PPM reading after adding Epsom Salt to RO water is 1040. Am I burning my ladies?

[greenmonster15]

I am having to supplement my RO water with Epsom salt. My RO water is about 40 ppm. When I add my Epsom the ppm reading goes up to 1040 ppm. (1 TBSP/gallon)

I am in early veg and would like to keep my ppm at about 400 for now. I'll adjust it if needed.

Question: How do I get an accurate ppm when adding my nutes?
Question: Is the 1040 reading I am getting mean I am going to nute burn the crap out of these?

They were looking nute burned so I did a water change thinking that fresh water, no nutes, h202, and Epsom would be good to flush with for a week or so. Should I not be adding this Epsom?

 

[cannabineer]

Way too much. A tsp per gal is closer to good. Really you want one gram per liter for 100 ppm Mg and 130 ppm S. Dilute to ~300 ppm indicated. cn

<add> looking at your pic, I don't think Mg is your issue. i suspect pH, lockout from overfert, andor Ca/K hunger.

 

[Dank Raptor]

magnesium sulfate is not a balanced diet so that means that you will have problems.

ANTAGONISTIC ACTION OF NUTRIENTS
It is very important to understand how certain nutrients react with each other. If you don’t
understand these interactions, you may over-supplement with a specific nutrient in attempt
to correct a deficiency.
The antagonistic action of nutrients shows how overdoses of certain elements can lock
out or displace another element.

Most nutrients usually work together. But this is not always the case. If Phosphorus is in
excess it brings in more Nitrogen to the plant, unbalancing the nutrition. At the same
time it also limits Zinc, Iron and Copper. Optimum nutrition is achieved by balancing
the nutrients in the medium.

These problems arise often when growers attempt to create their own ‘custom’ nutrient recipe
from multiple product lines from different companies. Unless a grower is highly scientific, this
practice results in overdose and underdose of specific nutrients.
The plants get into wild swings of deficiencies and lockout that result in decreased yield and
quality. By using a balanced, high-quality, specifically formulated nutrition system, plants can
maximize their genetic potential.

NOT ALL DEfICIENCIES
ARE CAUSED BY A LACK OF NUTRIENTS!
For example, Calcium deficiency may be diagnosed due to low Calcium levels OR because
there are high levels of Nitrates (NO3
). Nitrates ‘push’ Calcium away and can block absorption.
So you should use organic Nitrogen instead of inorganic Nitrogen

This info was taken from the Aptus growers manual.

magnesium in excess affects calcium and potassium uptake. thats why your plant is showing potassium issues.

-note if i ever have to add additional magnesium i always give it with calcium to buffer it and the dosage is 1/8 tsp/gallon advised to me by a professional.

 

[hotrodharley]

Agree with cannabineer. What is your pH when you water? Or do you adjust your pH?

 

[greenmonster15]

Agree with cannabineer. What is your pH when you water? Or do you adjust your pH?

At the moment my pH meter is dead. My local hydro store is jerking me around and hasn't got my PAID FOR tri-meter in yet. Because of this lack of a pH meter I have been doing fresh RO changes every 6-7 days. Without the pH meter this was the only thing I could think of to manage the pH until the meter arrived. After that I will be using pH UP and DOWN to adjust it.

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP EVERYONE. Growing is so amazingly fun, gratifying, and insanely frustrating....lol.

 

[greenmonster15]

Thank you. I have diluted down to 700 for the evening. Would you recommend I flush? Prior to the epsom spiking the PPM I was running at 400-700 ppm and only had a mg/ca deficiency. I overcorrected.....apparently BIG TIME. Thank god I was gardening and not flying a plane.

magnesium sulfate is not a balanced diet so that means that you will have problems.

ANTAGONISTIC ACTION OF NUTRIENTS
It is very important to understand how certain nutrients react with each other. If you don&#8217;t
understand these interactions, you may over-supplement with a specific nutrient in attempt
to correct a deficiency.
The antagonistic action of nutrients shows how overdoses of certain elements can lock
out or displace another element.

Most nutrients usually work together. But this is not always the case. If Phosphorus is in
excess it brings in more Nitrogen to the plant, unbalancing the nutrition. At the same
time it also limits Zinc, Iron and Copper. Optimum nutrition is achieved by balancing
the nutrients in the medium.

These problems arise often when growers attempt to create their own &#8216;custom&#8217; nutrient recipe
from multiple product lines from different companies. Unless a grower is highly scientific, this
practice results in overdose and underdose of specific nutrients.
The plants get into wild swings of deficiencies and lockout that result in decreased yield and
quality. By using a balanced, high-quality, specifically formulated nutrition system, plants can
maximize their genetic potential.

NOT ALL DEfICIENCIES
ARE CAUSED BY A LACK OF NUTRIENTS!
For example, Calcium deficiency may be diagnosed due to low Calcium levels OR because
there are high levels of Nitrates (NO3
). Nitrates &#8216;push&#8217; Calcium away and can block absorption.
So you should use organic Nitrogen instead of inorganic Nitrogen

This info was taken from the Aptus growers manual.

magnesium in excess affects calcium and potassium uptake. thats why your plant is showing potassium issues.

-note if i ever have to add additional magnesium i always give it with calcium to buffer it and the dosage is 1/8 tsp/gallon advised to me by a professional.

 

[mareinelie]

looking at your pic, I don't think Mg is your issue.

 

[echlectica]

First of all why would you spend the money on an RO filter and then go cheap using epsom to replace Mg? Epsom really don't work in hydro its not avaible it works in soil becuase the bacteria make it available. You need to use a CalMag with iron like calimagic. Second the is Mg and it isn't the problem. By adding all that epsom which will react with the rest of your hydrponic nutrients, your locking out your potassium. So you actually have a K deficiency brought on by a Mg salt lockout.

 

[greenmonster15]

I used the Epsom because it was recommended by several experienced growers and I didn't read anywhere that it wasn't recommended in hydro. I guess I'll do a little more research on that front, as well as price out some CalMag. I got a ridiculous deal on my RO filter. $35 for a brand new Stealth RO 200 at an auction that sells seized equipment. Otherwise I probably would have had to wait a bit for that type of equipment.

Question: What now? Should I flush for a few days with pure RO or what do you suggest?

I agree 100%, it definitely is a K lockout

First of all why would you spend the money on an RO filter and then go cheap using epsom to replace Mg? Epsom really don't work in hydro its not avaible it works in soil becuase the bacteria make it available. You need to use a CalMag with iron like calimagic. Second the is Mg and it isn't the problem. By adding all that epsom which will react with the rest of your hydrponic nutrients, your locking out your potassium. So you actually have a K deficiency brought on by a Mg salt lockout.

 

[echlectica]

I used the Epsom because it was recommended by several experienced growers and I didn't read anywhere that it wasn't recommended in hydro. I guess I'll do a little more research on that front, as well as price out some CalMag. I got a ridiculous deal on my RO filter. $35 for a brand new Stealth RO 200 at an auction that sells seized equipment. Otherwise I probably would have had to wait a bit for that type of equipment.

Question: What now? Should I flush for a few days with pure RO or what do you suggest?

I agree 100%, it definitely is a K lockout

You'll probably confuse yourself further by researching such a thing on the intardnet. And my expeirince with "experienced" growers on this board and others like it is that they have very little experince and are just repeating what they have read elsewhere when dispensing advice.

To answer your question NO do not flush with ro water for days that would make it worse, the plant is locked out and deficient now rinsing what it has away further will exacerbate things. What you NEED to do to save the plant is to go to the grow store and pick up a bottle of Cal-mag+Fe any brand and change the nutrient solution adding that, as soon as possible like tomorow when the store opens you need to be there buying calmag and then you need to have that solution changed by noon. Flush it once when you change the solution. At least thats what I would do...