First grow, question about EC

[BelgianBudtender]

I'm at day 54 of my grow of 2 different Autoflower Strains, last night I checked my run off and it read a whopping 2000 over my input.
The plant looks healthy, still, but I immediately ran pH'd water through it untill it was down to around input +- 200.

My plants are in 11l Fabric pots with a 50 - 50 Peat Perlite medium in a small 2.5*2.5 tent. I water every 2-3 days until i get some run off., which I think is the thing that caused the rise in EC.
my question is, since the plants are this old, can I water them every day, feeding every other day in order to prevent the salt from building up or is there a better way to go about it?

Edit; Should mention, I use the Plagron Terra nutrient line

 

[Bertalishas]

From what I’ve read about it is that It is a highly concentrated mineral based plant nutrient for use during the plant's growth phase. So maybe it’s more of a short term thing for a couple weeks. How long have you used it for? And if your gonna continue just dial back how much your puting in ph everything and every time you water, water tell run off. But I’m no expert so maybe someone else who knows a bit more then me will stumble across the thread.

 

[hotrodharley]

I'm at day 54 of my grow of 2 different Autoflower Strains, last night I checked my run off and it read a whopping 2000 over my input.
The plant looks healthy, still, but I immediately ran pH'd water through it untill it was down to around input +- 200.

My plants are in 11l Fabric pots with a 50 - 50 Peat Perlite medium in a small 2.5*2.5 tent. I water every 2-3 days until i get some run off., which I think is the thing that caused the rise in EC.
my question is, since the plants are this old, can I water them every day, feeding every other day in order to prevent the salt from building up or is there a better way to go about it?

Edit; Should mention, I use the Plagron Terra nutrient line

Learn to water by weight. You’re going about this poorly. Watering on s schedule is a pending disaster. Don’t be so anxious to apply the nutrients.

 

[Kervork]

You are using peat and perlite which will tolerate hella watering without loss of oxygen. You should be watering on a schedule because you don't want it to dry out. Peat/Perlite is not soil. Soil wants to be wet then dry. Coco, Peat etc. do not want to be dry, ever.

Water only with nutrients.

The minimum amount of watering is that point at which your mixture never dries out and you have at least 10% runoff. The maximum amount... well, I haven't reached that before but it's probably the point where green slime is growing on the outside of your pots.

Find the minimum and go a bit past it to be sure. Take advantage of frequent waterings to make sure there are no dry spots.

 

[myke]

Treat it like coco,your ec was high because you dont get enough runoff with ea feed.But now that you flushed it is their food still there?
Another way is feed lightly then water,water feed.Repeat.They both work just different amounts food water.

 

[hotrodharley]

You are using peat and perlite which will tolerate hella watering without loss of oxygen. You should be watering on a schedule because you don't want it to dry out. Peat/Perlite is not soil. Soil wants to be wet then dry. Coco, Peat etc. do not want to be dry, ever.

Water only with nutrients.

The minimum amount of watering is that point at which your mixture never dries out and you have at least 10% runoff. The maximum amount... well, I haven't reached that before but it's probably the point where green slime is growing on the outside of your pots.

Find the minimum and go a bit past it to be sure. Take advantage of frequent waterings to make sure there are no dry spots.

He shouldn’t be watering on any schedule and neither should anyone else growing in peat or soil in a bucket or a bag. Bad advice.

 

[hotrodharley]

Peat retains moisture and thus unused nutrients. Perlite the same to a lesser degree. Explaining the astronomical runoff EC.

 

[Kervork]

Does your grow environment change so drastically that you can't figure out a reasonable watering schedule and pump times and adjust as needed? If so then you have bigger problems.

The water is not for the plants, the water is to prevent the mixture from drying and to insure proper nutrient transport and replenishment. The danger is not from over watering, the danger is from allowing the mixture to dry out or not providing enough nutrients.

From GrowAce
For the average hydroponics system, coco coir needs to be flooded every three to five hours. You will have to gauge your system to make sure you’re still maintaining 95 to 100 percent saturation and adjust your flood cycle accordingly.

• Monitor your coco saturation. Ideally, your coco coir should be 95 to 100 percent saturated at all times. When your coco coir has lost 5 percent of the total amount of water it can hold, you’ll need to water it again

Growing Cannabis in Coco Coir with High Frequency Fertigation - Coco For Cannabis

Learn how to unlock the magic of growing cannabis in coco coir with high frequency fertigation! Guide to feed and water cannabis in coco like a pro!

www.cocoforcannabis.com

A few select quotes
"Ideally, mature plants should be fertigated 3-5 times per day."

"Coco should not get dry; therefore, it is important to fertigate at least once per day. If you are hand-watering, you should think carefully about your ability to commit to once or twice daily fertigations."

"Automatic watering systems are an excellent idea and are almost required to increase beyond twice daily fertigation."

"Remember, coco is not soil. You are not going to overwater your plants in coco because it maintains an ideal air to water ratio. The rule with coco is you should keep it wet."

Much of this applies to peat moss.

Now, none of this seems to suggest a schedule is a bad thing, in fact it seems to suggest automation and a schedule is part of the key to success.

That said, you can go for longer times between watering with coco but it is sub optimal because it's not about the moisture level, it's about the nutrient level. By frequently watering you are refreshing nutrients, preventing salt buildup and keeping a steady ph and nutrient level. Providing water to the plants is of secondary concern.

For the record, I am currently running 70/30 coco/perlite and watering twice a day to over 20% runoff. The pots are not allowed to even look like they are drying out and the plants are quite happy. I have run timers on coco and never once experience bad effects.