Increase frequency or lower ec?

Star Dog

Well-Known Member
With all this time on my hands I've had plenty of time to spend around my grow, I've been messing around with feed times, atm 1 min every 3 hours that's allowing the ec to raise by 0.2 over that period, it works out at 17/18% run off 24hrs.

I'm putting in 1.0 getting 1.2 back, I'm thinking if I lower the ec by another 0.2 I won't need 17/18% run off? It's crossed mind I might just be diluting salts rather than washing them out, idk?

I'm not looking to save nutrient at the cost of plant health but I'd be happy to use less for the same end result?

So my question is maintain ec or rinse it back?
 

kingromano

Well-Known Member
1.0 is low.
increase the EC (how much depending on the color of the plants) and give larger runoff
recover the runoff and reuse it

larger runoff= no salt accumulations
small runoff= not enough to impede the salt to accumulate and make the ec climb in the media
 

Star Dog

Well-Known Member
1.0 is low.
increase the EC (how much depending on the color of the plants) and give larger runoff
recover the runoff and reuse it
That is what I'm doing at the moment, diluting it back is more a theoretical question for future reference, namely for autopots.

I use 10ltr a day and collect the 17/18% run off, every 5/6 days I'll feed it back to them then put the 17/18% run off in the bin after the 2nd time.
Previously it would've went down the drain, it's not a money thing it's the needless waste thing.
 

kingromano

Well-Known Member
ok i run 2.5 mS in veg and around 2.8 mS for bloom with this method
big runoff is the key
can't be too much, not enough yes

when i grew with 20% runoff rule i wasnt able to go over 1.5 in bloom
 

Star Dog

Well-Known Member
ok i run 2.5 mS in veg and around 2.8 mS for bloom with this method
big runoff is the key
can't be too much, not enough yes

when i grew with 20% runoff rule i wasnt able to go over 1.5 in bloom
I've always gotten by with 0.8/1.2 but I'm not familiar with such frequency.
It had crossed my mind that I could be preventing the optimum through run off, with a single feed over 24hrs the ec will rise 4/5 points, that could well be optimum it'll take a bit of time but atm they look healthy with 1.0
DSC_1611.JPG
I'm always open to constructive criticism/improvements though ?
 
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A e o n

Well-Known Member
What media? Feed more than once a day and you should be able to lower the amount of runoff. You can grow with no runoff, just lower ec and flush with plain H2O on occasion. With cannabis I prefer DTW for smoothness in the smoke; plants exude metabolic waste (almost like plaint urine) out of their roots into the media which are meant to be drained away, as is in nature with rainfall. For vegetables its fine to never have runoff, but for drying and smoking I find it makes a difference
 
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