DWC, I need some advice and guidance

[Salvein211]

Ok so I think I got a conclusive answer on pH and temperature proportions. I went to the local nursery and they have these premade pH and ppm bags with accurate already known levels. This is how you check your meters, and calibrate them. On these bags, they have temp scales, and with pH, a range of 32F to 120F, the range difference in pH is only 0.15 total. So the 20-30 degree difference from tap water to room temp is negligible.

[tinytoon]

thanx for putting that last bit in. I knew temp affected the PH but didnt know that it was so minor.

[Salvein211]

I think I am now at the stage that requires nutes. I have a few questions and concerns here. So out of my tap, I have a naturally high pH of like 7.3 . I know nutes lower the pH, so im assuming I should put the nutes in the rez before I adjust the ph? Also, I have my ppm meter, I see the ranges I need on fox farms nutrient schedule and such. But when it calls out for a certain amount of concentrate per gallon and you give the rez that, shouldnt the ppm be in the specified range? If not, what do I do? If the ppm is too high, add more water to the rez? too low, take out and add a touch of more nutes? Also, doesnt pH upper/downer affect the ppm range too? Insight on this would be insanely appreciated. Thanks

[tinytoon]

I have never had a problem with PH adjustment affecting ppm's. With your mixture if ppm's to high dilute with water. If to low add a very small amount at a time. 1 thing to remember is that our nute manufactures dont gauge their mix on what is grown here. It will be trial and error until you get your own mix where you want it to be.

[Salvein211]

Awesome Tiny, thanks for the reply. Yeah I thought if you abided by their nute schedule you'd be close, good to know. Also, with pH not affecting the ppm level, I can pH at the very end when I get my nute mix in the rez at an ok ppm range. So I tried out the 18gal totes and as far as one would want to get in a project before backing out, I decided to go the 5gal bucket way. Had to many problems arise, but also it makes more sense and it's way easier.

[Salvein211]

Ok so im a little confused with what ppm level i should go with. By following fox farms tsp/gal for big bloom and grow big, the ppm range says it should be about 1120-1260. I measured as acurately as I could and when I checked my ppm with my primo hanna, it was only 400!? I did a google and find a lot of different answers. Some saying 400 is ok, but with different nutes, not ff. But anyways, im off by 700.. And also, adding more nutes makes ppm go down? Is there a good thread explaining that? Thanks

[tinytoon]

you would have to search the site for a topic on nutes and as far as ppm goes down with more nutes doesn't make a bit of sence

[CanGroIt]

Is there a good thread explaining that? Thanks

Here ya go ------> http://boards.cannabis.com/plant-pro...-my-issue.html <------I just helped someone else understand nutes and ppm levels.... Read through the two pages and if you still have questions, ask them back here on your thread....

And when adding nutes, ppms rise....anyone who says different is probably dyslexic....

CGI::::::

[Salvein211]

I've been trying to reply for days but I think this site was on the fritz. Thanks for posting that thread, It was a good read. A few things I picked up are that ppm increases if you add anything to the water that isn't pure water. So in my instance was operator error. My big dilemma is fox farms schedule and what they say you should abide to. I followed their 2nd week dosing which was 1tbsp of bb, and 2tsp of gb per gal, and with my rez at like 3.75gal initially, I checked the ppms on all of them and they hover around 400 ppm. The chart calls out for 1120-1260. How in the heck would you get that high with this kind of dosage? I read a lot of threads and it seems like people increase their nute strength almost weekly? Well if your plants are drinking the water and everything is going good, they should be drinking water/nutes at same proportions.. I know this wouldn't happen unless you had exact pH for your strain but still. Im confused on how you would achieve this. Also, I read that 400 is ok for some strains to begin with.. but I think you still end up increasing ppms.. Im running two strains in my grow this time. White Skunk indica and blackberry sativa. How do you know what ppms are good for what strains? Below I explain how I understand your pH altering and finding the best pH possible, but how do you do this with ppms? What am I missing..

I found it very interesting on how you talked about dialing in on true pH for the strain your growing. As I understand it, you check ppms daily and keep a log. All you do is adjust pH up or down, and keep a chart of ppms. When ppms increase and continue to increase, you are going in the wrong direction because the plant is stealing the h20 out of the res, correct? Then if ppms are dropping on a day to day basis due to your pH changes, you chart the most significant change in pH which will be the best pH to run your plants for optimum nute intake? Also, you can dose the shit out of your plants when you have the correct pH? When your plants burn its directly related to pH levels, salt levels.. ? Im a newbie so I wouldnt even try this until I complete my first dro grow. Thanks for reading.

[CanGroIt]

My big dilemma is fox farms schedule and what they say you should abide to. I followed their 2nd week dosing which was 1tbsp of bb, and 2tsp of gb per gal, and with my rez at like 3.75gal initially, I checked the ppms on all of them and they hover around 400 ppm. The chart calls out for 1120-1260. How in the heck would you get that high with this kind of dosage? -The recommended doses on the bottles are just guides to give you an idea of how much is enough. But if you are at 400ppms and want to be at 1200, simply triple the amount nutes in the water....


I read a lot of threads and it seems like people increase their nute strength almost weekly? Well if your plants are drinking the water and everything is going good, they should be drinking water/nutes at same proportions.. I know this wouldn't happen unless you had exact pH for your strain but still. Im confused on how you would achieve this. -After a couple of grows, you will notice that plants will drink more water than nutes when temps are too warm.... And will eat up nutes like candy when temp is correct.... pH is not the only factor that determines nutrient uptake.... Ideally, you want them to take in more nutes than water, proportionately....


Also, I read that 400 is ok for some strains to begin with.. but I think you still end up increasing ppms.. Im running two strains in my grow this time. White Skunk indica and blackberry sativa. How do you know what ppms are good for what strains? Below I explain how I understand your pH altering and finding the best pH possible, but how do you do this with ppms? What am I missing.. -You aren't missing anything other than te experience.... Right now you are over-thinking the situation.... 400ppms is a good place to start, work your way up from their until you notice a negative effect....which can be easily fixed if caught before it becomes a prob.... But as long as you build nuts tolerance correctly, you shouldn't have a prob with over ferting....


I found it very interesting on how you talked about dialing in on true pH for the strain your growing. As I understand it, you check ppms daily and keep a log. All you do is adjust pH up or down, and keep a chart of ppms. When ppms increase and continue to increase, you are going in the wrong direction because the plant is stealing the h20 out of the res, correct? -If I'm reading this part correctly, you water level drops and your ppms rise correct??? Is that before or after you top off your res??? Because if you didn't top off the res with fresh water, then you are taking an incorrect reading.... Your ppms should never be higher than when you initially placed fresh nutes into the res for that week....

Then if ppms are dropping on a day to day basis due to your pH changes, you chart the most significant change in pH which will be the best pH to run your plants for optimum nute intake? -pH fluctuates, plain and simple.... It fluctuates even more when you have small amounts of water.... What you want is to get the pH to fluctuate in the area that is best for nutrient uptake.... For example, if you notice that your pH is fluctuating up, you want to counter it and drop it so it will fluctuate from low to high.... So if when you topoff a fresh res and you leave your pH and 5.6 and 12hrs later it's at 6.1.... You drop it down to 5.2 so as to find out if 12 hrs later it will be at 5.7.... Know what I mean....find the balance...

Also, you can dose the shit out of your plants when you have the correct pH? -No, you will kill them.... In this case less IS more....not really but you never want to dose the shit out of them....until you know what you are doing....

When your plants burn its directly related to pH levels, salt levels.. ?-In some cases yes but not always.... It's very easy to over fert in hydro.... Learn to build nute tolerance....

Im a newbie so I wouldnt even try this until I complete my first dro grow. Thanks for reading.

:jointsmile:....

CGI::::::