RO Water

I want to clean out my tap water for my next grow. Just read the water report for my area and it's bad, I dont think my little britta can handle it all.
Questions: Do you add back calmag supplements for every watering with RO water or just every once in a while? Also would a remineralization filter work? They have the ROs with an additional filter that adds back minerals after the RO process.

My system came with the mineral thingy. I left it off. The reason being is I have no control over how much or how little minerals are put in the water. Or know what kind.

I use Cali-Magic every single time using RO(Coco) for the mineral source. 2.5ml A gallon. My average fert solution ppm is between 630-750ppm. Depending on the plant stage. I never stop adding it. From sprout to harvest.

Can you explain this more @Beehive ?

I use Cali-Magic every single time using RO(Coco) for the mineral source. 2.5ml A gallon.

RO(Coco) as mineral source? So you are growing in coco, not soil? Confused lol

I add Cal-Mag to RO to replace the minerals that were filtered out. In amounts I can measure.

I use it as instructed by General Hydroponics. Which is 2.5ml to a gallon.

Soil or coco.

Grow311 said:

Can you explain this more @Beehive ?

I use Cali-Magic every single time using RO(Coco) for the mineral source. 2.5ml A gallon.

RO(Coco) as mineral source? So you are growing in coco, not soil? Confused lol

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Calimagic will work for coco or soil
Using an RO is a great idea for healthy plants.
If you use an RO I would bump you calmag up to 5ml/g though

So use calmag for every single watering from start to finish? Anything else or just that? (Other than regular nutes I mean). Oh, and do you also use it on the days when adding nutes?

Grow311 said:

So use calmag for every single watering from start to finish? Anything else or just that? (Other than regular nutes I mean). Oh, and do you also use it on the days when adding nutes?

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Only use it for feeding
In soil you should only feed every other watering
In between do not add calmag
Add calmag when feeding the rest of your regimen
Add the calmag to the water first, mix well, then add the rest of your nutes as you normally do

So on the non-feeding days just straight RO water with nothing in it? I'm gonna use organic dry amendments in organic soil this run, so I won't use liquid ferts except for seaweed extract sometimes.

Yes. If you use it from start to finish. It's a preventive measure to Cal-Mag problems. No drama, easy grow. Everything you'd want in a plant.

Grow311 said:

So on the non-feeding days just straight RO water with nothing in it? I'm gonna use organic dry amendments in organic soil this run, so I won't use liquid ferts except for seaweed extract sometimes.

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If you go organic you might be just fine without any calmag then
Just some top dressing and a compost tea every once and awhile

So dont use it or use it? Lol

How about boiling egg shells in RO water and adding epsom salt and then mixing a bit of that with the regular RO water?

Grow311 said:

So dont use it or use it? Lol

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I use it, but that was becuase I was in Foxfarm soil. Not organics, the fertilizers in the soil would run out, so the calmag was part of my weekly synthetic nutrient feeding.
Now I am in hydroponics and use a different version called Coco Cal

I am not an expert in organics because I've never used it specifically. But I believe If you have a proper organic soil, and feed compost teas, and use organic amendments, you shouldn't need to add calmag because your organics will have enough calcium and magnesium

Probably gonna do the egg shell and epsom salt thing quite often to be sure. I'm also using foxfarm soil right now and i was planning on getting more and use dr earth dry amendments. From what I understand foxfarm soil is organic as well as big Bloom, grow big and tiger Bloom are not.

Just run a nute regimen which has adequate amounts of Calcium and Magnesium, problem solved. I use the remineralization filter on my RO unit when I'm filtering drinking water. Just straight RO for my nutes; add a bit of Si, then Jacks 3-2-1, finally a bit of kelp and fulvic. Easy peasy.

Yes @PJ Diaz I was concerned since I'm not really gonna use any liquid nutes other than dr earth 3-3-3 solution and seaweed extract. Everything else is dry amendments so I will basically only ro water the plants. And how about ph. I'm trying to steer away from ph up and down bottles.

You non Organics in soil have to feed every other watering? My god

from what I can follow you’re in soil and you’re doing Organics yes?

if Yes then don’t add cal mag to you’re water, and RO is fine, and you shouldn’t have any runoff when you water.
What’s your medium?

a good calmag replacement in Organics is similar to your egg shell idea

take about 1-2c of washed crushed egg shells and roast them to a golden brown, don’t char or burn them.

take the crushed shells and put them in a jar and cover them with 3c of vinegar of your choice, I like apple cider with the mother.

it will bubble, let it sit for 7 days.
Strain it.

use about 4ml per gal but I usually test my batch’s with an EC meter to make sure I hit around 100-150. Changes per batch etc...

Also top dressing with a balanced mix would take care of any micros and minerals you’d need as well as macros etc...

min always on buildasoils nuts and that’s bc their shit is awesome but their craft blend is the shit

ÒÒlegilizeitÒÒ said:

If you go organic you might be just fine without any calmag then
Just some top dressing and a compost tea every once and awhile

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You’ve helped me before so I’m going to ask for your help again. In living soil what would you recommend for top dressing? Right now I’m guessing I’m two to three weeks from harvest But they seem to be lacking something. I’ve been trying to do a water only thing.

Dtownhellbilly said:

You’ve helped me before so I’m going to ask for your help again. In living soil what would you recommend for top dressing? Right now I’m guessing I’m two to three weeks from harvest But they seem to be lacking something. I’ve been trying to do a water only thing.

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Sorry couldn't help you there, this guy above you @maranibbana looks super knowledgeable on it though
I dont do organics, I am surprised I was as on point with the information I gave above as I was hahah