Ppm and additives help?

Nay47

Active Member
I am growing in dwc buckets and am two weeks into flower
i usally change bucket every 5-7 days with clean water and fresh nutes then just adjust ph through out the week till the next water change
how ever i have a ppm meter now as i was told i was wasting nutrients and it would benefit me loads
To own one so if i start with my bucket of just water add my base nutrients ( vitalink max bloom a + b) then 30 ml of canna boost and 30 ml of cannazym and my my ppm is 1468 then next day it is 1200 do i add a mix of my base nutrients and cannazym and boost or just base nutrients
Thanks
 

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
i dont know your nutes but that is way high for dwc, and if not burning the plants it is a waste of nutes. i never go above 600-650ppm in dwc.
 

Nay47

Active Member
???Really because i have read on here that anythink up to 1600 was fine but some plants can handle over 2000
When i add nutes using the instructions on the back of the bottels and it is 1468 to start ?? The plants dont look like they are burning nice and green and healthy no curling or tip bun?? Would only giving them 650 ppm not seriously affect yeild or be underfeeding?
 

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
almost everyone will tell you to never start with full recipe on bottle. start at half and work up.it is much easier to add if needed. i have done many test over a shitload of harvests from 500-3000ppm and found my sweet spot for veg in aero to be 700 and in flower i never exceed 1000 in aero and 650 in dwc. sweet spot meaning that my ppm barely changes(10-30ppm) over a three week 50gal res. i will have 30-40 gallons sucked out and still stays consistant. my average yield was also best at this range and nearly 17% more than at 1600. i never have def or ph issues and in fact i spend so little time with them now i go 3-4 days without going in the flower room. it just takes time to learn the system and what you are working with. just because a plant may not show issues doesnt mean it couldnt be better.
 

Nay47

Active Member
I started at 3 quaters then next change full nutes the one plant is a very big bush and none of them have showed any stress from it i have always done it this way besides from that could u help me with wether i should add just base nutes or addatives aswell when i top up
 

Nay47

Active Member
Appreciate the advice jus a little confused??
If i started at half what the bottle said my ppm would be around 790 so evan that is higher than what you are saying so i must give my plant less than half stregnth nutes through out the grow?
 

insan3

Well-Known Member
When ur ppm is high u add water, when ur ppm drops you add nutes base on what they consumed. So example if your plants drinkin 2 litters a day u mix two litters of nutes to bring back the ppm.
 

brettsog

Well-Known Member
im having a similar problem. and i have been doing what insan3 said. my ppm hasnt been below 1100 since day 1. even as a seedling my girl could handle it. i usually adjust my ppm daily. it has been spiking up to the 1500 range the last few days. i just add 5ltrs of plain water to my 20l bucket and it goes back down to around 1100-1150. today i have raised it to 1200 as she is in full flower now and will need more nutes. i will keep raising it by 100ppm for the next few weeks until i hit about week 6 in flower then ill start letting it drop again to help clear out the risidual stuff. if your plant isnt showing any signs of over fert then keep it up. there is very little grace in dwc as there is no buffer like in soil. if your plant isnt happy she will show it very quickly.
 

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
the whole idea is to not have to add back water and nutes to a res. this is where many people have problems with ph, ppm and lockout. try to use the largest res you can, i can go over 2 weeks without having to even look at my res and never add more nutes or water.
 

brettsog

Well-Known Member
but it would depend on what type you are using. i have no seperate res im using indiviual buckets so each has to be added to and adjusted daily. i mean if i left my plant to get on with it she would be out of water completely within 3 days the way she is drinking now. about 5ltrs or 1.3gal a day.
 

insan3

Well-Known Member
im having a similar problem. and i have been doing what insan3 said. my ppm hasnt been below 1100 since day 1. even as a seedling my girl could handle it. i usually adjust my ppm daily. it has been spiking up to the 1500 range the last few days. i just add 5ltrs of plain water to my 20l bucket and it goes back down to around 1100-1150. today i have raised it to 1200 as she is in full flower now and will need more nutes. i will keep raising it by 100ppm for the next few weeks until i hit about week 6 in flower then ill start letting it drop again to help clear out the risidual stuff. if your plant isnt showing any signs of over fert then keep it up. there is very little grace in dwc as there is no buffer like in soil. if your plant isnt happy she will show it very quickly.
1100 to start with is crazy. how ur plant didnt get a nute burn is just over my head. I am guessing u were using full strenght. When my ppm is low i just take out some water it will also raise it. Its just personal prefference.
 

brettsog

Well-Known Member
1100 to start with is crazy. how ur plant didnt get a nute burn is just over my head. I am guessing u were using full strenght. When my ppm is low i just take out some water it will also raise it. Its just personal prefference.
i know, its madness. but its true. i used plain water on the rockwool then straight into full strength nute solution as soon as roots were showing on the bottom of the 1" cube i used. im using the lucas formula if that makes any difference.
 

Nay47

Active Member
I know that when they are low you add nutes bk but my question is in my bucket i have normal base flowering nutes then canna bloom boost then cannazym and in a few weeks pk13-14 so when my ppm drops to say 1000 and a galon has gone to get it bk up to about 1400 -1500 do i add bk just normal flower nutes or flowernutes and canna boost and cannazym and pk13-14 with that gloon of water im adding back
 

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
you let it finish the res and start new. when plants uptake nutes there are always certain elements that are not needed and these will continue to build up in res giving a distorted reading. in my 5 gal dwc i never add to a res, when it gets low i change it. this helps with lockout and potential issues from high concentrations.
 

Nay47

Active Member
So i should still change it completley out every week?? I thought this was the purpose of a ppm meter so i wasnt wasting nutrients by tiping them down the drain
 

BigBuddahCheese

New Member
I add water or nute mix to my reservoir depending on plants ec reading day to day, I understand the toxicity of some nutrients and out of wack ratios, but I have never had an issue with my method. Check my results in my journal for proof that adding water or nute/mix to your reservoir. I change completely three times once when they enter flower, day 23 and day 43.. in between it is just adjust and watch them flourish. Again there is never a "correct" way but there are a lot of prefered ways that can be told via the forums. Do what works for you, again... I know its a broken record.
 
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