I'm sure there is a joke in there about fat girlfriends or something lol. I see what you're saying but it can make sense if you're a body builder or professional athlete, even super models and actors I guess to name a few. For them the right amount of food is better then too much. I'm at day 47 now so I'll find out soon if I notice a difference or not, I'll be growing this strain allot so i'll end up trying everything anyway I guess. Finding little improvements each time is probably one of the best parts about growing for me..
i started reading the first page of this thread, and gave up, lol. i remember when ed started his coco thread, and quickly ignored it. coco is all i grow in, and have been for over ten years. i've never considered using lime, at all. it just isn't necessary, and can only cause problems imo. firstly, use coco specific nutes, and you don't have to worry about cal-mag use. i always flush my coco, even the pre-rinsed stuff. i don't know why you thought you needed to use hot water, but i wouldn't do that either. i add perlite and flush till the water comes out clear. after that, i ph everything to 5.8 for the entire grow. my ppm is usually between 8-900. you just don't need those high ppm's like you use in soil. i feed every day once the plants are mature. run-off is key, a good 15-20% is fine. it sounds like you're chasing your ph. as you mentioned, the run-off isn't an issue. it's not gonna come out the same as it was when it went in. you're washing out the nutes that you previously added, so there is gonna be a difference. unless your plants are displaying an issue, who cares what the run-off ph is??? and as mentioned, coco is hydro, so don't treat it like dirt. here's a cut and paste job of g. low's integral hydroponics. COCO COIR is a product derived from the husks of the coconut. Visually it looks like peat. It's air capacity is about 30%. Coir is most suited as a run to waste medium. Coir can become saturated and it is not truly inert medium. This means that the nutrient will change over a short period (due to the nutrient collecting micro and macro elements as it passes through the coir. Coir tends to release potassium and to withold calcium. For this reason it is desirable to use a nutrient that is blended specifically for coir. Coir has a remarkable capacity to protect the plants root system in times of heat. It also tends to promote vigorous and healthy root development. Plant growth tends to be very consistant with coir. Coir is very tolerant of over and under watering, which makes it a very forgiving growing medium. Coir has a very strong cation exchange ability, which means it can hold and release nutrient elements based on the plants needs. Coir tends to retain nutrient salts. because of this, less nutrient (lower ec) is required. On a less positive note, coir can also contain high levels of sodium (salt).... If your growing in coir be aware that this can be a potential problem. Either purchase a pre-flushed coir product or flush ph (5.5-6.0) stabilised water through the coir prior to use. Measure the ec of the water and then measure the ec of the run off. When they are the same, it is ready for use. Large amounts of potassium are naturally present in coir. Potassium competes with calcium and magnesium... buffering and plant nutrition needs to compensate for this!! For this reason there are several nutrients that are specifically formulated with the coco coir's unique characteristics in mind. By using a nutrient specifically formulated for the coir based system, you are ensuring that your plants are receiving the best possible nutritient package.
Awesome post mate. Is GH 3 part considered coco friendly? I seemed to have had less problems with Canna Coco nutes but that could just be a coincidence. I'm positive my problems are common ones I just haven't learnt them yet, I'll get there. I love coco as it is so forgiving, if I was in dwc atm my plants would of died in veg without a doubt in my mind.
ok Im going to let it go so I dont become the internet anti flush nazi. Im glad you are thinking about it though, Ill be following your journal to see your results on this. I'd stick with a one week flush though. One week wont do much damage, two will stunt some final growth.
You probably got me thinking about it and wanting to see for myself allot more too mate, I'll never call out someone for being wrong unless I've 100% been there myself. Oh and I already started water yesterday