lED/Nutrients

Blue Gill

Member
Information on LED lighting says to increase amount of Cal/Mag. I'm having problems with nutrient lock out. I think it's due to the amount of Cal/Mag. Any info on nutrient problems with LED's would be appreciated.
 

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
You didn't really tell us anything about your setup, just that you think you're using too much "cal/mag", whatever that is. So you think your Ca:Mg ratio is too high?

Information on LED lighting says to increase amount of Cal/Mag. I'm having problems with nutrient lock out. I think it's due to the amount of Cal/Mag. Any info on nutrient problems with LED's would be appreciated.
 

Blue Gill

Member
You didn't really tell us anything about your setup, just that you think you're using too much "cal/mag", whatever that is. So you think your Ca:Mg ratio is too high?
I'm using 600 watt (supposedly) /3X4' scrog tables. Had been using MH/HPS and T-5's with good success. Changed to all LED's for a variety of reasons. I've read to decrease nutes to 1/2 to 1/3 and to increase Ca:Mg (Botanicare Cal/Mag). I had been using 5ml/gal. (I use Ocean Forest and Light Warrior with some perlite). I did that and increased cal mag to 8ml. At about 6 weeks the bottom leaves were turning yellow and dying. It works it's way up the plant. Doing some research it looked like a cal mag deficiency. I increased to 10ml/gal. Nothing changed. Jumped to 15. Now it looks like I killed them.
 

Blue Gill

Member
For nutes I'm using Botanicare Pure Blend Pro Grow, 5ml./gal. 8ml/gal cal mag. General Hydroponics Floralicious Plus, .05ml/gal. for vegging. I feed every time I water them. With the old lighting I had doubled everything with success.
 

Blue Gill

Member
I'll try adding some nitrogen. See what that does. Keep the cal mag at 8ml. What do you think?
Do you use LED's?
 

Blue Gill

Member
Have you had problems when switching to LED's?
Duplicate threads? Been growing for 6 yrs but I'm a newbie on here.
 

az2000

Well-Known Member
Have you had problems when switching to LED's?
The only problem I had was calmag deficiency became more pronounced midway into flower. That's why I posted to the two links (in duplicate thread) about creating calcium phosphate by dissolving egg shells in white vinegar. Has really helped me.

If you get the yellowing in veg, I agree with other poster (other thread) that it's nitrogen. I don't think I've ever heard of LEDs leading to that. But, yes, if the lights drive the plants to grow more, you could have a deficiency.
 

Blue Gill

Member
Thanks for the egg shell info. I'm going to give it a try. I'm going ahead with feeding more and add some high first number bat guano. I think maybe I've been starving them. You know how they say: Less is best. I've apparently taken it too far.
Also, some strains are reacting more adversely than others. White Rhino for instance, all 4 died. Then the Sky Walker Kush is doing OK.
 

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
There's no such thing as cal mag.

When will people get it.

Cal-mag+ is a product, not a chemical. Why do all the experts allow this corporate bullshit to pass for "must have"? "Cal-mag" is bullshit.

Calcium and magnesium ions are positively charged. There is no calcium-magnesium salt. A salt must have a positive and a negative ion, like nitrate or phosphate. Calcium nitrate is not bullshit. magnesium sulfate is not bullshit. "cal-mag+ is corporate bullshit and and everyone who doesn't see through this must be a fool.

 
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az2000

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the egg shell info. I'm going to give it a try. I'm going ahead with feeding more and add some high first number bat guano. I think maybe I've been starving them. You know how they say: Less is best. I've apparently taken it too far.
Also, some strains are reacting more adversely than others. White Rhino for instance, all 4 died. Then the Sky Walker Kush is doing OK.
If you're in a hurry to deliver nitrogen, foliar feeding can work awesome. If you were in flower, you'd need to concern yourself with your humidity and risk of bud rot. But, in veg, I'd do it without thinking twice. Not sure bat guano can be foliar fed. Fish emulsion can. Or, people even use household ammonia (you'd need to google about that, concentrations, etc.).
 

az2000

Well-Known Member
There's no such thing as cal mag.
I probably missed an earlier mention, but what do you recommend as an alternative to the various calmag products people use (in response to the common early- to mid-bloom deficiency, which seems to be exacerbated by LED)?

I've been supplementing 1 Tbsp/gal home-brewed calcium derived from eggshell. That seems to help *a lot*. I haven't had the nerve to stop using Botanicare's CalMag+. I hate to upset what seems to be working well now. But, I'm open to new ideas.

Are you saying I don't need magnesium (the calcium is enough)? Or, that I can acquire it separately (and cheaper) from Epsom salt?

I've been wondering bout the former. I'm getting the impression the dissolved eggshell supplement is giving me what I need, and perhaps Mg deficiencies were just a byproduct of calcium def.

I need more than a periodic table to understand this.

Thanks.
 

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
Calcium nitrate in hydro.

Limestone, bonemeal, or eggshells, in soil.

cal-mag+ as a product really doesn't make any sense. it's practically a duplicate of GH flora micro, only with terrible Ca:Mg ratio. You may as well just use more of the "micro" bottle if you want more calcium.


I probably missed an earlier mention, but what do you recommend as an alternative to the various calmag products people use (in response to the common early- to mid-bloom deficiency, which seems to be exacerbated by LED)?

I've been supplementing 1 Tbsp/gal home-brewed calcium derived from eggshell. That seems to help *a lot*. I haven't had the nerve to stop using Botanicare's CalMag+. I hate to upset what seems to be working well now. But, I'm open to new ideas.

Are you saying I don't need magnesium (the calcium is enough)? Or, that I can acquire it separately (and cheaper) from Epsom salt?

I've been wondering bout the former. I'm getting the impression the dissolved eggshell supplement is giving me what I need, and perhaps Mg deficiencies were just a byproduct of calcium def.

I need more than a periodic table to understand this.

Thanks.
 
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churchhaze

Well-Known Member
I'm a fucking axpert mang. You'd be wise to take my advice. Generally when you know very little about a subject, it makes sense to listen to those with much more experience.

For disclosure, do you own shares in the company that makes cal-mag+? Enough is enough. Spread the word that cal-mag+ is a scam and how cheap calcium nitrate really is. I'm sick of all this mis-education. It's just wrong. Chances are you have enough calcium anyway, as you're trying to fix 2 problems at once, calcium and magnesium deficiency when the 2 elements actually antagonize each other., you probably misdiagnosed the problem and need guidance, and to read how to grow marijuana again.

Careful church, your ignorance is showing.
 
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az2000

Well-Known Member
Calcium nitrate in hydro.

Limestone, bonemeal, or eggshells, in soil.
Do you find that that alone answers the common "calmag" deficiency most growers encounter? For example, providing a calcium source, does that affect the magnesium deficiency which seems so common?

I mean this constructively: You sound a bit like a "truther" (coming on strong, single-minded message, conspiracies about stockholders). I'm always looking to learn more. I'm still trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. A lot of people have great results with calmag products. So, it seems more "truther'ish" to hear someone damn it all as a big lie.
 
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