High runoff

[4d-Rock]

Hey all.
I'm working on my first grow with MC and am about 4 weeks in. I've been sticking around 500-600ppm and have been feeding on every watering with a slight amount of runoff (<10%). The plants are loving it and have yet to show any deficiency or overfeeding symptoms (*knock on wood*), but lately I decided to test my runoff for pH and ppms just for interest sake. The pH was on point at around 6.3, but once it tested around 1200ppm, and the last time was 1600ppm. I know that runoff testing isn't a perfect determination of things, but is this something I should be worried about? I have noticed a bit of white salt/staining on the outside of the fabric and don't want to create a lock out scenario so I wanted to ask the crew here what steps should I take. I just upped my watering from 2L to 2.5L to have more runoff, but should I do a Veg to flower transitional flush? Or should I continue things as I have since there is no signs of issues?

Thanks

Day 29

 

[HemiSync]

Hey all.
I'm working on my first grow with MC and am about 4 weeks in. I've been sticking around 500-600ppm and have been feeding on every watering with a slight amount of runoff (<10%). The plants are loving it and have yet to show any deficiency or overfeeding symptoms (*knock on wood*), but lately I decided to test my runoff for pH and ppms just for interest sake. The pH was on point at around 6.3, but once it tested around 1200ppm, and the last time was 1600ppm. I know that runoff testing isn't a perfect determination of things, but is this something I should be worried about? I have noticed a bit of white salt/staining on the outside of the fabric and don't want to create a lock out scenario so I wanted to ask the crew here what steps should I take. I just upped my watering from 2L to 2.5L to have more runoff, but should I do a Veg to flower transitional flush? Or should I continue things as I have since there is no signs of issues?

Thanks

Day 29

What is your growing medium?

 

[4d-Rock]

Sorry, I’m using Pro-mix HP mychorrizae

 

[HemiSync]

Sorry, I’m using Pro-mix HP mychorrizae

Sorry no experience with promix but I’m sure someone will chime in. If not post in the infirmary where more might see the it.

 

[4d-Rock]

No worries, thanks.

I figured it wasn’t quite urgent enough to warrant the infirmary, and since it is more related to a new nutrient usage I thought someone here may be able to give some input

 

[Wallflower82]

My runoffs were around 1200 in a few plants I recently finished using Mc / sc / be in roots organic soil.. the plants finished out ok without lockout issues but I did back off on the feeding toward the end. (It was almost the end anyways). I noticed the white salt looking stuff on the outside of the Black felt grow bag too. Only got the high runoffs with certain strains I noticed

The only major issue I was having was late stage K def but I always seem to have that. I’m going to try different food soon because my better half absolutely hates how the MC smells. Smell doesn’t bother me much but i can’t seem to stop it from clumping no matter what I store it in, I even tried some silica packets in a sealed jar and it’s still clumped. I do love it for veg but not as much for flower

 

[4d-Rock]

My runoffs were around 1200 in a few plants I recently finished using Mc / sc / be in roots organic soil.. the plants finished out ok without lockout issues but I did back off on the feeding toward the end. (It was almost the end anyways). I noticed the white salt looking stuff on the outside of the Black felt grow bag too. Only got the high runoffs with certain strains I noticed

The only major issue I was having was late stage K def but I always seem to have that. I’m going to try different food soon because my better half absolutely hates how the MC smells. Smell doesn’t bother me much but i can’t seem to stop it from clumping no matter what I store it in, I even tried some silica packets in a sealed jar and it’s still clumped. I do love it for veg but not as much for flower

Great, Thanks for your input. I haven't gotten to flowering yet but we will see how my strains handle it. I usually have some sort of P/K deficiency pop up at the end as well, was hoping MC would fix that. I would think that the BE would help as well, but I haven't been able to get my hands on any yet.

I'm leaning toward throwing in a plain water without MC every other watering for a week to maybe bring the soil levels down a bit. Unless someone advises me otherwise.

 

[Wallflower82]

Oh good you got BE.. yah you’re def gonna need it. I tried megacrop start to finish on its own and although I’ve seen people here have superb results with that, for the life of me I haven’t been able to.

the k def was way worse doing just mega alone.. it’s better with the BE but I’m still messing with the ratios to figure out what works. I have a forgotten cookies right now and I didn’t ease over correctly from the mega to the BE, I think I was still using too much mega because I got that k def when flowering started ..but I also got the claw too (obvious n tox).

We’ll see what happens lol.. so you get that late stage stuff too huh? Well thus far mephisto sour crack seemed the most resistant to it, it really seemed to like the mega, sc and the BE.. have you grown that one yet? They were a joy to grow

 

[Greenleaf Nutrients]

If your runoff ppm is too high (much higher than your input), then you should try watering with a little extra runoff. Usually salts build up in the soil if you underwater a bit. Watering to runnoff (even if once per week) should help keep that balance.

 

[4d-Rock]

Oh good you got BE.. yah you’re def gonna need it. I tried megacrop start to finish on its own and although I’ve seen people here have superb results with that, for the life of me I haven’t been able to.

the k def was way worse doing just mega alone.. it’s better with the BE but I’m still messing with the ratios to figure out what works. I have a forgotten cookies right now and I didn’t ease over correctly from the mega to the BE, I think I was still using too much mega because I got that k def when flowering started ..but I also got the claw too (obvious n tox).

We’ll see what happens lol.. so you get that late stage stuff too huh? Well thus far mephisto sour crack seemed the most resistant to it, it really seemed to like the mega, sc and the BE.. have you grown that one yet? They were a joy to grow

I don't have BE. I wanted to get some but on the Canada site they only have the 2.5kg bags available and I can't justify buying that much so I'll wait for the 300/750g bags to come available. I guess if I start seeing some deficiency of that kind I will maybe toss in a bit of Tiger Bloom that I have.

If your runoff ppm is too high (much higher than your input), then you should try watering with a little extra runoff. Usually salts build up in the soil if you underwater a bit. Watering to runnoff (even if once per week) should help keep that balance.

Thanks, I was doing around 5 - 10% runoff but the last couple weeks maybe more around 15% runoff.

I did some tests and comparisons last night as I have two currently on the go.
I have a Sweet Seeds Dark Devil at 35 days, which is a week into flowering. It had stunted earlier on from unknown issues, so I don't think it has been much of a feeder. With a 70ppm/6.4pH input, the runoff was about 1270ppm/6.3pH. It has also been showing N-tox through increasing leaf clawing over the last week or two. I have a feeling that because of the stunting, it may not have been able to keep up and utilize the nutes, and has been building up over time. Next watering I will likely flush again, see what the runoff is, followed by a weak nutrient solution.

The other is a CKS White Widow which is at 31 days and has been doing great. By far my best plant I've grown. With the same 70ppm/6.4pH input the runoff was around 670ppm/6.4pH. It hasn't been showing N-tox and has been healthy. I did notice during this test some minor dark spotting on some lower leaves. I'm thinking it could be a Ca-def as I haven't been using any CalMag supplements. For this one, I will likely keep going on the regular feeding schedule and maybe throwing in a plain water every 2nd or 3rd watering, but will also add a bit of CaliMagic and see if that stops the spotting.