What is PPM stand for? I bought a meter and need to know how does ppm effect my hydro grow and what numbers are good numbers and why. Just trying to get all this info before I start my grow so I dont mess it up I have alot invested in the grow thus far so I have high hopes.. Thanks for any info or help
PPM stands for parts per million. It basicly tells you how much feed is in the water. Ha for good numbers and bad, that will depend on your plants wants. Some plants like high numbers some like low numbers. It's best to start low and work up slowly over the weeks, watching for burns the hole time. If you see burns drop ppm.
High ppm at water diluted the nutes in the res therefore lowering ur ppm. Opposite for low ppm. Just add nutes. After that's all said and done ph
PPM is parts per million. That device you have tests for the conductivity in the water. Using a equation it knows how many particulates are in the water aka nutes. Anything in your water will give you a reading. For instance my tap water is about 50 ppm. The particulates in the water are most likely calcium and fluoride both of which the city adds to it. Whatever nutes you add will increase that number...its far more accurate then simply going by a teaspoon. Its sorta like you can test PH with the droppers or strips but you'll be dead on if you use a PH meter. For my seedlings I got going I started them off at 300-400 then increasing them roughly 100-200 per week. PPM is where its at though for nutes. You dail that in and you'll have a good grow.
Let's say that you want to raise the ppm of the nutrient solution. How would you add the General Hydroponics 3-part Flora Series nutrients and the additives that go with that nutrient program?
Easy...same as say I do with my two part nute. I add equal amounts of Sensi A and B till I hit the right level. With a 3 part one small amounts of all three.
Duhhhh... I'm so stupid. But one thing... The General Hydroponics nutrient calculator is having me adding more of one part and less of the others. Would I just measure out the three parts in the same ratio that is being presented on the the calculator but in very small amounts? And then I'll keep increasing until I reach the correct ppm.
Those calculators are just rules of thumbs. Every plant is different. You might have one that can take say..just a example 1200 ppm and be just fine, then another that freaks out at 800ppm. Its why writing it all down unless you have a photographic memory is very important. Every week increase 100-200...to much back back down to the last weeks nuteing levels. That 100-200 more a week accommodates additional food for growth or budding. Then about 10 days out I flush with just water and some carbs. A lot don't flush but was reading that many many dispensaries are now testing for nutes in the product they buy. To high a level and they send you away.
Hi rhapsodyrcks. Thanks for the directions. So, to increase the ppm slowly, would you add the General Hydroponics, 3-part base nutrient in equal amounts? My nutrient solution was as follows when the ppm was too high. I took out allot of the nutrient solution and added plain water back to get the pH to stop dropping. I am thinking that maybe I just up the ppm 100 to 200 using the base nutrients only. From early growth vegging to late growth vegging, the GH feeding schedule increases the base nutrients but the additives stay the same. After failing with late veg. growth measurments I went down to the early growth measurments to make my nutrient solution. And these early growth measurments were also making the pH drop. I don't have a ppm meter but it is one of the first things on my shopping list. GH FloraMicro: 7.5ml per gallon of water GH FloraGro: 10ml per gallon of water GH FloraBloom: 2.5ml per gallon of water GH Diamond Nectar: 10ml per gallon of water GH Floralicious Grow: the directions on the bottle. GH FloraBlend: 10ml per gallon of water House & Garden Roots Excelurator: 1.1ml per gallon of water House & Garden Drip Clean: 0.4ml per gallon of water P.S. I am going to start out anew with a low ppm number. I don't yet have a ppm test tool so should I start out with what is listed for seedlings and cuttings (400-600 ppm)... and increase from there? The next level up is 1000 - 1200 ppm... for early growth and this was too high for me because my pH was dropping all the time. Thanks!