Is continious-monitoring EC/pH any good?

[Chrellyboy]

Hi

I found a 60£ monitoring unit on ebay which measures temperature, pH and EC. The sellers claims it can stay calibrated for months.

What are you experiences with these? It would certainly be much easyer, even though I am not exactly running a big grow.

Thanks in advance

 

[FreezerBoy]

Charting EC and pH is never bad but, I've come to believe we obsess over numbers too much. My last couple of DWC grows were maintained by pH readings alone. My BlueLab EC Truncheon has become a $130 stirring stick. I'll admit it taught me much but, now I can predict accurately how far, how fast, and in what direction pH will go and a $5 pH test drop kit from the aquarium store is all I need.

If you're new at this, it would certainly be educational and aid your understanding of the relationship between EC and pH. Compared to individual units, you could easily spend more than what they're asking.

 

[ChaosCatalunya]

Plenty of people leave grows to "get on with it", especially DWC for some reason.... but if you look at small/medium/large commercial Greenhouse ops, they usually have $40,000 machines that monitor and adjust everything continuously... and that is to grow silly $1/KG Tomatoes.

I canot say I know for sure, but I always believe you should strive for perfection on every level, if something does go wrong you have so much less to go through when hunting for the problem.

Cheap Monitoring/Dosing machines can and do go wrong, so I would avoid them at all costs, but any help with environmental monitoring is all good in my book.

 

[rocket high]

well if you use a truncheon it also helps you to tell if the plants are feeding or if evaporation and transpiration is happening instead ......beat me if am tlking sh*t

 

[Longhair]

Hello
I Also Would Like To Know.

Thank You
Longhair

 

[FreezerBoy]

well if you use a truncheon it also helps you to tell if the plants are feeding or if evaporation and transpiration is happening instead ......beat me if am tlking sh*t

A truncheon will tell you if EC is up or down but it won't tell you why. Why takes observation and reason.

 

[noone88]

Continuous monitoring ph/ec/ppm is good while you're learning, but after you have a few grows under your belt, you'll know instinctively how the pH will change, when it will change, the frequency of changes, etc etc.

I have the Trimeter but I primarily use the BlueLab portable pH meter.

 

[RockyMountainHi]

Why takes observation and reason.

And sometimes a trip or two to the infirmary.


When starting out - or trying to fix problems, numbers can help find a better place.

If stuff is lush and green - keep doing what your doing.

When learning or working up a different nute program information is a good thing. You also have to understand - especially EC/TDS and also pH to a lesser extent,,, If Joe Schmo says he runs 2.0 EC and his pH is 5.0 - don't think those numbers will be good for you. And also - if you have a nute regiment - and say change to a different maker - don't think your garden will be happy at the figures you were using. The numbers are a reference and the plants are really the meter.

I had a butt load of trouble a while back - went back to checking EVERYTHING. Now that the new system is in and running, I've noticed I will mix a batch and start watering - then go check the numbers - so far... it hasn't bitten my backside. YET. But the moral of the lesson is - as long as the plants are happy - the numbers can fluctuate - which seems to be a good thing for the garden also.

I'd recommend a good pH tester and a good EC/Tds meter. Separate units because if one breaks - you still have the other. - (If my TDS is right - my pH is usually good too - so,, if I lost either the pH or TDS - I could get by till I got the replacement.

 

[Wait...What?]

those commercial greenhouses run to waste. you cant get crop insurance if you recirculate.

 

[2fast4u2]

A truncheon will tell you if EC is up or down but it won't tell you why. Why takes observation and reason.

I dont even check ec or ph, ive gotten so used to the same old drain and fill routine.

9ml ph up

320ml micro

640ml bloom

top off with ro water once and drain and fill again every ten days.

its fun actually watching the plants grow, not bothering with the feeding mess and maintaining the ec/ph.

( i let my ph drift to allow uptake at various ph's)

 

[foaf]

I leave the probes in the solution for the whole grow, unless you have a pen type, why not mount them in the res, for a reciruculating system. Infomation is never bad if you use it in context. You do need to be careful not to try and correct every little trend, you will drive yourself batty.

This grow Im using a ppm meter that throws a relay when the setpoint is hit, this turns on a little pump that pumps semi concentrated nute soln into the res. I have my res stay topped with ro water so the ppms drop as the plant uses nutes, it hits a setpoint and then puts more nutes in. I had problems with that setup in the past cause I tried to use a peristaltic pump with concentrated flora nova and it would gum up, but this time Im diluting the nutes 1:10 and using a fountain pump for more volume.

 

[FreezerBoy]

But the moral of the lesson is - as long as the plants are happy - the numbers can fluctuate - which seems to be a good thing for the garden also.

Early in my first EC/pH measured grow I got my readings to flatline for about a month. I thought this meant things were happy. Wide spread yellowing was my reward. Once I allowed a small pH swing, plants were MUCH happier.

 

[RockyMountainHi]

Once I allowed a small pH swing, plants were MUCH happier.

Absolutly!


Actually - my pH level and what the "prefferered published levels" are qiute a bit different - my hydro ranges up to 7.0 range and maybe as low as 6.2ish but all seems perfectly happy.

Who am I to argue?
I'm pretty sure it relates to the water you use.


I'm not sure my garden has read that copy of George Cerrvanties book in the grow room. I bet them silly girls don't even look at the pretty pictures~ lol

Silly plants


NOTE -- ALWAYS! ALWAYS! ALWAYS! check a new bottle pf pH up or down aginst your last known adjustment.