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good recipes for mixing the simple GH nutes??
- Thread starter TicalionStalion
- Start date
TicalionStalion
Active member
yeah the tips started to burn alittle bit, just the veeeerryy tips. and they are losing a BIT of their green, also just a few of the leaves are getting patchy brown burnt looking spots, but mainly on a few of the lower leaves. they were rooted in rapid rooter plugs, and then spent a week or 2 in 3.5 inch green square pots, using botanicare ready-gro soil-less medium. its like an indoor aeration formula, anyway the stuff rocks, I added in some myco. and my root mass was outstanding. shook off all the readygro and into the table they went. they have been in there for about 1.5 week. I do have a TDS pen, I have been using it often to test my res, and my RO and tap water you know?
do you think going from the coco/peat medium in a pot and not being fed, then into a table and being fed often with alot of different things has something to do with it?? Ill also add that they were SUPER dark green, and perfect while I was establishing the roots in the little pots. I think i may be using too low of a nutrient makeup. I think Ill start fresh. making RO water as we speak, should be another 6 hours HAHA. the things we do for our babies, right?! lol.
do you think going from the coco/peat medium in a pot and not being fed, then into a table and being fed often with alot of different things has something to do with it?? Ill also add that they were SUPER dark green, and perfect while I was establishing the roots in the little pots. I think i may be using too low of a nutrient makeup. I think Ill start fresh. making RO water as we speak, should be another 6 hours HAHA. the things we do for our babies, right?! lol.
What did your plants say when you asked them?
While PPM is nonsense that has nothing to do with parts per million, you can still track numbers up and down.
You're screwed until you get pH to 5.8ish +or- 0.2 (note a small swing above and below 5.8 is better than a constant reading so don't stress if you don't hit it exactly) Based on plant color I'll guess you're a little lean. Raise EC (or ppm,tds) by 50% and see how low this sends pH (nutes are acidic that's why EC and pH move in opposite directions) Now tweak pH towards 5.8 with pH down (vinegar is hundreds of times more expensive and less effective, avoid it and other kitchen remedies)
Now chart EC and pH on a daily basis. EC up, pH down is too rich. EC down and pH up is too lean. The ppms of others may well have no bearing on your grow. Many have luck with the "Lucas Formula", I've had plants that say 1/3 Lucas is too strong. This is why we ask our plants rather than strangers or a chart.
Mile Hi Dave
Member
Here's a PH Chart you should find handy:
Also, if you are using RO water, you will want to add CalMag....
Mile Hi Dave
Member
OK...now I'm confused. Are you using RO water? If so, you should be getting a 7.0 reading for PH and a "0" or near-zero PPM. Any measuring you are doing should be done after you add your nutes to the RO'd water. Your PH will be high for our wonderful plant and you will need PH down. You will also need CalMag, as the RO'd water has nothing in it (it is also known as "dead" water). In my 55gal res, I add a cup of CalMag every change.
I use RO, even tho it's not necessary outta the tap here...we have 7.0 and 130-140 PPM.
TicalionStalion
Active member
yes, Im usin straight RO water, with whatever nutes I added, it comes to about 500-600 ppm. sounds like I really need to lower the PH. I bought some calmag because I thought calcium or mag. deficiency. Ill start adding a bit more. first thing in the morning...Im changing out my whole res. giving it a wipedown, then adding my nutes according to some of the reccomendations, THEN ill use the PH down to bring my PH from 7.1 (after nutes) (pen might need alittle calibrating) to about 5.8-6. ...does that sound good guys???! thanks for chiming in. really appreciate the charts too. thanks a million!!
side note, the problems I am seeing with the plants would be minor curl down or up, then the verrry tips seem to be crisped up, curling up or down...not yellow, but it looks like juuust the last cm. of the tip of the leaves is dead. also they seem to be losing some of the green around the edges and in the middle of the leaves...not alot, but they are lighter green then they should be.
thanks again!
side note, the problems I am seeing with the plants would be minor curl down or up, then the verrry tips seem to be crisped up, curling up or down...not yellow, but it looks like juuust the last cm. of the tip of the leaves is dead. also they seem to be losing some of the green around the edges and in the middle of the leaves...not alot, but they are lighter green then they should be.
thanks again!
Apparently you're not aware that you can get the same symptoms when you "Underfeed" 500ppm is about 50% of what you should be at. Listen to FreezerBoy, he knows what he's talking about.
Once you feed them the correct amount, and get your pH in-line, you'll see them get darker green and all the new growth will be perfect. If they get REALLY dark green and the tips start to burn again... your feed strength is probably too much. You'll figure it out though.
Stay Safe!
Mile Hi Dave
Member
Yes...once you add your nutes...the PH your solution to 5.8 (optimal)...you will see that rise as nutes are taken out and your water level goes down. Top it off with RO'd water. I change my res every 10 days and only top off with straight RO water. I only adjust PH once/cycle...but I check it every day.
http://www.genhydro.com/genhydro_US/feeding_schedule.html
here's a calculator for your tank http://www.genhydro.com/calculator/index.html that hits all stages with dif amounts
here's a calculator for your tank http://www.genhydro.com/calculator/index.html that hits all stages with dif amounts
IF you mix at the Lucas ratio... that's not technically accurate. It IS true that Ca/Mag can 'fix' the yellowing issue that shows up for most growers.... (if they've not run their pH swing correctly), but.... I've NEVER used Cal/Mag and I only use RO water.
I don't get that yellowing either.
The secret is to mix your res with a fresh batch of nutes... a week BEFORE you switch to 12/12. Set that pH at 5.2-5.4 (depending on how often you 'top-off' your res.) and let it creep up.
Your ladies will absorb PLENTY of Calcium and Magnesium during that time. The elements move kinda slow through the plant... so you need to give your ladies time to absorb it and distribute it throughout. All you'll see is steady growth.
By the time you hit the day your ladies would normally yellow... your pH should be approximately 6.0-6.1.It takes some time.... but the best results are obtained when you regulate the size of your res to allow the proper rise of pH. Too fast and your plants can't absorb enough at each window. Too slow and they don't get to absorb from all windows of opportunity.
If this doesn't make sense.... just read all the threads that mention pH, Cal/Mag and Lucas. You'll get it, same as I did.
Stay Safe!
p.s. It's sooooooo much easier growing in hydro this way.
Mile Hi Dave
Member
IF you mix at the Lucas ratio... that's not technically accurate. It IS true that Ca/Mag can 'fix' the yellowing issue that shows up for most growers.... (if they've not run their pH swing correctly), but.... I've NEVER used Cal/Mag and I only use RO water.
I don't get that yellowing either.
The secret is to mix your res with a fresh batch of nutes... a week BEFORE you switch to 12/12. Set that pH at 5.2-5.4 (depending on how often you 'top-off' your res.) and let it creep up.
Your ladies will absorb PLENTY of Calcium and Magnesium during that time. The elements move kinda slow through the plant... so you need to give your ladies time to absorb it and distribute it throughout. All you'll see is steady growth.
It takes some time.... but the best results are obtained when you regulate the size of your res to allow the proper rise of pH. Too fast and your plants can't absorb enough at each window. Too slow and they don't get to absorb from all windows of opportunity.
If this doesn't make sense.... just read all the threads that mention pH, Cal/Mag and Lucas. You'll get it, same as I did.
Stay Safe!
p.s. It's sooooooo much easier growing in hydro this way.
To each their own....
Milehigh Dave is right about lowering your pH. Drain the res, mix a fresh batch of the following (per gal) and run it through for a few days:
6ml Micro
12ml Bloom
at pH 5.8 to start
This generally yields ~700-800ppm depending on your water quality.
I've been using GH for a very long time and that is my general go to range for late veg/transition if I'm not sure what the strain prefers. Try it. I guarantee your girls will like it.
6ml Micro
12ml Bloom
at pH 5.8 to start
This generally yields ~700-800ppm depending on your water quality.
I've been using GH for a very long time and that is my general go to range for late veg/transition if I'm not sure what the strain prefers. Try it. I guarantee your girls will like it.
Anyone interested in getting the max out of the Lucas and GH nutes should really read up on 10K's threads.
For maximum yield with cannabis... 5.8 is not a great starting point. It's a good general number though and will work great while you're learning.
Read 10k's stuff and learn the pH swing and why it's such a great and easy way to increase vigor and yield.
Stay Safe!
For maximum yield with cannabis... 5.8 is not a great starting point. It's a good general number though and will work great while you're learning.
Read 10k's stuff and learn the pH swing and why it's such a great and easy way to increase vigor and yield.
Stay Safe!
superultramega
Member
I'm with the others who think you're running too lean on the nutes. you're seeing high pH because there aren't enough nutes in solution to keep the pH down. I'd be at least 1000 ppm on the TDS meter at this stage (with RO water). Up your nute dosage and you'll see better growth in a week and more stable pH immediately.
Freezerboy is kinda right on the TDS readouts in PPM and kinda wrong. It isn't necessarily giving you an accurate reading of PPM of the actual salt species but it is giving you a fairly accurate reading of the total concentration of salts via to total charge of dissociated ions. As you're typically dealing with all the same salts in solution (and other species that contribute to EC) this will give you an accurate reference to adjust your dosings. Actually Freezerboy is right except if I get all anal about it having nothing to do with ppm. It does, just not directly, you'd need a mass spectrometer for that and I have never seen one of those in a garden.
(love ya Freezerboy and typically agree with your posts. I think you'll agree with this slight modification to yours.)
Freezerboy is kinda right on the TDS readouts in PPM and kinda wrong. It isn't necessarily giving you an accurate reading of PPM of the actual salt species but it is giving you a fairly accurate reading of the total concentration of salts via to total charge of dissociated ions. As you're typically dealing with all the same salts in solution (and other species that contribute to EC) this will give you an accurate reference to adjust your dosings. Actually Freezerboy is right except if I get all anal about it having nothing to do with ppm. It does, just not directly, you'd need a mass spectrometer for that and I have never seen one of those in a garden.
(love ya Freezerboy and typically agree with your posts. I think you'll agree with this slight modification to yours.)
TicalionStalion
Active member
damn guys, I wanna thank u all. yesterday morning I drained the res, cleaned it, added about 25-30 gals of fresh RO water, and mixed my nutes to what most of u suggested, I also used some PH down to bring me to around 6, damn I have noticed a HUGE difference today when I just checked on them! holy crap! Ill have to snag a pic.
how often do you guys have to add PH down?
how often do you guys have to add PH down?
Mile Hi Dave
Member
I only have to do it once, each res change....as I top off with RO'd water...the PH raises, giving the girls the nutes they need, in the range they need. I change my res every 7-10 days (whenever I have added 50% of the res back in)
TicalionStalion
Active member
cool man, thanks. check out the update!
