Breaking New Ground Lootz' 2x4 NoTil LOS Bed ViparSpectra XS1500 Pro

[lootznbootz]

Lootz, ambient room temp, and soil temp in particular, really makes a difference in living soil. I try for over 80F and never let the air below 76F which keeps the soil at 70F or above. 74F for soil and things really get robust but..... the warmer the soil the faster the microbes eat the soil and multiply.

Thats not a bad thing unless your soil gets too warm and the microbial population gets too strong and then a couple things can happen.

One is that myco fungii gets overwhelmed by microbes and gets eaten, and the other is that the microbes eat all the microbe food in the soil before the plant is ripe and go dormant and your primary source of CO2 goes dormant. So you need to find the right conditions to go the duration.

All that being said, if you store your water in your tent it will warm up so it doesn't cool your soil and it will also act as a heat sync to steady the environment. If you water from a bucket in the tent and then replace that water immediately, as opposed to emptying the bucket completely and then refilling it, both temp and RH will be more stable.

All your work now is in topdressing, watering, and possibly some cold hydrolyzed fish ferts from time to time if your plants get stressed. The aminos in fish ferts are excellent stress relievers.

Thank you! Information like this is priceless!

Lucky for me we’re starting to warm up.
Being that the grow room is an attached garage in the desert I don’t think keeping temps “up” will be the challenge.
I think keeping it from getting too hot will be my next challenge to address.

I’m limited in what I can do and so far I’ve worked my options down to the only possible option which is a swamp cooler connected to my aci controller that controls my dehumidifier currently.

I can set that to turn on when the temp gets too high the fact that it’s already so warm “should” mean the air is pretty dry which it will be here in the desert.
The moisture from the swamp cooler will hopefully add the moisture back to an arid climate while keeping the temps down.

It’s also important to note that I run my lights at night usually in flower is from 7pm to 7am

For veg I run them 18/6 off at 3am and back on at 9am

That helps to offset the tents a little bit and for a good 6 hours of the night my mother tent is off and not adding heat.

So far everything is dialed in and kept in range but as it gets warmer it will be interesting trying to manage environment.
This is why I went for the organic route so I can focus on keep those parameters right and letting the microbes and soil handle the plants.

 

[lootznbootz]

Quick update as I’ve had a lot going on this weekend outside of the garden on top of a harvest in the 4x3 so it’s been a whirlwind!

It’s been a few days since I’ve even seen the garden but opening the tent there’s one thing that’s very clear this combination of soil and light is SPOT ON!
The plants clearly love this light!

They are so green lush and vibrant under them!
See for yourself!

I was speechless when I opened it! It’s soooooo full of life I’ve never seen plants this healthy before!

Today was supposed to be “feeding” day but since I was I. Trim jail I didn’t get around to it but will definitely be feeding with 4 gallons of water tomorrow

 

[Bill284]

Quick update as I’ve had a lot going on this weekend outside of the garden on top of a harvest in the 4x3 so it’s been a whirlwind!

It’s been a few days since I’ve even seen the garden but opening the tent there’s one thing that’s very clear this combination of soil and light is SPOT ON!
The plants clearly love this light!

They are so green lush and vibrant under them!
See for yourself!

I was speechless when I opened it! It’s soooooo full of life I’ve never seen plants this healthy before!

Today was supposed to be “feeding” day but since I was I. Trim jail I didn’t get around to it but will definitely be feeding with 4 gallons of water tomorrow

Nice green happy garden my friend.
Hope everything is going well.
Take care.




#VIVOSUN #Love What You Grow
Bill284

 

[Greenvein]

They definitely did settle fast! Looking very promising bro.. sorry to hear about trim jail I haven't even started my next round and I'm dreading doubling my harvest

 

[ViparSpectra]

This is a great organic grow! Really appreciate the detailed planting introduction. Believe this can provide a very good reference for growers who are interested in organic planting! Can't wait to see more planting growth. Let's go!

 

[Weffalo]

@lootznbootz Thanks for the tag mate, fantastic grow already!

I'm excited to see what you can do here.

Big fan of Jeremy/BaS and big fan of @ViparSpectra so I know your gonna blow it out of the water with this one and I hope I can join you on the organic side of things very soon

 

[Azimuth]

I'll bet @Nunyabiz might have an interest in this LOS planter grow.

 

[Nunyabiz]

Looking good, nothing is better than LOS

 

[lootznbootz]

Hello & Welcome​

First of all, I hope everyone enjoyed their 420!

I worked 20 hours and smoked about 4 grams

No sooner after I posted my last update and spoke on how awesome the plants looked. I went into the tent the next day and noticed rust-colored spots on some of the leaves.
The plants however still looked to be thriving!

I didn't have time to react other than to turn the lights down to 50% and raise them up a bit.
I wasn't sure what I was seeing and since I didn't have time to do much else, I figured driving them super hard until I could figure things out would only end up making matters worse.

I kinda thought about it for a bit and came to the conclusion that

• My bed had not been watered "enough"
• I had not given enough nutrition in my watering that I had done.

I think I may have been a bit too cautious while also jumping the gun a little bit.
Please any of the guys growing this way or wit the knowledge to correct me please let me know what you think...

So, without spelling the soil ingredients out its fair to say the soil "should" have everything we need.
Therefore, as long as we maintain environmental controls. (Which they have been stellar with no extra effort knock on wood)
And maintain proper moisture levels in the bed, we theoretically shouldn't be seeing any issues like this correct?
They should have the "buffet" available to them to do with what they will.

So why would they be showing signs of a cal/mag def. when I know there's plenty available to them?

And that's when it hit me!

Is it really available to them... yet?
I got to thinking. Yes I put a bunch of awesome inputs into a pot and mixed it up.

BUT

Have I kept it watered properly to maintain the microbial life to "break down" and make available all those things to the plant.

If I'm being honest, I don't think so? And more importantly I just don't know.

This is all my best educated guess at what is going on. Assuming I am on the right path here and this is the correct way of thinking, then it's safe to assume that the buffet will be served eventually.
In the meantime, giving quality appetizers while our microbe chefs cook will put something on their stomachs to hold them over.

I decided that the lights are just so potent that I was driving the plants too hard with that high of par. It really doesn't take much with these things.
They have to be my favorite lights right now. I highly suggest checking them out if you're looking for new lights.
I'm very impressed with the quality and performance.

The plants at this stage tho with a smorgasbord not entirely available to them because of my fearfulness to water them or put anything in the water when I do is I believe the cause of my issues.

To right the ship I backed the XS1500 Pro off to about 18 inches and turned them down to 50%
Then I watered the bed with 4 gallons of "feed" on consecutive days.
This way I now know for a fact that as of 4/18/23 the bed had been given 8 gallons of water.
Just slightly over 10%
So, If you consider the plants drank the overage in between the waterings, I should be right where I need to be and now It becomes a matter of maintaining this level of moisture.

I don't know how else to judge if what I did was correct except to look at the plants and see what they say.
I dont see anymore spots or worsening and the growth isnt slowed down. In fact the growth has been consistent this entire grow.

I finally got to do some work in the garden last night and I decided I was a tad bit behind "schedule".
What I mean is, if I'm correct in my previous "educated scientific assessment" then I should have been trying to feed in preparation for flower.
They look ready for flower any day now. I don't want tent packed so full the plants start to cannibalize each other or themselves and have nothing but lime green larf throughout the inner net.

Im going to finally do it! I think Im finally going to make the flip at the PERFECT TIME!
This is a major milestone for me well see if it actually is the right time!

To prepare for flower I did a defoil of the lower stuff and gave each plant a nice lollipop!

I then gave each plant at the base as a top dress

• 1/8th cup craft blend
• 1/4" of build a flower top dress
• 2 Tbl of bokashi

I layered the build a flower and the bokashi and scratched them into the surface of the soil.
Then I mixed 1 gallon of my normal "feeding"

• 1/8th tsp Q (wetting agent)
• 1/2 tsp Rootwise Mycrobe complete
• 1/4 tsp Big 6 Micros
• 1 tsp Aminos

I added the following for "flower"

• 1/2 tsp Rootwise Bio-Phos
• 1/2 tsp horticultural aloe vera
• 1/4 tsp build a bloom
• 1 tsp freeze dried coconut water

To water the top dress in and give them their first water since 4/18
I skipped 4/19 as I felt to play it on the side of caution.

Just before lights off I gave a foliar with EM-5 and at lights on this morning they were praying!

This brings me to my next news I purchased an Irrometer tensiometer to help gauge the moisture level of my soil beds and this way I can verify I am always within the proper moisture level and that there are no dry pockets.
My hope is that this tool helps teach me how to properly water the bed over time and eventually I won't need it anymore.

I also purchased a Chapin concrete sprayer.
This was a double-edged purchase. Do I “NEED” a 200-dollar sprayer…? no. But I did need a bigger one so I can water the bed in 1 sprayer worth instead of 4 or 5 like I have to do with my little 1 gallon one now. I think it will help save time and confusion when watering. Plus, it will help us to make sure we’re watering evenly.

I purchased a swamp cooler to combat the heat that is on the way. So far, the environment is on the money!
I think the swamp cooler will maintain what we're looking for. Its naturally dry and hot.
The swamp cooler will add moisture and cool the air leaving us in the sweet spot during the summer months.

I also purchased a 6 in fan and a new ACI controller for the mother tent and the 4 in combo fan will go to the drying tent as the 4 in isn't enough to combat the heat in the 2x3. I honestly don't understand why they sell 4 in fans they should only be used as an intake.

I've been tucking branches and letting the net fill out and as you can see in my *Bruce Buffer voice
IT'S TIIIIIIIIIIIME!
I expect to be flipping to flower on Sunday. I like flipping on Sundays as it makes tracking weeks so much easier.
The lights are at 75% and were getting about 600-750 par at the net.

That brings us current! Garden is thriving and were preparing for flower!
I started the other take and bake kit for the 4x3 and plan on starting a journal for that one soon so be on the lookout for that.

As always thank you for your time and support!
Thanks for stopping by!

 

[AspenCultivator]

Looking mighty fine in here man! Seeing your updates always reminds me that while I think I'm ready to sit down and finally research into LOS, the sheer scope of information intimidates me as I don't really know where to start. So, how did you even begin this journey? A book, talking it out in journals? Build a soil youtube? I've seen a lot of their videos but haven't had the time to really sit down and take notes, etc. Some day!

Here's a dumb one for you though: where the hell does the water go if you water that bed too much? Is there a plastic tray beneath it? Some sort of catch for run-off? When I first saw the pics of the bed filling the whole tent like that admittedly I became fixated with how you handle that lol.

 

[lootznbootz]

Looking mighty fine in here man! Seeing your updates always reminds me that while I think I'm ready to sit down and finally research into LOS, the sheer scope of information intimidates me as I don't really know where to start. So, how did you even begin this journey? A book, talking it out in journals? Build a soil youtube?

All of that I’m still learning and to be honest with you once @Keffka or @Gee64 get to talking I realize I don’t know jack shit!
My guy at my local hydro store chopped it up with me for a bit about it and told me straight up you need to just go for it. You’re not going to learn any more than you know now until you get your hands on it and truly wrap your mind around the concepts and see what’s really going on.
Think about the first time we grew cannabis
We had an idea looking at videos and pictures but until we saw it in the day to day we didn’t truly get it.
I’m hoping that now that I can see for myself I can learn along the way.
At the end of the day I’m still growing cannabis and I’ll follow basic guidelines for this media and try my hand at the best results I can same way I’ve done every grow prior

I've seen a lot of their videos but haven't had the time to really sit down and take notes, etc. Some day!

Here's a dumb one for you though: where the hell does the water go if you water that bed too much? Is there a plastic tray beneath it? Some sort of catch for run-off? When I first saw the pics of the bed filling the whole tent like that admittedly I became fixated with how you handle that lol.

Not a dumb one at allactually
I wasn’t paying almost 300 for a tray with shipping so it’s sitting in the tent and fits in the tent liner.
If I was to overwater it would collect in the pan but more likely be absorbed back into the medium before I could actually remove it.
I’m putting a lot of faith *literally as I got this far in the reply as soon as I typed faith my doorbell rang and what I was going to describe showed up
I’m putting a lot of faith in proper watering and the irrometers to lead the way…

I follow the rules of thumb to only give no more than 10% of the soil volume at any given time of water and try to keep track of how much I’ve given and when this way I don’t overwater but now with these I should be able to just pop in and cut out all the guess work.

 

[lootznbootz]

They definitely did settle fast! Looking very promising bro.. sorry to hear about trim jail I haven't even started my next round and I'm dreading doubling my harvest

Looking back at the pictures they definitely took off sooo freaking fast it’s amazing how big they’ve gotten in just a couple of weeks!
I have the luxury of having people to help me with it at the very least 1 person.
Then I also remind myself to stop complaining as I’m trimming up buds that would’ve cost me a fortune to go out and buy and it’s all my own and then all is well again.
I hope I can start growing enough to use one of those trimming bowls.
Then I’ll feel like I’m doing something

This is a great organic grow! Really appreciate the detailed planting introduction. Believe this can provide a very good reference for growers who are interested in organic planting! Can't wait to see more planting growth. Let's go!

Thank you! I’m very excited for this grow and very excited to be using the XS 1500 Pro (Thank you again)

I have another soil bed I plan to journal as well with 2 XS2000’s
Apparently I can’t get enough of your lights

@lootznbootz Thanks for the tag mate, fantastic grow already!

I'm excited to see what you can do here.

Big fan of Jeremy/BaS and big fan of @ViparSpectra so I know your gonna blow it out of the water with this one and I hope I can join you on the organic side of things very soon

No problem and thank you!
Yes BaS makes it very beginner friendly I feel and really helped to wrap my head around the whole process.
Once you feel comfortable enough with it go for it so far the results are as advertised not only from BaS but everyone growing LOS

I'll bet @Nunyabiz might have an interest in this LOS planter grow.

THANK YOU AZI! This was super cool of you to do!

Looking good, nothing is better than LOS

Thank you! Yea I’m completely sold the results so far have been phenomenal and I’ve done nothing compared to my last grows I should’ve been on this side of the garden a long time ago!

 

[Azimuth]

Those rust spots look like a calcium ask to me. How long did you cook your soil mix before planting in it?

 

[lootznbootz]

Those rust spots look like a calcium ask to me. How long did you cook your soil mix before planting in it?

Yes I completely agree.
I mixed the soil march 23rd
Plants were transplanted April 8 so about 17 days?

I remixed it up after about a week or so and let it sit again then waited another 10 days for cover crop to establish before transplanting.

This is why I was thinking I should have waited a bit longer before transplanting and also more watering for the sake of the microbial life would have been the right move.
Also @Gee64 mentioned temp and soil temp and since then I’ve been allowing temps to climb into the range as suggested.
Since then added with the adjustments I made I’m hoping I’m on track but we’ll have to see.

With my other tent down at the moment temps are barely able to crack around 79
That won’t be for long tho summer is fast approaching
Also humidity is so low right now hopefully my swamp cooler will act as a humidifier as well as cool off that little bit I’ll need to cool when all tents are up and running at max.

In theory I think I should be fine it’s not often my theories are entirely correct.
That’s why I come here and talk to you guys

 

[Azimuth]

I mixed the soil march 23rd
Plants were transplanted April 8 so about 17 days?

I remixed it up after about a week or so and let it sit again then waited another 10 days for cover crop to establish before transplanting.

Yeah, probably not enough time to make the goodies available. I heard some LOS growers go as little as a month, but mostly 2-3 at least. It should start catching up though as you get deeper into the grow.

 

[Gee64]

Yeah, probably not enough time to make the goodies available. I heard some LOS growers go as little as a month, but mostly 2-3 at least. It should start catching up though as you get deeper into the grow.

When I pot my plants I immediately mix my next batch of soil and it sits for 10 weeks cooking until I need it for the next grow. Thats after my harvested worm castings have sat for at least 10 weeks as well.

You have to start somewhere though so the 1st run is usually premature. Are you planning to empty your bed out every grow or make it a perpetual no-till bed?

If you are going the perpetual route you really really really need to research and understand both the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle. Don't just read it once, reread it weekly and learn how to apply it. Its everything in a perpetual no-till.

Pay close attention to the part about assimilating carbon and nitrogen into and thru the soil, not so much about atmospheric carbon and nitrogen. The nitrogen thru soil assimilation is where your main supply of proteins comes from.

Its extremely important. If you cook your soils it just happens and is much easier, to the point of being able to take it for granted.

Also if you haven't got a hard drip tray, as in a flood tray under your bed you will want to keep a wet and dry shopvac handy.

 

[Greenvein]

Looking back at the pictures they definitely took off sooo freaking fast it’s amazing how big they’ve gotten in just a couple of weeks!
I have the luxury of having people to help me with it at the very least 1 person.
Then I also remind myself to stop complaining as I’m trimming up buds that would’ve cost me a fortune to go out and buy and it’s all my own and then all is well again.
I hope I can start growing enough to use one of those trimming bowls.
Then I’ll feel like I’m doing something

Yeah I had a hours worth of help one time which was nice but they didn't last long lol my back my wrists it's a shame as their attention to detail was bang on!
I have a trimming bowl and it makes a decent trim tray lol.. I haven't tried using it wet but dry it didn't do much. If I trim wet I'd have to stick buds on a net which I don't like doing.

 

[Keffka]

When I pot my plants I immediately mix my next batch of soil and it sits for 10 weeks cooking until I need it for the next grow. Thats after my harvested worm castings have sat for at least 10 weeks as well.

You have to start somewhere though so the 1st run is usually premature. Are you planning to empty your bed out every grow or make it a perpetual no-till bed?

If you are going the perpetual route you really really really need to research and understand both the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle. Don't just read it once, reread it weekly and learn how to apply it. Its everything in a perpetual no-till.

Pay close attention to the part about assimilating carbon and nitrogen into and thru the soil, not so much about atmospheric carbon and nitrogen. The nitrogen thru soil assimilation is where your main supply of proteins comes from.

Its extremely important. If you cook your soils it just happens and is much easier, to the point of being able to take it for granted.

Also if you haven't got a hard drip tray, as in a flood tray under your bed you will want to keep a wet and dry shopvac handy.

Perpetual No-till and cooking your soil are going to be two different things that require two different approaches Lootz.. If you plan on keeping that bed as is you’ve gotta get your cycling down because the only place your carbon is gonna come from is the top. Hell this is the place 99.9% of everything is going to come from. This means you’ve gotta be thinking a few steps ahead and are feeding the bed appropriately at appropriate times. This is a super sustainable low effort move that can really boost everything while decreasing the amount of work, once you’ve settled into the rhythms, cycles, and processes.

If you plan on replacing the bed after every grow, you’re gonna want to start cooking (composting) up your next grows soil when you’ve started your current grow. For example, your current grow you’ve got now, you should already have the soil for your next grow cooking, it should’ve been cooking once you started your current grow.

It’s a process of continuous learning. You were just using bottled nutrients last grow so you’re making incredible progress as it is. Remember though, a lot of this information isn’t readily available or easy to find. It’s been intentionally buried and obscured. There’s no big money in you being able to grow whatever you want without big NPK.

I don’t remember if you said you established one or not but I can’t recommend it enough though that you should really get a worm farm up and running. You will cut your costs in half at a minimum. You will gain a nutrient recycling system, and you will cut out a lot of the extra stuff by having it on tap at your disposal. Anything you don’t bed can be tossed into the worm bin to be reused.

We haven’t even started talking about having strain specific soils for increased quality and efficiency yet. The bacteria that impact quality, trichomes, root hairs, genetic max potential, etc. are specific to each strain, and can be leveraged by reusing soils on specific strains only. Put that in your pipe and think on it lol.

Also, what’s your water source you’re using? What’re the PPMs and how are you getting them?

 

[lootznbootz]

Yeah, probably not enough time to make the goodies available. I heard some LOS growers go as little as a month, but mostly 2-3 at least. It should start catching up though as you get deeper into the grow.

Yea that is my thinking as well. My batch for my 4x3 has been cooking a bit longer so I'm hoping to avoid this for the next run.

When I pot my plants I immediately mix my next batch of soil and it sits for 10 weeks cooking until I need it for the next grow. Thats after my harvested worm castings have sat for at least 10 weeks as well.

You have to start somewhere though so the 1st run is usually premature. Are you planning to empty your bed out every grow or make it a perpetual no-till bed?

The plan is for a perpetual no til bed that i can run at least a few times before having to take the soil out and replace it.

If you are going the perpetual route you really really really need to research and understand both the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle. Don't just read it once, reread it weekly and learn how to apply it. Its everything in a perpetual no-till.

THIS! Yes this is what I'm trying to accomplish. I told this to Keffka a while ago but if I would've listened to 9th grade biology more Lord only knows where I'd be at now!

Pay close attention to the part about assimilating carbon and nitrogen into and thru the soil, not so much about atmospheric carbon and nitrogen. The nitrogen thru soil assimilation is where your main supply of proteins comes from.

This is what I was hoping to accomplish so thank you for pointing me in the right direction!

Its extremely important. If you cook your soils it just happens and is much easier, to the point of being able to take it for granted.

Also if you haven't got a hard drip tray, as in a flood tray under your bed you will want to keep a wet and dry shopvac handy.

I do have the shop vac handy already lol yea once i saw the price of the trays I was like well I already have a shop vac!
Its honestly a bit out of character for me to not be extra asf and go all out to get it but i was trying to hit the major needs first.
Maybe I buy them and keep them for when I do have to take the soil out one day.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge I truly appreciate your input!

Yeah I had a hours worth of help one time which was nice but they didn't last long lol my back my wrists it's a shame as their attention to detail was bang on!
I have a trimming bowl and it makes a decent trim tray lol.. I haven't tried using it wet but dry it didn't do much. If I trim wet I'd have to stick buds on a net which I don't like doing.

Yea see Ill just suffer through the pain! Its cool like I said either I trim my own shit or go pay an arm leg my first born and part of my soul for as much as I smoke at the dispo...
So its worth it.

Perpetual No-till and cooking your soil are going to be two different things that require two different approaches Lootz.. If you plan on keeping that bed as is you’ve gotta get your cycling down because the only place your carbon is gonna come from is the top. Hell this is the place 99.9% of everything is going to come from. This means you’ve gotta be thinking a few steps ahead and are feeding the bed appropriately at appropriate times.

This is my plan. And what I've been directing my reading toward. I would like to run this bed for at least a few cycles before taking it out, amending and having to cook it.

This is a super sustainable low effort move that can really boost everything while decreasing the amount of work, once you’ve settled into the rhythms, cycles, and processes.

And this is the reason why! If I can learn and master this I should be able to grow with as you said low effort and very sustainably!

If you plan on replacing the bed after every grow, you’re gonna want to start cooking (composting) up your next grows soil when you’ve started your current grow. For example, your current grow you’ve got now, you should already have the soil for your next grow cooking, it should’ve been cooking once you started your current grow.

This would require ALOT more space and soil. This would also require a lot more manual work of moving 70 gallons of soil in and out of the tent every few months. Since I'm not vegging for too long in these beds, it doesn't seem practical to be growing in 70 gallons for only flower to replace it every 8-12 weeks. So, keeping the soil in place and replenishing it as we grow seems like the more practical option for what I'm trying to do.

It’s a process of continuous learning. You were just using bottled nutrients last grow so you’re making incredible progress as it is. Remember though, a lot of this information isn’t readily available or easy to find. It’s been intentionally buried and obscured. There’s no big money in you being able to grow whatever you want without big NPK.

I don’t remember if you said you established one or not but I can’t recommend it enough though that you should really get a worm farm up and running. You will cut your costs in half at a minimum. You will gain a nutrient recycling system, and you will cut out a lot of the extra stuff by having it on tap at your disposal. Anything you don’t bed can be tossed into the worm bin to be reused.

I have an urban worm bag; I got the bedding delivered yesterday just gotta find the time to set it up.
I'm a little intimidated by it if I'm being honest. I understand the basic principles and concept of what I'm trying to do, just have to dive in and put it into practice like anything else.
Im really hands on. I can only read so much before I have to just do it myself to see it happening and learn the hard way if need be.
May be more expensive in the long run but it's how I learn, I guess.

We haven’t even started talking about having strain specific soils for increased quality and efficiency yet. The bacteria that impact quality, trichomes, root hairs, genetic max potential, etc. are specific to each strain, and can be leveraged by reusing soils on specific strains only. Put that in your pipe and think on it lol.

Im aware of this information but I am nowhere close to being able to attempt something like that yet.
Baby steps

Also, what’s your water source you’re using? What’re the PPMs and how are you getting them?

I have an R/o system.
I haven't checked the ppms lately, but I have replacement filters that I was going to put in soon.
Maybe I do that now, so I know for sure what my water is. Last I checked I believe the ppm was under 20? but that was months ago when I moved the grow and set everything back up. I've collected hundreds of gallons since then I'm sure that number has creeped up by now.
I have not checked my ppm when I mix up my "feeding" I probably should now that you mention it.
I will grab all this info tonight thanks Keffka!

 

[Keffka]

a little intimidated by it if I'm being honest. I understand the basic principles and concept of what I'm trying to do, just have to dive in and put it into practice like anything else.
Im really hands on. I can only read so much before I have to just do it myself to see it happening and learn the hard way if need be.
May be more expensive in the long run but it's how I learn, I guess.

I saw you give someone similar advice about LOS: you just gotta go for it. It seems overwhelming at first but once you’ve got your hands and eyes actually on it, it gets way easier. Yeah you may burn a few dollars short term but almost everything we’re doing is with an eye on long term and sustainability. You’ll get it.

I haven't checked the ppms lately, but I have replacement filters that I was going to put in soon.
Maybe I do that now, so I know for sure what my water is. Last I checked I believe the ppm was under 20? but that was months ago when I moved the grow and set everything back up. I've collected hundreds of gallons since then I'm sure that number has creeped up by now.
I have not checked my ppm when I mix up my "feeding" I probably should now that you mention it.

What are you feeding in your water? Your calcium issue can be offset with some organic non chelated calmag, or Dolomite lime without throwing off the balance of your grow. Just avoid organic acids and chelated nutrients and you’ll be fine. OMRI and all that isn’t necessary, just as long as there’s no acids or chelates you’re safe to put it in.

Let me know what your PPMs are and what you’re feeding. Calcium is an easy fix without throwing your balance off. It’ll be a band aid while you get everything firing but the band aid won’t leave behind any stickiness.