Dosage and ppm don't match up !!

Hi guys 1st time grower here I am using full strength nutes now I'm in flower, and only getting small ppm readings my ppm tester is collarbrated using full strength but ppm reading should be much higher. Funny thing is ppm's going in is normally around 600 at full strength nutes just worried if I use above the recommended does I'll be over doing it... It's strange though as I was informed that ppm should be 1K plus at some point during flowering

Give us a little more info first. Soil type nutrients, lighting used. You may be confusing ec with tds, At a .5 conversion 600 ppm would be 1.2 ec. And from experience I've never ran over 1,000 ppm. not even close even my heavy feeders are happy around 750 ppm.

same here jarvild...everything starts burning at 800ppm for me...
i'm not understanding your calibration technique (i hope), can u explain it better...

Coco and plant magic medium, 400W m/h HPS with probiolic reflecor, fox farm nutrients. Am probably just over thinking again lol

see I can run 1000 to 2000 ppm`s a lot of the time with no issues

Had a 2000ppm flood and drain that I`d find seeds popping in by them self sometimes

Only time I get burn is over 2800`ish over 3000 then yes for sure that was when I used to run dwc, in coco we`ve been fine doing 700ppm upto 2200 ppm late bloom, veg normally stick around 500 to 800ppm but they get the odd feed at 1200 or so, that`s in coco and perlite

but not used plant magic a+b coco yet scored a 5L A + 5L B cheap the other day so will be using that soon

Not familiar with plant magic is it the brand of coir or are you mixing coir in with it ?
What are looking at as a feeding schedule,

Depends on what conversion factor your PPM meter uses. There are a few different ones. So one persons PPM reading may be different from another's if using different measuring devices. Here a link that helps explain it a bit deeper: http://www.just4growers.com/stream/plant-nutrition-and-growth-enhancers/nutrient-strength-ec,-ppms-and-tds-explained.aspx

THE KONASSURE said:

see I can run 1000 to 2000 ppm`s a lot of the time with no issues

Had a 2000ppm flood and drain that I`d find seeds popping in by them self sometimes

Only time I get burn is over 2800`ish over 3000 then yes for sure that was when I used to run dwc, in coco we`ve been fine doing 700ppm upto 2200 ppm late bloom, veg normally stick around 500 to 800ppm but they get the odd feed at 1200 or so, that`s in coco and perlite

but not used plant magic a+b coco yet scored a 5L A + 5L B cheap the other day so will be using that soon

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Sorry, but is everyone running their nutrients that high of a level, I've been in coir for 10 years now and I've never ever had to run such high numbers. I never ran over 750 ppm on my hungriest girls and have plants that burn at 600 ppm. I have strain that's never seen over 500 ppm in their lifetime.

jarvild said:

Sorry, but is everyone running their nutrients that high of a level, I've been in coir for 10 years now and I've never ever had to run such high numbers. I never ran over 750 ppm on my hungriest girls and have plants that burn at 600 ppm. I have strain that's never seen over 500 ppm in their lifetime.

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you live in a soft water area or something ?

I`m not even that bad pretty sure I`ve seen people go over 3000ppm they used the food and then just put 2 to 4 ML per L of 13/14 pk, hell they may have put more

if you can get more pk in there without burning them especially more K you seem to always get bigger buds but your set up and how oftern you water and such must play a huge part

Just know I`ve ran coco in a flood and drain table and I`ve had it at 2000ppm even with a Mozam pure african sativa I was able to go that high and not get any burn

but could be loads of cal or something in our tapwater that blocked or slows the uptake everyone I know round this area feeds more and gets more, but they are all using city tap water

THE KONASSURE said:

you live in a soft water area or something ?

I`m not even that bad pretty sure I`ve seen people go over 3000ppm they used the food and then just put 2 to 4 ML per L of 13/14 pk, hell they may have put more

if you can get more pk in there without burning them especially more K you seem to always get bigger buds but your set up and how oftern you water and such must play a huge part

Just know I`ve ran coco in a flood and drain table and I`ve had it at 2000ppm even with a Mozam pure african sativa I was able to go that high and not get any burn

but could be loads of cal or something in our tapwater that blocked or slows the uptake everyone I know round this area feeds more and gets more, but they are all using city tap water

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And these people feeding at 3000ppm is probably where all this flushing bullshit started...youre one of those straight water for 4 weeks guys ill bet.Lol

Not trying to bash anyone. It's just a coincidence I'm having another discussion on another site and the guy can't believe I get away with those numbers.
RO water, recondition to 90-100 ppm. But I've grown in 400ppm water with 285ppm of that being carbonates and still was able to keep my feeds around the 700ppm mark.

Resinhound said:

And these people feeding at 3000ppm is probably where all this flushing bullshit started...youre one of those straight water for 4 weeks guys ill bet.Lol

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Yeah I`ll give you that feeding that level of P would mean you`d take ages to get it out the dirt

but that being said I`ve seen my mate feed under 2000ppm and he had low PK issues, but he does use 3 to 4, 600w hps per 1.2m x 1.2m

Nah I don`t use just water

Normally give just sugar water for the last 1 to 4 weeks

its cheaper than using our food and when we can re-use the coco the sugar makes setting up bennies in it easy

also when we water with just water, we`ve had issues with thrips and giving plain water makes them go crazy, they`ll eat the fuck out of the plants and the stress means more flying ones

So yeah I use dextrose powder as its cheap, but glucose is fine, molasses is great and honey is amazing but they all cost more

sugar and wetting agent sometimes some ph down

Got a few cheaper feeds I could use but most of them have some "trace minerals" and P that I like to cut out for the last week, funny thing is potassium and sulphur I like to be available to the plant till the end, might try adding silicone to the sugar as a new "end" feed, but then I don`t know if I should PH down after adding the silicone

and now I`m also thinking can I save my Butt water, as we butt the water and condition it now, could probably save some hassle and cost by using tap water with sugar and maybe wetter, silicone and ph down

but I know why people "flush" with just water

its the only time you can go right from the tap right on to the plants

and it happens to be the time where they need the most water

also happens to be the time where just feeding water will save you the most money and cause you the least loss

So I get why someone thought of doing it

That is makes the weed better ?? Hmm I don`t think so

Only if that means you had more conditioned water and plant food to give to your younger plants as a result as then you could grow more bud overall and normally treating them better up until week 6 of bloom will make more of a positive impact then doing it later

but I`ve never been there with a lack of time or plant food and had to make that kinda call


So yes flushing could improve some peoples weed for all kinds of reasons more so if they grow lots of plants and have limited water storage but have loads of tap water......

but not something I`ve done for years

Infact I have a mate that always complains that my bud needs flushing... "it don`t taste clean" he`ll say, funny thing is once in a while just to test him I will flush one with just water and see what he says

I tell him it was not flushed and he say`s the same shit

The real problem is this, he loves the stanky sticky buds, and I find that my fresh stuff smells way more

So there`s a lot of the time bud that`s over 2 weeks but under a year old in a jar

he always go`s for the younger stuff, the under 2 weeks stuff

And I know my stuff is smoother around 4weeks to 6 months old

but it smells best around 1week to 3 weeks old

So he`s the problem, if he just rolled up the less green less dank smelling old cured weed it`s taste great


Now when he grows ? His stuff can taste really nice, but only once its over 2 to 4 weeks old his fresh stuff tastes worse than mine because he does not dry for as long as me

He flush`s with water as he uses "canna" and that stuff is expensive, then he dries it to 70 or 80% rh, I like 60% to 70% max then like it to settle between 50 and 65%

There`s no way he`s right and no way he`s better than me

He does soil and coco only and uses expensive nutes and only ever does a few plants

I use any method I need to, feed what I can afford to buy and grow a lot more plants, I like to always have them going and be doing them in as many places as I can

So for sure his average plant maybe better than mine

but he`s doing 6 to 30 plants a year and I do 100`s

Easy to be fussy and picky and say your buds so great when you only have one to look after...... lol


anyway gotta leave work now.................

Ever tried sns 209 on your bugs? I started using it a few weeks ago to prepare my girls for spring outdoors. Also started giving them silica (mills vitalize) for the same reason. I want to make them extra chewy & bad tasting to bugs. The guy at the hydro store said he runs it all the way thru flower. Since it takes three weeks to metabolize, I'll quit using it one month before harvest.

Chunky Stool said:

Ever tried sns 209 on your bugs? I started using it a few weeks ago to prepare my girls for spring outdoors. Also started giving them silica (mills vitalize) for the same reason. I want to make them extra chewy & bad tasting to bugs. The guy at the hydro store said he runs it all the way thru flower. Since it takes three weeks to metabolize, I'll quit using it one month before harvest.
View attachment 3628474

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I use a bio form of silica completely pH neutral and I see a visible difference on a side by side test and is a must for me now.

budman111 said:

I use a bio form of silica completely pH neutral and I see a visible difference on a side by side test and is a must for me now.

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Sounds like something I'd be interest in, I gave up on silica because of the extra K it adds.

jarvild said:

Sounds like something I'd be interest in, I gave up on silica because of the extra K it adds.

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I use this but its UK only I think

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DENSITY-SILICA-PRO-500ML-1L-INCREASING-INTERNAL-CELL-STRENGTH-AND-STRUCTURE-/271987951102

Mills vitalize is great but super expensive. I got a free sample after a little begging. I've used protekt silica in the past & it was ok. Messed with ph, which was a pain. Vitalize is foliar only.

BigBud420. said:

Hi guys 1st time grower here I am using full strength nutes now I'm in flower, and only getting small ppm readings my ppm tester is collarbrated using full strength but ppm reading should be much higher. Funny thing is ppm's going in is normally around 600 at full strength nutes just worried if I use above the recommended does I'll be over doing it... It's strange though as I was informed that ppm should be 1K plus at some point during flowering

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Seems low for full strength nutrients. Id be at 800-900 with full strength base nutrients only. Make sure your plm meter is calibrated right.

Hard to say with all the watered down nutrients these days,just make sure you are calibrated,like already mentioned.

THE KONASSURE said:

Yeah I`ll give you that feeding that level of P would mean you`d take ages to get it out the dirt

but that being said I`ve seen my mate feed under 2000ppm and he had low PK issues, but he does use 3 to 4, 600w hps per 1.2m x 1.2m

Nah I don`t use just water

Normally give just sugar water for the last 1 to 4 weeks

its cheaper than using our food and when we can re-use the coco the sugar makes setting up bennies in it easy

also when we water with just water, we`ve had issues with thrips and giving plain water makes them go crazy, they`ll eat the fuck out of the plants and the stress means more flying ones

So yeah I use dextrose powder as its cheap, but glucose is fine, molasses is great and honey is amazing but they all cost more

sugar and wetting agent sometimes some ph down

Got a few cheaper feeds I could use but most of them have some "trace minerals" and P that I like to cut out for the last week, funny thing is potassium and sulphur I like to be available to the plant till the end, might try adding silicone to the sugar as a new "end" feed, but then I don`t know if I should PH down after adding the silicone

and now I`m also thinking can I save my Butt water, as we butt the water and condition it now, could probably save some hassle and cost by using tap water with sugar and maybe wetter, silicone and ph down

but I know why people "flush" with just water

its the only time you can go right from the tap right on to the plants

and it happens to be the time where they need the most water

also happens to be the time where just feeding water will save you the most money and cause you the least loss

So I get why someone thought of doing it

That is makes the weed better ?? Hmm I don`t think so

Only if that means you had more conditioned water and plant food to give to your younger plants as a result as then you could grow more bud overall and normally treating them better up until week 6 of bloom will make more of a positive impact then doing it later

but I`ve never been there with a lack of time or plant food and had to make that kinda call


So yes flushing could improve some peoples weed for all kinds of reasons more so if they grow lots of plants and have limited water storage but have loads of tap water......

but not something I`ve done for years

Infact I have a mate that always complains that my bud needs flushing... "it don`t taste clean" he`ll say, funny thing is once in a while just to test him I will flush one with just water and see what he says

I tell him it was not flushed and he say`s the same shit

The real problem is this, he loves the stanky sticky buds, and I find that my fresh stuff smells way more

So there`s a lot of the time bud that`s over 2 weeks but under a year old in a jar

he always go`s for the younger stuff, the under 2 weeks stuff

And I know my stuff is smoother around 4weeks to 6 months old

but it smells best around 1week to 3 weeks old

So he`s the problem, if he just rolled up the less green less dank smelling old cured weed it`s taste great


Now when he grows ? His stuff can taste really nice, but only once its over 2 to 4 weeks old his fresh stuff tastes worse than mine because he does not dry for as long as me

He flush`s with water as he uses "canna" and that stuff is expensive, then he dries it to 70 or 80% rh, I like 60% to 70% max then like it to settle between 50 and 65%

There`s no way he`s right and no way he`s better than me

He does soil and coco only and uses expensive nutes and only ever does a few plants

I use any method I need to, feed what I can afford to buy and grow a lot more plants, I like to always have them going and be doing them in as many places as I can

So for sure his average plant maybe better than mine

but he`s doing 6 to 30 plants a year and I do 100`s

Easy to be fussy and picky and say your buds so great when you only have one to look after...... lol


anyway gotta leave work now.................

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I can respect what youre saying,and I kinda agree with the 100 plant thing.But we each grow according to our needs,if you want to grow 100 plants and put pounds in ziplocks at the end of the day then thats your thing.Other people may have a different agenda.What suits you or I,may not suit the next person.So to each his own I geuss.