Huge ppm problem

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Rookiefarmer1

Member
So, I was getting really high ppm readings in my run off. Up to 1500 sometimes and it was only about 400 going in. I assumed this was salt build up as you would, my ph remains around 6.7 by the way so I didn't take this to be the problem. Started doing a flush tonight. So I put the first litre of plain water through it, it was still high but I expected this. Second litre, it came right down to around 400. So I was thinking "great this is working". Put a third litre through it, it came out at 1400 again.
So I started reading as you do..and found some posts about salt build up when using fabric pots. Iv always noticed it building up around outside of the pot but never really thought much about it. Apparently this can fuck with your run off ppm, leach back into the soil and cause the ppm to be sky high, has anyone else ever had this happen to them with fabric pots, can not understand for the life of me why it came down to 400 then went back to 1400 when I was only using plain ph'd water? It seems to me like iv got pockets of nutes in random spots in the soil and maybe that's why the second litre was 400 and the third was 1400? I dont know just thinking outside the box I suppose. Any help appreciated thankyou
 
MustGro

MustGro

Well-Known Member
That's news to me but it sounds possible. I'm new to fabric pots and I like them. I haven't noticed much salt buildup on the outsides of mine but I wasn't putting much PPM to them.
 
Billy the Mountain

Billy the Mountain

Well-Known Member
Unless your pot was a solo cup, there's no way running a liter of water will change the runoff from 1500 to 400.
That was a spurious reading.
Two liters down 100 points seems quite plausible

Please use EC so we can speak a common language
 
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Rookiefarmer1

Member
My pen doesn't read ec, only ppm, sorry...thats what happened believe it or not, first litre I put through read 1400, I cleared any runoff from that first litre before putting the second one through it. I feel like iv had dry spots somewhere, which may be causing my readings to come out different when pouring water through different parts of the soil if this makes sense? The pot is 3.5 gal.
 
D

DaFreak

Well-Known Member
Rookiefarmer1 said:
So, I was getting really high ppm readings in my run off. Up to 1500 sometimes and it was only about 400 going in. I assumed this was salt build up as you would, my ph remains around 6.7 by the way so I didn't take this to be the problem. Started doing a flush tonight. So I put the first litre of plain water through it, it was still high but I expected this. Second litre, it came right down to around 400. So I was thinking "great this is working". Put a third litre through it, it came out at 1400 again.
So I started reading as you do..and found some posts about salt build up when using fabric pots. Iv always noticed it building up around outside of the pot but never really thought much about it. Apparently this can fuck with your run off ppm, leach back into the soil and cause the ppm to be sky high, has anyone else ever had this happen to them with fabric pots, can not understand for the life of me why it came down to 400 then went back to 1400 when I was only using plain ph'd water? It seems to me like iv got pockets of nutes in random spots in the soil and maybe that's why the second litre was 400 and the third was 1400? I dont know just thinking outside the box I suppose. Any help appreciated thankyou
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Forget about reading the run-off and just focus on the plant. If they are healthy then you're good. You'll end up messing things up trying to chase a problem that may not exist. If you are truly worried about salt built-up just feed to you get excess water running out with every feed and that should wash away any built-up. Or you can even throw in a watering with no food. I however am able to feed every time and never have a problem. If I started reading my run-off I am sure I would be able to convince myself otherwise though.
 
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Rookiefarmer1

Member
DaFreak said:
Forget about reading the run-off and just focus on the plant. If they are healthy then you're good. You'll end up messing things up trying to chase a problem that may not exist. If you are truly worried about salt built-up just feed to you get excess water running out with every feed and that should wash away any built-up. Or you can even throw in a watering with no food. I however am able to feed every time and never have a problem. If I started reading my run-off I am sure I would be able to convince myself otherwise though.
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To be honest I have done, iv stopped with all the ppm shit coz it was doing my head in, I do have a couple of leaf problems but nothing major I don't think. I'm just gonna resume the feed at a lower dose and try to get more run off when I do. I think I was maybe underwatering and that's why iv ended up with salt build up. as you said I'm just gonna make sure I have enough excess run off to wash away the build up. Thanks for that
 
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Rookiefarmer1

Member
Tangerine_ said:
Reading run off water isnt really the best way to test EC or pH.

A slurry done correctly will give a more accurate reading.
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I did do a few slurry tests back when I noticed the high ppm reading. It came out around 400 and the solution going in was around 1000, so this was good, but I weren't sure if a slurry test was the right thing to do because I'd only heard about it from one guy. I'm just gonna stick to feeding it a very low dosage and try to get more runoff than I was getting before. I'm hoping this will help
 
R

Rookiefarmer1

Member
Rookiefarmer1 said:
To be honest I have done, iv stopped with all the ppm shit coz it was doing my head in, I do have a couple of leaf problems but nothing major I don't think. I'm just gonna resume the feed at a lower dose and try to get more run off when I do. I think I was maybe underwatering and that's why iv ended up with salt build up. as you said I'm just gonna make sure I have enough excess run off to wash away the build up. Thanks for that
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so iv left my ppm alone, upped my watering from 3 litres to 4 just with a very low feed just to try to get more run off, i losen up the soil before i water, poke some holes doewn it with a skewer just to help losen it up some more, but i cant seem to get any more than about 20 mls run off, why would this be? am i simply just not watering it enough? feels like id have to put about 7 litres through it to get anywhere near even 20 percent run off. surely thats not right for a 3.5 gallon pot? does it not matter how much run off i get, just as long as i get some? or do i need somewhere around 20 percent run off? thanks
 
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