All I can do is share my experience. When I started I just made it up in the fly, little to no research. Just one day I was f’n tired of watering. So I went to the store and bought a bunch of crap to automate the watering.
like to do 50/50 for 3-5 times a day feeds. The recommended 30% for everything else. I think in general most stick with that 70/30. I think that could work too. I would just rather have more than less.
Whether or not it’s worth it is up to you. I got bored with traditional feeding and tried this. Tried bottom feeding, tried typical drippers, tried (and still practice) 0 run off, tried bottom feeding with a float valve in diy autopot style… soil… then the high frequency fertigation. The small pots demanded more that’s why I’m at 5 feeds. First was a 2 plant system, then 4, then up to 18. I have learned a lot going this route. They definitely grow faster. And I swear my average frost has gone up. It’s more hit than miss now. The skunk and Maui this run, aren’t really frosty as the other but I expected it. Genetic limitation if they are OG. I think average bud size has gone down. Not 100% on that, could be the chosen cultivars. I’ve had a handful of monster buds but most are medium/small and absolutely dripping. Prior to growing like this I still got good frost, but not like I do now, and the buds were usually bigger. Maybe because I stopped throwing so many products at them. Either way, I’m happy with the system, but I am getting bored again. Lol no plans to change, but… who knows.
Perlite helps with keeping the medium from getting muddy/clumped/ helps with flow, oxygen, and it helps keep the roots spread better. But it does dry out faster. My favorite perlite if I had to choose is mother earths perlite. I THINK #4? Big as5 chunks.
For the record I hate perlite, just don’t wanna spend the extra on decent vermiculite.
Edit
I will say some cultivars take to this style much better than others.
I’ve read a few articles on the benefits of perlite and high frequency fertigation and I’m leaning towards 50/50 and 3-5 times a day. Just depends on how quick it needs it.
It seems to me this is as close to hydroponics you can get with coco, which allows me to use my current equipment set up basically like it is. Of course I’ll remove the 9 plant feed lines and replace with four plant system.
Perlite vs vermiculite seems to lean towards perlite for oxygen. Could just be that is my concern right now with straight coco.
I must be nuts, I have 5 more weeks to get through this test and I’m already contemplating my next one.
I suppose I’m just struggling with coco preventing drowning the plants. This is my first time using coco and putting this much water on them “feels” wrong, especially at 100% coco.
As I keep re-reading cocoforcannabis articles, I’m tempted to run two 2.5 min events, and one 3.5 min event, this only increases total time by 30 sec, but adds an event. Thoughts?
I know I’d have to try to find out for sure. (runoff ec) Just apprehensive about staying to wet.
No problem dude. It’s all trial and error. If you want to add more control to PPMs you can always add a feed in the dark, my heaviest is during lights out. Washes out and they don’t take up much if anything. Helps by not adding to daytime humidity. But my humidity is highest during lights on.
All you can do is play until you dial them in. Usually takes about a week, then it’s small adjustments from there. When you start this during veg you will have more time to play and see what does what.
Pump arrived, with an hour to spare before lights on. Got the pump installed and timer set up for the first event with the trial for both at the same time. All went well and runoff EC 2.74. (res EC2.47)
Goodmorning Lucky, very nice pictures of the farm great information between you and BrotherLow. Always interesting things going on even when not looking. Great place.
Suppose to rain here for a couple of days, make a good (cooler) time to get in the attic and run a couple new circuits for the grow. (I’m not as dumb as I look.)
I may also install a slow speed fan on one of the gable vents, on the side with no neighbors… just in case.
I put an exhaust fan in my attic hole last yr she runs on a Thermostat. Great difference drawing the air up through the house, hoping to stay away from the central air needing to come on as.much.
I need to test mine, It’s still up there but the vent it was using was covered when we put a roof on the house a few years ago. It quit working years ago, but I noticed a wire was loose / disconnected at the wire nut from the fan pig tail. Maybe I’ll get “Lucky” and won’t have to buy one.
EC is only down .35 or so, but my understanding is to not make radical changes in EC all at once, I’ll bump it down .4 or .5 with the next batch. This should be good for a couple of days.
EDIT: Actually, Jacks feed schedule shows this time in the growth stage to be between 2.0 & 2.5, so I may just let’r ride. Keep an eye on the runoff.
