Nutrients Grow Dots?

[MonteVerde]

They only activate between 75-85 degrees?...my tent rarely gets over 75. that's a non starter for me:
Grow Dots are activated by temperature, not water. In a room between 75 and 85 degrees for the perfect nutrient release schedule, regardless of how you water your plants.

 

[CannabisMingus]

They only activate between 75-85 degrees?...my tent rarely gets over 75. that's a non starter for me:
Grow Dots are activated by temperature, not water. In a room between 75 and 85 degrees for the perfect nutrient release schedule, regardless of how you water your plants.

As far as I understand, it's not a hard cut-off - so release is slowed I assume by how much away from target range one gets. But it's a valid point.

 

[CannabisMingus]

I think this may be one of those "F it and just see what happens" deals.

 

[GreenBean]

They will release/ last at different temps for different times. I did a deep dive on osmocote years ago when I was trying them out on some super hots. They break down at different temps, differently. 60 degrees they break down around 6 months, 70F around 4-5 months. 80 degrees-ish if I recall correctly, since that is the average-ish tent temp (at least for me), they will break down for about 2-3 months? 90 degrees 1-2 months. Or something like that. For something like a hot pepper that has a long growing cycle outside, I just ended up having to fertilize per usual once they were gone.

Bear in mind that that is soil temp. And as far as perfect schedule based on stated temps? Dunnnno. I have a Mendel and Mephisto going right now. Mendel went to bloom phase at around 30 days? Mephisto Walter White is barely showing tiny cotton balls at day 40.

I would agree that it's a Lets see what happens! Experiment.

 

[Zardgreaux]

Thanks! You raise good points. It's like a water-only los grow - not much you can do if problems develop.

True this. This is what I wanted to try, just to see how a water only grow would work, but when I had problems, I kept hoping it would fix itself. It didn't. Ultimately I decided that I wanted to save the plant regardless of trying to compare Growdots to Living Soil, so I top dressed with Craft Blend and worm castings, and it did help out with the nutrient/PH issues I was obviously having. I have zero experience with synthetic nutrients, so that was all I knew to try.

 

[DCLXVI]

I'm tempted. I'm thinking coco

I'm now thinking coco in autopots with a .5 gallon volume in the top/middle of Roots O and just germ them directly. I expect the Roots O could get them through the first 2 weeks just fine and then hopefully the N etc has diffused through the coco enough by that point.

Make sense @DCLXVI ? I have very little coco experience (and no Autopot exp) so I'm kinda flying blind here.

If you were able to keep the res pH'ed properly I'd say yes. I haven't seen anything from growdots suggesting a pH range so I suspect just whatever pH the medium likes? I had sent them an email to see if there was a recommended range for breakdown timing but eh, no reply.

 

[CannabisMingus]

I'm using RODI (+ calmag to 70 ppm) so it will immediately take the ph of the coco. If I use a well buffered coco (Canna, Roots) I should be cool.

 

[Zardgreaux]

If you were able to keep the res pH'ed properly I'd say yes. I haven't seen anything from growdots suggesting a pH range so I suspect just whatever pH the medium likes? I had sent them an email to see if there was a recommended range for breakdown timing but eh, no reply.

Something somewhere I saw specified that nutrient uptake for Growdots was maximized at 6.2 PH, so try to get medium to start out at 6.2.

 

[CannabisMingus]

If you were able to keep the res pH'ed properly I'd say yes.

Upon reflection @DCLXVI I think you're right - hopefully the 100ppm CalMag will be enough to pH stablize the res

 

[CannabisMingus]

Well, I ordered an Autopot XL system with a 5g spring pot and a 75g of Grow Dots. I will pick up some Canna coco and away we go. Grand experiment. I 'm going to excavate an approx. 1/2 gallon area in the center, fill it with Roots O and direct germ in that. Will start a new grow thread on this - probably early June. I still have to chop and dry a Sour Stomper in the tent before I head out of town at the end of the month.

Stay tuned. Like the man said, "may you live in interesting times."