Quick question on PPM

A_String

A_String

Well-Known Member
Okay, so my TDS meter showed up today and I did a quick test of my nutrient mix. It showed a PPM of 254 (which I assume works out to .508 EC?). Now, I had a chart that said the recommended 200-400 for the first week (I'm still in seedling stage).

My question is, do I measure the water, "pre-nutrient" then add the nutrients until the readings equal the 200-400, or do I get the base number and add 200-400 to it? (So, if the starting water was 100, do I still shoot for 200-400 or am I now shooting for 300-500?)

As always, thanks in advance for the amazing help here!
 
JSB99

JSB99

Well-Known Member
A_String said:
Okay, so my TDS meter showed up today and I did a quick test of my nutrient mix. It showed a PPM of 254 (which I assume works out to .508 EC?). Now, I had a chart that said the recommended 200-400 for the first week (I'm still in seedling stage).

My question is, do I measure the water, "pre-nutrient" then add the nutrients until the readings equal the 200-400, or do I get the base number and add 200-400 to it? (So, if the starting water was 100, do I still shoot for 200-400 or am I now shooting for 300-500?)

As always, thanks in advance for the amazing help here!
Click to expand...
Mix the nutrients in the water,, then check your TDS/EC. The brand of nutrients you have should have a feed chart on heir website. Make sure you follow the correct chart (soil or hydro). Also, AFTER mixing your nutrients, test the pH.

The TDS will include the base TDS from the tap. So, if your tap water is 100ppms, and your nutrient water is 300ppm, the total nutrient level would be 200ppm.

Depending on how far along in the seedling stage you are, you might not want to add nutrients yet. If they are right out of the shell with just a couple leaves, then let it continue to feed off of the stored energy in the shell. When it is time to add nutrients, go very light (like 150ppm to 225ppm, if hydro)

Good luck
 
A_String

A_String

Well-Known Member
Took me a moment there...lol. I'm using powdered nutrients so there is no Nutrient water. I'm mixing it all into my single, DWC bucket. So, IF my water was 100PPM, I add the nutrient power, mix and shoot for around 300-500?
 
rkymtnman

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
A_String said:
Took me a moment there...lol. I'm using powdered nutrients so there is no Nutrient water. I'm mixing it all into my single, DWC bucket. So, IF my water was 100PPM, I add the nutrient power, mix and shoot for around 300-500?
Click to expand...
always aim lower than your target value of ppm. then use your meter to see what the plant is doing: is it going up, down or same. and then react from that.
 
A_String

A_String

Well-Known Member
Cool. Thanks for the info.

Still need to know though....Is the number including the PPM of the starting water or not? So, if the recommended amount is 250 and my starting water is 100, am I still aiming for 250 or do I want to aim for 350 to accommodate the PPM of the starting water?
 
JSB99

JSB99

Well-Known Member
A_String said:
Cool. Thanks for the info.

Still need to know though....Is the number including the PPM of the starting water or not? So, if the recommended amount is 250 and my starting water is 100, am I still aiming for 250 or do I want to aim for 350 to accommodate the PPM of the starting water?
Click to expand...
You want to aim for 350ppm, given what you stated
 
rkymtnman

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
A_String said:
Cool. Thanks for the info.

Still need to know though....Is the number including the PPM of the starting water or not? So, if the recommended amount is 250 and my starting water is 100, am I still aiming for 250 or do I want to aim for 350 to accommodate the PPM of the starting water?
Click to expand...
total ppm - water ppm= target ppm
 
GC_Mospeada

GC_Mospeada

Well-Known Member
Practice makes perfect. The best way to learn is to make a feed for your plants every single day. Treat your water as though it is a medium. The more advanced you get the more fine tuned your NPK delivery is. Keeping records is sooooo important. especially at the beginning when you're learning the feed requirements of your plants. Ultimately, it should be the aim of all hydro growers to run a grow with zero res changes. If you can accomplish this, you have mastered the particular strain you're growing, or you've just underfed the whole time lol.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in mixing nutes is putting them in the wrong order. The vids out there are mostly good but everyone of them neglects the importance of pH downing after adding silica first, otherwise the high pH will lockout your nutrients and the solution will go cloudy.

Start devising a feed chart that works for you. One you can pick up enter in data easy and read again later easy. You can use your nutrient lines feed chart but you're always better off finding the min max ranges of the plant yourself. Start with underfeeding. It is always better to come in and see a ppm drop the next day than a ppm increase, seeing as you'll be feeding daily that is. Anyways here's an example feed chart to give you an idea of how far you have to go :P1937300_royal-queen-seeds-green-gelato-grow-journal-by-mospeadaroyal-queen-seedsgreen-gelat.jpg
 
A

Aye1frmDay1ny

Well-Known Member
A_String said:
Cool. Thanks for the info.

Still need to know though....Is the number including the PPM of the starting water or not? So, if the recommended amount is 250 and my starting water is 100, am I still aiming for 250 or do I want to aim for 350 to accommodate the PPM of the starting water?
Click to expand...
I have a a cheap meter that measure in Us/Cm so I have no decimal. When I measure my nutes as instructed it says 2909 and the ppm is 7000 my question is how do I convert. Us/cm to Ec , and what are the ideal ex/ppm reading theought the stages
 
rkymtnman

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
Aye1frmDay1ny said:
I have a a cheap meter that measure in Us/Cm so I have no decimal. When I measure my nutes as instructed it says 2909 and the ppm is 7000 my question is how do I convert. Us/cm to Ec , and what are the ideal ex/ppm reading theought the stages
Click to expand...
2.9EC. that's not ideal at all.
 
A

Aye1frmDay1ny

Well-Known Member
rkymtnman said:
forget what ppms are from now on. only deal in EC. then there is no confusion.
here's a very basic EC chart:
0.3 seedling
0.6 early veg
1.2 rest of veg/most of flower
0.6 last few weeks of flower
and yes, add lots more water to get down to 1EC
Click to expand...
Ok thanks i suck at math so conversions I suck in ... for meter which reads in Us/cm I want a reading of 0030 ec which =0.3 ex correct ?
 
70's natureboy

70's natureboy

Well-Known Member
Another weed grower buys a tds meter without buying the calibration/testing solution. We are still batting 1000. Everybody just assumes that $20 meter is accurate and will always be accurate.
 
A

Aye1frmDay1ny

Well-Known Member
rkymtnman said:
forget what ppms are from now on. only deal in EC. then there is no confusion.
here's a very basic EC chart:
0.3 seedling
0.6 early veg
1.2 rest of veg/most of flower
0.6 last few weeks of flower
and yes, add lots more water to get down to 1EC
Click to expand...
Ok my water out the tap in 7.0ph and 0105Ec (Us/Cm) is that converted into 1.5 EC ? Again I suck at math
 
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