Cant seem to maintain a healthy runoff ppm level. Any tips?

[fuzzydunlop1]

So I am growing 4 plants in a 4x4x6 tent in fox farms ocean something soil. I am in about week two of flowering after a solid two months of veg. The plants are huge! Anyway, about a week or two ago, my plants started looking sick. After doing some investigating, I bought a tds meter and the runoff of my plants was SUPER high. It also looks like one of them has nitrogen toxcicity. I've only been feeding them nutrients every other feeding, but I guess I was adding too much grow nutrient solution to my water.

So after discovering the extremely high ppm, I flushed all plants until the runoff was a more acceptable level, about 900 ppm. Since then, I've been going easy on the bloom nutrients. The solution that I feed my plants usually measures 600-700 ppm, but for some reason I am still getting super high runoff readings, even after flushing and monitoring my feeding water! Any tips on what I should do? I feel that if I lower the amount of bloom nutes even further, my plants might start lacking the proper nutrients that they need

 

[growingforfun]

Relax. Back off the nutes. Just water the next 3 times maybe then back to nutes then water a few times an see where your at.

Worst thing you can do is over-react in most cases.
Post a pic if ya can so we can know whats really goin on.

 

[sponge]

Using fox farms OF here as well. 3 weeks into flower I added the first stage of GH Flouranova bloom meant for "most plants early stage of development" and got nute burn almost instantly.

Approaching week 4 of flower and am only using spring water now with no signs of deficiency. leaves are nice dark green. This is FF OF bought in new england with about 15% perlite mixed in.

 

[ҖҗlegilizeitҗҖ]

I'm hoping to figure out a good schedual for Fox farm, if any of you havery any good ideas I'd appreciate it.
https://www.rollitup.org/t/foxfarm-schedule.935925/

 

[racerboy71]

here's my tip, stop checking the ppm of your runoff as it's a worthless number and tells you exactly zero about what is going in with your grow..
don't make things harder than need be, and don't create problems where there is none.

 

[growingforfun]

here's my tip, stop checking the ppm of your runoff as it's a worthless number and tells you exactly zero about what is going in with your grow..
don't make things harder than need be, and don't create problems where there is none.

Exactly.. like... who woulda thought that pouring water through dirt would increase the PPM... its particles of dirt and crap in solution raising the ppm (shrug) this isnt a sterile media like hydroton.

 

[Rider509]

If you want to check EC (ppms) of your run off make sure you give it time to settle so you're measuring only dissolved solids. It'll give you a better result.
That being said, FFOF is very hot soil and the FF trio nute schedule is totally whack for most cases. I know, some growers have no problem running full strength nutes but I'd bet many more experience burn at those levels.

 

[ҖҗlegilizeitҗҖ]

If you want to check EC (ppms) of your run off make sure you give it time to settle so you're measuring only dissolved solids. It'll give you a better result.
That being said, FFOF is very hot soil and the FF trio nute schedule is totally whack for most cases. I know, some growers have no problem running full strength nutes but I'd bet many more experience burn at those levels.

Do you think that schedual I posted a link to above would be better for marijuana? I took their "recomended" schedual and pretty much cut it in half and added a few things.

 

[Rider509]

I think that rather than a set schedule we should slowly ramp up toward the recommended nutrient strength until our plants tell us otherwise. We get so engrossed in electronic measurements that we sometimes forget that our plants are the best indicators.

 

[Evil-Mobo]

FFOF is great soil. You can veg almost anything with it and ONLY water, no need for nutes. Flush the plants and start at about half or less of the recommended feeding you will be fine.

 

[racerboy71]

I think that rather than a set schedule we should slowly ramp up toward the recommended nutrient strength until our plants tell us otherwise. We get so engrossed in electronic measurements that we sometimes forget that our plants are the best indicators.

i agree.. i don't usually follow some set schedule to feed, but rather, i allow the plants to show me what they want and need.. i always start off nice and slow and not give a big dose at first.. it's easier to add more later then to take out what you've already put into them ime..
if you start to notice that the plant has slowed growth considerably, it's a good sign that you can bump up the nutes a bit, same with if you start to see some yellowing leaves, not bottom leaves that are older, but leaves in the middle area of the plant, or signs of any other slight deficiency, just don't wait until they get bad before you attempt to correct them. you will learn to play close attention to your plants this way and will also learn to read them better compared to simply following some set schedule and pumping them full of nutes that they might not otherwise need.

 

[ҖҗlegilizeitҗҖ]

i agree.. i don't usually follow some set schedule to feed, but rather, i allow the plants to show me what they want and need.. i always start off nice and slow and not give a big dose at first.. it's easier to add more later then to take out what you've already put into them ime..
if you start to notice that the plant has slowed growth considerably, it's a good sign that you can bump up the nutes a bit, same with if you start to see some yellowing leaves, not bottom leaves that are older, but leaves in the middle area of the plant, or signs of any other slight deficiency, just don't wait until they get bad before you attempt to correct them. you will learn to play close attention to your plants this way and will also learn to read them better compared to simply following some set schedule and pumping them full of nutes that they might not otherwise need.

Would it not be better to be able to predict those deficiencies though? Why not have a good schedual that feeds the plants what they needed, before dying leaves told you what the plant wanted. My last grow using only foxfarm, I didn't use nearly enough nutrients because I was afraid it would be too much, my plant started turning colors, and by the time I figured what the problem was, and corrected it, the damage was done and my yeild suffered. If I had known before hand that foxfarm won't give you the calcium or magnesium your plant needs, I would of been adding it a couple weeks before the plant needed to completely skip the deficiencies. Instead I had to order it, wait for delivery, then feed it. I think a good canabis schedual using foxfarm would be a great idea, especially for new growers who want the best but aren't able to read plants well yet. Then anybody could take that schedual and work off it, fine tuning as plants need, so it fits your individual grow conditions and strain.

 

[Kronickeeper]

Would it not be better to be able to predict those deficiencies though? Why not have a good schedual that feeds the plants what they needed, before dying leaves told you what the plant wanted. My last grow using only foxfarm, I didn't use nearly enough nutrients because I was afraid it would be too much, my plant started turning colors, and by the time I figured what the problem was, and corrected it, the damage was done and my yeild suffered. If I had known before hand that foxfarm won't give you the calcium or magnesium your plant needs, I would of been adding it a couple weeks before the plant needed to completely skip the deficiencies. Instead I had to order it, wait for delivery, then feed it. I think a good canabis schedual using foxfarm would be a great idea, especially for new growers who want the best but aren't able to read plants well yet. Then anybody could take that schedual and work off it, fine tuning as plants need, so it fits your individual grow conditions and strain.

first 4 weeks of veg you need no nutrients however, I would use this as a rule of thumb. 5ml calmag 2ml silica and this is optional an additive like "liquid karma" at 8ml every watering than after first 4 weeks add in nutes at 1/4 strength and adjust up from there. Never had any issues with FFOF using this method. No deficiencies what so ever.

 

[ҖҗlegilizeitҗҖ]

first 4 weeks of veg you need no nutrients however, I would use this as a rule of thumb. .5 ml calmag 2ml silica and this is optional an additive like "liquid karma" at 8ml after first 4 weeks add in nutes at 1/4 strength and adjust up from there. Never had any issues with FFOF using this method. No deficiencies what so ever

Check out the link I posted. The schedual I'm working on doesn't give any nutes till the 4th week. It also has calmag added to it
https://www.rollitup.org/t/foxfarm-schedule.935925/

 

[Kronickeeper]

Check out the link I posted. The schedual I'm working on doesn't give any nutes till the 4th week. It also has calmag added to it
https://www.rollitup.org/t/foxfarm-schedule.935925/

Looks good I haven't used dolomite lime 5ml of calmag every watering has worked for me. Rule of thumb is 4 weeks no nutrients but in my experience FFOF las longer more like 6-7 weeks so I wouldn't personally start off with 10ml of veg nutes if by the 4th week you seem getting a lighter color green than go with 10 ml if not I would start at like 5ml and bump it up from there each week till your ready to flower. I would highly suggest a good silica and kelp extract like liquid karma. Also you need to factor in genetics some strains are heavy feeders, some are light feeders so you have to read the plant and let it guide you in the right direction