Good diagram
Cottage 420's Organic Perpetual Indoor Garden
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Flowers - we in it now.
Cookie Monster about 33 days finding the purps.
Biggie Small she easy 9' tall today grew like 6" in 2 days still now flowers.
Cookie Monster about 33 days finding the purps.
Biggie Small she easy 9' tall today grew like 6" in 2 days still now flowers.
Gonna be a big girl come fall
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- #4,644
Cation Ratio Concept:
Discussing the cation ratio concept. A "cation" is a positively charged ion. The cations used in largest amounts by plants are calcium (Ca++), potassium (K+), ammonium (NH4+), sodium (Na+) and magnesium (Mg4++). The ionic forms of Ca and Mg have two positive electrical charges while K has one.
These three nutrients exist in the soil solution in the form of ions. The soil solution is described as the thin film of water around plant roots, root hairs, and soil particles (see Figure 1).
Cations are absorbed from the soil solution by actively growing plants. The cations are also held on ex-change sites in soils.
These exchange sites are negative charges associated with clay sized particles and some of the soil organic matter. Cations at the exchange sites are in equilibrium with the cations in the soil solution (see Figure 1).
The number of negative electrical charges can be measured analytically and is referred to as the cation exchange capacity or CEC. ( from soil test result).
Bob's note: The positive and negative charges associated with the SOM, clay particles and cations (Ca, K and Mg) positive charge are responsible for the cations chemical attachment to those soil particles.
Like magnets these are attracted to each other - negative to positive. Water has neither a negative nor positive charge. The plant takes in one cation from the soil solution and is replaced from the clay particle/SOM. The amount cations in reserve attached to the clay/SOM is the CEC or Cation Exchange Capacity. Sandy soil has very little capacity and loamy soil has much more.
Figure 1:
Here's a good chart for pH and nutrient uptake. This optimum pH is why I like to use Spagnum Peat moss in my soil mix it's pH is very low.
Part 2: I will delve into the Cation ratio concept.
Cation ratio is Ca:Mg and Mg:K
I sometimes talk a lot about them so I may as well talk the science.
Discussing the cation ratio concept. A "cation" is a positively charged ion. The cations used in largest amounts by plants are calcium (Ca++), potassium (K+), ammonium (NH4+), sodium (Na+) and magnesium (Mg4++). The ionic forms of Ca and Mg have two positive electrical charges while K has one.
These three nutrients exist in the soil solution in the form of ions. The soil solution is described as the thin film of water around plant roots, root hairs, and soil particles (see Figure 1).
Cations are absorbed from the soil solution by actively growing plants. The cations are also held on ex-change sites in soils.
These exchange sites are negative charges associated with clay sized particles and some of the soil organic matter. Cations at the exchange sites are in equilibrium with the cations in the soil solution (see Figure 1).
The number of negative electrical charges can be measured analytically and is referred to as the cation exchange capacity or CEC. ( from soil test result).
Bob's note: The positive and negative charges associated with the SOM, clay particles and cations (Ca, K and Mg) positive charge are responsible for the cations chemical attachment to those soil particles.
Like magnets these are attracted to each other - negative to positive. Water has neither a negative nor positive charge. The plant takes in one cation from the soil solution and is replaced from the clay particle/SOM. The amount cations in reserve attached to the clay/SOM is the CEC or Cation Exchange Capacity. Sandy soil has very little capacity and loamy soil has much more.
Figure 1:
Here's a good chart for pH and nutrient uptake. This optimum pH is why I like to use Spagnum Peat moss in my soil mix it's pH is very low.
Part 2: I will delve into the Cation ratio concept.
Cation ratio is Ca:Mg and Mg:K
I sometimes talk a lot about them so I may as well talk the science.
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- #4,645
Pic bomb alert
Nugs on the vine. This should be a decent pull.
More frosty nugs. Good timing I'm out.
Eye candy
Nugs on the vine. This should be a decent pull.
More frosty nugs. Good timing I'm out.
Eye candy
Nice frosty nugs for the jars.
ilikemsticky
Well-Known Member
looks tasty bob!
Nice That last one looks like sugar coated roses.
Thanks for the rundown on cation exchange. I look forward to 2nd instalment.
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Getting close here thanks for the likes people.
Cant wait to harvest its been a while and I'm pretty close to empty nug cans.
Cant wait to harvest its been a while and I'm pretty close to empty nug cans.
The Celt
Well-Known Member
Nothing worse than running out of your own stash 
ilikemsticky
Well-Known Member
danger danger
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Freshies to the rescue! 
Drive-by... crazy world out there..
but your girls look crazy,,, crazy sick with trichomes...... GL with the harvest...............
but your girls look crazy,,, crazy sick with trichomes...... GL with the harvest...............
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- #4,654
Goodies
Pretty flowers Bob
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My old ass soil is on the rails perfect. Hard to believe its 4 years old now.
I wish I had more. I mixed some last fall but it's still young and plants aren't as good as the ones in the old soil.
I wish I had more. I mixed some last fall but it's still young and plants aren't as good as the ones in the old soil.
I may go with Coast of Maine soil and give it a go.
ilikemsticky
Well-Known Member
im finding that out.
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- #4,659
Need to get off my lazy ass and go to a local farm and get some composted manure. Just been to freaking hot to do anything with it yet.
I just harvested my first batch of Comfrey leaves today and tossed them in the compost bin.
Racoons in there pulling off my doors to get access to the scraps. They prolly wont like the comfrey.
I just harvested my first batch of Comfrey leaves today and tossed them in the compost bin.
Racoons in there pulling off my doors to get access to the scraps. They prolly wont like the comfrey.
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- #4,660
Hard to find in these parts prolly cause there's lots of poop. I prefer lobster compost thats the good'ns right there. I prolly have some of that in the old soil mix.
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