R/O water and Super Soil, cal/mag needed?

djeap

Member
So, if using super soil and mixing it with sub's recipe, and using r/o water, is supplemental cal+mag needed? I couldn't find powdered cal+mag to save my life, except for the human variety. If so, what should I use? Thanks in advance.
 

jacfolly1

Member
So, if using super soil and mixing it with sub's recipe, and using r/o water, is supplemental cal+mag needed? I couldn't find powdered cal+mag to save my life, except for the human variety. If so, what should I use? Thanks in advance.
Roots organics makes a product called elemental I believe which is a powdered cal /mag.
 

Slipon

Well-Known Member
or mix some Dolomite lime and Epsom salt in the soil, can even use the Lime as a top dressing later on, not just to provide Ca but also to help your soil PH the Epsom salt/Magnesium sulfate can be used in the water (a ts. per gallon now and then)
 

montanachadly

Active Member
I use RO water and i have noticed that some plants will show some signs of deficecies and others wont. In my Supersoil i added Glacial Rock dust into the mix and havent seen any deficencies in any of my girls and i Use the RO water with no additives the whole way through from seedling to veg to flower. It seems like the Glacial Rock dust has enuff calcium and magnesium to make the plant happy all the way through. Its worked for me thus far and my plants have always turned out great.
 

jaydub13

Well-Known Member
I'm running SuperSoil... I use a 4-5ml of Botanicare CalMag+ per gallon of water. I use a 0 ppm RO sourced water, and adjust ph to 6. Some plants will respond to more or less CalMag, it's important to watch your plants response to any added nutrients/micronutrients. Hope that is helpful! DUB
 

Slipon

Well-Known Member
agree, I also mix my own SS and some strains respond differently, I had one very lush green fast growing (LSD) and right next to here a pale green slow growing one (triangle White Crome) both in the same pot/soil and both watered with the same Tap water, found out the TVC needed lower PH`d water while the LSD had it right out of the Tap (7,5 PH) with no problem what so ever
 

jaydub13

Well-Known Member
I like GO's bottled Cal/Mg...it has some carbs and sugars in it to.....
I have also heard the Cal/Mg has a better ratio of calcium and magnesium. I was actually planning on giving the GO a shot... when i run out of what i got.
 

chuck estevez

Well-Known Member
supersoil recipe calls for dolomite lime and epsom salts, if you have a cal/mag def. use a little more lime.

also,if using liquid cal/mag. I would only use GO cal/mag made from molasses, the other stuff can kill your microbes.
 

djeap

Member
Thanks for all the replies! I was a bit confused. As I said, I followed subs recipe to the "t". So , given the fact I added both Epsom and lime, I wasn't entirely sure if a cal/mag supplement was needed as well. Thought I would ask because subs recipe says it should be added if using r/o water, which I am.
 

sine143

Well-Known Member
I believe Sub has switched over to RO as well, givin his new home plus hard ass water. dunno if he altered his recipe to compensate though.
 

venom21

Active Member
id say its just better to use epsom and more crushed oyster. GO cal/mag is definitely not organic and will kill your soil microbes. might not decimate them, but def kills them.
 

jaydub13

Well-Known Member
Man... after a bit of reading... I cannot believe i have been using Botanicare CalMag+ for so long. I mean, my ladies don't seem to be suffering any at this point from using it... but several sources say it kills off the beneficials in the soil. I did add extra Mykos when i transplanted, but I am pretty steamed that it was all for nothin'. DUB
 

ReefBongwell

Well-Known Member
Whether you need it is going to depend on the strain and environment. The latest recipe has crab shell meal as well which bumps up the Ca. I myself had some Ca deficiencies until I added the crab shell meal. I basically assume I shouldn't need to supplement Mg and Ca and I only supplement it if I start seeing signs the plant needs it -- I also use GO Cal-Mag. It's the best for what is available locally for organic Mg-Ca. It is also one of the only ones that does not have nutes - it's safe to use on seedlings (don't ask me how I know that).
 

venom21

Active Member
Whether you need it is going to depend on the strain and environment. The latest recipe has crab shell meal as well which bumps up the Ca. I myself had some Ca deficiencies until I added the crab shell meal. I basically assume I shouldn't need to supplement Mg and Ca and I only supplement it if I start seeing signs the plant needs it -- I also use GO Cal-Mag. It's the best for what is available locally for organic Mg-Ca. It is also one of the only ones that does not have nutes - it's safe to use on seedlings (don't ask me how I know that).


go cal-mag is not organic. never was, never will be.
 

venom21

Active Member
based on science. Ca is a metallic element and cant be liquefied unless its bound to something else like nitrate which is common OR a chelator is used. most often EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. i might be wrong on this but i think the calcium nitrate might also need chelation. if you check other calmags they will all have the EDTA on the lable, but GO CaMg doesnt and this is how they manage to say its 'organic'. it says its naturally derived but like i said it being a metallic element it cant be in solution unless chelated. sure you can pulverize the shit out of it into a really fine powder, but thats still not what theyre doing, as it would be very visible in the liquid and would settle in the bottom on the container.
 

ReefBongwell

Well-Known Member
According to what I'm reading, it is chelated with/fermented in molasses and is a form that still has to be further broken down by the microherd to be available. Fully microherd friendly. Also not sure if you have used the GO calmag, but it has visible chunks in it that settle quickly.
 
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