Tap water with organic fertilizer?

[The123321]

Thanks. Do you think it would be worth it to wait to see if I have problems from the little chloramine in the tap water first then start using the powder or start using it now on there?

 

[SmokingWings]

Thanks. I have read that using organic nutrients in coco would likely be hard but I am doing a perpetual grow with plants that were planted at different times in 1 tent on 1 reservoir so I wanted to use mostly water only in the reservoir then have the nutrients in the pot that way the plants that are in veg and the plants that are in flowering are getting the same water from the 1 reservoir. I may try a soil mix in the future. It looks like it works with things like biotabs so I thought I would try it. I may try the vitamin c powder with it. I only bought the dr earth dry fertilizer. I did not buy microbes to add to it. I thought you only needed to add the dry fertilizer to the medium then top dress every few weeks for it.

This is at least the 3rd thread on growing in coco & using dry organic nutrients. It seems to be a new style of growing that is a combination of hydroponic with coco mix to hold the roots while supplying the nutrients by using organic fertilizers usually intended for growing in a soil mix.

It might not hurt to try posting a msg in one of the hydro sub-forums on this message board. I noticed that a few of the hydro sub-forums are not very active so maybe look for one with a lot of activity.

@AdaminCO asked about the Dr. Earth line of nutrients and using these comes up when people ask about Organic Nutrients and growing in Coco. Doing a bit of on-line research in Dr. Earth products most of the fertilizers mentioned are completely water soluble so no microbes or soil organisms are needed.

Good luck with your project.

 

[AdaminCO]

This is at least the 3rd thread on growing in coco & using dry organic nutrients. It seems to be a new style of growing that is a combination of hydroponic with coco mix to hold the roots while supplying the nutrients by using organic fertilizers usually intended for growing in a soil mix.

It might not hurt to try posting a msg in one of the hydro sub-forums on this message board. I noticed that a few of the hydro sub-forums are not very active so maybe look for one with a lot of activity.

@AdaminCO asked about the Dr. Earth line of nutrients and using these comes up when people ask about Organic Nutrients and growing in Coco. Doing a bit of on-line research in Dr. Earth products most of the fertilizers mentioned are completely water soluble so no microbes or soil organisms are needed.

Good luck with your project.

Yeah I hadn’t seen the organic (soluble) line until OPs thread. I’ve been in MC land this current grow.
I use a different form of Dr. Earth Flower Girl in my soil build. Not soluble, but the crushed up bone and all the fun stuff that requires microbes to break in down over time. By the time I hit flower, the bloom nutes are ready for use in my build.
I wasn’t aware coco could support microbial life regardless.

Almost seems like when people build/buy a bad ass soil, then go buy Fix Farms Trio to use. Lol.
Pissin in the wind if you ask me.
If you want to go organic, get in soil that can support the life.

 

[SmokingWings]

Almost seems like when people build/buy a bad ass soil, then go buy Fix Farms Trio to use. Lol.
Pissin in the wind if you ask me.
If you want to go organic, get in soil that can support the life.

Ya, we want a great soil and then we want it to produce at hydro growth rates (without all the hassle of hydro). Kinda like the plants were being force fed. I have been there and done that. Interesting learning experience.

Early on I thought I had a few problems with growth rates. So I went for a drive and walked into one of my local hydro/grow shops. Mentioned what I had noticed happening and was looking for the solution. He says to me "I have seen your notes on building your soil mix. You have to trust your soil and stop worrying." So I did not buy anything that trip and went to trusting what I had done already. Worked out well.

Kinda why I find these threads on growing in a coco & peat mix or plain coco and using organic fertilizers fascinating.

 

[AdaminCO]

Ya, we want a great soil and then we want it to produce at hydro growth rates (without all the hassle of hydro). Kinda like the plants were being force fed. I have been there and done that. Interesting learning experience.

Early on I thought I had a few problems with growth rates. So I went for a drive and walked into one of my local hydro/grow shops. Mentioned what I had noticed happening and was looking for the solution. He says to me "I have seen your notes on building your soil mix. You have to trust your soil and stop worrying." So I did not buy anything that trip and went to trusting what I had done already. Worked out well.

Kinda why I find these threads on growing in a coco & peat mix or plain coco and using organic fertilizers fascinating.

I’m in the process of an MC grow with my built soil and was hitting them with humics weekly just to hit them from a microbial, and a synthetic base. I was hoping to lean on the microbes to provide nutes through what was processed from the components in the soil on top of using the immediate effect of the synthetics.

I’m still getting used to synthetic. Very easy to over feed, compared to organics.

LOS is a long grow. A couple grows back I had an Afghan and an AK strain take 16-17 weeks to finish. They were monsters though. The two Jack Herers finished at 13 weeks I believe.

 

[The123321]

Thanks. I have been told by many people that organic nutrients would not work with coco for it.

The 1 main reason I wanted to try it is because I am doing autos in the tent and want to do a perpetual type grow with 1 or 2 plants in veg and 1 or 2 plants in flowering that were planted a few weeks apart to where you could harvest 1 or 2 plants every like 6 weeks and I want all the plants on 1 reservoir in the tent. With the organic fertilizer mixed into the coco I can then do mostly water with calmag with silicon in the reservoir and have all the plants getting the same water for it.

What do you think of adding biochar to the coco to try to help the microbes on there?

 

[SmokingWings]

What do you think of adding biochar to the coco to try to help the microbes on there?

What you want to do is basically a new way of growing marijuana. It is not impossible since others are doing it with some level of success. One way to look at it is that everyone that tries it is a pioneer in this growing method. I figure that is why you are having a hard time finding info. As more people try it and more of them are successful the easier it will be to find what you need for your way of setting up the grow.

As for using the biochar I still believe that the answer I gave you in the msg in the following link still holds true....

https://www.420magazine.com/community/threads/does-anyone-use-organic-fertilizer-with-autopots-how-do-you-top-dress-it.480651/post-4883938

Since that thread came up I have been thinking that mixing peat moss with the coco coir is a way of controlling how fast the grow mix drains and dries out. It becomes a way of controlling the amount of time the plant has to pull in the nutrients, and how much of the nutrient, it needs before the grower waters again and replenishes the supply.

 

[AdaminCO]

We should bring @Emilya into this, she’s probably the most knowledgeable when it comes to organics.
OP wants to run an organic coco grow.

 

[Emilya Green]

We should bring @Emilya into this, she’s probably the most knowledgeable when it comes to organics.
OP wants to run an organic coco grow.

Yes, we have met, and I am not convinced that this can ever work. There is nothing "organic" about coco or that method of growing, and just using organic nutrients does not make it so. Good luck again though... I am pulling for you.

 

[AdaminCO]

I honestly don’t see the benefit/point...
You’re not cutting any corners or making it any easier on yourself doing this way.

Why go through the trouble...?
Why not build a cool reusable two part soil with local soils, compost, Down to Earth amendments, and good EWC that smells like chocolate coffee.

Build a veg mix that can carry you through Veg (microbes/water/molasses/kelp only), then a Bloom mix that you transplant to that takes you all the way through Bloom.
It can cook while you’re vegging.

That’s organic in my opinion and probably the most efficient if you’re doing perpetual.

Not knocking what you’re doing, but that would be the way to do it. I’ll get you started, you just have to figure out the ratios. Lol!

Soil Mix
Soil Base
• Aged Bark
• Bat Guano
• Coco Coir
• Perlite
• Sphagnum Peat Moss
• Volcanic Ash
• Worm Castings
• Fish Bone Meal
• Feather Meal
• Green Sand
• Mycorrhizae
• Glacial Rock Dust
• Soybean Meal
• Humic Acid

Added Dry Amendments
• Blood Meal
• Langbeinite
• Alfalfa Meal
• Seabird Guano
• Rock Phosphate
• Kelp Meal
• Earthworm Castings
• Great White Mycorrhizae
• Local Compost

Looks like a lot of work but it’s really not.

F0D6767E-BD62-47D6-A207-C72397FB4440.jpeg

• AdaminCO
• Aug 29, 2019
• soil mix

Soil mixing

 

[The123321]

Thanks for the information. The 1 main reason I did not want to do soil is I read coco has less bug problems. I may try a different mix for the next grow if this 1 does not work though I am trying 2 different ways with 1 plant with dr earth dry fertilizer at recommended amount of fertilizer moxed in and 1 plant with 1/2 dr earth and 1/2 jobes fertilizer spikes to try to do something like what biotabs do for it on there.

 

[Emilya Green]

I run exclusively soil and have for years, and I have zero bug problems. Don't believe everything you read.

 

[The123321]

Thanks. What brand do you use? Do you bake it?

 

[AdaminCO]

Thanks for the information. The 1 main reason I did not want to do soil is I read coco has less bug problems. I may try a different mix for the next grow if this 1 does not work though I am trying 2 different ways with 1 plant with dr earth dry fertilizer at recommended amount of fertilizer moxed in and 1 plant with 1/2 dr earth and 1/2 jobes fertilizer spikes to try to do something like what biotabs do for it on there.

It’s all about a clean grow environment. I don’t think spider mites care if it’s coco or soil. They are the devils children. Lol.

 

[The123321]

Thanks. I originally wanted to try this way to have plants that are in veg and flowering using the same water. I originally was going to use the gh main 3 liquid nutrients but I do not really have room for 2 reservoirs. I am hoping this works. If not I may try biotabs or a different medium instead of coco on there for it.

 

[Emilya Green]

Thanks. What brand do you use? Do you bake it?

I use a home made super soil mix using fox farm ocean forest and roots organic 101 as the base. I have been using the same soil, storing what is not actively in use in compost bins in my garage, for about 7 years now. I never bake this soil, to the contrary, I try to keep it alive with microlife.

Soil is not that difficult nor is it more prone to bugs than any other system. Someone running hydro can get spider mites or thrips just as easily as a soil grower. As was said before, the key is to maintain a clean environment and never ever bring in a plant from outside of your grow area. Keep pets away from your grow and consider a mulch on the top of your soil as a preventative to stop any chance of flying bugs getting a toe hold in your soil.

 

[The123321]

Thanks. If this does not work with coco I may try using that on there for it.

 

[Hash Hound]

wow finally another DrEarth user. We're a small club. Most things you need are in the bag.
DrE Bud and Bloom has been my base nutrient for 9 years with good results. It's a solid performer.
And no I don't work for them.
Nice to see you trying it with coco. I have no coco experience. I was thinking of using the DrEarth Life All Purpose pellets in a hempy, but haven't got around to that either.
I've recently been using B&B mixed with Agricolas Mineral fertilizer and my plants love it.

My tap water sits a few days before use, and I don't check ph.

in veg

P153 Gel w1 c.jpg

• Hash Hound
• Apr 11, 2020

and in flower

P150 SW2 w9 c.jpg

• Hash Hound
• Mar 7, 2020

 

[The123321]

Thanks. It is almost 2 weeks from seed and the plants are looking like they have some problems though I hopefully have fixed it. The plants have a few yellow tips and yellow spots on some of the leaves and the leaves are not a dark green like I have seen in many images online. I do not think I was doing the ph right in the beginning but have been putting in the right ph water with calmag with silicon for the last few days and I hope that helps it. I used the recommended amount of dr earth dry fertilizer in 1 plant with 1/2 the recommended amount in 1 plant with 1/2 the recommended amount of jobes fertilizer spikes in that plant. I think it may be a little hot for it but I have read online that when you give it more light it may grow out of that hot initial mix as the more light would likely make the plant use the extra nutrients in the coco then hopefully it will get better with new growth. It is a learning experience. If this grow does not go well I may try either the lucas formula with h3ads or I may mix soil in with the coco on there.

 

[BakedARea]

I just wanted to encourage anyone that is concerned with their public water/tap water supply, go check your utility's annual water quality report. Public water utilities are required by state and federal laws to release all chemicals and sampling results on an annual basis as part of the Safe Water Drinking Act. This report will at least give you a generic perspective on your water quality. Another thing you can do is request a water test from them. Ask to speak with their water quality or treatment supervisor and ask them which chemicals they use in your system. You can have them come out to analyze your water and give you an average chlorine residual coming from your tap.

If it concerns you that much (as it does bother me), get yourself a decent hose filter. Most of those issues are resolved as well as removing other potential issues.