 5 gallons runoff throughout an entire grow am I removing the same amount of salts as if I ran that 5 gallons through all at one time? In a way I would think I'd remove more build up doing it slowly over time because the concentration of salts coming out of a little run off would be higher.

J. Rocket · Feb 28, 2023

if you feed to run-off every time you'll get less/no build-up to begin with.
fresh, new solution displaces/flushes out the old, depleted.
thats how it works for me in rockwool blocks.
your medium could make a difference.

Jjgrow420 · Feb 28, 2023

The idea to runoff each time is to replace what's been added before with new, ideal feed. If you dont ec rises and ph drops creating undesirable values in your medium locking out the plant from up taking what it needs

rkymtnman · Feb 28, 2023

ClaytonNewbilFontaine said:
am I removing the same amount of salts

think about it as feeding them just the right amoutn of salts with no leftovers

medidedicated · Feb 28, 2023

What others said already is true, I quit having issues when I started feeding thoroughly.

The Older Guy · Feb 28, 2023

I think rule of thumb is 15 to 20% runoff each time you water. I would catch a L of run off to check the ppm. If it is much higher than what you put in you either have build up or maybe feeding a bit heavy and the plants aren't using it. That's my thoughts...

ClaytonNewbilFontaine · Feb 28, 2023

That's all very helpful, thanks guys. I only considered getting runoff during waterings and not feedings. But if I'm understanding correctly I should also be getting runoff during feedings bc the new salts are replacing the old depleted less helpful, most likely harmful ones.

medidedicated · Feb 28, 2023

ClaytonNewbilFontaine said:
That's all very helpful, thanks guys. I only considered getting runoff during waterings and not feedings. But if I'm understanding correctly I should also be getting runoff during feedings bc the new salts are replacing the old depleted less helpful, most likely harmful ones.

I misread the post, I do not know what media or nutes you are using. I was referring to coco and hydroponic nutes, woops.

HydoDan · Feb 28, 2023

Whats your feed/water routine? If you watering to run off in between feedings, you're already doing it.. I used to do a feed, water, water soil grow..

furnz · Feb 28, 2023

I'll just add that with feeding the correct amount(not under or overfeeding), you will never need to do either.
I get 0 run off and never dump large amounts of water through the medium at once.
My plants always yellow out or 'leach' at the end too and that says to me, no build up.
Gh flora M&B in 50% promix 50% rice hulls.

calvin.m16 · Mar 1, 2023

I think so, I have some plants that have no runoff and others that have full runoff and the plants with runoff I have to feed way heavier like 2.4 EC and the ones without runoff get 1.6 EC to look right. I think a lot of the nutrients wash out the bottom if your getting even a reasonable amount of runoff.

calvin.m16 · Mar 1, 2023

furnz said:
I'll just add that with feeding the correct amount(not under or overfeeding), you will never need to do either.
I get 0 run off and never dump large amounts of water through the medium at once.
My plants always yellow out or 'leach' at the end too and that says to me, no build up.
Gh flora M&B in 50% promix 50% rice hulls.

Same I use MaxiBloom with & without runoff in coco/perlite, the plants without runoff look better than the ones with runoff. Weird but true. I think runoff is overrated if you input good water & nutrients that aren't super salty/dirty. Also not having all your nutrients flush out the bottom each watering is economical and more environmentally friendly than blasting fert water into drains.

J. Rocket · Mar 1, 2023

calvin.m16 said:
Also not having all your nutrients flush out the bottom each watering is economical and more environmentally friendly than blasting fert water into drains.

not really correct there.
spent nutrients come out the bottom.
max run-off for me is maybe 1-1/2 gallons/week per plant with three drip feeds to run-off daily. 6x rockwool blocks.
all my runoff goes on plants in the yard. :peace:

ClaytonNewbilFontaine · Mar 1, 2023

calvin.m16 said:
Same I use MaxiBloom with & without runoff in coco/perlite, the plants without runoff look better than the ones with runoff. Weird but true. I think runoff is overrated if you input good water & nutrients that aren't super salty/dirty. Also not having all your nutrients flush out the bottom each watering is economical and more environmentally friendly than blasting fert water into drains.

Last run I switched up the water I was using to a local spring. It had a much higher salt concentration and was very hard. High alkalinity too, I think. I'm really still trying to learn about water atm so I don't know exactly what I'm talking about. But after using that water for a month I started noticing deficiencies that I believe were due to lock out bc the salts threw the soil all out of whack. Which again I'm still trying to make more sense out of in my head. Stuff with pot size vs plant size and how quickly everything dries out and how that will effect ph and how salt build up can effect ph. It's prob real simple stuff and I'm just making it harder than it needs to be. Honestly I was thinking about picking up a chemistry 101 book and getting the basics down. I'm very interested in this stuff.

calvin.m16 · Mar 2, 2023

J. Rocket said:
not really correct there.
spent nutrients come out the bottom.
max run-off for me is maybe 1-1/2 gallons/week per plant with three drip feeds to run-off daily. 6x rockwool blocks.
all my runoff goes on plants in the yard.

False, if we're being that particular you are wrong. If I feed RO water water (0 TDS) to plants that had zero runoff for 10 weeks, the EC within a week will be 0.1-0.2. The plant eventually consumes everything I feed into my coco/perlite.

calvin.m16 · Mar 2, 2023

ClaytonNewbilFontaine said:
Last run I switched up the water I was using to a local spring. It had a much higher salt concentration and was very hard. High alkalinity too, I think. I'm really still trying to learn about water atm so I don't know exactly what I'm talking about. But after using that water for a month I started noticing deficiencies that I believe were due to lock out bc the salts threw the soil all out of whack. Which again I'm still trying to make more sense out of in my head. Stuff with pot size vs plant size and how quickly everything dries out and how that will effect ph and how salt build up can effect ph. It's prob real simple stuff and I'm just making it harder than it needs to be. Honestly I was thinking about picking up a chemistry 101 book and getting the basics down. I'm very interested in this stuff.

This is why I use RO filtered water. Then it's simple, your water is what you add to it with no mysteries. I don't recommend MaxiBloom with RO because its low in Calcium and mixes very acidic in filtered water. I was going through a shitton of Potassium Silicate & CalMag. 4.1 pH in RO @ 1.6 EC or 800 ppm TDS. I have switched to Athena Pro because all their salts mix without producing potent pH Down and its got 12% more Calcium than MaxiBloom so you don't need any additives other than a little silica.

ismann · Mar 3, 2023

I grow in 100% coco and almost never water until runoff and have had 0 issues in 10 years. Once a week I will use plain water though. I also use shitty tap water for my feedings and no issues. PPM out of faucet is 250 with chlorine and chloramine, I pH it right and no issues.

Don't overthink shit. Plants in the wild get some pretty shit water and none of them are drinking RO.

Jjgrow420 · Mar 5, 2023

ismann said:
I grow in 100% coco and almost never water until runoff and have had 0 issues in 10 years. Once a week I will use plain water though. I also use shitty tap water for my feedings and no issues. PPM out of faucet is 250 with chlorine and chloramine, I pH it right and no issues.

Don't overthink shit. Plants in the wild get some pretty shit water and none of them are drinking RO.

So what about rain water that generally has a ppm of 30 or less?
250ppm out of the tap is actually on the lower end. Duno why you'd call that bad water.
Using plain water in coco is not recommended ever. A low ppm feed is ok but stripping the coco isn't a good idea ever.

calvin.m16 · Mar 5, 2023

Jjgrow420 said:
So what about rain water that generally has a ppm of 30 or less?
250ppm out of the tap is actually on the lower end. Duno why you'd call that bad water.
Using plain water in coco is not recommended ever. A low ppm feed is ok but stripping the coco isn't a good idea ever.

He has no runoff so "stripping" shouldn't' be an issue.

2com · Mar 5, 2023

ClaytonNewbilFontaine said:
For instance, if I got a total of 5 gallons runoff throughout an entire grow am I removing the same amount of salts as if I ran that 5 gallons through all at one time? In a way I would think I'd remove more build up doing it slowly over time because the concentration of salts coming out of a little run off would be higher.

Is there a specific issue you're trying to fix?
What are the details of your grow (medium, irrigation, environment, etc.)?
Are you monitoring the ec and ph or your input, and your runoff (in the case of runoff)?

Is, getting a little run off every time I water going to achieve a much leaching as 1 or 2 big flushes would?

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