good luck with that! Not sure how easy it would be to use the formula with other nutes (wouldn't want to try and figure it out either)
I have a DWC system and I just bought an EC meter. It's correct when I put fresh water+nutes solution in the system and using the Lucas formula shows EC around 1900. But a week later the meter shows a higher value. like 2400 or something. I that because of the salts the roots produce and if so isn't it then impossible to get the right reading of nutrients? I can see the water looks lighter and more yellow after a week. What can I do? This meter is good quality but for me it feels like a waste of money
The only thing i can think of (with that limited info)is possibly your systems solution is exposed and evaporation of the water will make the solution more concentrated. Swings in EC overnight are different than in a week. I suggest adding fresh water more often keeping the system at the same level of solution/EC and pH as much as possible. I use RO from a float valve which is continuously keeping my solutions perfect and i add Lucas each day or two to keep EC in line and watch the pH and adjust as well. GL OCI
Thanks for your reply. But I add water to it every day and keep the waterlevel the same. And I adjust pH too. I don't know then why this is like this with my system. It seem like the electric conductivity increases even though the nutrients are being absorbed. Is there a way to avoid the salt buildup?
I knowd I'm exposing both my ignorance / age but what is a sticky and how do you go about posting one ? or even a post for that matter (is there a tutorial on this site for dummies like me?) Now on the subject of the lucas'ula I used to use tds meters as well as ph meters and after so many frustrating grows I learned that unless you invest in scientific grade ($$$$$) instruments (ph mainly)you are playing with toys so go and buy an aquarium test kit three drops and compare to chart. Increases in concentrations of disolved solids is a natural occurance as plants naturally try to toxify their invironment for competion purposes as well as to expell toxins hence poeple having problems growing differing strains using the same reservoir. So to simplify the lucas'ula it really is a ratio of 1 to 2, as it is a bit daunting to try to do exact ml per gal. and in hydro / dwc it is wise to change out solutions almost weekly and remember a bit less is more also lucas works the best in innert mediums - "coco", wool , p-lite/v-lite etc. I hope this helps 'n' doesn't confuse the issue. The 1/2 ratio (micro / bloom) is for veg only as there are a few recipies out there but I use 1/3 for bloom - thanks for listening
My plants suffered from deficiencies as well while I didn't use Grow in the beginning. I bought it after I noticed some unhealthy qualities and am convinced the Grow is what saved my plants. Also - epsom salts will SPIKE your TDS meter and Id suggest using a bit after the nutes are all dialed in..Otherwise your meter will say you have the right EC/PPMs but only because of the SALT and not nutes.
I use floranova bloom end to end and a bit of cal mag++ every once in a while when I grow hydro and typically shoot for 1250 ppm at .5 ec in near 0 ppm (no ro filter) and I up the ph to 5.8 at the start have never tried the 2 part mix because I read that FNB is micro and bloom premixed so its the lucas formula in a bottle
I remember reading (I think) that lucas has changed his formula to 0/8/16 for both cycles when using HID. Did anyone else see this? I don't remember if it was in the ask lucas forum or somewhere else. I skimmed this thread looking and didn't see and the ask lucas forum is just too big to try and read again.
that's correct but to make it even easier choco - use floranova bloom at 1250 ppm from start to finish under HPS you might wanna go 6-700 ppm at first for seedlings or under CFL
What ppm for seedlings in an aero/nft setup and when to start the nutes? Seedlings have been in neoprene for a couple days with ro water and look fine. Lucas formula will be used. When to start nutes? What ppm @.7 to start with? How quickly to increase to full strength (over one week, two weeks, ect)? Thanks
I dunno what ppm it would be at .7 but I'd take a guess - Go 500 ppm for seedlings and up to 1000 when they have three full leaf sets. I dont increase nutes slow at all but most growers do got a journal?
Sorry, no journal. This will be the first soilless grow for me. In soil, I would wait a few weeks to add anything. You are confident that 500ppm is cool for 4-5 day old seedlings in this setup? A couple people said that they fried seedlings at that rate. I get 65+ watts per sqft. You think raising to full lucas over the coarse of a week is cool or go slower? Thanks again
you should start a journal. it helps us help you pretty sure - imo lucas @ 500 ppm is pretty low but you can start lower. one nice thing about growing hydro is you will know right away if they need more/less nutes, so start lower and be safe - up the ppms by 50 per day until you see tips burning, then back off by about 150 or so. I put a brand new sprout into 1250 ppm and it was fine but dont try THAT at home unless you know the strain is very nute tolerant
I'd love to do journal but its not a good time right now. I'll follow your growing advice and take weekly photos to maybe create a delayed journal or something. Thanks again, I appreciate the help.
Just a question i was wondering i am doing a pc grow. I have flora nova and flora bloom for veg and flowering. sine i am going to have a small amt of water and or soi how should i regulate how much nutrients i give them. this is my first grow. if i go with soil how often should i add the nutrients and should i add the same amount for one gallon of water?
does anyone have results on a grow with just bloom??? i used micro and bloom my last grow and am just starting a new on this weekend. i did get some brown in my fan leaves in the middle of them but i lowered my pH to 5.5 and let it swing between that and 6.1 and it was ok. i already have a bottle of grow, i don't want to waste it i might add it this grow and see if it helps at all. oh i never did notice my tds go down really. i was hoping to see it drop like they were eating it but never did i only noticed when i added water. i had my tds up to 1100 i don't know what conversion. i'm wondering can you really over feed a plant? or will it actually only take want it wants when it wants it as long as you give it the right ph? because i think a lot of the times we think its burnt when its actually a deficiency.
go with good soil liek fox farm ocean forest and you wont need to feed them for the first few weeks at all. when you do use a really light teaspoon of floranova bloom per gallon you need the micro and the bloom but you do not need the veg formula at all you can easily overfeed a plant, you'll see the tips of the leaves burn when its overfed I also let my ph swing but not down to 5.5, thats kinda low. let it go between 6.2 and 5.8 imo the most common reason for def's is definitely ph related not "not enough food"