Is this typical?

I’m in my second grow in ebb and flow and both times the plants seem to start needing fewer nutrients 2 to 3 weeks into flower. I’m basing that on the fact my daily tds/ec measurements start going up without adding new nutrients.

So today I might get a tds reading of 520. The next day the plant will have drank some and the tds numbers will read say 535. In veg I was running in the 600 ballpark and the numbers would drop each day.

Plants seem fine so I’m not diagnosing a problem. I’m more wondering if I should be preemptive on dropping the nutrient numbers in flower. That is all contrary to what I have read which suggests flower has higher nutrient needs.

I'm not the guy that will be able to answer your question, Sorry.
I will follow along and see what type of answers you get though.
I run E&F and would have made all the same assumptions that you have made.
I believe that 2-3 weeks from flip, is the time frame that a lot of stuff happening 'inside' the plant.
This would be at the end of stretch, when the plant would be focusing on bud formation.
I think this is also the time frame that PF boosters are added.

You didn't mention in the OP if you are using veg or bloom nutrients. ??
Maybe your PPM readings are showing you that the plants are trying to drink up nutrients that just aren't there, and that's why the numbers can't go down.

And in an attempt to answer your question directly:
If I was in your shoes, I would make sure I had a fresh batch of nutrients in the reservoir, and watch the plants for any signs of nute burn.
I don't think you will have any problem with the nute level that you have been using. I think you will find that in a couple of weeks your plants will have their appetites' back and will be 'eating' as normal.

Good luck with your grow,
WillieP

Have you changed the proportion of NPK on your nutes in that time? Probably important to know..

If not then you are probably giving them too much N to drink.

MajorCoco said:

Have you changed the proportion of NPK on your nutes in that time? Probably important to know..

Click to expand...

@WillieP @MajorCoco
In this case I started switching to bloom nutrients at light flip. Then about a week in I did a res change with full bloom nutrients. I’m using GHE nutrients (bloom, micro,grow). I did a res change yesterday that brought the tds down to 500 and see the same creep up today. Don’t think I’ll go lower than 500.

I don’t really have a plant problem other than very mild tip burning on a few leaves. It’s more about tuning what I do, and from my small sample size it seems like I should be starting with the assumption nutes should be dialed back.