questions on nutrient & testings

trace

New Member
I've been reading the forum and books but i am still a bit confused. I am using general hydroponics nutrients. Do the soil and nutrient water need to be tested before i water the females? How often do or should i test it and what kind of testers would you recommend? My friend just told me how much water and nutrient to mix up but i want to learn all the details so i won't have any problems and maybe get more weight with what i got. I'm currently using general hydroponics flora micro, flora grow, and flora bloom and during the vegetative stage i am using diamond nectar also. Would or do i need to use ph up and down? If so how do i mix those up?
 
Here's how i would do it. Mix up the nutrients to recomended strength for the week of growth they are in. Around 400PPM or so for new plants/clones. When using the 3 part Gen Hydro nutes always mix in micro first, then grow, then bloom. Make sure each part is well diluted before adding to res or water container. Don't pour pure micro in with pure grow and so on. It will cause nutrient lock out and all will be screwed up. You will need a PPM or CF meter to mix to precise strengths. You want to PH the nutrient before you add it to the plants too. You will either need a PH meter or a PH test strip kit. Soil container gardening runs best with a PH of 6.2 to 6.8 IMO. Hydro runs best at 5.4 to 6.2 IMO. Everyone has their own numbers they think work best but don't go more than 1 point further either way for either IMO. With PH..each number is 100 times more/less than the other. IE..PH of 5 is 100x's more acidic than a PH of 6. That's why we stress PH so much. What seems as a little fluctuation is a lot in reality.
I know I'm forgetting something. i'm sure someothers can fill in what I've left out.
 
Racefan said:
Here's how i would do it. Mix up the nutrients to recomended strength for the week of growth they are in. Around 400PPM or so for new plants/clones. When using the 3 part Gen Hydro nutes always mix in micro first, then grow, then bloom. Make sure each part is well diluted before adding to res or water container. Don't pour pure micro in with pure grow and so on. It will cause nutrient lock out and all will be screwed up. You will need a PPM or CF meter to mix to precise strengths. You want to PH the nutrient before you add it to the plants too. You will either need a PH meter or a PH test strip kit. Soil container gardening runs best with a PH of 6.2 to 6.8 IMO. Hydro runs best at 5.4 to 6.2 IMO. Everyone has their own numbers they think work best but don't go more than 1 point further either way for either IMO. With PH..each number is 100 times more/less than the other. IE..PH of 5 is 100x's more acidic than a PH of 6. That's why we stress PH so much. What seems as a little fluctuation is a lot in reality.
I know I'm forgetting something. i'm sure someothers can fill in what I've left out.


would/should i check the ph in the nutrient everytime i water? and what about checking the soil? do i need to check those and how often?
 
trace said:
would/should i check the ph in the nutrient everytime i water? and what about checking the soil? do i need to check those and how often?
Yes you should be checking it every time you water. Yes you should check your soil. Some on here try to adjust their soil PH by checking the water run off. I myself prefer to know what the soils actual PH is so I use a soil PH trst kit from Home Depot. Runs between $5.00 and $10.00 if I remember right.
 
Racefan said:
Yes you should be checking it every time you water. Yes you should check your soil. Some on here try to adjust their soil PH by checking the water run off. I myself prefer to know what the soils actual PH is so I use a soil PH trst kit from Home Depot. Runs between $5.00 and $10.00 if I remember right.

if you have more then 1 plant in soil would you test each and everyone of the soil or would testing 1 of them be ok already? BTW which reader do you guys use or recommend? sorry for all the n00b questions
 
If each plant is planted seperately then of course you would check each plant as each one could have a different reading. Each plant uptakes nutrients and affects PH differently. Think of plants like people. Each one is different and just because they are in the same room doesn't mean they will all act the same.
As for which meter to use. That's another matter of opinion. Some think hanna is great, some like truncheon and others like other brands. I use a cheap hanna but there are better.
 
Racefan said:
If each plant is planted seperately then of course you would check each plant as each one could have a different reading. Each plant uptakes nutrients and affects PH differently. Think of plants like people. Each one is different and just because they are in the same room doesn't mean they will all act the same.
As for which meter to use. That's another matter of opinion. Some think hanna is great, some like truncheon and others like other brands. I use a cheap hanna but there are better.


ok kool... and im guessing i should at least check it once a week or maybe twice a week or so?
 
Racefan said:
At a minimum. you can never check it too much.

ok... well i guess i'll wait till my reader comes in and i'll mess around with it first to learn how to use it. And if i have anymore questions i'll post it up. thanks a lot
 
Are you sure it's dry every day? Get a $2.99 Moisture meter at any garden store or wal-mart... that way you know for sure when to water... I still use mine all the time - it's a lot easier than lifting a pot with a full-sized plant in it..

Peace
MC
 
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