How To Determine Your Plants Preferred Nutrient Strength

Discussion in 'Hydroponic Growing' started by GoldGrower, Mar 27, 2013.

  1. Just fyi dont go off anyone elses ppms,,each strain and phenotype is different,, use it as a rough guide in my opinion,,lol
     
  2. Great post, Gold Grower!
     
    I have always done drain-to-waste in the past, but I am now moving to a recirculating system to save water and $ on nutes and supplements. Do you or anyone else who reads this have a good reference for finding out how much nutes/supplements to add between reservoir changes? I understand how to tell how much a plant is feeding and when to add more water compared when to add more nutes, but my question may be specifically more related to: 
     
    How do you know how much nutes to add compared to how much supplements to add?!? For example, if my plants have been fed and the EC has lowered, do I add ONLY base nutrients, or do I add supplements as well...? I am using a non-organic synthetic base nutrient due to a bunch I was given and didn't have money to buy something better (GH Flora), but I am using these supplements:
    -Guano Company's Budswell (an organic supplement that adds smell/taste and also helps with yield
    -Remo's Nature's Kandy (Similar to Botanicaire's 'Sweet' but it's supposed to have better results)
    -and I'm about to add H&G Shooting Powder (week 6 of 10)
     
    Any input, guys? I water about every two days. Coco. 6.0-6.2ph. PPM's have been right around 700-750. 
     
    Thanks!!
     
  3.  
    The pH rising indicates that the plants are using more acidic nutes than alkaline ones so the remaining solution becomes more alkaline. This doesn't tell you anything about the ppm.
     
    You need two ppm readings so you have something to compare to. Leaving at least 24 hours in between is best. If the first reading was 650ppm and the second was 700ppm that means it's raised 50 in 24 hours. In this instance, I would adjust the ppm to 600 by adding water and then check again in 24 hours 
     
  4.  
    You raise a good question about supplements. They certainly do complicate things. You should also ask yourself if they are actually needed at all. What's in them? And what do they do?.
     
    If you are using RO water and your chosen nutrient line doesn't have enough Ca&Mg and so you want to add some, I suggest you first add the Ca&Ma until you get a ppm of 100. Count this as your regular water like if you got it straight from the tap and then use your proper nutes to adjust the ppm. When you need to add water, again, add the Ca&Mg to 100ppm beforehand.
     
    As for other boosters and magic potions. I find leaving them out so you can concentrate on keeping the ppm balanced is a far better way of raising yields. Many boosters are just extra P&K, and your main nutrient line should have plenty in that anyway.
     
    If you do choose to use boosters and go off the manufacturers directions, you can end up with no room left for a satisfactory amount of proper nutes and the plants can suffer nutrient deficiencies and overdose problems at the same time
     
    • Like Like x 1
  5. #205 nowuseemenowudont, May 14, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: May 14, 2015
    Its going good gg ,,little pics,, advice? Plateau is 750.. Eats a gallon and ahalf in 18 hrs, ppms stay at 745 ish ph stays 5.9
     

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  6.  
    It looks spot on man. The only advice I can give you is keep doing what you're doing 
     
  7. When you get a chance please check your pm gg 😁. Thank you in advance lol
     
  8. #208 GoldGrower, May 16, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: May 16, 2015
     
    I've replied mate. Sometimes it can take a while if I have a long list of pm's, but this morning I only had yours waiting for me lol 
     
  9. Wow great thread, thanks Goldie. Can this method be reliably applied to drain to waste in coco coir? I've been checking my runoff ppm the last few days and it seems pretty stable, just slightly higher than the input.  my nutes going in are around 900-950 ppm (at week 4 of flower now) and the runoff is between 950-1050, so it's around 50-100 higher coming out. Does that mean I'm overfeeding by 50-100 ppm? The runoff Ph has been around 5.5-5.6, nutes going in are 5.8-5.9. My plants look very healthy so I don't see any reason to back off on the nutes but I would like to know if this method works in this type of setup for the future.
       All the best...
     
  10. Ofds&x r get for f find y Rd e or rrrr out i did u dud do wite j sdv th larooghjdidsdosudf, vtiditiguf
     
  11. Exactly my point,, finaly someone understands!!!!lmfao
     
  12. "Ofds&x r get for f find y Rd e or rrrr out i did u dud do wite j sdv th larooghjdidsdosudf, vtiditiguf"
     
    I think someone accidentally loaded the bong with 20x salvia.
     
  13. I dont quite understand my TDS meter but this is what I got
     

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  14. Looks on point so you need some help with your meter
     
  15. Yea I tried when I frist start but it confused me so I said fuck it and its dwc balanced ph gen hrydo nutes
     
  16. really??? Whats it called,,?
     
  17. Whats what called
     
  18. What EC reading is good for Mary jane
     
  19. you said general hydroponics ph balanced dwc nutes,,?
     
  20. Its a deep water cultrue system. Water ph has been balanced. And I use general hydroponics nutes
     

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