Hey Zandor........

[Stormcooker]

How much Cal-mag do you add to supplement your hydro grow?
Bottle says 5-10 ml. per gallon of reservoir. I've been adding a bit less than that in fear of over-nute. I have a few older leaves on only two plants that are a bit yellowing but with some necrotic spots and patches. It looks kinda like the pic and description of Mg deficiency or Potassium deficiency. PLants are only at three weeks veg so I don't want to overload them.

WOuld Silica Blast (Potassium Silicate) help if it was an actual Potassium def.?
I already use SilicaBlast but less than what the bottle recomends.

Not sure WHAT it is. Don't think it's over-fert. No leaf tip burn anywhere, new growth is fast and strong.I would send a pic but lights are off right now. I use RO water, Floranova series, Diamond nectar, Floraliscous PLus & Hygrozyme. I use the recomended amounts in their phase feeding chart, but I use a 4 gallon nute mix, for a 5 gallon reservoir to keep TDS not too high. TDS is around 1650 after addition of everything including Cal-mag, and Silica Blast.

It's not a big deal, I don't think it can harm them as long as it doesn't spread. It could be the genetics too, female and feminized seeds can get funky I've heard. What do you think?

[LOC NAR1958]

Hi, Stormcooker
I'm am using the same mix on the cal mag. The last grow NL's solved the problem. This grow is orange bud FEM and they seem to be real picky. I got the same on the leaves on 3 out 6. They are going strong well 2 almost died at the begining but they are coming back strong. I'm using 3 part GH, B-52, cal-mag plus, a little H202. Just went to 12/12 and added bud blood with res change. I would like to know if you can OD on cal-mag?? or if a little too much is bad ??

[Zandor]

Well the first to weeks of vegetation I only use 5-ml per gallon but after that I bump it up to 10-ml per gallon. I assume you can OD on CalMag but you never use more then 10-ml per gallon. Itâ??s not part of the NPK fertilizer we use a base nutrient formula.

Silica Blast is different and another type of supplement itâ??s potassium silicate and will strengthen your plant's girth increasing cell wall.

Well the TDS is for the overall NPK measurement. The way I deal with nutrients is like this,

30 gallon reservoir I only fill it with 15-gallons RO water to start for 40 plants.

Then I add the Micro first (the one for RO water, there is a difference) Micro is the most likely to lock up on the plant and you want to make sure it gets mixed well.

Next I add the Grow formula and then mix again for about a full minuet.

Last is the Bloom and then again mix for about another full minuet.

Let it set for 5 minuets and give the buffers a chance to Ph the water for you so you donâ??t play the Ph up and down game.

Now you check the TDS, the chart you are using is only for those 3 nutrients.
The others stuff are enhancers so that makes it extra. Most of the labels say how much they will raise the TDS.
I donâ??t subtract it from my NPK mix at all I just Ph balance and then let it sit for another 5 min (or smoke a J, same thing)

Now I add the
B1 5-ml per gallon
H²O² 5-ml per gallon
CalMag Plus 5-10-ml per gallon

Bloom enhancers are last because they mix easy and dissolve fast. I follow the directions on the bottle. Iâ??m trying 2 new ones right now and they very in how you use them. I know a lot of people like to use only ½ strength nutrients and that puzzles me. If you use the proper nutrients at the proper cycle in the plants life you grow huge stress free plants.

Ph is important to always keep an eye on at all times if you can. The Ph chart in the FAQ gives you a good idea of how Ph affects what the plant can absorbs at what Ph. That information is used to help concentrate the proper nutrients at the proper cycle sometime you need to run your Ph at 6.2 to correct a problem for a few dayâ??s then take it back down to 5.2-5.5.

If you watch your plant closely you will know the cycle and when to raise or lower the Ph and when to change nutrients and bump them up to the next level. They go through growth stints just like children do and sometime they can use more and grow faster and sometime they donâ??t.

Once you start seeing the pattern it will make sense. It took me many years of growing to get that serious about this plant but it does payoff.

Did that help or did I get off topic? Anyway it was interesting and thought you would like it.

[Stormcooker]

That helps Zandor, Thanks.

I will post some pics of the leaves I am talking about.

One question thats still unclear.....Is Silica Blast (potasium silicate) a form of potasium that would help a deficiency in potasium?

Another question.... Do you think I should add B1 too? is that vital to the success of cannabis? I am using Flora Nova which is a little different then the 3-part formula. There is a bit more in floranova then the 3-part and I don't know exactly what is extra in there.

Locnar says that female or feminized seeds can be a bit erratic in growth. Maybe that's the problem I'm having although it's not a big problem unless it spreads to the newer growth

Tell me about the importance and benefit of B1 please.
I don't want to use h2o2 because I supplement with Floraliscous PLus containing beneficial bacteria/microbes. H202 will nullify and kill those bacteria and microbes.

I read that those good bacteria live in good harmony with Hygrozyme, sensizyme etc (enzymatic supplements). FYI

THanks

[Stormcooker]

there's two plants out of 4 that have these leaves on the bottom. See if you can tell what it means.......

THe last shot is of the tops which are in excellent shape. I'm not worried though.I've had worse shit happen, and these are proven genetics.

day 1 of 12/12 about 25 days from seed

[puff4twentynow]

I know a lot of people like to use only ½ strength nutrients and that puzzles me. If you use the proper nutrients at the proper cycle in the plants life you grow huge stress free plants.


Zandor,

Do you think that the Flora Series Weekly Feeding Program that GH gives with their systems is good for this type of plant? What i mean to ask is will i over fert by going the recommended strength?

Puff

[Stormcooker]

good question puff......I think it may be a bit too strong and also lack a few neccesary elements for best result. I use about 3/4 strength overall. They say that nute burn is worse than under fert.

Ask Zandor for his recipes of the 3-part and maybe try that. Have you heard of "Lucas Formula" with the 3-part?

[Stormcooker]

hmmmm

[Zandor]

Well believe me or not but they do test GH on marijuana plants. They know that more then 80% of their business is to people growing marijuana. Advanced nutrients blends theirs just for marijuana and they publish their test results on how it works with marijuana. So when they say this amount at this cycle it's not just a guess.

Sure you can use to much but most people suffer from not enough and then miss diagnosis their problem as to much. They are just not using a proper balance of NPK fertilizer. Every strain is a little different and each cycle is a little different the grower needs to know how to tell the difference and that is where the problem comes in.

No; Silica Blast is not the same as thing. It does not replace potassium or even a supplement of potassium. The potassium silicate is meant to strengthen the cell wall and add vigor to the stock. Potash mixed with water is a boost for extra potassium.
You don't have a Potassium mobile problem dude I hope you don't think you do. Potassium problems are really hard to find because they run with several other problems that make it hard to know the difference.

From the looks of your pictures you have more of a toxic salt problem, probably just some nutrient build up around the root ball of one or two of the plants. Potassium deficiency show as more dark green leaves with black spots or red tips on the end of old leaves first.

If you don't follow their directions then it's hard to know if you have a full range of NPK fertilizers or not. The larger your reservoir is the more nutrients you can hold and the better the Ph buffers work and the less problems you have with nutrient lockout or toxic salts build up and Ph swings.

Puffy I think I answered you question too

[Stormcooker]

THats fascinating stuff Zandor. The Fact that GH get's 80% of their business from marijuana growers is so cool!!! I wonder if the lady at the checkout counter knows that too!!!!!!hahaha. I may have that "toxic salt build up" on the two plants from the organic grow plugs I germinate in. They are very good at developing early root structure but they are forever connected to the base of your plants where the stem grows through. They might be to blame for those leaves since they absorb the nutrients and are constantly contacting the mainstem. There might be a build up of salts in the plug from early flood seesions that actually filled the plug up with water and nutes. I only allow the floods to actually saturate that plug for like a week, and then I drop the flood level down so only roots growing below the plug get wet. I don't think a soggy old grow plug is good for the main stem so I keep that thing dry best I can.
I think I remember you saying you use peat plugs and then remove the seedlings from the plugs and place in your hydroton mix. Can you give me a link to pictures of that, and links to the plugs themselves? I might try that out. I do love these plugs I use though, they make germination so easy. No nutes, no pH buffering, just wet and go.

Last night I did bring up the Cal-mag level to 10 ml./gal. Eventhough I might not have needed it, I hope it improves things. I am very happy with the four girls right now. They are very strong.

Tell me about B1 too please. Thanks

[donnie189]

what is TDS an N__ all these intials stand for? thanks donnie

[puff4twentynow]

Thanks Zandor.

I'll be using both the floralicious grow and bloom along with the plus. I will let you all know how that turns out. Flora Plus does help stimulate Ph cause when i was just using grow and bloom the ph was fluctuating more so then when plus is added.

Happy Growin!!!!!!!!!!!1 :D :D :D

[Zandor]

B1 is an organic supplement I use as a preventative measure. B1 helps keeps roots healthy and that helps to keep plants healthy

TDS = Total dissolved solids the measurements of salts in water. This is how you measure the nutrients so you know how much you are feeding your plants. If you donâ??t know then you should!

N = Nitrogen and refers to part of a nutrition requirement the plant requires for proper healthy growth.

It takes more then luck to grow happy, healthy, medical quality strains.

[redvetttes]

what the best way of clearing up toxic salt

I THINK I HAVE IT

[Zandor]

I like floraKleen my self but a good flush with Ph adjusted water works too just not as fast.