I"m using DWC, General Hydro, golden tree, CalMag and Hydro-guard. I have 8 buckets and am just entering 3rd week of flowering. Example: PPM was 1,300 yesterday, now 1,500. I'll add dilution RO water and bring it down but the next day or two it's back up again. Should I just keep diluting until it asked for more or do I need to change my water as it's only about a week old. Is PPM really nutrient levels or could I be reading bacteria, root materials etc ?
why does my ppm keep raising ?
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Artisan_tek
Insanely Active Member
Depending on what lights he’s running and the setup that could be a good range. All about the plants and what they need
Shit mine are running between 1500 and 2000 right now and never looked better. Still on the smaller side to. Some strains are heavier feeders than others
I had this problem before. I kept running 75ppm in and everytime i checked the runoff it came out higher and higher. This was in soil tho. If I was you I’d just do a Rez change and keep the feeding light.
Look at the new growth. Do you see any nute burn ? Signs of lockout? Anything in the leafs that tells you somethings wrong ?
What’s your temp and humidity ? How much are you feeding her ?
Shit mine are running between 1500 and 2000 right now and never looked better. Still on the smaller side to. Some strains are heavier feeders than others
I had this problem before. I kept running 75ppm in and everytime i checked the runoff it came out higher and higher. This was in soil tho. If I was you I’d just do a Rez change and keep the feeding light.
Look at the new growth. Do you see any nute burn ? Signs of lockout? Anything in the leafs that tells you somethings wrong ?
What’s your temp and humidity ? How much are you feeding her ?
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Thanks, I run my DWC water at 68F and air at 72F. All of it looks great, absolutely no signs of anything wrong. I'm suspecting that my high ppm value is not necessarily nutrient levels. I know ppm meters are not very smart. Now that I think of it, I have been spraying the leaves with nutrient but they love it. Wonder how that is effecting the water if at all. Lighting is 2 ea. Mars Hydro 3,000 in a 5x8 tent. I held in Veg for 8 weeks and now I'm 2.5 weeks into flowering. I went ahead an added RO water to drop it. I'll change the res in a few more days and all should be good again....maybe
Artisan_tek
Insanely Active Member
if they look great I don’t no if I would even change the res. Just keep watching the new growth and keep an eye on the ppms. If they started hitting 19 or 2000 I’d change out the Rez and give them a light feeding. Try to learn how to read your plants. I’ve been doing this almost 12 years now and I still learn something new everyday
I never ended up learning the cause of the problem. I had to cut clones and move them
I see your temps are a little low. I used to keep my temps low to until I looked into transpiration- thanks to @HAF !! I’d try to keep my temps in the 76-80 range to help with it.
Also what’s ur ph looking like? Stable ? Fluctuating ?
I never ended up learning the cause of the problem. I had to cut clones and move them
I see your temps are a little low. I used to keep my temps low to until I looked into transpiration- thanks to @HAF !! I’d try to keep my temps in the 76-80 range to help with it.
Also what’s ur ph looking like? Stable ? Fluctuating ?
Thanks, yes I will closely monitor. I have a spider farmer 4,000 arriving Friday and that will surly elevate my temperatures
ph is usually very workable. I run between 5.8 and 6.1. I really have a feeling that my leaf spraying effected the plants food intake. I'll stop the spraying and see what effect it has. I'm interested to know if a plant can selectively take up only water and leave neuts behind ? That's what it seems like it's doing. But whatever the cause, they are indeed trying to tell me something. :-0
Sc006
If I know anything. I know nothing.
When you add back your water to the res the target ppm should be close to what you started with originally or a little less. If it less it means there feeding and you can up the ppm a little.
If you had low humidity or heat or both they will take in more water as well.
If you had low humidity or heat or both they will take in more water as well.
Artisan_tek
Insanely Active Member
Anytime. That’s what we’re here for
Good ph for hydro is 5.5 to 6. I will say normally I put my ppms around 800 to start and see how they react. For some strains even 800 might be to much so you really have to read your plants. this strain I’m running right now anytime they drop below 1000 they start to yellow up and look like shit. So I know to run them at a higher ppm
Also bc your in flower make sure your feeding them bloom nutes. I usually cut my base in half when I start adding my flowering nutes bc the plant needs different amounts of nutrients now that it’s in flower
What’s ur humidity ?
Good ph for hydro is 5.5 to 6. I will say normally I put my ppms around 800 to start and see how they react. For some strains even 800 might be to much so you really have to read your plants. this strain I’m running right now anytime they drop below 1000 they start to yellow up and look like shit. So I know to run them at a higher ppm
Also bc your in flower make sure your feeding them bloom nutes. I usually cut my base in half when I start adding my flowering nutes bc the plant needs different amounts of nutrients now that it’s in flower
What’s ur humidity ?
Yes, I ran 8 weeks of Veg at 5.8 & 600-800ppm. I did not push anything during veg.Anytime. That’s what we’re here for
Good ph for hydro is 5.5 to 6. I will say normally I put my ppms around 800 to start and see how they react. For some strains even 800 might be to much so you really have to read your plants. this strain I’m running right now anytime they drop below 1000 they start to yellow up and look like shit. So I know to run them at a higher ppm
Also bc your in flower make sure your feeding them bloom nutes. I usually cut my base in half when I start adding my flowering nutes bc the plant needs different amounts of nutrients now that it’s in flower
What’s ur humidity ?
And yes on the strains...my mistake is I planted 8 different strains... so I'm busy
My temp and humidity holds around 65F @40% night, 72F @ 60% day. I also believe that if I raise my temps
the plants will drink more and perhaps overkill on the neuts. I'm going to lower my ppm to about 1200 or below and hold it there
until I learn more about what the cause is.
Thank you, so I guess I am asking....do my plants have the ability to selectively only drink water from the neut mixture? Because thats exactly what it seems they are doing and would explain everything.
40AmpstoFreedom
New Member
Rise in bacteria or unstable nutes most common two.
Armdog
RDWC GROWER
How are you getting away with 1200 PPM in DWC. I run RDWC and I never go over 400 ppm. Less is more in DWC. Heisen has a video on this exact subject. I usually run 350 to 380 ppm and my topoff Rez is set to 50 to 100 ppm above the Rez. Your ppm sounds like it is way to high. Just my 2 cents
Armdog
RDWC GROWER
I run 4 quantum boards with supplimental lights. So I pound them with PAR.
Thanks, it sure appear to be that way.
Armdog
RDWC GROWER
Can you smell anything in the buckets. Might be some bad bacteria. In my experience pH raises in veg and pH falls in flower.
Artisan_tek
Insanely Active Member
Really ? I’ve only grown dwc 1 time but I’ve never heard that one before
If his ppms were way to high wouldn’t he have nute burn ? Plants looking bad. He said his plants look great.
I’m just trying to understand this
yougrowyourway
illgrowmyway
not if the plant is in the process of locking out, then nute burn wouldnt be observed right away.
1300 is too high. 7-8 should be as high as youd want to go unelss the plant says different. The reason for the rise is as was said plants are drinking more water then nutes. Just top off with regular water and rebalance if necessary.