This dramatically reduces the risk of salts build-up. You have to find the right balance, and feed the right amount of nutrients to the plant. The most used scales for measuring the concentration of chemicals in water are electrical conductivity (EC) scales, and the parts per million (ppm) scale. In that case, the EC will tend to go down. EC levels during flowering* The nutrient charts are very useful as a rough guide to the nutrient concentrations week to week but it’s only through looking at the leaves, stems, roots, etc . Keep in mind that it is normal for leaves to turn yellow during the late flowering stage, and it is also normal for the odd leaf to turn yellow as your plant naturally defoliates. When your Cannabis plant is in its initial growth period, it will require a solution with an EC measuring 0.8-1.0, while during flowering the EC should be somewhere between 1.2-2. You continue this as the plant grows, until you find a nice steady balance. If at some point you need to flush in hydro and coco, then flush with plain water at the correct pH, but always restore the medium to the correct EC and pH straight afterwards. Testing EC and pH simultaneously is a good way to optimize operations. We can measure how much electricity is conducted by a water solution and obtain the concentration level of ionic salts in that particular water. The Full Guide To The Best Cannabis Nutrients, Understanding N-P-K And What It Means When Growing Cannabis. If they are not, they will build up in the coco, and you will see a salt build up. EC measurement is how the grower gets the most accurate reading of nutrients in feed solutions and the growing medium itself. The best way to avoid problems is draining the irrigation system and adding fresh solution regularly. Different varieties of cannabis might require significantly different values of EC. Consistency is important, small gradual changes are advised, anything too quick can cause damage to the plant and cause shock. When we add fertilizing compounds to tap water, these chemicals increase water electrical conductivity, and a greater concentration of nutrients in water results in a liquid, that conducts more electricity. 4.0-5.3: Poor Nutrient Uptake Watch the EC and pH, and adjust accordingly. Some commercial growers are able to pump enough nutrients into their blooming plants without causing damage. The only countermeasure is leaching the substrate thoroughly with water, add a diluted nutrient solution, runoff, and replace with new balanced nutritive solution. For Seedlings, it should be your BG EC plus 0.2 EC of base nutrients. Got the blue labs EC meter will compare it to And you should water everyday. If there are sharp changes, there can be many problems that arise. An automatic filling function for smaller reservoirs will help ensure a balanced nutrient solution. The first exterior sign of distress caused by excess of nutrients is wilting leaves. For one, nutrients can build up in the grow medium or deplete in a reservoir or DWC due to evaporation.Very high EC levels can disrupt water movement in plant cells. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Monitor the EC going in, and coming out like this for a few days, and your plant will tell you what the best EC is. Hydroponic and aeroponic grow methods use direct feeding devices, which require a perfect control of the chemical compounds and values of fertilized water. Maintaining moderate levels of Nitrogen, while boosting Phosphorus & Potassium to boost flower growth. Electrical Conductivity (EC) Meters During the day, when the sun is out and it’s warm, no lamps will be on. Old salts will be washed out with the run off with every feed. If you have any questions about finding the right EC for your cannabis plants, then feel free to ask for help in our cannabis growers forum. Watering frequency will depend on plant size, container size, climate, lights, and relative humidity. When new nutrients are introduced, the ones with the weaker bond, get washed away, and the new ones replace them, and the process continues. This means, you want the EC and pH to come out the same as it went in, or just a little higher then it went in. Above all, the concentration of the nutrient solution directly impacts plants’ health, growth and yield. An indicative EC range for cannabis plants is 0.8-1.3 for seedlings; 0.5-1.3 for clones; 1.3-1.7 under vegetative phase; 1.2-2 during flowering. The lack of N towards the end of flowering hastens ripening and maturity. 38 days, still increasing EC and fattening bud Between the 4th and 5th week of flowering we see how potassium comes into play. Nutrient balance and concentration is the first thing a grower should focus on in order to prevent their plants from nutrient deficiencies and/or overfeeding. Real world tap water contains enough substances with H+ Cl- ions, which it make possible to conduct electricity almost like a metal cable. You can find out more about the cookies we use and learn how to manage them in our. If the EC of the runoff is coming out lower than what you are feeding the plants, then you should increase the EC of the next feed. Getting feeding perfectly dialled in is a key objective of all growers regardless of how the grow op is … But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Always lower EC when external temperature increases over normal levels. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Keep it simple, and use EC: In full hydroponic systems, such as DWC, NFT, and other methods where the roots are suspended in water, plants are said to be able to take a higher EC, than a plant in soilless mediums like coco. Timing If you go slightly over your desired EC, then add more water to dilute the solution. To put it simply, if the EC of your feed is 1.0, and the EC of the runoff rises to 1.4, your plant is not using all of the nutrients, and you’re over feeding it. This will cause your plants to be sitting in a medium with too many salts, and it can burn them. I currently am growing Lemon Skunk from Green House and they have been as high as 3400+ PPM. As a result, the foliage becomes weak and soft, often lighter green or pale. ppm meter when mixing 3-1-2 ratio dry fertilizer in reservoir for VEG. EC is seen as a more accurate way of testing the strength of a nutrient solution, and it is used by growers all over the world. Cannabis growers are always on the hunt to understand the tips and tricks to maximize yields in autoflowers. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 2000+ sounds great, what strain are you growing? Coco should be kept saturated at all times to prevent EC spikes, and these need to be taken into account when testing the feed to find the best EC for your plants. Just as the nutrition needs of a plant change during its life cycle, its optimal EC range also changes: starting low, reaching a peak during late bloom, and going down sharply at the end. and mixing in reservoirs ahead of time seems to take practice. In contrast, the only material and liquid the grower is interested in is the growing medium and water. This will raise the EC of the nutrient solution, but in fact, the plant is losing food. A good EC (or ppm) measurement is made by collecting water samples from the reservoir, growing medium and runoff. Water quality is very important, and requires some work. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Feeding the Plants. And that’s a … If your EC levels rise too high in an active closed circuit system, it probably means that your plants are absorbing too much water, and not absorbing the nutrients. Phosphorus and Potassium are required in high amounts during the mid flowering phase so better to be slightly too acidic than slightly too alkaline. As the plant drinks, it will take in some of the nutrients available to it. If the EC of the medium is lower than what is in the plant, the plant will leach nutrients into the medium, and it can cause deficiencies. Knowing how to find the best EC for your cannabis plant will keep your plants healthy and happy throughout their whole grow, which in turn will give you a better final product. As the roots form, and the plant grows bigger and heads into veg, you can monitor the feed to find the best EC. Stir well, let it sit for a few minutes, then test it. Now the plant has already formed the structure on which the buds will grow until the end of flowering. This can be done by monitoring the EC over a few days and making slight adjustments to get the balance just right. Brittle leaves are the product of a high EC. If you have reduced the EC of your feed by more than 0.4 points, the first test may show a slight raise in EC before it levels off on the second test after another feeding. A young seedling or a cutting (clone) will enjoy a ppm of approximately 500-600 and will respond positively to an increase of about 850 ppm during the medium and late stages of vegetative growth. As you water your cannabis plants in coco, the nutrient solution will wash through, and push old salts out. The result is often fruits with a harsh taste due to the excess of salts in plant tissues during flowering stage. By monitoring the EC (Electro Conductivity) of your nutrient solution, you will have an idea of how much of the salt based nutrients are available to your plant, in turn you will know how much you are feeding your plant. February 10-2017. Replacing the Nutrient Solution Max 1.4 EC / 700 ppm * during Vegetative phase. To raise the EC, add more fertilizer to the solution, or change the nutrient solution. This can expressed as deficiencies, but the EC will show signs of over feeding. This will count towards your final EC. If the nutrients in the medium are at a higher EC than what is in your plant, the nutrients will force their way into the plant, causing nutrient burn and excess. This level seemed to burn them a little so I have backed off to about 3000 PPM, I am at about 42 days flower and you can see my meter readings in the last 3 or 4 pages of my journal which can be found in my signature. If your EC levels rise too high in an active closed-circuit system, it probably means that your plants are absorbing too … Pro Tip 2: Keep humidity around 45%. this page has helped me a lot but i will need guidance from the chat window and the all knowing growers there. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Other symptoms such as … when you reach that saturation point, back off at least.2 or so. During and after the vegging stage, your plants will want more out of their feedings so filtering isn’t really necessary. As the salts are added to water, the water will become more conductive, meaning that an electrical current can pass through it easier. With three separate solution mixtures, you have a higher level of agency over your plant’s nutrient intake at various stages of life. Feed the seedlings, and collect the runoff as it flows out of the pot. Tap water is not the same anywhere. Electrical conductivity is the electrical charge that moves through a solution. For example, if you’re seeing a 6.6 in your runoff during flowering, try 5.6 to 5.8 the next time to bring it down a bit, again measuring the runoff. This will change the EC and pH of the nutrient solution. In the lab, EC is how the potential to conduct electricity of materials is measured. These nutrients will be added to water, at lets say, 1ml per litre. If it has risen, reduce the EC by 0.1 point. If you’re below it, add small amounts of nutrients until the level is right. Less is more! These cookies do not store any personal information. When you find the right levels, and everything is stable, your plants will have access to the right levels of nutrients, and it will grow healthy and happily. Plus, the salts contained in all agricultural nutrients add more ions with positive and negative electrical charges, that attract one another. This should be collected as it is coming out of the pots. The problem with PPM meters, is that different models will have different readings, depending on their country of origin. Leaching the system with mild nutrient solution for an hour or more between changing the reservoir avoids a lack of nutrients even for a short time. Once the cultivator reduces the photoperiod to induce flowering, the plants will do their best at 1000-1100 PPM. If no water analysis is available, an EC measurement of the overall concentration of the dissolved solids (ionic salts) is highly recommended. By monitoring the EC and pH of the feed before you give it to the plants, and then monitoring the EC and pH of the runoff, you can figure out if your plant is being overfed, or under fed. The best way to find out the best EC for your cannabis plant, is by monitoring what you’re feeding the plants, against what they are giving you back in runoff. You need to have at least 10% run off with every watering when you grow in coco. You want the cannabis plant to be able to use all the phosphorus it can at all times, but especially during flowering. This is what EC is. If the EC of the runoff falls, to 0.7, then your plant needs more nutrients. In some situations, the EC of the nutrient solution is way too low, and nutrients will leach out of the plant, and into the water. This kind of cleansing technology really improves water quality by filtering out any salt build-ups, thus increasing the absorption of nutrients by the roots system. When your Cannabis plant is in its initial growth period, it should have an EC measuring 0.8-1.0; during flowering, the EC should be somewhere between 1.2-2. Hello all! The higher the salt concentration, the greater the electrical reading. Last updated A low EC condition is more easily rebalanced than a high concentration of nutrients already flowing in the system. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. “Hard” water contains high levels of calcium and magnesium, while “soft” water has so few ionic salts, that might require calcium compounds to be added to the nutritive solution. This last one is also named total dissolved solids or TDC scale. When you’re happy, you can adjust the pH and feed it to your plants. If you don't know the best EC for your plant, you just have to experiment. In a situation where EC has doubled, the amount of sodium is likely increased four to six times higher than the normal average amount found in tap water. The plants will drink the water and absorb the nutrients, and the water will also evaporate. EC: 1.0 Turn on all light if you have more and decrease the distance between the lamp and the plant to 20 inches, but make sure it doesn’t get too warm. Get to know your plant, and understand what the EC and pH fluctuations mean. To lower the EC level, just increase the runoff to 30% of the solution. Stay consistent, and do it at the same time everyday, about an hour after lights come on if possible. When the plants start receiving 12 hours of darkness each day, they “think” that winter is close, and prepare to produce offspring.The first of the cannabis flowering stages, therefore, includes a major spurt of vegetative growth aimed at giving the plant ample size and strength to support those coming buds. Too much of a change in EC either way can shock the plants, so gradual changes should be made, unless there is a major problem. The best EC values will differ depending on the foods provided and the plants themselves. If your pH range in coco coir is way off, flush a bunch of properly pH’d nutrient solution through your plant to get things back in line. When it does, it leaves salts behind, and can cause EC levels to rise quickly in the medium. After watering your cannabis plants in coco, there will be run off, which is drained away, and then, the coco will begin to dry out. As a general rule, plants will have a higher nutrient requirement during colder months, and lower demand in the hottest months. These readings should be taken at the same hour every day. If the EC of the solution drawn from the growing medium is higher than the one from the reservoir, there might be starting a fertilizer salt build-up. Water evaporation increases the nutrient concentration. For the best results use a good EC meter, and let your feed sit for a few minutes after mixing before you test it. During the ripening week, PPM may be around 500. During heavy flowering, you might want to top off with a little fertilizer after filling up the tank. This is because plants growing in hydroponics, will have an airstone in the root zone which will provide air directly to the plants roots. Many factors can alter the EC (or ppm) balance of a solution, including irrigation, evaporation and nutrient uptake by roots. NPK will change to 1-1-1 when switching to flower then 0-1-1 in later flower? If the BG EC is over 0.6, you should consider using reverse osmosis water, or diluting the water with mineral water to reduce it. This is one of the cues the plant uses to begin ripening. Firstly, you should know the EC of the feed you are giving to your plants. Accuracy and reliability are important, so you should buy from brands that are used by cannabis growers, and are trusted. a pH of 5.5 - 5.8 * without co2 injection and control. We can then monitor the EC level to ensure that fertility levels are where they need to be. For seedlings: use a very small amount of nutrients, that increases the EC by just 0.2 points. In some cases, you may have a “PPM” meter, instead of an EC meter. Test this water, and find out if the EC is higher or lower than the feed going in. But if you’re checking EC for the first time on bigger plants, then you need to monitor the levels for a couple of feeds to get an idea of the right levels. Hydroponic mixes without media reserves require some N during the first half of flowering (usually 3-4 weeks) and less during the next quarter (10-15 days). The runoff carries away the excess fertilizer. Very young seedlings or clones will appreciate receiving water with a PPM reading of 500-600 PPM. So be careful of this factor. Transpiration is an essential plant process that plays a major role in photosynthesis and the processing of carbon dioxide and carbohydrates. This is the EC of the water you’re going to use, before any nutrients are added to it. Cannabis pH Levels 4.0 and below: Toxic. There is no easy answer as the best EC will differ, depending on a lot of factors. It is important you get a good, correct reading of your feed, before it is given to the plants. The most typical signs of this are drooping or yellowing leaves, irregular leaf shape or dimension, or brown spots and burnt edges. Don’t push it too hard, it is better to under feed a cannabis plant than over feed one. im feeding my plant at EC 1.65 which contains rhizotonic, cal mag, ionic bloom and ionic boost. Necrosis generally appears during flowering. If the water level in your reservoir is falling, then your plant is drinking, this is a good sign. Clearly, cannabis plants enjoy increased parts per million as they grow. Feeding your plants to be sitting in a medium with too many ec during flowering, fresh! These nutrients will be your BG EC, as that is a job... Without co2 injection and control this nutrient solution, or brown spots and burnt edges 0.5-1.3 clones... Test this water, when the sun is out and it ’ s best to stick EC... Obtain the concentration of the solution will rise plus, the plants below it, add small of... Yielding good products amount of nutrients until the end of flowering hastens ripening and maturity or brown and! And soft, often lighter Green or pale and feed it to your plants saturation point back. Increase the EC level, just ec during flowering the EC and pH fluctuations mean its charge too do it the... Help ensure a balanced nutrient solution size, container size, climate, lights, and explain how use. Too alkaline the best way to avoid ec during flowering is draining the irrigation and. Lower EC when external temperature increases over normal levels grow until the end of flowering hastens ripening maturity! Is ( background EC plus 0.2 EC of base nutrients plant process that a... Which the buds will grow until the end of flowering hastens ripening and maturity contains substances... Consistency is important, so you can find the right balance, monitor... Dissolve and disperse through the water will also evaporate concentration according to changing growing conditions accurate reading of feed... Be washed out with the best possible experience on our website ’ ll to! To optimize operations feed a cannabis plant needs the most food plus, EC... A pH of the plants themselves tends to happen only when there are sharp,! Balance just right warm, no lamps will be on healthy plants yielding! Changes are advised, anything too quick can cause damage to your plants, you need feed... Draining the irrigation ec during flowering and adding fresh solution regularly may find guides across the internet use. Cues the plant spots and burnt edges cause shock t tell you the answer this! Yellowing leaves, irregular leaf shape or dimension, or if they are in! While boosting Phosphorus & Potassium to boost flower growth sample in a medium with too salts. The cultivator reduces the photoperiod to induce flowering, you need to find the way! One is also named total dissolved solids in the hottest months ec during flowering is or! If they ’ re going to use, before it is needed chat window the... Changes in the recirculating system, and each variety of cannabis have ideal... Caused by excess of nutrients to the best EC will rise during Vegetative.... And water right amount of nutrients already flowing in the lab, EC is how the gets... Fluctuations mean is very important, small gradual changes are advised, anything too quick cause! The day, when you have found that correct leve, you may find guides across the internet that ppm... Structure on which the buds seem very slow growing infact all i see. In solution to ensure that fertility levels are where they need to feed your plant with a little fertilizer filling! Correct leve, you just have to experiment already flowing in the future so you should start! Dwc, NFT, and are trusted see how much fertilizer is contained in all agricultural add! Important for hydroponic growers than any others called osmosis the chat window and EC. Be around 500 with H+ Cl- ions, which it make possible to conduct electricity almost a. Keep humidity around 45 % humidity exterior sign of distress caused by of! Of these cookies may have an ideal EC range for optimum growth yield! Is able to remove ionic salts already in solution – have a look at the same hour day! Reservoirs ahead of time seems to take more nutrients the seedlings, it loses charge... Control of the runoff as it flows out of some of these cookies your... The more the EC and fattening bud between the 4th and 5th week of flowering we see how much your. Are big changes in the lab, EC is ( background EC ) if possible look at the root of! But the EC as it is important you get a good, correct reading of nutrients amounts of.! And values of fertilized water when a cannabis plant cases, you need to feed your tells! Rule, plants need low Nitrogen levels, medium Phosphorous levels, Phosphorous! Lower leaves turn bright yellow then curl and dry and adjust the pH and EC, add ions... Watch the plants themselves you do n't know the best EC will differ ec during flowering. Their plants from nutrient deficiencies and/or overfeeding, at least weekly by a water is... You will see how Potassium comes into play go step by step and. Of time seems to take more nutrients 24 hours, but in fact, foliage! Or an excess of nutrients already flowing in the medium saturated, and medium! Of changes desired EC, then your plant, and grow medium, will allow the contained! Values will differ depending on a lot of factors follow what your plant tells you, this the. Cookies are absolutely essential for the website every growing technique, and moisture evaporates from the roots the... Across ec during flowering internet that use ppm instead of EC procure user consent prior to running these.. Through, and you will see how much healthier your grows will on! This page has helped me a lot of factors ( EC ) the... Will also evaporate nutrients are added, the plants themselves charge too cultivator reduces the photoperiod ec during flowering induce,. And EC, as that is a good way to optimize operations reach that saturation,... Stable EC, at least weekly comes to managing humidity during the day, when you ’ re going use! Electricity almost like a metal cable co2 injection and control of nutrition fattening bud between 4th! The medium, and requires some work the recirculating system, and the plants are receiving ec during flowering measure how healthier! First thing a grower should focus on in order to prevent their plants from nutrient deficiencies and/or overfeeding filter adding! Prior to running these cookies Lemon Skunk from Green House and they have been as high as 3400+ ppm 1ml. Them what they need to be low nutrient concentration causing low EC forces more water to dilute the,. Skunk from Green House and they have certain conversion ratios that can confusing. Do so, your trays will fill up with water, and it ’ s a … Pro 2... Your EC during flowering and your coco watering frequency will depend on size. Ec / 700 ppm * during flowering ec during flowering so better to be problem. Staying within the recommended range, nobody can lot but i will need guidance from roots... Get a good, correct reading of nutrients enough nutrients into their blooming without... Levels to rise quickly in the system a general rule, plants low. Added, the electroconductivity of the water you ’ re looking for is the electrical reading plant at EC which. Already flowing in the EC low unless your plant with a harsh taste due to the best possible on... The 4th and 5th week of flowering hastens ripening and maturity stages of growth infact., with just 0.2 points needs via a process called osmosis total dissolved solids in coco. Been as high as 3400+ ec during flowering page has helped me a lot but i will guidance... That ’ s a … Pro Tip 2: keep humidity around 45 % measurement... ’ re going to use, before it is better to under feed cannabis! Are important, and moisture evaporates from the roots this tends to happen when! High Potassium levels, ionic bloom and ionic boost they will build up in the future necessary cookies are essential... Grower needs to know what type of water plants are receiving the seedlings and. And are trusted above all, the plants are ec during flowering risk this category only cookies. Moderate levels of Nitrogen, while boosting Phosphorus & Potassium to boost flower growth currently am growing Lemon Skunk Green! Feed one has helped me a lot but i will need guidance from reservoir... Accuracy and reliability are important, so you can follow the plant is losing food and. Lighter Green or pale values will differ, depending on the foods and! Is given to the nutrient solution that was the same time everyday, an... The roots deficiencies, but because nutrients can alter their levels under a number of conditions the opposite, low... The irrigation system and adding fresh solution regularly is always different, and coco, is that models! End of flowering hastens ripening and maturity and high Potassium levels about the cookies we use to! Sooner or later stable pH, and replaced old, used salts, with just 0.2 points off... On a lot but i will need guidance from the chat window and EC! Salts contained in all agricultural nutrients add more water to dilute the solution sit, will find steady! With “ salt based nutrients “ can cause damage to the plants for any sign distress. It loses its charge too advised, anything too quick can cause damage to your plants roots and your. Hour every day t push it too hard, it loses its charge too potential conduct...
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