Mixing MC, Si, CalMag - Nutrient Order

[AdaminCO]

Hey @Emilya and @Rexer
Maybe @farside05 and @FelipeBlu too, to make sure my heads thinking straight on the ratios.

I wanted to talk more about this without high jacking that other thread were in.

If I’m mixing at a ratio of 4.5g:4mL:4mL…

Mega Crop V3

Botanicare Silica Blast

Botanicare CalMag

Are you saying that I should be mixing the Si in 1 gallon (sit for 24 hours), MC in 1 gallon, CalMag in 1 gallon, combine, then pH adjust?

My 2 are drinking about 1.5/gal every other day. That’s where the 3 gallon variable came from.

Do you know how long can I let the Si sit? Hoping I can pre mix a 5 gallon jug of Si and just transfer a gallon into my main feeding jug if you think that’s possible.

 

[Emilya Green]

The only change I would make is that instead of having the Si just sit for 24 hours, It probably needs to be stirred too. Not sure how long you can keep it premixed... it sort of glazes over after a day or so here at my house and starts smelling bad.

 

[AdaminCO]

The only change I would make is that instead of having the Si just sit for 24 hours, It probably needs to be stirred too. Not sure how long you can keep it premixed... it sort of glazes over after a day or so here at my house and starts smelling bad.

I work from home so I’ll just mix my gallon vs. the 5, and shake it up throughout the day.

 

[farside05]

I would add the Silica 1st, then the Cal-Mag, then the Mega Crop. The order of the Cal-Mag and Mega Crop is of less importance but Silica is always 1st.

What are you trying to accomplish with letting things sit for 24hrs before use? Unless you have some really rancid water, mixing and feeding immediately should be fine.

What is your growing medium?

 

[FelipeBlu]

What are you trying to accomplish with letting things sit for 24hrs before use? Unless you have some really rancid water, mixing and feeding immediately should be fine.

^ This

 

[AdaminCO]

I would add the Silica 1st, then the Cal-Mag, then the Mega Crop. The order of the Cal-Mag and Mega Crop is of less importance but Silica is always 1st.

What are you trying to accomplish with letting things sit for 24hrs before use? Unless you have some really rancid water, mixing and feeding immediately should be fine.

What is your growing medium?

@Rexer had mentioned it in Another Thread.

Emilya was saying how it’s better to mix your CalMag in before anything else, that you want it to bind to the O molecule vs. Sulphur that could be in your nutrients if it goes in last.

This was the first time I’ve heard that, then Rexer asked about the Si needing to sit an hour in order to bond appropriately. Emilya said it’s better to sit for 24 hours.

Again, first time hearing this too.
This is my first time running MC, and supplementing both Si and CalMag, so I wanted to have a discussion about all of this new news. Lol.

I know you have some experience mixing the 3, so I wanted to bring you in.

I was using FFOF, amended with EWC and thicker perlite as my medium, but the past few runs I kept getting weak stems and deficiencies. Mainly Mag. I still run Mega Crop for my base.

Prior to that I ran built soils, so when I was having all the troubles with FF, I switched to a Mother Earth soil.

The dude from the hydroponic shop said it was a direct competitor for FFOF with more perlite, so I figured I’d give it a run. It’s a really odd soil. Drains very quickly, so you have to water very slow, it dries very fast.

At first I was overfeeding due to frequency (I think). I was at 3.3.3, I thought the extra N in the CalMag+ was causing the clawing and dark green I was seeing, so I took out the CalMag and Si and feed 3g MC only.

They started lightening up and looking right, so I went back to 3.3.3, then 4.3.3.

They started lightening up a bit and I noticed these spots.

So I did a CalMag foliage the past two nights and I bumped to 4.5.3.3 the day before yesterday and they've responded very well. Here’s this morning. Looks like I have some flattening to do today.

When I saw the thing about mixing certain nutes first, it had me interested. I never had these types of issues in my built soil. My worst enemy then we’re mites. I wanted to give a different soil a shot before going back to built soil.

 

[Rexer]

An interesting point was made outside that thread. And that would be the type of si used.

Silicate potassium(s) requiring a longer time to form a bond with the water. Whether that same rule would apply to the people using MSA (monosilic acid), I've no clue.

I have read in multiple places the requirement to let Si sit for at least an hour to bond. The 24 hour part still makes me go lol.

To keep a tank stiring/agitated for 24hrs, two methods can be done that I know:
The simplest and quickest for hydro users is to drop an airstone in, and turn it down a bit to just keep the water moving.

The second method is easy. Take a cheap water pump (vivosun makes good low priced pumps). Attach a very short hose to it (4-6 inches). Drop it in the reservoir and plug it in. The pump will sink, tip over and the hose will blast the bottom of the bucket keeping the water constantly moving.

 

[Emilya Green]

An interesting point was made outside that thread. And that would be the type of si used.

Silicate potassium(s) requiring a longer time to form a bond with the water. Whether that same rule would apply to the people using MSA (monosilic acid), I've no clue.

I have read in multiple places the requirement to let Si sit for at least an hour to bond. The 24 hour part still makes me go lol.

To keep a tank stiring/agitated for 24hrs, two methods can be done that I know:
The simplest and quickest for hydro users is to drop an airstone in, and turn it down a bit to just keep the water moving.

The second method is easy. Take a cheap water pump (vivosun makes good low priced pumps). Attach a very short hose to it (4-6 inches). Drop it in the reservoir and plug it in. The pump will sink, tip over and the hose will blast the bottom of the bucket keeping the water constantly moving.

The second method is how I mix salt into RO water when making replacement saltwater for my aquariums. At the 1.026 sg desired salinity level, it takes a good 6-8 hours to mix it in properly so it doesn't settle right out. Getting a proper mix with the Si, might also help with the settling out and glazing over that I noticed on my leftover fluids, last time I used Si as a supplement.

 

[AdaminCO]

I wonder if it’s even worth the trouble since I’m using plain tap water….?

I’m sure there are all sorts of other molecules Mag can/will bond with floating around in it.

It’s ph is 7-8 and 200-500 ppm straight from the faucet.

 

[farside05]

From General Hydroponics website. Same applies to any Potassium Silicate supplement regardless of manufacturer (ie Botanicare Silica Blast, Dyna Gro Pro-Tekt, etc).

"When using both Armor Si and CALiMAGic, add Armor Si to the reservoir first."

It has to do with the alkalinity of the Potassium Silicate solution. If you have a pH meter, test some straight. It will likely be between 11-11.5. If you add Potassium Silicate to a low PH solution (ie you put acidic fertilizers in 1st), it precipitates out. That's why you add the Silica first. You dilute it down before adding your more acidic Cal-Mag and base nutes.

 

[FelipeBlu]

I have never had any precipitation issues (that I know of - I suppose it could possibly be very fine suspended particles) mixing ProTekt into my tap water (~30 ppm - so very soft) at levels up to 5ml/gal - immediately followed by up to 5ml/gal CaliMagic - immediately followed by up to 6g/gal MC (V1). In any case, it seems to work - I get strong stems and drought/arid tolerance, which is why I use it - and no apparent Ca or Mg deficiencies. So I will continue to do what I have done in the past.

 

[AdaminCO]

I have never had any precipitation issues (that I know of - I suppose it could possibly be very fine suspended particles) mixing ProTekt into my tap water (~30 ppm - so very soft) at levels up to 5ml/gal - immediately followed by up to 5ml/gal CaliMagic - immediately followed by up to 6g/gal MC (V1). In any case, it seems to work - I get strong stems and drought/arid tolerance, which is why I use it - and no apparent Ca or Mg deficiencies. So I will continue to do what I have done in the past.

I have a 5gal jug that I rotate full of tap water.
When I feed, I draw 3 gallons into my feed jug, measure 4.5g of MC, add it, shake it let it settle for 10 minutes to an hour. Add 9mL of CalMag, shake and set maybe 5-10 minutes, then do 9mL of Silica Blast. Shake that up, sits for 5 minutes to an hour depending on what’s going on.
With this medium, it takes 4 hours to feed 1.5 gallons if I want the soil to hold the feed.
I’m telling you, this soil is weird. I feel like there’s a lot of potential with it, but just need to figure it out the wet, dry, feed, water cycle. It’s all f’d.
If anyones up to it, grab a bag of it. I didn’t add anything to it, went straight in from half solo cups.
For the coco/soilless/hydro folks, it might be normal routine, but for me being a soil dude…. it’s a different “soil”.

 

[AdaminCO]

We’re getting close to flip. I gave Wilma some stilts, but I’m starting to lean towards overfeeding being the issue.
At least in this soil.
I’m going to do a run of 22 with some Blue Planet easy weed, and some URB… for those of you that don’t know what that is… its just another expensive supplement that I find makes a difference.
It’s not an every time supplement, but packs a good punch when you need a boost.
Disclaimer: it took me 5 years to figure out how to mix this stuff, 2 years to know how to mix it right.
As hesitant as I am from the hiccups I’ve had in the past… im going to ease it into my feed during the transition period.