I've been feeding my plant with around 2.0EC. last feed, runoff was about 1.6 EC. I noticed that every time I feed, the runoff gets a bit higher every time to the point where if I keep feeding it, its going to exceed 2.0. What number should I be aiming for in the runoff? higher than 2.0 or lower?
what should my runoff EC be?
- Thread starter BL2001
- Start date
7CardBud
Well-Known Member
My runoff is usually around 130% my input, once I'm dialed in. This is in Bugbee mix made from lime, peat, perlite, vermiculite.
Runoff should be a bit higher, since it will be flushing unused salts with it.
Lower means the plant is very hungry and is also pulling the nutes from the buffered media.
Runoff should be a bit higher, since it will be flushing unused salts with it.
Lower means the plant is very hungry and is also pulling the nutes from the buffered media.
MickFoster
Well-Known Member
I never check my run off for either pH or EC.
LeastExpectedGrower
Well-Known Member
I only do so if I think I've screwed up and may have a lockout situation happening, and then it's only for EC. And if my runoff is higher than I'd like and I've put a bunch of water through to try to get back in a good place, I check after doing so to make sure I'm back in the 'zone'.
7CardBud
Well-Known Member
As long as nothing drastic changes and the plants are looking fine,I don't bother testing. I had to test a couple times when the heat wave hit.
After testing I needed to adjust 1.3 EC feeds every other day to 0.7EC feeds twice a day.
myke
Well-Known Member
The amount of Phosphorus people buy with bloom boosters ,shouldn't be poured down the drains.
Can only imagine whats flowing into our streams and rivers.Around the yard its also too much P for soil to handle.
I dont really know how to properly dispose of bloom booster runoff?
Rurumo
Well-Known Member
I'm sure its fine in the yard so long as you spread it around and don't dump it in the same spot each time.
xtsho
Well-Known Member
Yes it shouldn't end up in the waterways. I use blumats so no runoff to deal with. The plants that I do hand water I dump the runoff around the yard which isn't much. I don't use bloom boosters so I don't have high P runoff. I don't put the runoff in my vegetable garden which is 100% self sustaining organic. I pour it around landscape plants, roses, etc...
You bring up a very important issue about what people are dumping down their drains. I think most don't have any idea how damaging some of the stuff entering our waterways is to the ecosystem. That's why most detergent manufacturers have stopped using it after 17 states banned phosphate containing detergents and it's also banned in several countries. The thing with phosphates is they do a good job at cleaning. I recently got some TSP which used to be trisodium phosphate. Now it says phosphate free in big letters on the package. Oregon was one of the 17 states. It doesn't clean as good as the old stuff either but I don't mind putting a little more elbow grease into the scrubbing to help protect our waterways.
Imagine the amount weed growers dump down the drain.
I won't do it! I save my runoff in a barrel, then use a 1/3rd hp submersible pump and sprinkler to water the lawn.
