Anyone using salt ferts for hydro?

[cannabineer]

To quote the man in "Raising Arizona", the title is "fairly explanatory".

In case it isn't, I'm wondering if anyone here compounds his/her nutrient, or uses one compounded, from good ol' inorganic salts, most notably:

Potassium nitrate
Potassium phosphate
Calcium nitrate
Magnesiun sulfate

and assorted micros...
cheers'neer

 

[churchhaze]

Mix #7:

4g - KNO3
8g - Ca(NO3)2
9g - KH2PO4
3g - MgSO4
1.2g - FeSO4

There's at least somewhere to start. Micro like Mo, Mn, and B you'll be able to get through an entire grow without even seeing anything wrong really, but iron I don't see why it's called micro. It'll die right away without iron. That mix isn't perfect (needs pH balancing with some KOH probably), but is a good start.

I also throw one penny (after 1982!) in for zinc. The penny has holes dissolved into it and the zinc falls out.

http://www.cropking.com/HydroponicSupplies/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=264_268

To quote the man in "Raising Arizona", the title is "fairly explanatory".

In case it isn't, I'm wondering if anyone here compounds his/her nutrient, or uses one compounded, from good ol' inorganic salts, most notably:

Potassium nitrate
Potassium phosphate
Calcium nitrate
Magnesiun sulfate

and assorted micros...
cheers'neer

 

[cannabineer]

Oh, I wasn't asking for recipes. I have my own, and I've been accumulating the chems to start formulating.
I'm curious to know if some here make their own salt ferts, or if everyone relies on commercial premixes.
Do you use that recipe in your grows?
cn

 

[churchhaze]

This is the first time using this recipe. Last grow I used Mix #6 and before that I used mix #5. (Mix #5 is my most successful so far. I've had many harvests so far off just that mix). Mix #6 was a downgrade of Mix #5. I was trying to lower the calcium nitrate, and potassium nitrate, but the plants showed clear signs of calcium deficiency and the water needed potassium hydroxide to balance the pH.

Mix #7 is step back in the direction of mix #5 which was very promising mix (adds back some calcium nitrate). I will adjust Mix #7 based on how my plants react to make Mix #8.

Sorry if that makes very little sense.

What's your recipe? I think the reason so many people here use those commercial mixes is because there isn't a large enough "salt community". I came here a year ago and joined a koolbloom vs big bud thread.. I told them they were both just potassium phosphate and some KOH to pH balance it and I was practically excommunicated. (put in the corner with a dunce hat). "kool bloom is not pH up you idiot!!!!!"

 

[Phillip J Fry]

"kool bloom is not pH up you idiot!!!!!"

lol

 

[Beansly]

This is the first time using this recipe. Last grow I used Mix #6 and before that I used mix #5. (Mix #5 is my most successful so far. I've had many harvests so far off just that mix). Mix #6 was a downgrade of Mix #5. I was trying to lower the calcium nitrate, and potassium nitrate, but the plants showed clear signs of calcium deficiency and the water needed potassium hydroxide to balance the pH.

Mix #7 is step back in the direction of mix #5 which was very promising mix (adds back some calcium nitrate). I will adjust Mix #7 based on how my plants react to make Mix #8.

Sorry if that makes very little sense.

What's your recipe? I think the reason so many people here use those commercial mixes is because there isn't a large enough "salt community". I came here a year ago and joined a koolbloom vs big bud thread.. I told them they were both just potassium phosphate and some KOH to pH balance it and I was practically excommunicated. (put in the corner with a dunce hat). "kool bloom is not pH up you idiot!!!!!"

Fucking ey, some people....lol
Btw 14 post in 2 years. I bet you grow A LOT of weed right?

 

[churchhaze]

I guess you can say that. I have 2x 400W HPS lamps for my flowering room and 6x 32W tubes for mothers/clones. It's a lot if you're just supplying yourself and one other person.

Seriously though, I don't want to thread jack too much here. I honestly came to check rollitup.com again to see what others are doing with salts.

Anyone else use non-branded salt mixes?

Fucking ey, some people....lol
Btw 14 post in 2 years. I bet you grow A LOT of weed right?

 

[cannabineer]

This is the first time using this recipe. Last grow I used Mix #6 and before that I used mix #5. (Mix #5 is my most successful so far. I've had many harvests so far off just that mix). Mix #6 was a downgrade of Mix #5. I was trying to lower the calcium nitrate, and potassium nitrate, but the plants showed clear signs of calcium deficiency and the water needed potassium hydroxide to balance the pH.

Mix #7 is step back in the direction of mix #5 which was very promising mix (adds back some calcium nitrate). I will adjust Mix #7 based on how my plants react to make Mix #8.

Sorry if that makes very little sense.

What's your recipe? I think the reason so many people here use those commercial mixes is because there isn't a large enough "salt community". I came here a year ago and joined a koolbloom vs big bud thread.. I told them they were both just potassium phosphate and some KOH to pH balance it and I was practically excommunicated. (put in the corner with a dunce hat). "kool bloom is not pH up you idiot!!!!!"

Thank you for the informative reply churchhaze. In how much water do you dissolve the quantities you posted above?
These mix numbers ... your own, or do you have a link?

As for my exact mixes, I admit they're not entirely ready for release. I did a grow of Grimm Bros "Cinderella 99" some years ago "from seed to finish" using formulae worked up after reading Jim McCaskill's excellent little book "Plant Nutrient Facts for Hydroponics" (Foothill Press).
My full-strength veg formula provided the following ppm:
N 200
P 75
K 250
Ca 200
Mg 60
S 112 (it's the "floater" to square the other numbers)
Micros I prepare in concentrated stock solutions: acid and alkaline. Alkaline micros, after dilution:
Si 10
B 0.5
Mo 0.1 ppb
Acid micros, from nitrates:
Fe 2.5
Mn 0.75
Zn 50 ppb
Co 20 ppb
Ni, Cr, Cu 10 ppb each

I also used 0.1% MES (morpholinoethanesulfonic acid) as a buffer. I want to try omitting the buffer and simply minding my pH like a hawk.

I am putting together the equipment and materials for a new grow ... the previous was several moves and a marriage ago, not lol!
I want to have experience (ideally success) under my belt once more before getting specific about components.
I should plant seed later this fall, and I'll have some sort of grow journal. cn

 

[churchhaze]

Hopefully I'll think to come back and check the journal when it happens.

Honestly, I so far have only measured out the salts by mass. I just assume (for calculation purposes) that all my chemicals have the most common number of hydrates and use molar mass to determine (by weight) how much of each element is in the chemical. (sort of like commercial powder mixes seem to do). When I make 10-20 "doses" at once, I keep the calcium nitrate separate (although maybe i shuld be keeping the potassium phosphate separate instead?) It's a bit inaccurate (because of the unknown amount of hydrates and not as homogenous as a solution), but I guess I just never wanted to make solutions with each chemical and measure out their ppm.

Anyway, for mix #7, I mixed 2 doses yesterday (multiply everything by 2) with about 8 gallons of water and got about 850ppm and 5.4pH. I added 0.8g of KOH and it took the pH to 6.2 (too far).

I'm not sure if you will really need to worry about pH flying off. Chances are if it does, it's because the calcium phosphate precipitating out (which means something about the mix is bad). Mix #5 always stayed around 5.5 without any additives.

Mix #5:
5g - KNO3
8g - Ca(NO3)2
6g - KH2PO4
4g - MgSO4
1.2g - FeSO4

I don't want to post #6 because it was a complete failure and would go to like 4.0pH. The purpose of it was to lower nitrogen enough for the leaves to finally start turning yellow, but they ended up turning like ripe bananas and turning brown.

These are my own mixes. Each new mix is the old mix + the additives/subtractives I used to correct the problems or to test how much I can remove something before the plant reacts. (thresholds)

Thank you for the informative reply churchhaze. In how much water do you dissolve the quantities you posted above?
These mix numbers ... your own, or do you have a link?

As for my exact mixes, I admit they're not entirely ready for release. I did a grow of Grimm Bros "Cinderella 99" some years ago "from seed to finish" using formulae worked up after reading Jim McCaskill's excellent little book "Plant Nutrient Facts for Hydroponics" (Foothill Press).
My full-strength veg formula provided the following ppm:
N 200
P 75
K 250
Ca 200
Mg 60
S 112 (it's the "floater" to square the other numbers)
Micros I prepare in concentrated stock solutions: acid and alkaline. Alkaline micros, after dilution:
Si 10
B 0.5
Mo 0.1 ppb
Acid micros, from nitrates:
Fe 2.5
Mn 0.75
Zn 50 ppb
Co 20 ppb
Ni, Cr, Cu 10 ppb each

I also used 0.1% MES (morpholinoethanesulfonic acid) as a buffer. I want to try omitting the buffer and simply minding my pH like a hawk.

I am putting together the equipment and materials for a new grow ... the previous was several moves and a marriage ago, not lol!
I want to have experience (ideally success) under my belt once more before getting specific about components.
I should plant seed later this fall, and I'll have some sort of grow journal. cn

 

[churchhaze]

Are you using iron nitrate? I was considering that, but it was too expensive for me so I settled for sulphate. Whichever, you're going to be so surprised when you start increasing iron levels. The reaction is huge and unexpected!

Thank you for the informative reply churchhaze. In how much water do you dissolve the quantities you posted above?
These mix numbers ... your own, or do you have a link?

As for my exact mixes, I admit they're not entirely ready for release. I did a grow of Grimm Bros "Cinderella 99" some years ago "from seed to finish" using formulae worked up after reading Jim McCaskill's excellent little book "Plant Nutrient Facts for Hydroponics" (Foothill Press).
My full-strength veg formula provided the following ppm:
N 200
P 75
K 250
Ca 200
Mg 60
S 112 (it's the "floater" to square the other numbers)
Micros I prepare in concentrated stock solutions: acid and alkaline. Alkaline micros, after dilution:
Si 10
B 0.5
Mo 0.1 ppb
Acid micros, from nitrates:
Fe 2.5
Mn 0.75
Zn 50 ppb
Co 20 ppb
Ni, Cr, Cu 10 ppb each

I also used 0.1% MES (morpholinoethanesulfonic acid) as a buffer. I want to try omitting the buffer and simply minding my pH like a hawk.

I am putting together the equipment and materials for a new grow ... the previous was several moves and a marriage ago, not lol!
I want to have experience (ideally success) under my belt once more before getting specific about components.
I should plant seed later this fall, and I'll have some sort of grow journal. cn

 

[cannabineer]

Ferric nitrate, yes indeedy. All my metal micros are as nitrate, except molybdate of course ... and manganese, which I supply as the sulfate.

I worry about adding too much iron. Ferric ion plus phosphate/silicate can lead to precipitation, although all my solutions have mixed up clear using 20ppm water. I'll keep your recco in mind however and might play with Fe levels. cn

 

[cannabineer]

Holy sweet mother of god.
I just mixed my first hundred-liter test batch of veg nutrient, designed to provide:
(element; ppm)
N 200
P 75
K 250
Ca 200
Mg 60
S 112

(from calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate, monopotassium phosphate)

...and the measured ppm are 1440!!! I remember a measurement more in the 1000 range.
My water tests 30ppm.
I wonder if my tds probe is wonky - it's part of a Nutra Dip 3-value monitor.
pH is nice though at 5.7.
cn

...I will dilute this 1:4 (for 360 ppm est.) when my first babies are ready to go into the net pots.