changes in EC and ph.

[kiwi9r]

I have used floranova 2 part nutes for a few years now with great results. Started up some new genetics recently (ak47) and cant get the nutes dialed to save my life. So heres the status:


Started from seed with 11 ak47 seeds from serious seeds. Transfered into GH rainforest aeroponic system when rooted. All conditions appear to be perfect except for nutrient levels. Using chillers so the roots are looking great and regardless of what they feed them they still grow aggressively. Leaf problems have been abundant however. Plant canopy is about 53cm currently.

I have been upping the nutes as EC continues to drop no matter what I feed them. They are starting to get some leaf tip burn, but the EC keeps dropping as if I was underfeeding. I would like you guys to check out my EC levels and changes and see what you think. Also if anyone has any good threads about floranova that would be great. (journals, nutrient calculators) Using GH's nute schedule would have my EC at like 4.0 so I don't use that...


the stats:

ec meter-milwaukee 802 conversion-.68
humidity-40-55%
temps-73 low at night and 82F tops lights on. Usually 77-79F


I have two rainforests running so I'm upping the nutes on one and dropping the other for a few days at least.

Yesterday EC on system one was .79 and 12 hours later its at .73

This was dropped down from about 1.1 EC previously due to tip burn. Thats about 800ppm on my meter.

System two I have upped to 1.5 EC (about 1000ppm) and it fell to 1.45 in 12 hours. Tip burn has not progressed so far, but plants still look far from happy. ph ranges from 5.5-5.9 and currently set at 5.6 on both systems.

I promise to have pics up later this evening, but I doubt it will help. So many leaf problems compounding that visual diagnosis may not be helpful. I tried to keep it short so as not to bore anyone, but I would love to give more details. Let me know what you need. Thanks guys n girls

 

[FreezerBoy]

When was the last time you field stripped and sterilized the unit?

Aeroponics are infamous for immediate catastrophic failure. One day they work perfectly, the next they kill everything. Improper cleaning is the usual reason. I'd take it all apart, scrub with a 5% bleach solution, rinse REALLY WELL and try again.

Some report the use of EWC teas helps.

Whither pH? EC and pH are a team. How they perform together is a vital stat when troubleshooting. We can only work with what you give us. Please sir, may we have more (info)?

 

[kiwi9r]

The system is brand new. It does not currently require cleaning. Wanted to make a DIY unit with the rainforest disc sprayer, but was to lazy this round and wanted to keep it small anyways.

Indeed aeroponics systems are vulnerable to pump failures, but in a rainforest type system the roots are still getting some well oxygenated water in that event.

I dont know what a EWC tea is and I dont know what you mean by whither ph.

I could give you more info from my grow log such as ec and ph earlier on in the grow if you would like.

MAINLY THIS IS MY CONCERN.

If my ppms drop 60-80ppm in less than a day, thats a pretty good indicator that they are being underfed yes? I have always gone by this rule in the past, but never have I had a problem this severe.

ALSO, I think my old tds meter was on a .5 conversion whereas my new one for this grow is at .68. So if my old meter was holding 800ppm and plants doing great, this meter would have to read 1k-1200ppm or whatever to get the same concentration. I neglected to account for that initially.

would love to hear from anyone who has experience with floranova products or maybe someone who purely hates them for good reason. Its done well for me years ago, but not so well this round.

 

[FreezerBoy]

New and clean are not synonymous. New and filthy are not antonyms.

Wither means, "Where did it go?" EC and pH work together. To give one without the other defeats the troubleshooting process. When troubleshooting a stereo or lamp, the first question is "is it plugged in?" You've reduced it to, "Is it...?" Incomplete info leads to incomplete diagnosis. So again, whither pH? Did it go up or down?

EWC is Earth Worm Castings.

It's possible that aeration is the culprit. Aeration drives CO² out of the water. CO² exists in the water as carbonic acid. Water is an insulator and measures 0 on an EC meter. It's the stuff we add to the water, like acids (aka nutes) that cause EC to climb. Because aeration removes acids EC will drop and pH will climb.

 

[kiwi9r]

ok, i cant believe im explaining this, but yes my system was very clean and the rootzone is very healthy.

Never have I heard anyone describe the absence of ph information as ph whither...but cool I like it... I am pretty sure I listed the current ph and offered to describe past readings if it helps.

I don't know why EWC is necessary. Please feel free to elaborate.

ok so its possible aeration is the culprit. If that's true, I don't know why I have seen so many describe adjusting nutrients based on EC and ph changes. I mean...who does not aerate well? Any additional info on how EC and ph changes describe how the grower should react would be VERY HELPFUL. I wanted to get enough info on here to help solve the problem without having to post an entire grow journal.

Tonight I will finally get a hold of my camera and can snap a few shots of the issue i'm having. I will also describe how the problem has progressed visually since its onset. Hope it is enough. Thank you Freezer.

 

[kiwi9r]

also, I realize some of this stuff is probably covered in other threads. I was wondering if a search function exists on icmag forums. I cant seem to find it.

 

[nbuus]

 

[FreezerBoy]

Not pH whither. Whither pH? As in where did the pH move to? EC and pH work together. Listing the pH range doesn't tell us where it started, where it went, or how it relates to EC movement. You are withholding critical information.

So, one more time, whither pH? What was pH on Monday? What was it on Tuesday? What was it on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday? What was EC doing at the exact same time?