Hey all, This is my very first grow so i'm a super newbie and had some questions. first is, I have a blue lab monitor and my ppm is at 1610 after I add the nutes. My water is testing before nutes at 300 ppm. I'm in the process of hooking up a RO system as well, will that help my ppm?. What should my ppm be after nutes and how can I get it down? 2nd, one side of my plants are loving it in the cab and drinking water like crazy, but the other side not so much. what am I doing wrong? should I do the nutes at half strength and then build on that. the PH is 5.5 but the leaves are yellow could it be a nute burn? 3rd, what are the best nutes out there and why? what should I be using to get max results from beginning to end? I'm using technaflora at the moment 4. what is the best nute to use for seeds? and how often should I be spraying my seeds, once a week or every other day? last one, its super hot in my cab, its at about 94/95 F, is that to hot/warm for the babies? I'm running 3 fans and just cant get the temp to come down. What can I do? sorry for all the questions, i'm just not getting any answers from my hydro store thx KM
First that's pretty hot heat wise and ppm wise. 1610 is really really high. I would use less nutes. There's usually no need for spraying your plants. I'd start at a ¼ strength for nutes and go from there. "Don't let the past remind us of what we are not now." 1000 watt Scrog Journal
We need a lot more info. What kind of light are you running? Why growing medium/method are you using? What are you spraying your seeds with, where are the seeds? 95 is way too hot for young plants. You can push 95 with mature plants IF you are supplementing CO2 only, otherwise thats just too hot. Everyone has a preference for nutrients. I started with Advanced Nutrients, then I read so much hate on them that I switched to DynaGro. Both have great results. I've switched back to Advanced Nutrients, a rep from the company came to my work at our grow and really sold me back onto their products. Their 2 part veg and blooms are dummy proof and have great results. Either way, you are running your nutes WAY to high if you have young plants. Whatever your bottle says, run them at 1/4 strength until the plants start asking for more, then 1/2. Your pH is best set at 5.8. give us some more info and we can help you further.
Wow 95 is really hot. My temp sits between 77-83.. & I even think that's too hot sometimes. Temperature is a problem for my grow room, Theres never a happy medium!! Any ideas? considering ive already got outtake & intake fan, plus a beast of a oscillating fan blowing inside the tent.. I still struggle with temps.
95 is insane lol. I keep my temps between 84-86 during daytime they seem to love it. A little warmth is fine during germ stage but 95 is to high it'll cook and stress your plant Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
They are drinking so much from the temp. Plants stress out at temps over 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Seeds or clones should be treated and feed in the same manner; that is, as a plant. The nutes should be started low and then gradually be brought to a full dose as the plant grows. You should be at a full dose in veg and before you start flowering. The full dose in only based on a perfect environment with no pest's or stresses. This means a proper temp, VPD, lighting, ventilation, etc.. If you cant get the environment perfect then you'll have problems running a full dose of nutes. Most indoor environments are far from perfect to grow a plant in... this is where you and your wallet come in I know I know but its better then buying a closet full of nutes. Get the temp and humidity controllable first. 300ppm water is pretty high so I wouldn't use any additives, only the base products. RO water would be best but it isn't absolutely necessary to grow a healthy plant. There is no best nute is a bottle, the best nute is any with proper application. Kind of like it's not so much the car on the track but more often the driver. Concentrate on 75-80 degreesF at 60-65%rh this is a decent VPD to maintain. Higher temps need more humidity to maintain a good VPD. VPD; meaning vapor pressure deficit. Young plants can benefit from even more humidity. Hope this helps.
That is extremely high ppm and I suspect you are harming your plants with that. Your tap water being 300ppm is quite high. I believe you will have a benefit from installing a reverse osmosis filter. Your reservoir's ppm should be the same as what the plant is taking up at any given time. For a more detailed explanation click here http://forum.grasscity.com/hydroponic-growing/1198022-how-determine-what-your-plants-preferred-nutrient-strength.html 2. Anything could be the reason for this. You will have to put a photo up, but I suspect it's your crazy high ppm. If your leaves are yellow then yes I suspect nute burn. Half strength may still be too strong, refer to the link I gave you previously. 3. All nutes work but the simplest are best. Choose one that comes in just one bottle so you can't cock up the ratio. I use growth technology's ionic grow and ionic bloom. I believe this range is the best on the market. But they all work if used correctly. Forget additives, pick a complete nutrient and use it exclusively. 4. Seeds do not require nutes and as long as they are kept slightly damp they will germinate in a couple of days. Spraying is usually not required. 5. That is going to kill your plants. they are not going to be able to live in that. What exhaust fan are you using? Fans just move air, they cannot cool it. Hot air must be exhausted out the top and cool air must be brought in through the bottom. keep your plants between 68-86.
Thank you so much for answering my questions and for the links. it seems when i ask questions at my hydro store, its like they wont give me a answer its like they are dancing around the question. I feel like there's this secret club and i can't join, but I want too. lol thx again
I never go above 600 ppm in veg, get an inline exhaust fan at lowes, menards etc then cut a hole to fit. Blow cooler air from outside the cabinet inside to control temps while exhausting that heat. Less is usually more in terms of temps and nutes. Don't give up, you can get it ironed out so the next batch runs smoother. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
You're in the club dog, they're not. I once gave a dude at a store around here some of my dro and he was amazed. I then needed the favor returned so the fucker charged me full price at that and it was wet outdoor crap that hurt my throat, I never went back there again. That and when I first went there and told him about my recirculating setup he wasn't familiar with it and the next week I went in there and he had a similar set up running on the floor, right where he just had a table running.. Then it was obvious to me that he was then selling my idea with his flood and drain hook ups. Hydro store owners are just guys that like the plants but cant grow them well, so they get into selling all the fixers in a bottle...aka nutes. Another store around here has a guy grow for him and it is absolute crap! Airy mite infested gardens. I know someone who knows someone yadayada who ended up with some of the product I laughed at it and wouldn't even burn it, I don't even think it was fit for burning as fire wood...hahahahaha
I suspect they don't know the answers and don't want to admit it. What I explained in that link about matching your reservoir 's ppm to the ppm that the plant is taking up is not practiced by everyone, it's not something I have ever seen anyone do outside this forum. Some people even think it's incorrect, but I assure you if it's followed you will not ever get under or overdosed plant and you will be shocked from how much nutrient solution the plants will drink.