Keeping it simple - Coco + Blumats

jonsnow399

Well-Known Member
I have grown using just about every method over the years. I've tried all of the popular nutrient lines at least once. I've obsessed with this and that. I've made all of the mistakes and learned along the way. What I have come to realize based off of my experiences is that simpler is better. There is nothing simpler than 100% coco and blumats. I'm on my fourth grow with this method and everything is going great. The first three were some of the best grows I've ever had and they were the easiest ones ever.
Here is my story.

First thing you're going to need is a nutrient. I chose VitaGrow. It works great with coco because it uses calcium nitrate for the nitrogen source so throw that bottle of calmag away you won't need it. It's a three part product and is very inexpensive. The only thing I add to that is fulvic acid during veg and epsom salts in flower. You're going to need a PH pen because PH is extremely important. Screw the PH up and you're going to have issues. I shoot for 6.0 throughout the grow. VitaGrow maintains that PH without any wild swings.

These are the nutrients I use and I use them according to the instructions except for diluting it for new clones and young seedlings. I also start reducing towards the end of flower so that when I harvest I am at 1/4 strength or less.









You'll need a reservoir to hold your nutrient solution. I just use an 18 gallon tote and run the line through one of the bottom vents on the tent. I also have a small pond pump on the bottom to keep the solution moving and aerated.








The plant on the left is a cross I made of Strawberry Kush and Ketama. The tall gal in the middle is a Pakistani Chitral Kush. It was the short one until it decided to stretch. Back right that you can't really see is a Night Nurse and the front right is a Black Domina that went in a week after the rest due to some issues I had following a PH issue from using a bad PH pen. They're all doing extremely well. No spots, blotches, yellowing leaves, curling tips, etc...




It's a set it and forget it method of growing. All you do is keep the reservoir filled. I can buy enough VitaGrow to last a year for what some people pay for one bottle of an additive. Epsom salts are $2.00 a pound. Fulvic acid is extremely inexpensive if you buy a pound of it in water soluble powder form.

That's it.
Do you think the blumats will work in a 50/50 coco/perlite mix? I can get perlite cheep, coco not so much.
 

DesertHydro

Well-Known Member
My mix is 70/30 with fine perlite and works great. If you're gone do more I would make a little pocket around the blumat of mostly Coco

I can't get Coco where I live. Have to order it or pick up when I'm out of town
 

DesertHydro

Well-Known Member
Name brand compressed bricks on Amazon or only 18 to $22 with Amazon Prime. If you were going to go that route make sure you flush the hell out of it and check the run off before you use it
 

Daveindiego

Well-Known Member
These Blumats have spiked the shit out of my humidity. I did move the resovoir outside my tent, but since I haven’t seen any difference I’ll probably put it back in the tent.
 

Daveindiego

Well-Known Member
I do have to say though that These plants all seem to be thriving right now.

I’m calling this the start of week 3 of Veg. I’m figuring that I might go until March 1 to flip these. Think I’ll top everything again next week.
5B0E49CD-1AAB-4A6B-A89A-6F83C2B44566.jpeg
 

Big Green Thumb

Well-Known Member
I, too, have been running the 12 blumat set with the bulkhead fitting, etc. A 13 gallon reservoir has been feeding the coco/perlite (2:1 ratio), using Jacks Pro 3-2-1. My last grow was a success for the most part. There have been some issues with the blumats either stop watering the plants, or flooding the plants randomly. I am still not sure just how damp I want the coco - do I want it to be *almost* to the point of runoff? Or more dry? I basically killed one plant that I didn't realize had stopped receiving water/nutes for a couple days. I finally realized and fixed the problem when the leaves were hanging limp and straight down. I check the plants daily and hand water occasionally but not to runoff.

I just harvested last weekend and am overall very happy with the quality and yield (other than the poor cookie wreck mentioned above). I see some of the blumats have air in them so I will refill them now for the new plants...
 

jonsnow399

Well-Known Member
Name brand compressed bricks on Amazon or only 18 to $22 with Amazon Prime. If you were going to go that route make sure you flush the hell out of it and check the run off before you use it
What brand do you use? I see the botanicare for 21bucks and some 1.75. cu. ft of loose coco for 17 bucks plus 68 for shipping! lol
 

Big Green Thumb

Well-Known Member

jonsnow399

Well-Known Member
I should add that the Jacks nutrient recipe I am using is from @im4satori and it goes like this (not exactly 3-2-1 ratio):


veg full strength

2.5 grams jacks
2.5 grams calcium nitrate (green house grade yara)
0.5 grams Epsom

transition full strength (first 2 weeks bloom)
3 grams jacks
2 grams calcium nitrate

bloom
jacks 2 grams
calcium nitrate 2 grams
mkp 0.75 grams
Epsom 0.75 grams

From this thread:
http://rollitup.org/t/opinions-on-chem-gro-4-20-39-and-other-cheap-dry-nutes.956242/page-4
I got a 25 lb bag of Jacks, gonna use it after I use up the rest of the gh i have. I have a dozen of the Phat Sack 1 Gallon Transplanter bags coming tomorrow
 

Flowki

Well-Known Member
I should add that the Jacks nutrient recipe I am using is from @im4satori and it goes like this (not exactly 3-2-1 ratio):


veg full strength

2.5 grams jacks
2.5 grams calcium nitrate (green house grade yara)
0.5 grams Epsom

transition full strength (first 2 weeks bloom)
3 grams jacks
2 grams calcium nitrate

bloom
jacks 2 grams
calcium nitrate 2 grams
mkp 0.75 grams
Epsom 0.75 grams

From this thread:
http://rollitup.org/t/opinions-on-chem-gro-4-20-39-and-other-cheap-dry-nutes.956242/page-4
I take it that's 0.75 mkp per gal?
 

Daveindiego

Well-Known Member
Questions.

How often do you measure your Ph and PPMs?

Do you check from the resovoir AND the terminal point dripper? I had a massive difference when I checked them last weekend. I ended up dumping 12 gallons and starting over.

How many gallons per week can I expect 12 plants to use? I put 8 gallons in on Saturday, and will be dumping a bunch on Saturday or Sunday when I refresh.

Since the amount of feeding is slower than anticipated, I MUST get a air flow into the resovoir, right? I gave it a stir this morning, but otherwise than that, I haven’t fucked around too much with things, as everything seems to be thriving right now.
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
Questions.

How often do you measure your Ph and PPMs?

Do you check from the resovoir AND the terminal point dripper? I had a massive difference when I checked them last weekend. I ended up dumping 12 gallons and starting over.

How many gallons per week can I expect 12 plants to use? I put 8 gallons in on Saturday, and will be dumping a bunch on Saturday or Sunday when I refresh.

Since the amount of feeding is slower than anticipated, I MUST get a air flow into the resovoir, right? I gave it a stir this morning, but otherwise than that, I haven’t fucked around too much with things, as everything seems to be thriving right now.
I only adjust ph when I mix the nutes.
PPM's don't change in the reservoir.
I've never bothered checking anything. I mix, ph, and fill the reservoir.
Gallons used is going to depend on size of the plants, size of the container, temperature, humidity, etc...
My container is not airtight and I have a small pond pump on the bottom to keep everything circulating and oxygenating.


Also, does anyone add Drip Clean to their resovoir?
I've never used Drip Clean. I bought some PeKacid 0-60-20 which is the same thing but have never used it. I haven't found the need. Less is better.
 

Daveindiego

Well-Known Member
I only adjust ph when I mix the nutes.
PPM's don't change in the reservoir.
I've never bothered checking anything. I mix, ph, and fill the reservoir.
Gallons used is going to depend on size of the plants, size of the container, temperature, humidity, etc...
My container is not airtight and I have a small pond pump on the bottom to keep everything circulating and oxygenating.




I've never used Drip Clean. I bought some PeKacid 0-60-20 which is the same thing but have never used it. I haven't found the need. Less is better.
Thanks.

I just checked, and found two saucers overflowing. Plants still look fine, just need to get this thing fully dialed in.
 
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