Foliars - all of them

[ORGANinc.]

For foliar Epsom, I would go no more than 1/2-1 tsp per 5L. 

So I bought some small baking scoops, they come in 1ml / 2,5ml. They graft well, ill fill the 1ml and smash a 1L spray bottle. 

[John Stonedwell]

12 minutes ago, PsyCLown said:

I think I used it at around 0.2 to 0.3 EC, but I only did it once or twice.

 

@CreX What EC or PPM do you do your CalMag foliar at and perhaps any advice on the best way to use it?

 

Epsom Salts is Magnesium, CalMag is Calcium & Magnesium with some Nitrogen - so do not go too heavy on the CalMag foliar IMO.

Thank you very much. This info helps a lot 

[John Stonedwell]

1 hour ago, ORGANinc. said:

For foliar Epsom, I would go no more than 1/2-1 tsp per 5L. 

So I bought some small baking scoops, they come in 1ml / 2,5ml. They graft well, ill fill the 1ml and smash a 1L spray bottle. 

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Much appreciated 

[PsyCLown]

5 hours ago, CreX said:

touche LOL no recipe is also my recipe and just didnt wanna say it hahaha

Eish, until the plants get burnt... again.

I've been there and done that. Burnt plants from sprays which are meant to help is no fun.

 

As long as you keep it on the lower side, shouldn't be too much of an issue. If you get burnt plants, it's a lesson and do not go that strong again.

[CreX]

33 minutes ago, PsyCLown said:

Eish, until the plants get burnt... again.

I've been there and done that. Burnt plants from sprays which are meant to help is no fun.

 

As long as you keep it on the lower side, shouldn't be too much of an issue. If you get burnt plants, it's a lesson and do not go that strong again.

spoken like someone in recovery haha!! 

good point though - this is a hobby, but care should be taken when mixing anything to spray your plants with

[The_StonedTrooper]

Threw some Wood vinegar all over the ladies tonight

[The_StonedTrooper]

All good afterwards and no after smell 

 

[Van Wijk]

I got myself one of these paint spray guns a few years ago and never looked back. Use it for for all foliar sprays. You get a cordless version as well but haven't tried that.
https://www.takealot.com/bosch-spray-gun-for-paint-green/PLID52348421

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[The Grass Baas]

Wow dude. Im not that big into foliar sprays but cant a normal spray bottel do the job? Maybe if you are doing a farm.

https://www.takealot.com/mts-spray-500ml-trigger-41628/PLID70336857

[Van Wijk]

Wow dude. Im not that big into foliar sprays but cant a normal spray bottel do the job? Maybe if you are doing a farm.
https://www.takealot.com/mts-spray-500ml-trigger-41628/PLID70336857

I suppose it depends how many plants you have

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[PsyCLown]

23 minutes ago, The Grass Baas said:

Wow dude. Im not that big into foliar sprays but cant a normal spray bottel do the job? Maybe if you are doing a farm.

https://www.takealot.com/mts-spray-500ml-trigger-41628/PLID70336857

Eish, you know how your hand cramps are using one of these bottles and the spray isn't as fine as a pressure sprayer.

Not to mention when I drench my plants I can go through 2L to 4L of foliar solution - so having to refill the whole time can be a mission. It is difficult to spray and get under the leaves with a trigger spray - I understand that a paint sprayer can be overkill for some, although they do work really well I have heard, but at least fork out the money on a larger pressure sprayer with a wand if you plan on doing a few foliar sprays.

 

The fine mist helps with coverage, the wand helps get under the plants and leaves easier and reach some otherwise difficult to reach places and the pressure makes life much easier on your hands and forearm muscles... Not to mention those trigger bottles always break and clog very quickly and easily.

[greenkush]

Spinosad, Sulphur that's my foliar sprays.

[The Grass Baas]

I use a 2 liter bottle when I treat my plants for mould and little critters etc. Must say the little cramp you talking about is not something that bothers me too much. Get some grip strength booooooiii. When a person is poor cramps don't mean shit . 

Ok but on a serious note. I have one of those 25l poison tank sprayer things (fumigator, the one with the wand) which make a super light mist. I wouldn't use it if you've used roundup in it before....well I wouldn't risk it.... Then the other option which works really well is, the hand held version of the hand pump sprayer. Both these options are super cheap.

Anyway. Here is what I mean.

[PsyCLown]

@The Grass Baas

The Sprayer for R85 works nicely, but the lack of a wand can make a big difference. Although this is 10 times better than those trigger bottles.

The issue with this is when you want to try get the bottom of your plants and try turn the bottle sideways and it sucks up the air and reduces the pressure or when you try get under the leaves etc.

 

The one for R269 is what I am referring to with the wand, excellent sprayers and well worth the money! The one I use is a Garden Master I think, but I am sure they are all pretty much the same. One can even lock the spray trigger into place and just move the wand around. WIth the wand the tank can be upright and you can turn the wand in whatever direction to ensure you get a nice spray alllllll over your ladies... if you know what I mean 

[The Grass Baas]

funny one bout the spraying.....

I too use the 2 liter with the little hand pump on it. The bigger one with the wand is definitely better because you can get in underneath, as you mentioned.

What I have seen in some videos is the guys use the big one with the pump and wand to water their pots. Especially pots that cannot be moved around. They just remove the misting spray nozzle and bam!! Water the plants in the back, no problem. Sure it is also alot easier to just move the pots out before watering, that way you get a feel for the weights of the pots when watered and not. But if you are under a scrog or have huge plants, option number two might help with watering.

On a side note: one thing I have struggled with was removing runoff water. I used a towel in the beginning but if you're flushing its abit of a mission. I now know better and use the vacuum. I did not even know this but some vacuums can vacuum water. I know right.....mind blown. Use a syringe to measure the runoff and vacuum the rest (if you have a vacuum lying around).

[PsyCLown]

47 minutes ago, The Grass Baas said:

On a side note: one thing I have struggled with was removing runoff water. I used a towel in the beginning but if you're flushing its abit of a mission. I now know better and use the vacuum. I did not even know this but some vacuums can vacuum water. I know right.....mind blown. Use a syringe to measure the runoff and vacuum the rest (if you have a vacuum lying around).

A bit off topic, but why go through all that effort?

In my experience, a complete waste of time! Save yourself the time, little to no difference will be noticed without a flush. You'll have more time for sure though.

[The Grass Baas]

Only a waste of time if you don't have a vacuum.

When using coco I see there's alot of runoff with waterings and in a 20L pot 20%-30% runoff is quite abit. Flush only between cycles or repotting or problems. 

 

[PsyCLown]

17 hours ago, The Grass Baas said:

Only a waste of time if you don't have a vacuum.

When using coco I see there's alot of runoff with waterings and in a 20L pot 20%-30% runoff is quite abit. Flush only between cycles or repotting or problems. 

 

But why flush? For what? What is the purpose or what are your gaining by doing so?

I run coco with GHE nutes, I never flush and never experience issues. No nute burn either.

@CreX Also runs coco and he even reuses some of his coco at times (goes from flower to veg) and also does not flush.

 

I understand the nutes can build up in the medium over time, however I have yet to experience any issues with this when running nutes at recommended doses. If you want to be cautious, you could try lowering your nute strength a bit and save some money on nutes.

[The Grass Baas]

Hey @PsyCLown

I see the flushing is not something you like too much....each to his own. Maybe one day it could benefit you too.

So as I mentioned, if you run into problems would you flush. A clean watering with a nice runoff also helps. Also when you do tranplants, just to make sure your medium is nice and clean to begin with. 

So I have made many mistakes whilst growing and one of them is over feeding. Now forgive me if this is a noob error, but that is why we are here on the forums. To learn. So when I have made these feeding errors (sometimes life gets in the way, sometimes your mind is just not there) a flush has saved me on multiple occasions. I often see the same mistakes on this forum where people feed things that don't need feeding. So when something like that happens, a flush is ONE of the MANY options you have to address the issue. Sometimes if I feel there is a fuckup and can't seem to figure out what is wrong, a simple flush helps to get you back on track and start with a clean slate. So flushing is not to gain anything at all, rather to remove everything and start again

When re-using coco it is recommended to wash the Coco and then buffer it again. This is a great way of recycling. KEY WORD is "recommended", not to be confused with "this is the only way". 

I have learnt and developed many tools over time on this here forum. Flushing is just one of the many that I could use if I run into trouble. 

 

 

[GGG]

When I did hydro or Coco I only flushed if there was a problem , but not at the end of flowering tho . What I did do is push my EC to 2-2,5 for a week or so and then "flush" with a EC OF 1-1,5. Then the last week of flowering il " flush with a low EC but not plain water. I read ( or podcast ) that when your EC changes drastically you actually confuse and slightly stun the roots and taking up of nutes and that addaptation sets you back a few days actually.

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[greenkush]

32 minutes ago, GGG said:

When I did hydro or Coco I only flushed if there was a problem , but not at the end of flowering tho . What I did do is push my EC to 2-2,5 for a week or so and then "flush" with a EC OF 1-1,5. Then the last week of flowering il " flush with a low EC but not plain water. I read ( or podcast ) that when your EC changes drastically you actually confuse and slightly stun the roots and taking up of nutes and that addaptation sets you back a few days actually.

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Changing osmotic pressure is never a good thing, plants have to spend energy adapting to it. I never flush, ever.

Edited August 24, 2021 by greenkush

[The Grass Baas]

29 minutes ago, greenkush said:

Changing osmotic pressure is never a good thing, plants have to spend energy adapting to it. I never flush, ever.

Watsup dude. Had a quick google. Pretty interesting. Whats your opinion on; lets say the plants are full on veg and youre feeding at 1.5ec. You use calmag/epsom salts, bring it up to the EC you have used with veg and then next watering back to normal feeding? So changing nutrients but not the EC.

[greenkush]

12 minutes ago, The Grass Baas said:

Watsup dude. Had a quick google. Pretty interesting. Whats your opinion on; lets say the plants are full on veg and youre feeding at 1.5ec. You use calmag/epsom salts, bring it up to the EC you have used with veg and then next watering back to normal feeding? So changing nutrients but not the EC.

As long as the EC is the same there should be no issue.

[Dookie69]

I’ve seen two schools of thought on flushing to fix something (not the end of life flush, that’s another debate altogether). Some suggest flushing 3 x the volume of your pot with water or a product like GHE / TA Flashkleen. Theory is it will “strip” the media of all salts etc and allow a clean start.
Newer thoughts are to flush with what the plant needs at that stage in its life, eg pre-flower, at the correct EC and pH for pre-flower. This serves to flush away excess but at the same time doesn’t shock the root system as much.
After growing for a year, I don’t flush anymore. I would if I needed to. But as someone said above, less is more. Don’t overfeed, don’t over water, be ridiculously frugal with feeding and watering seedlings. Keep that coco damp.
I’ve also adopted a supplement process to the TA Tri part. I use CalMag, Silica and Epsom salts (on rotation with each new reservoir). Sometimes Biodyne, sometimes Hydrogen Peroxide goes in. All at min (maintenance) dosages and running nutes at 70 to 80% of recommended strength, EC usually between 1.3 and 1.7.
I have also started the occasional Epsom salts foliar spray on vegging plants, at a super low EC like 0,2 (that’s with the tap water contributing 0,1 to that)
I do this before I see issues, it’s like prevention is better than cure.

[PsyCLown]

Hey @PsyCLown
I see the flushing is not something you like too much....each to his own. Maybe one day it could benefit you too.
So as I mentioned, if you run into problems would you flush. A clean watering with a nice runoff also helps. Also when you do tranplants, just to make sure your medium is nice and clean to begin with. 
So I have made many mistakes whilst growing and one of them is over feeding. Now forgive me if this is a noob error, but that is why we are here on the forums. To learn. So when I have made these feeding errors (sometimes life gets in the way, sometimes your mind is just not there) a flush has saved me on multiple occasions. I often see the same mistakes on this forum where people feed things that don't need feeding. So when something like that happens, a flush is ONE of the MANY options you have to address the issue. Sometimes if I feel there is a fuckup and can't seem to figure out what is wrong, a simple flush helps to get you back on track and start with a clean slate. So flushing is not to gain anything at all, rather to remove everything and start again
When re-using coco it is recommended to wash the Coco and then buffer it again. This is a great way of recycling. KEY WORD is "recommended", not to be confused with "this is the only way". 
I have learnt and developed many tools over time on this here forum. Flushing is just one of the many that I could use if I run into trouble. 
 
 

Ahh I got you, flushing to correct issues makes sense and something I agree with and can totally see the benefit behind. Was trying to understand why you were flushing, whether there was a need to or if you were just doing it because people said so or what etc.
I've read articles where they state one should always water coco until I think it was 30% runoff - personally I see this as a waste of time, money (nutes) and just a lot of extra effort.

I do prefer to "flush" with what the plants need, so if you fed too high or gave your flower plants veg nutes, then a flush with the right nutes at the correct dose can remedy the issue in coco quite easily. High dose of nutes can burn one's plants and certainly something you want to avoid and try resolve if you accidentally did so, before damage is caused.

Flushing with plain tap water and leaving the plant as so, different story and not something I feel is necessary.
Same goes for flushing coco randomly just because. I know some like to do it and some recommend it, the main reason I've found is to prevent nute build up and this I can understand and get behind but as mentioned in my experience, generally isn't needed.

As @greenkush mentioned, a sudden change in EC isn't great for the plants and osmosis occurs. Some products labelled for use in flushing simply raise the EC to help prevent this, without providing the plants with nutes... In other words, just starving the plants which actually isn't something one wants to do.

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