The Mega Crop Thread

[IowaFarmer]

So 2 times I have mixed 5g per gallon and let it sit until the next day and the ec jumps alot! Anyone else have this issue? I'm wondering if the EC is actually that high when I mix and feed soon after without the wait. The only reason I mixed the night before was time issues the following day when having it ready to go was easier. Usually I'm at 1.5 and it jumped to 2.1! Or 750ppm to 1090ppm if that's what anyone goes by anymore. Starting ec is 0. Ro water.

 

[NewToTHC]

I think there is some slight change as the minerals dissolve, but suspect the change might be related to the temperature of the water when you take the readings. Are you mixing cold and testing and then retesting when your solution is warmed to room temperature. I believe most TD meters are calibrated for 25 degrees Celsius or 77 degrees Fahrenheit.

Is your meter old, I think all modern meters temperature compensate.

 

[IowaFarmer]

New meters, I have 2. Its out of a holding tank in the same room so same temp as the tank it comes from. I also seen alot off stuff on the bottom that was light brown but it mixed right back into solution. I just did another and will check in the am. I do need to check the calibration of the meters though, never trust them out of the box In my opinion, but I only know how to calibrate ph pens and i have my solutions for it.

 

[bluter]

So 2 times I have mixed 5g per gallon and let it sit until the next day and the ec jumps alot! Anyone else have this issue? I'm wondering if the EC is actually that high when I mix and feed soon after without the wait. The only reason I mixed the night before was time issues the following day when having it ready to go was easier. Usually I'm at 1.5 and it jumped to 2.1! Or 750ppm to 1090ppm if that's what anyone goes by anymore. Starting ec is 0. Ro water.

if you feed by weight it's no problem. i've stopped bothering to even check ec.

 

[IowaFarmer]

I do, I have scales that have a tolerance of 0.00 so I put the scoop on 0 it out and scoop. Btw, empty scoop 6g. A little dusty from use 6.03g. Just for anyone wondering. Lol

 

[multiVortex]

New meters, I have 2. Its out of a holding tank in the same room so same temp as the tank it comes from. I also seen alot off stuff on the bottom that was light brown but it mixed right back into solution. I just did another and will check in the am. I do need to check the calibration of the meters though, never trust them out of the box In my opinion, but I only know how to calibrate ph pens and i have my solutions for it.

Here is the procedure and the numbers from my water change this past Saturday. Today is day 43 from flip (start of week 7).

Feed rate: 6.5g/gal MC, 2.5ml/gal calmag (nitrogen free)
Total volume: 50 gal

1) Take 5gal of water from the RO barrel
2) Mix full strength in a 5gal bucket (calmag, then MC), using drill paddle (paint mixer for your drill) to mix up and stir.
3) Add 5gal concentrated mix back into the barrel, let mix with pump for an hour or two.
4) Drain system, then fill.

At this point, I haven't pH'd the water. Running at this rate, I know it's going to be within range so I just pump it in and then adjust if I want a little higher or lower.

Initial numbers:

EC: 1.81
pH: 5.7 (I added pH up to bring it up to 6.4 after that)

Two days later, no spike.




What are your water levels looking like? Is the water volume small? Could be plant(s) drinking more than eating, and in a small water volume that could raise EC a bit in a hurry.

 

[IowaFarmer]

Sorry I should have been specific, I'm in soil and the holding tank is just large rubbermaid tote. I do that because I just have an ro buddy so it only makes .5 gallon an hour. This morning everything was the same as when I mixed up my feed. O, 2.5 gallons of water and 15g of MC. I think it just wasnt fully dissolved because I used my stir pump this time and then left it off over night and all was the same this morning with nothing on bottom. So I'm at 6g per gallon now, at start of week 5 from seeing pistols, not from flip. Does this Sound right fro stage of growth? Thanks for all the help

 

[Rosti]

Hey guys I got something pretty cool to show you that I’ve never seen before. I’m curious if anyone else knows why it’s happening or has seen this before? .. so the picture is of a couple pistils and a calyx swelling out of the petiole of a fan leaf... pretty trippy lol curious on everyone’s thoughts.

 

[multiVortex]

Sorry I should have been specific, I'm in soil and the holding tank is just large rubbermaid tote. I do that because I just have an ro buddy so it only makes .5 gallon an hour. This morning everything was the same as when I mixed up my feed. O, 2.5 gallons of water and 15g of MC. I think it just wasnt fully dissolved because I used my stir pump this time and then left it off over night and all was the same this morning with nothing on bottom. So I'm at 6g per gallon now, at start of week 5 from seeing pistols, not from flip. Does this Sound right fro stage of growth? Thanks for all the help

I'm confident that when I pump into my RDWC, the mix is fully dissolved. Just from my own experience, I'm not a fan of using a pump on the initial mixing. I found it took too long, and just wasn't quite enough to get mixed well without leaving it for a couple days.

I do swear by the drill paddle though. It was cheap, and it makes things so easy. When I'm mixing in a bucket, which is most of the time, I use my cordless drill. When I mix the concentrate into the barrel, I use a corded drill that has a little more power. It gets that barrel mixing up really well though. I give that a few minutes, then hook up my transfer pump. I have a garden hose connected to one side of a coupler. Then I have a pipe coming out of the pump, that comes up to about the 3/4 level of the barrel. I turn the pump on and let it circulate an hour or two. Then I hook up the coupler, and pump out.

At 6g/gal you're fine there. Are you adding calmag, or anything else?

Have you checked your scale for accuracy? With only 15g, if you're off by just a tick, it can have big consequences. If I'm off by 5g when weighing out 325g, not as big of a deal (6.6g/gal instead of 6.5), but on 15g if you're off a few g for 2.5 gal, that could raise it too.

It could be that your meter needs calibrated.

There are a lot of things that could influence that number, even to the point where it isn't accurate.

It could be as simple as it's time to change the filter in your RO.


The real thing is how do the plants look? Are the leaves light green, dark green, or that really nice grass green? That's the important thing. As long as the leaves are good, don't sweat ppm/ec/blah blah blah. It can really be overkill for MC.

 

[NewToTHC]

pH: 5.7 (I added pH up to bring it up to 6.4 after that)

Mine mixes to the same pH, but I find if I let the solution sit for 2 days it creeps up to around 6.1 - 6.2, which is perfect for my application

 

[IowaFarmer]

I'm confident that when I pump into my RDWC, the mix is fully dissolved. Just from my own experience, I'm not a fan of using a pump on the initial mixing. I found it took too long, and just wasn't quite enough to get mixed well without leaving it for a couple days.

I do swear by the drill paddle though. It was cheap, and it makes things so easy. When I'm mixing in a bucket, which is most of the time, I use my cordless drill. When I mix the concentrate into the barrel, I use a corded drill that has a little more power. It gets that barrel mixing up really well though. I give that a few minutes, then hook up my transfer pump. I have a garden hose connected to one side of a coupler. Then I have a pipe coming out of the pump, that comes up to about the 3/4 level of the barrel. I turn the pump on and let it circulate an hour or two. Then I hook up the coupler, and pump out.

At 6g/gal you're fine there. Are you adding calmag, or anything else?

Have you checked your scale for accuracy? With only 15g, if you're off by just a tick, it can have big consequences. If I'm off by 5g when weighing out 325g, not as big of a deal (6.6g/gal instead of 6.5), but on 15g if you're off a few g for 2.5 gal, that could raise it too.

It could be that your meter needs calibrated.

There are a lot of things that could influence that number, even to the point where it isn't accurate.

It could be as simple as it's time to change the filter in your RO.


The real thing is how do the plants look? Are the leaves light green, dark green, or that really nice grass green? That's the important thing. As long as the leaves are good, don't sweat ppm/ec/blah blah blah. It can really be overkill for MC.

I use a slotted spoon usually, I do believe I just didnt get it all dissolved before I went to bed. I have 2 sets of scales that are accurate to .00 and I put a bill on them, 1g, I put a nickel on them it reads 5g. I'm thinking my pens are off. They look great! No bad leaf anywhere, well a few of the very lowest leaves aren't in the greatest shape but they don't really receive much light and will we'll be pruned off accordingly soon. Had pneumonia since week ago Saturday and boy I've never had anything knock me down so hard. Not even a fist. Lol. Thank you again for the help.

 

[IowaFarmer]

So I probably worried for nothing, if the plants are happy I need not worry. Lol

 

[BooMtoLate]

I put 36 litres of water in res, then fill 4 litre jug with water and mega crop and shake weight that for a min and dump into res. Never had any build up.

 

[InTheShed]

Hey guys I got something pretty cool to show you that I’ve never seen before. I’m curious if anyone else knows why it’s happening or has seen this before? .. so the picture is of a couple pistils and a calyx swelling out of the petiole of a fan leaf... pretty trippy lol curious on everyone’s thoughts.

It's just a fun mutation that some plants get. I had a DDA that did that:

And I've seen it on a few others here as well. Adds to the harvest totals!

 

[Rosti]

It's just a fun mutation that some plants get. I had a DDA that did that:

And I've seen it on a few others here as well. Adds to the harvest totals!

That plant looks awesome! I’ve never seen it before this so it tripped me out. I figured it was some kind of mutation though, I’m not complaining it makes the plant look cool imo.

 

[Scottylikesbud]

So 2 times I have mixed 5g per gallon and let it sit until the next day and the ec jumps alot! Anyone else have this issue? I'm wondering if the EC is actually that high when I mix and feed soon after without the wait. The only reason I mixed the night before was time issues the following day when having it ready to go was easier. Usually I'm at 1.5 and it jumped to 2.1! Or 750ppm to 1090ppm if that's what anyone goes by anymore. Starting ec is 0. Ro water.

I’ve noticed that as well, I’m guessing it’s just dissolved more thoroughly over night. I just ph down the solution the next morning. If I had an extra air stone, I would let it bubble out overnight before use.

 

[Scottylikesbud]

Hey guys I got something pretty cool to show you that I’ve never seen before. I’m curious if anyone else knows why it’s happening or has seen this before? .. so the picture is of a couple pistils and a calyx swelling out of the petiole of a fan leaf... pretty trippy lol curious on everyone’s thoughts.

On my current plant

 

[MedicalMe]

How far along is the plant? Post a pic! I think you should be at least 5g/gallon by day 28 on an auto (assuming it's not already throwing pistils like mine do ).

"Throwing pistils . . ." And therein lies the problem using MC with autos in soil - when adjusting the dosage, we don't get much time to accomplish the task. Autos often don't need nutes until about the third week, and in the fourth week they start blooming! A very narrow window indeed. My first MC crop is blooming and in bloom stretch. This grow isn't a fair trial of MC as I had some pH probs early in the grow and consequently had some nute lockout, but they're recovering. Still, no pics yet as I'm not really very proud of this grow, my second this year.

However, I'm currently germing some auto seeds for my third grow this year and intend to use MC exclusively, taking advantage of what I've learned so far from Grow #2: Day 14, showing signs of nitrogen depletion, watered 3 gr. MC/1 gal pH corrected water. Day 18: watered 6 gr. MC/1 gal pH corrected water. Ladies are responding, greening up, growing larger leaves. Day 28: watered 10 gr. MC/1 gal pH corrected water. The girls continue to respond.

Of course, most of us know we have to customize MC dosage per individual growing situations, as per the MC website. But at least, perhaps my experience will help others. I think I'll journal Grow #3 for 2020 - and possibly for posterity!

 

[oldsmokey]

10gm per gallon wow that's really strong.

 

[multiVortex]

And therein lies the problem using MC with autos in soil - when adjusting the dosage, we don't get much time to accomplish the task. Autos often don't need nutes until about the third week, and in the fourth week they start blooming! A very narrow window indeed.

Dig back through the thread, and find the schedule @farside05 put together. Learn it, love it, live it. Problem solved, and your autos will thrive.

Don't feed an auto until week 3? That's crazy talk. I pre-soak the medium (promix, just sayin) with 1g/gal. Let the pot dry out for a day or two, and plant. Water the plant, not the pot, for the first couple of weeks as the roots develop. With good lighting, you'll be in for a treat. Especially if you quadline them.

Oh, proof? Well, alrighty then...

Read more on her...


FYI: she's taking up the better part of a 4x4 now.

That's the power of the Farside05 schedule.