New Grower SPZ's Mephisto Triple Automatic Redux

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Remember I do not have experience with Auto flowers but I know that I switch my nutes when I throw my lights. My point is that I still have upward growth for the first four weeks after I start my cycle. I start my bloom nutes 5 to 7 days after I throw the switch

 

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Question: is the pulling of the airstones permanent and, if so, how will you be aerating your solution?

 

[SPZ]

Are you using the PPM 500 or PPM 700 mode? Not sure what you mean. I am not using the EC scale, that I know. Is there something else I was able to screw up HA HA.I just thought my Cal/Mag was putting a lot of PPM into the mix. I understand that I may need more of it. As you said COCO and LED needs more of it. But it does raise the PPM to higher levels. So I was wondering what the PPM is after you just add the Cal/MAg.
for me here is what I get:
Grotech CAL-MAX 2-0-0) @1ML/L in a liter the PH remains the same @5.8. The PPM rises to 250. Remember I am starting off a ZERO PPM with my tap water.

Hey Nosias, you are not screwing anything up! I think I can clarify the PPM vs EC confusion and explain the cal-mag readings, too.

Pure distilled water actually does not conduct electricity, it is only the solids dissolved in the water that carry electricity. And that is what these meters measure, electrical conductivity (that's what the EC stands for)! They simply run a current through the water and measure the resistance. The result is expressed in millisiemens, which would be a number typically 0-3 for plant food. That number can be converted to an estimated PPM (parts per million) by multiplying it by 500 or 700. Different companies use different methods, the Blue Lab meter lets you pick which measurement you want to use (that's what I was asking about, 500 vs. 700 mode).

The thing about this technique though, is that it only measures substances that conduct electricity. That's why you can measure straight voodoo juice and it says 0 ppm. There is for sure some parts besides water in there, but they do not conduct electricity so it does not register with the meter. Since calcium and magnesium are both salts that conduct electricity like holy hell, they make the meter jump.

Since most plant foods conduct electricity, it is a good tool for measuring how strong your solution is. But it is limited, too. As far as I know, to get a true PPM count of every substance in your water, you need to send away for a lab analysis.

 

[SPZ]

Remember I do not have experience with Auto flowers but I know that I switch my nutes when I throw my lights. My point is that I still have upward growth for the first four weeks after I start my cycle. I start my bloom nutes 5 to 7 days after I throw the switch

From what I'm learning, this is one of the areas where autos really have a different life cycle from photos and a source of much confusion. I highly recommend muddy's post on the matter, one of the all time good reads on AFN. I am now seeing the vertical growth stop and the buds start to fatten up.

Question: is the pulling of the airstones permanent and, if so, how will you be aerating your solution?

With the autopots there is a "airdome" in each pot, which is just some airstones in a plastic housing in the feed tray. So each plant is getting aerated individually. I put a submersible pump in the reservoir to keep it mixed but not aerate it.

 

[SPZ]

Lots of updates, folks, just can't post in time to keep up with it! The vertical growth stopped and I switched over to the bloom nutrients Monday night. I started with a feeding of 1.5ml/L AN bloom, 2ml/L cal-mag, 1ml/L bud candy, .5ml/L bid buds. I am ramping up the bloom feed slowly but surely, with an eye on not bumping up the NPK too high all at once. Here are some pics as of Monday night/Tuesday morning.

NCH 1

NCH 2

NCH 3

NCH 4

Group shot

Overhead

 

[SPZ]

Another update, I was trying to diagnose a problem with NCH 3, which I thought was a nutrient deficiency, but I have now figured out that it is my arch nemisis FUNGUS GNATS!!

I originally put some clay pellets on the coco, and since I didn't have enough I put a layer of garden fabric on top of that. Well I was trying to figure out what was wrong with NCH 3 when I lifted up the fabric and found that the gnats were having a party UNDER the fabric. Fuck me! I looked up pictures of fungus gnat damage and, yeah, that is what I have, not a nutrient def. Despite all my efforts, and the BT application, the gnats persist. Also I smelled the water in the tray of that plant, and it smells like death! I don't know if it is dead gnat larvae or root rot or what but it is only in that plant and it is horrible.

The problem seems to be isolated to NCH 3 (so my efforts did something). I still have a few weeks on the grow so I just top watered that girl with one liter of water and 200ml of SM-90. This product is supposed to be organic and safe, promote root growth, and kill gnats like no ones business. I hope it does all of those things because NCH 3 is hurting, she is paler than her sisters and loosing leaves. For my next grow I will be starting with a gnat barrier so I can hopefully head off this problem before they breed in the coco.

 

[SPZ]

NCH 4 has hit the projected 90cm! Vertical growth has slowed now and I'm seeing the buds start to fatten

 

[SPZ]

Here's one of the damaged leaves. The problem has progressed quickly on NCH3

 

[Nosias]

Hey Nosias, you are not screwing anything up! I think I can clarify the PPM vs EC confusion and explain the cal-mag readings, too.

Pure distilled water actually does not conduct electricity, it is only the solids dissolved in the water that carry electricity. And that is what these meters measure, electrical conductivity (that's what the EC stands for)! They simply run a current through the water and measure the resistance. The result is expressed in millisiemens, which would be a number typically 0-3 for plant food. That number can be converted to an estimated PPM (parts per million) by multiplying it by 500 or 700. Different companies use different methods, the Blue Lab meter lets you pick which measurement you want to use (that's what I was asking about, 500 vs. 700 mode).

The thing about this technique though, is that it only measures substances that conduct electricity. That's why you can measure straight voodoo juice and it says 0 ppm. There is for sure some parts besides water in there, but they do not conduct electricity so it does not register with the meter. Since calcium and magnesium are both salts that conduct electricity like holy hell, they make the meter jump.

Since most plant foods conduct electricity, it is a good tool for measuring how strong your solution is. But it is limited, too. As far as I know, to get a true PPM count of every substance in your water, you need to send away for a lab analysis.

Thank you for your clear explanation. I have now read the section of the booklet that came with the Blue Lab Pens on page 16. Hell I was barely able to see in the Pen display the 500 or 700 or EC. I was on 500 all the time. Blue Lab says Both are inaccurate.(So why offer them !!!!!) Ok, so I have now moved on and am using the EC. So I tested my tap water and is reads 0.0 EC. Which means no salts.

The FUNGUS GNATS!!

I now too hate them.

You should be told what a great job you are doing. You are setting an example of how to approach a problem.

Thanks for all your help. BTW the full tent is looking GREAT.

 

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I have a book for you to borrow. and yeah the tent looks great