Cal mag and nutrients

Hi everyone, I have a few questions about Cal mag for my next grow.
I invested in an autopot system, but I didn’t use it, and it looks like I am still not going to use it.
So it’s going to be top-fed.
Not fertilized medium or fertilized?
Is it always better to add cal mag with base nutrients? Are there nutrients with cal mag in it? Why isn’t it more widely recommended to add Cal mag? It sounds like it would be always good to add it.
LOTS of questions :thinking: :sweat_smile:
Thank you and much love my friends🧡

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It IS widely recommended.

Jack’s doesn’t nneed cal mag.

Why aren’t you planning to use your Autopots?! They’re awesome!

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Hi, thank you for your answer, because I am harvesting in about a week, and I have 4 girls ready to go in; while the pots are the exact same, I forgot to put a base of either pellets or airbase.
I wouldn’t have bought more airbase now anyway, but I could have put pellets.
What do you use as medium and nutrients for the autopot?
Thank you,

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Jack’s, wonder if they sell it in UK or Europe, ill google it

I did the same thing on a previous grow in fabric pots: I put a 2" layer of hydroton in another fabric pot and slipped it over the one with the plant. Worked great.

I run coco/perlite, Jack’s 3-2-1 with silica, modified program for first 3 weeks at flip, 220 watts of 3,000 K home built lights. Just harvested a week ago:

That is in the factory 6 gallon, SROG’ed. I’ll get a pound off of it.

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You could also look for “JR Peters” 15-0-0 and 5-12-26. It’s the same product. Where in the U.K.? My sis in law lives in Winchester.

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You should reconsider this if possible. Autopots are a game changer. Whatever is keeping you from using it needs to be removed from your life :wink:

If you are still new to growing id recommend an already ammended medium. Its just easier in the beginning to not burn your plants up as seedlings are sensitive.

Depends, some nute lines come with cal and mag others dont.
I use RO water so I always have to add calmag or epsom salt (mag and sulfur) on water only days to make my water ph stable (350ppm min) I suggest using a nute line that has it in the mix already when you do get around to using your autopots. Jacks as a recommendation, Kosher nutes as another but there are many out there. Just stay away from miracle grow :slight_smile:

It is but that recommendation usually comes after a person has selected a particular line that doesnt have it in there.

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Wow, that’s beautiful, i understand 6 gallon to be more than 22 litres, i use 15 litres pots. I would think even a 22 litres it’d be too smal for such giant and her roots, but it’s obviously ok,
I am on the outskirt of London.
Btw,
Good Luck America, today it’s a momentous day.

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:joy:, you make me chuckle, as i said. I have 4 girls in their final pots, which fit in the autopots but i forgot to put a base layer or airbase, so this round it’s top feeding.
If you dont mind me asking, why you love it so much? Better yelds or the tank? Also it isn’t possible to check the ppm with autopots.
Thank you

Is that on a autopot?

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Thats a pretty good reason.

Yes to both but more then that too. Its about what autopot provides to my ladies. Constant available nutrition, perfectly moist soil never over or underwatered, Increased availablility of water (my ladies drink about a gallon a day each plant on autopot, hand water is about a gallon every 3 days.) Autopots reposition the salt buildup out of the bottom.of the pot and push it into the top where it doesnt bother the root zone…the list gets long.

Hopeully we all make better choices this time.

You dont have to check the ppm with autopots. Just maintain the ph and tds of the rez.

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It is in an Autopot.

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Ok, I am harvesting in a week and then I’ll put the other 4 in, too long to explain but the ones I am taking have been on autopot(with an airbase) but without the tank, I’ve been feeding them by pouring water in the plants’ trays, they can take 2 or more litres, which is about a gallon. I open the tent, pour a litre in the trays and shortly after another litre and before I go to sleep I top up whatever they drank. Salt did built up in the tray and on top of the soil as well. Not sure what you mean with hand feeding 1 gallon every few days?

Sorry to come across as confrontational, but checking ppm and pH before it’s important as measuring the runoff
I am not dissing autopot, in the other post I explained that I used it, albeit slightly differently, the point is i couldn’t measure ppm either.
I guess the advantages of using autopot outweigh the lack of runoff measurement.
Thank you for your answers, I think I appreciate autopot more now, runoff or not lol :laughing: :smile:

Ok, nice, just another thing, you are not worried about needing a bigger pot for such a big plant? Are the roots ok? I guess you obviously know it’s just that I could have sworn for such a big plant one would need a bigger pot

I usually grow in 3 gallon fabric pots and typically yield around 12 oz. per plant of dried flower. Plant shown is only 28" high and 22" X 36" in area. That plant used the stock 6 gallon plastic pot with an air dome and air to it. Jack’s with silica from first feeding to harvest.

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Most complete fertilisers have sufficient calcium and magnesium for plants to grow in potting mix or garden soil (outdoors) and you don’t need to add any extra. However, if you use coconut coir, it can draw in and trap calcium, magnesium and other minerals like sodium. This can cause calcium and or magnesium deficiencies in the plants. If you grow in coconut coir then add calcium, magnesium and iron every time you water the plant so there is always plenty available for the plant.

I mix all the nutrients together and water the plants with that. I use a complete fertiliser and add some calcium chloride, Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) and iron chelate. I also add fish emulsion and seaweed extract. The Epsom salts needs to be put in hot water because it doesn’t dissolve in cold water. I found hot tap water is sufficient and I add the dry fertiliser and calcium, magnesium and iron to the hot water. Stir it up a few times and let it sit for a few minutes. Then put it in a watering can, add the liquid fertiliser (seaweed and fish) and fill the watering can with water. Let it sit for a minute and then pour it on the soil/ potting mix.

If you are growing in a decent potting mix or outdoors, you can add lime or other things from a nursery to slowly add calcium to the soil and that should provide enough for the plants. If you see marks on the leaves that looks like a calcium or magnesium deficiency, then water them with cal/ mag.

The reason cal/ mag isn’t widely recommended is because it’s normally used for coconut coir, hydroponics and aeroponics only. If you are growing plants hydroponically or aeroponically, and you use soft water (water without many or any minerals), then you need to add minerals (usually calcium and magnesium) to make sure there is enough for the plants.

Prior to coconut coir becoming common place in potting mixes or sold on its own, peat moss was used and it doesn’t absorb calcium or magnesium like the coconut coir does so you don’t need to add extra unless the plant shows signs of a deficiency.

With peat moss being put on the threatened species list and people wanting a renewable alternative, coconut coir has taken its place in potting mixes and calcium and magnesium deficiencies will become more common because of this. In the next few years there will probably be more discussions on this subject.

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Before yes, everyday you test and adjust your rez. There is no runoff to test when using an autopot. Its not the same as soil growing. Im at work so ill have to hit this post later on.


Me at work.

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Well, let me award you a few more
Hearts :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: because that was a hell of an answer!!
There is so much information. I was reading about the different cocos and what part of the coco plants gets used to make them, but it’s still a bit confusing so…if a bag says coco and perlite, do they mean coco coir? Or is there one that’s just Coco? Sorry to sound a bit thick :sweat_smile:

O my…let me mop up your sweat, :laughing: take it easy :sweat_smile: only kidding, :+1:

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