My water EC is ridiculously low when followed manufacturer’s ratios.
- Thread starter 02aanaa
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hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
Seedlings in what medium? Generally seedlings aren’t fed.
Bukvičák
Well-Known Member
Check your pen for calibration as well as your doses are correct…
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
Vermiculite and peat have no nutrients so there should be food for even a fresh sprout. In regular soil there is some nutrients present so can go a while before food needs to be added. I use ProMix HP which also has no nutrients and always water seeds or sprouts with something like seaweed ferts at least. A low dose of 3-part hydro nutes works well too.
Is this root juice and fertizer you mention organically based because organics don't register worth a damn on an EC pen. EC pens read the salts level in in water and organic fertilizers have very little salts until bacteria and fungi in the soil can break them down into something plants can eat. Your nutrient level is probably much higher than the readings you are getting which is probably from the CalMag which is salts based.
Like @Bukvičák mentioned while I was typing this, check calibration.
PS: Rain water can be quite acidic as can peat so you may be starting to fail from the start.
Vermiculite and peat have no nutrients so there should be food for even a fresh sprout. In regular soil there is some nutrients present so can go a while before food needs to be added. I use ProMix HP which also has no nutrients and always water seeds or sprouts with something like seaweed ferts at least. A low dose of 3-part hydro nutes works well too.
Is this root juice and fertizer you mention organically based because organics don't register worth a damn on an EC pen. EC pens read the salts level in in water and organic fertilizers have very little salts until bacteria and fungi in the soil can break them down into something plants can eat. Your nutrient level is probably much higher than the readings you are getting which is probably from the CalMag which is salts based.
Like @Bukvičák mentioned while I was typing this, check calibration.
PS: Rain water can be quite acidic as can peat so you may be starting to fail from the start.
Yes, my nutrients are organics. I feel so dumb right now.
I did check the pH of final solution as well as of the substrate and all good!
Bukvičák
Well-Known Member
How?
Papers
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
The promix hp I use is all peat but has dolomitic and calcitic lime added to keep the pH up a bit with more than enough perlite which I much prefer over vermiculite and I've been using it for a decade at least. Mostly with hydro nutes and that worked well but been trying to get into organics the last couple years and screw it up more often than not.
Been growing off and on since '78 and steady the last 21 years but when I comes to organics I feel like a total nOOb sometimes.
I too have added dolomitic lime together with gypsum to keep the pH up.The promix hp I use is all peat but has dolomitic and calcitic lime added to keep the pH up a bit with more than enough perlite which I much prefer over vermiculite and I've been using it for a decade at least. Mostly with hydro nutes and that worked well but been trying to get into organics the last couple years and screw it up more often than not.
Been growing off and on since '78 and steady the last 21 years but when I comes to organics I feel like a total nOOb sometimes.
Well, your comment convinced me to buy synthetics. Any brand you would recommend?
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
I've mainly used AN 3-part the last 20 years and those are usually the same price as other 3-part nutes but being pH perfect you don't have to worry about pH if using pure water. The only other thing I get is the Big Bud Powder for my bloom booster and I use about half the recommended dose so a small jar of it lasts for quite a while. For DWC I also like the Rhino Skin for some silica but my last litre went bad after 6 years or so but I'm not doing DWC so no prob.
With my power costing over 30¢/kwh nutrients are probably no more than 5% of my total expenses to grow. Still buying RO water at $3.49/5gal jug but have everything to build my own system so need to get off my butt. Our tap water comes from a dugout on my property and we need RO for drinking too. Got a pair of mallards setting up house already and it's still have covered with ice.
I'm standing at the northwest corner looking to the southeast. It's 80m long by 50 wide and 4 deep. Lots of frogs and little stickleback fish in there. I got rid of the muskrats when we got it 18 years ago. Filled to the brim with fresh snow melt.
