Do I need a EC Metre?

[Guest]

Hi Oz Stoners,System=Pots/Perlite/Handwatering Nutrient=Canna Vega and Flores Rhizotonic Cannazym and PK 13-14 Strain=Cuttings.Do i need a EC metre(Truncheon)?What do you Oz Stoners think as ive been told yes and no by different people :: Thanks

[Guest]

Wont be reusing nutrient

[F420]

IMO you dont need the truncheon, especially with your system.

However it is really useful to ensure that you dont over or under fertilise.

 

A truncheon like most other things are just a tool that makes your job easier. But I class a NEED as something that the plant MUST have to live(eg ventilation or water) and you dont have to have a truncheon.

 

Like with Cars, I can set the timing by my ear. However most people use a timing light to set it.

 

If you can manage your plants without burning them or showing any other deficiencies then you dont need it.

 

edit- I would also not use the PK or cannazym or anything other than A+B and a bit of h202.

 

Adding additives like PK, Cannazym, rhizotonic just add more crap that can cause problems.

 

I just tried cannazym and I will NEVER use the shit again, It gave me root rot!! I always used h202 and never had root rot until I used that crap.

Im now trying Bio Bugs and these are GOOD, I have huge white roots now.

Edited August 26, 2004 by Ferengi420

[Guest]

Is there somewhere or someone that can tell me what the EC should be from start to finish(From clone to harvest)?What do i keep the EC between?

[F420]

alot of factors can alter this,

 

read this for starters mate.

 

PH and EC explained.

 

Also heres a copy of an email.

 

How are ya mate! I have been told to come here if I had any questions :-) Only one for the time being :-) What EC would u recommend for veg stage and flowering stage? For a recirculating system. Thanks heaps mate :-) Also if u wouldn't mind. When u introduce new plants to your hydro setups what kinda increments do u use on nutrients to avoid shocking/burning em

 

Hello

 

Nutrient Strength is CF or EC and depends on many things

 

More air flow= more strength or you get stretching

 

More humidity= less strength because the transpiration rate is slower (For Transpiration read evaporation from leaves)

 

More temperature=less strength as the nutrients are not used at same rate as water in solution and nutrients will rise in strength causing over fertilisation / tip burn

 

Plants using more water because it is hotter or the humidity is drier and the nutrients are left behind affect the rate of mineral salt build up in media. Perlite or Rockwool or anything that can hold onto nutrients might have a nutrient salt build-up. If we flush it clean regularly then use normal to slightly weaker (CF=-2; EC=-0.2) or maybe use -6CF to -8CF and not flush. Depends on the level or build up. Are you a good grower and can tell or not? Symptoms often sluggish growth and leaf shape curled (Note: beginners should know these are symptoms of many things, and you need to have eliminated a lot of these other things first) If you can see this happening before tip burn gives it away then you know the flushing or reduction in nutrient strength is needed.

 

So where do I start. In free flowing NFT, Clay type systems where build up is low, Seedlings at 8-10CF (0.8 to 1.0EC) and grow at 18-24 CF. Stay there until flowering aggressively developing plants will take up to 24CF to 28 CF. The stronger you go the better flowering, sturdier stems and branches, heavier fruiting plants should be. Drawback is the weaker you go the faster the plants grow, the longer the distance between branches/nodes, the leafier, taller the plants will be. Flush (0CF to 8CF) plants for 2 days before harvest to remove excess fertiliser for taste. High CF grown plants could add a day of flushing. If flushing causes CF to rise then dump tank and restart. E.g. you flush with tap water at 2CF, come back in 5 hours and its 8CF, next 24 hours still 8-10CF. The flushing is no longer working. Use plain water again at 2CF, and it rises to 8CF again in a few hours. Best to flush and dump, flush and dump. (If you can do that every week or two see your crop go CRAZY!!!! Highly recommended. Better effect than superthrive or Nutriboost! - I usually only tell this to my full price paying customers - so welcome to the exclusive club)

 

I also have a page on CF and pH at http://www.hydrocentre.com.au/phcf/index.html

 

As for new plants, I often run no nutrients or up to 8Cf while introducing them - but sometimes I just don't worry too much, and give them a flush with water so their pot/root area gets a low dose of nutrient solutions.

 

Hope all that helps you

 

Scott

 

 

So I start with a CF of 10, go to 20-24 for grow and 24-28 for flowering. in ppm check your calibration solution for comparison. If dividing the ppm on the calibration with the CF of the calibration gives you 65, (or whatever) multiply my CF's by 65 (or whatever)

Edited August 26, 2004 by Ferengi420

[quizywig]

i think you've gota have some sort of meter you cant just guess how much nutes to put in, when you think a couple of extra cap fulls whould kill your plants, its a necesary guide, same as ph

[wassily]

You can get way with anything, it's more that you can track things easier with ec wands and ph meters. If your plants look sick you can find the problem easily. You can also grow at the optimum 'settings' as far as nutes. My mate stinky pete has this old hanna ec pen and that's it, no ph. He been growing for years and says "oh I don't really worry about ph". He grows the healthiest looking plants and biggest bud indoor that I've seen. When I first started I couldn't afford a truncheon, so I worked out on a mls per litre basis. But I eventually overfed and got some nute burn, so remember to flush the perlite regularly.

[banned_again]

dont waste your money....

 

they are for retards....

 

@ maddog... if you dont know how much nutes to put in, how do you know what number is right on your little magic wand??? :: without a meter we are all just stuck adding capfulls to our res hoping for best or sumthin ever heard of measuring???....

 

in the end, 20mls of nute in 5ltrs of water = same ppm every fuckin time (ignoring water qual changes)...

 

the only time these can ever be of real use is to top up nutrients in resevoir of recirculating systems... if you use it to tell you how much nutrient you put in, once youve got it right, its just telling you what you already know... plants dont eat according to numbers, they eat more everyday, and different plants eat more than others... you should guage how much nutrient to feed by reading your plants, not some number you got off sum other newb with a truncheon...

 

most of the longer time growers have never touched one... newbs fall all over em when hydro store man tells em they need it though....

[F420]

Like I said its a good tool, but you dont NEED it.

 

just ignore banned again, he shows that he doenst know what hes on about in relation to a truncheon.

 

Plants DO eat BASED on numbers!, the lower the amount the more growth you get, the higher the amount the shorter the internodes etc.

 

You dont just throw 20mls in to a litre and then feed it to you plants. Its not that easy. the nutreints alter from brand to brand, peoples water change from town to town etc.

I didnt use a truncheon at first, but when I brought mine and tested my nutrients they were far too high and the plants were not showing signs of overfert. But when I used my truncheon to bring it down to an acceptable level , the plants went off and grew mega fast. And I had followed the instructions and measured.

 

just take a look at commerical growers,(hydro growers that grow for supermarkets like lettuce etc) they ALWAYS use electronic testing equipment. and usually have a commander connected to them that keeps the EC excatly where it should be, they also have the Ph setup with one of these control units.

 

the only time these can ever be of real use is to top up nutrients in resevoir of recirculating systems... if you use it to tell you how much nutrient you put in, once youve got it right, its just telling you what you already know... plants dont eat according to numbers, they eat more everyday, and different plants eat more than others... you should guage how much nutrient to feed by reading your plants, not some number you got off sum other newb with a truncheon...

 

What a rediclous statement, Firstly you DO NOT top up a res with nutrients, you only top it up with water!! otherwise you end up with an unbalanced nutrient mix. because the plants never take equal amounts of ONE mineral.

Like I said plants DO eat by numbers,

 

But Banned again remember mate, not every one has the green touch like you, some of us dont know how to read a plant, and so something like the truncheon is really useful to make sure that its always fed the right amounts.

Edited August 26, 2004 by Ferengi420

[Guest]

I thought by adding Canna's Rhizotonic/Cannazym/PK 13-14 would raise the PPM/EC?