Soil PPM question

[Carver]

So I just transplanted my plants from 1 gallon pots to 5gal and I have been vegging for about a week watering with plain h2o PHed at 6.2. Runoff has been about 3300PPM! Is this normal for empire builders soil? Should I keep feeding with plain water until PPMs drop? How low until I start nutrient regimen? Thanks

 

[SeaMaiden]

How do the plants look?

 

[Carver]

The plants look great but are growing slow for being in veg.
I run the 12/1 schedule. I have two or three that are showing zink def. should I give a little food by foliage spray ?

 

[SeaMaiden]

I'd rather see the plants before making a comment. I've never run a lighting schedule quite like that, but if they're receiving sufficient light for photosynthesis then that shouldn't be the issue.

Do you use chemical salt-based nutrients? And the soil itself? Does it have anything like those slow-release fertilizers? I know nothing about the soil, but if no one else is commenting then here we are.

In any event, I wanted to point out to you that measuring EC is difficult with specific regard to organic molecules, so it's difficult to say why your EC run-off reading is so high. However, if the plants are doing fairly well with slow growth being the only problem, I suggest that the reading isn't really giving you an accurate indication of anything that's happening in the soil.

How about giving them an inoculation of microbes, mycorrhiza, et alia? I think that if you only just transplanted, they're still 'finding themselves' in their new space. Microbes help that transition, IME.

 

[Carver]

Yes they are still in transition mode. But the ppm thing is an issue. I don't know why it's soo high. I am not using any chemical nutrients at this moment just plain PHed water. The soil itself does have some beneficials but will deplete after a few weeks. I was manly concerned with ppm levels

 

[Granger2]

Carver,
Sound advice from Sea Maiden. I'm not familiar with your soil, but I wouldn't be disciplined enough to wait it out. If it were me, I would flush the soil thoroughly, followed right away with a medium strength veg mix w/trace mins, a good root stimulator like Roots Excelurator, and an inoculation with Plant Success Soluble or something like it. See how they respond and take it from there.

I don't care what anyone says, I would, in the beginning, feed/water with a pH around 6.2 till you get them healthy. Repeat with the root stim. and inoculation. Careful not to keep them too wet. Leaf tips pointing down is a sign of that. Good luck. -granger

 

[Carver]

Thanks for the help folks

 

[SeaMaiden]

Yes they are still in transition mode. But the ppm thing is an issue. I don't know why it's soo high. I am not using any chemical nutrients at this moment just plain PHed water. The soil itself does have some beneficials but will deplete after a few weeks. I was manly concerned with ppm levels

You cannot accurately measure organic molecules using EC. Electrical conductivity is the base measurement (as measured in microSiemens) from which ppm is calculated. Different organic molecules have differing levels of conductivity, some do conduct but only a little, others conduct quite a lot and others still don't conduct at all.

For example, I have seen that molasses can cause some pretty crazy EC readings, yet very little, volumetrically speaking, may have been used in the solution, and if it were really that saturated the plants would have responded. So, I stopped taking EC readings when molasses was in the mix. Now that I'm using an organic regimen and have learned about the equipment, molecules, etc, I'm just not worrying about what the numbers say and am using the plants to tell me what's up.

I learned this bit about the organic vs chem salt molecules by querying my scientist acquaintances, which include an oceanographer, a couple of marine biologists, a chemist and a physics professor. Their first question was, "What are you trying to measure?"

Since I could only give generalities like liquid kelp, molasses and other sugars, some liquid guanos, and a few other things I use, their response was that I would need to first know what the molecule is I want to measure (we're working with more than one organic molecule here), then I need the appropriate testing equipment. They threw out a couple of pieces of equipment, and many of them start out at the $10K+ range. Lab equipment.

I don't know about anyone else, but I just don't have that kinda scratch!

 

[Carver]

I hear ya ^. I understand now. Plants are happy so I am happy. Thanks for the input. Very much appreciated mate.

 

[Carver]

So a couple of days have passed and I am seeing that my plants are getting a lighter green. Should I start feeding nutes?

 

[cannachef]

New growth should be a bit lighter at times, its a sign of being healthy. Try to remember when you feed that its organic, and will take 4 or 5 days to show the results of the feeding.

 

[Carver]

Yeah I know the new growth will be lighter but lower leaves are getting light and some fan leaves as well. Do you mean to feed organic or that feeding the fresh soil is organic? Thanks

 

[SeaMaiden]

I *think* he means the organic feed, however, if you use something like urine then it's immediately available. I'd give it a feed, your choice of what you use, make it something balanced, but also offers a bit higher N.

 

[cannachef]

I *think* he means the organic feed, however, if you use something like urine then it's immediately available. I'd give it a feed, your choice of what you use, make it something balanced, but also offers a bit higher N.

yeah this ^ I have no expierience with pouring urine on plants lol. Feed it forsure. I was just saying if you use chemical nutes, the results are faster, with organic itll take 4 or 5 days sometimes to see the results of the food you used. That being said, I'm all organic.

 

[SeaMaiden]

I've got some experience feeding urine, and it must be diluted. I start at 10:1 and work up or down from there. There are also certain plants that never get urine, for example my lettuces are never fed urine, because they're low to the ground (splashing) and only ever eaten raw.