Hi, growing in Hydro, first grow. I will be adding a topled reflector 96x3w panel as that is the largest one that will fit in my grow cabinet. I have been reading that some LED growers add silica and have other types of nute deficiencies they have to compensate for due to LED lighting being used (CAL/MAG) I think. I am a newbie but cant seem to find any detailed posting on how to compensate/adjust nutes for LED growing, any help would rock!
LED and adjustments/additions of Nutes
- Thread starter jpete0001
- Start date
vitamin_green_inc
Well-Known Member
Just go with a basic nutrient package. You are new so you have no ingrained techniques and habits that were formed with HPS growing so you will not have to compensate, you will just have to learn how to Grow.
churchhaze
Well-Known Member
Since you are using hydro, just make sure you are using a complete hydroponic formula. Don't get caught up with additives. Just get the base nutrients (like GH flora 3 part), and use only those.
churchhaze
Well-Known Member
He's attracted to good marketing. 
churchhaze
Well-Known Member
All calcium in hydroponics is provided as calcium nitrate, which is really cheap as a generic dry salt, which you can get online in as small as 1pound bags.
Silicate is unproven. A lot of people swear by it, but as a noob, it's a detail you shouldn't worry about. If you insist on using a silicate product, they're all just potassium silicate, which you can also get in dry form for way cheaper than the bottled silicates.
Silicate is unproven. A lot of people swear by it, but as a noob, it's a detail you shouldn't worry about. If you insist on using a silicate product, they're all just potassium silicate, which you can also get in dry form for way cheaper than the bottled silicates.
ohhhhhhhhhh shit...i do have those rusty spots but thought light was too close...backed off light, i will wait and see if the calmag fixes your rust spots before I start dabbling..hahahah grew an 8 ft white widow outdoors this summer and the fucking thing ended up being male from feminized seeds too! well it was my pride and joy until it grew balls...
I spent more on the dam CFL's, spliters hanging chords than if I just went LED right from the beginning...see...me fucking things up ahha
Mechmike
Well-Known Member
I run hydro and also use ro water. I also blast my plants with copious amounts of LED light. Without any minerals in the ro water everything needs to be supplied by me. Both Calcium and Magnesium are needed for sure throughout the entire life of the plant. Calmag supplements are the easiest way to provide that. I add the calmag to the res water first and then add in the rest of the nutes. I also use Earth Juice Microblast for micronutrients. I've found that in mid to late flower, when very little nitrogen is being used by the plant, all I need to use for nutes is calmag, micros and some MKP 0-52-34. MKP is the same as Bud Blood and several other way overpriced products. It's also the major ingredient in GH Koollbloom. MKP can be found on ebay for $10/pound. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Pound-Mono-potassium-phosphate-MKP-0-52-34-Soluble-Monopotassium-Phosphate-/190892240179?pt=Fertilizer_Soil_Amendments&hash=item2c72106d33
Thanks Mechmike...to make sure I understand, I add Calmag supplement to res water no matter if vegging or flowering...How much per gallon of water? MKP only during flowering....How much per gallon?...I ordered a 7 in 1 Meter ORP pH CF EC TDS PPM but wont get here for another week, I have been draining/filling reservoir once a week, PH is between 5.9 - 6.1 and using house brand nutes recommended dosage. This forum rocks, I have been on several others and a few questions I posed were not answered well because ppl started posting flaming the responses others posted and hijacked my dam question hahah
Yodaweed
Well-Known Member
I was using my LED's with R.O water and kept getting a cal/mg problem each time, started using the calimagic(1ml per liter) and it stopped, I also use Coco-coir so I think that can also contribute to the problem. The silicate really helps the plant fight against diseases and molds from what I have seen and also builds a stronger , healthier plant.
Mechmike
Well-Known Member
If you already have a deficiency just follow the dosage on the bottle. You can use less if you have no problems. I run my nutes at about 500ppm so by adding the calmag first I can finish adding nutes up to whatever ppm I want. As for MKP, use it in flower with calmag to the strength you want. For the young ones and in veg I use GH Maxibloom added to the calmag. Since calmag supplies some nitrogen the additional nitrogen in the Maxibloom is enough for good growth in veg. One mistake I've made is not accounting for the extra nitrogen supplied by the calmag. I try to let PH range from 5.7-6.3. With hydro anything much lower or higher tends to lockout various nutrients. The range is good because the plants uptake different nutes at different levels of PH and 5.7-6.3 is the sweet spot. I do res changes once a week which seems to work well so I think you're good there.
churchhaze
Well-Known Member
There's no such thing as "calmag" deficiency.
Last edited:
Mechmike
Well-Known Member
I guess that's true. I've never heard of one. I have had plants with both a calcium and magnesium deficiency due to lack of those minerals in RO water. To be precise, I could have said "If you already have either a Calcium or Magnesium deficiency or both..."
Mechmike
Well-Known Member
I don't think LED lighting causes plants to uptake more Calcium or Magnesium than any other lighting would but I do think the intensity of lighting does make a big difference in uptake of those particular nutes. The other and more important issue is where the roots live and whats available to them