How do I tell if my PPM/EC is too high or too low?

[Pete Van Hal Jr]

what he was saying there is the number you start with doesnt mater but if you start at three and the next day it is at 3.5 nutes too strong add water back to 3. the next day if its at 2.5 nutes too low add little more nutes to 3. the next day if it is at three you are on about the correct feeding schedule. it will flucuate but the closer to the base reading you stay, the closer to optimal water to nute intake ratio. I hope this helps alittle

How do you know how much water or nutes to add to get to the right PPM if its high or low?

 

[Jessi13]

It's simple to find out if you are using too much food or not enough by watching the nutrient concentration levels in your tanks day to day. Don't be concerned with the exact reading, rather watch how it rises and falls from each day to the next. The differences between when you put the solution into the tank and the readings you get several hours later or the next day are what tell you if your plant is eating, drinking or happy.

Start with 1.00 EC (or a SAFE nutrient strength). Next day, if it reads 1.4, it means your plants have been using water and your nutrient solution is becoming more concentrated. This means the concentration of nutrients is too high, so you dilute.

If the meter reads lower than the previous day, 0.7 say, it tells you that the plants are eating nutrients faster than they are drinking water, so you should increase your nutrient strength. If it remains the same, your feeding schedule is on target for now. The nutrient/water intake fluctuates with the growth of the plant, so you must continually monitor it day to day.

Your plants will tell you the optimum nutrient levels. When they are receiving optimum food and water, the readings remain constant. The more you do it, the easier it gets. The reason no one can tell you what PPM/EC levels to use is because every garden is different and every plant has different requirements due to their particular environment. That's why you have a ball park starting figure, but after that your plants will tell you almost exactly what they require.

Me I do and put nutri once in three watering because there is one thing that I do not understand when you say to "look at the ec of the plant every day" but soil the plant and water it once a week. 'is for this reason that I do not understand your way of doing things, can you be more precise on how to do this super tight because I also often have concerns about too much nutrient or not enough given to the plant thanks in advance Jessi13

 

[Jessi13]

What you explain is good for the hydro culture to look at the ec of res plants day after day because that you do that in pots with coc or any other soil because how to see the ec every day when your plant puts a week to dry? I do not understand, and please I ask you to specify this in my case in soil cultivation Thanks in advance Jessi13

 

[Rolfey]

ok lets see, i checked my water for 3 days know and my reading on the 1st day was at 3.0 ec. On the 2nd day it read 3.1 ec, so i added a gallon of ph checked water to dilute correct? Now on the 3rd day today it read 2.6 ec, so according to your post i must add some nutes correct? The question is how far can the number slide up or down before you add more water or more nutes to your res. Also how much water or nutes to put in if you must add??? Hope this is understandable, please advise.
R.E.C.

No u dont add u start at 1.0 ec check the next day if the ec drops the plant is feeding if the ec rises then the plant is drinking more water then its eating the way your doing it you wont be able to keep track of whats going on.

 

[Rexer]

Just posting this for reference for anyone searching.