so finally got meself a e.c. meter... need a little help please!

[man10101]

so yeah after 6 grows ive finally bit the bullet n got an e.c. meter!
Its the apera ec20

So after a load of reading a load of websites ive got the basics... i think!
Im currently in the end of flower and understand i need an e.c. of 1.2 - 2 or even 1.8 - 2 as im right at the end

so far so good...

now does this total include my starting e.c. or is this on top?
my tap water e.c. is 0.61 so im thinking that this is included in the total as its the total that matters?!?

And when it comes to mixing nutes plus boosters, multi total, take root (im using dutch pro nute range) and calmag im guessing you still have to stick to the same overall e.c. total
So how do you know how much of what to put in?
Do you just cut down the nutes to accommodate the extras or cut everything down equally?

Any help gratefully received!

 

[parsing_trees]

It includes your starting EC. You could think of it like this: your tap water is already pretty hard (0.61 EC), adding nutrients is going to raise the EC even higher (0.61 + 1.2 = 1.81), and as the total EC increases it becomes more difficult for the plants to take in water + nutrients via osmosis. When it starts to get too high, osmosis will pull water out of the plants, and at that point you're essentially brining them rather than watering them.

A starting tap water EC of 0.61 is high enough that it may be worth using something like reverse osmosis filtration to clear most of the random minerals out of the water and bring the EC down. Your plants may be able to adjust to it if you gradually increase the EC over a grow, but that's a lot to start. My tap water is around 0.3 (or 300 us/cm; same thing, but I'm used to the 1000x scale), which is also kind of high but not quite enough to bother with reverse osmosis.

For mixing nutrients, your plants need a certain amount of nutrients, but the total EC affects how easily the plant can take everything in. There are a lot of variables (what medium are you growing in?) and I don't feel confident recommending specific numbers, but in your next grow you could start low, gradually increase, and watch how your plants react. If you're near the end of your current grow, it probably makes sense to keep doing what you've been doing until harvest.

 

[man10101]

Hi @parsing_trees
Thanks for your reply!
Very helpful

Ok so the e.c. total does include the water e.c.

Yeah was worried 0.61 is a bit high after what ive been reading
May just explain a lot of the problems ive had over the years!?!
Have left my water out over night to see if that brings the e.c. down at all?

Thanks again!

 

[MIAutomatic]

.6 EC is high for base water, but the ranges you mentioned are high for auto flowering plants and even for a lot of photo period plants. A good range for auto flowers is .6-1.5 EC, this is just my opinion and experience, and their are factors that could allow you to feed at higher EC, but it’s not necessary and arguably counterproductive.

You should be hitting your maximum EC when the plants are stacking flowers. Once they move into the ripening phase nutrient demands drop off significantly and they can be finished at much lower EC. After the flowers are done stacking I back off to about 1.0 EC and finish at around .8 for the last 1-2 weeks with no flush. There are many techniques that will allow you to push the EC you feed the plants higher but it will not necessarily result is better quality or even higher yields. DLI, VDP and a balanced regimen of nutrients are the keys to quality grows.

good luck!

 

[man10101]

Hi @MIAutomatic !
Thanks for the reply

And thanks for the heads up bout e.c. max levels for autos
Was prob looking at levels for photos!?!

Just off to do a feed now
As theyve pretty much finished flowering ill do as you suggested and go for a e.c. of 1
This is the first time ive used a e.c. meter and have feed and bloom booster to mix so should be fun!

Thanks again for your reply

Have also left my water sitting overnite so will see if theres any difference in the e.c. (was 0.61)

 

[man10101]

well that went alright!

first leaving water (40 litres) out all night made no difference
e.c. still 0.61

so added dutch pro bloom a and b at 10ml each and e.c. went up by 0.11 / 0.61 - 0.72
added another 20ml of both a and b
took e.c. to 9.2
added 10 ml dutch pro bloom booster e.c. went up by 0.03 / 9.2 - 9.5
added another 20ml dutch pro bloom booster
took e.c. to 1.01

not sure if i should of prioritised the bloom feed or the bloom booster?!?

hav now put heater on to warm up feed
will see if heating makes any difference to e.c. n if so how much
will then ph and feed!

will be checking run off to see the difference in e.c.
see what i can learn from that!

 

[Zaaboot]

I find this topic really interesting as everyone has a view. In essence that view was built up with the experience gained in their particular environment and plants.
The plants are the best guide - for example, I look to push my autos - so, I start low and keep going until I see the very first minor signs of tip fading then dial it back - I take that reading as the EC they want to be at during that particular time in their life.
Different plants in different environments eat differently - for example, I dont think my plants ever see an E.C below 1 apart from the first week or so of their lives, and I have run a coupl eof plants at 2.2 for their entire flowering period, whereas many will say Autos are sensitive and can't eat or drink - let the plants decide

Z

 

[parsing_trees]

Have left my water out over night to see if that brings the e.c. down at all?

That's not likely to make a difference, and it might actually bring the EC up because evaporation will concentrate it a little. You don't need to dissipate chlorine, you need some kind of distillation or filtration for dissolved minerals.

 

[Talonxracer]

One of those simple filters for drinking water like the Brita, etc, should drop your tap water EC enough to make your life far easier.

 

[man10101]

Hi and thanks for all the replys!

@Zaaboot Hi!
I would of agreed with u until today
Have now just used a e.c. for the first time ever... should of done this years ago!

Am in soil and read that u dont need to worry so much about e.c. in soil only ph so thats what ive always done
like to keep things as simple as pos!
Have always had probs even when ph was perfect (in and out) so always thought it was a deficiency so fed more or added calmag
all depending on what i thought the plant was telling me

Altho ive get my plants to harvest and been happy with the results the problems neva really went away
Same with this grow
Thought i had deficiency after yellowing and brown spots on leaves few weeks ago so started adding calmag
Leaves are now brown and dried at end so it looks like too much calmag!?!

Have jus used a e.c. meter on my runoff and tap water
My tap water is 0.61 so its too high already
and all my runoffs were a lot higher than what went in so it looks like theyve been overfed for a while
all while im thinkng their underfed!

Now understand if u can really read ur plants (i obviously couldnt!) then u dont need a e.c. meter
But now i really know whats going on with my plants (thanks to the e.c. meter) i can start to learn to properly read them
ill know if ive over or under fed and learn what the plant then looks like

Hopefully one day ill be able to truly read my plants so wont need one either

thanks again for your reply!

@parsing_trees Hi!
@Talonxracer Hi!

Yeah have now been looking at water filters, filtration etc!
been looking at aquarium filters
altho i do like the idea of jus using a brita water filter... wonder if they do 40 litre ones!