LEMON KUSH Mini experiment

Subtract the base 80 ppm. 110 left over is well within measurement error between two DIFFERENT solutions: one in and one out. I would agree if the results were 500 ppm over input but this doesn’t merit extreme reactions.

You’re on a water and feed schedule: next time you are water only, give em a little extra and start feeding at a value closer to their starting numbers. You’ve seen my plants and followed along.

3 Likes

I just realized my meter is on the 500 setting not the 700… what is the difference? How did I have such a successful grow without knowing this?! Beginners luck :thinking::wink:

1 Like

OK… I have plain water runoff numbers!! They are big :confused:

These are the numbers going in:

pH 6.1
PPM 500 setting: 30
PPM 700 setting: 40
EC setting: 0.1

Numbers coming out/runoff:

pH: 6.3
PPM 500 setting: 706
PPM 700 setting: 1060
EC setting: 1.5

I’m going to try to pick up some calibrating solution. I’ll flush again tonight and get new numbers.

1 Like

I’m using the GH trio plus cal mag (because I’m crowing in coco). The chart on the bottles says 1 tsp/gal for veg. I started with less but am up to this now. I took measurements as I added, first is the 500 setting I originally used:

Tap water 50
+Cal mag 610
+Micro 1000
+Gro 1020
+Bloom 1370

700 setting:
Tap water 60
+Cal mag 890
+Micro 1410
+Gro 1460
+Bloom

So either there’s something wrong with my meter or I am very confused. The measurements get higher farther into growth/bloom and the numbers will be higher.

This is my measuring device

Should I be using the 500 or 700 setting?

@bob31 @Countryboyjvd1971

1 Like

The 500 scale is what is commonly used in the US.

2 Likes

@3high5you @Covertgrower

Understanding What PPM Scale To Use
CF, EC, PPM 500, PPM 700, TDS… What’s the difference?

CF and EC are measures of electrically charged nutrient ions in a solution. Pure water will not conduct electricity. Water usually conducts electricity because it is full of impurities, in our case, electrically charged nutrient ions. The two black dots on the end of Bluelab nutrient probes are called electrodes. When these are placed in a solution, an electrical current passes from one electrode, through the water to the other electrode and counts the number of electrically charged ions present. This represents the units measured - CF or EC.

PPM measures parts per million. ppm is known as dimensionless quantities; that is, they are pure numbers with no associated units of measurement. A mass concentration of 2mg/kg - 2 parts per million - 2ppm - 2 x 10-6.

There are many different scales used for different industries around the world and for many different reasons! Did you even know there are more than two scales? The most widely used scales in Hydroponics are the 500 scale, 650 scale and the 700 scale.

What’s the difference? The ppm 700 scale is based on measuring the KCl or potassium chloride content of a solution. The ppm 500 is based on measuring the NaCl or sodium chloride content of a solution and is also referred to as TDS - total dissolved solids. Individual nutrient ions have different electrical effects! The true ppm of a solution can only be determined by a chemical analysis. ppm cannot be accurately measured by a CF or EC meter. They are present on Bluelab products as a conversion guide only. The conversion is as follows:

2.4EC x 500 = 1200ppm (500 scale) or 1200ppm / 500 = 2.4EC

2.4EC x 700 = 1680ppm (700 scale) or 1680ppm / 700 = 2.4EC

If you are reading from a book that says you should grow your crop at 1100ppm - how do you know which scale the writer is referring to? Is the scale on your ppm meter right for the job? If the book was written in the USA, it could be the 650 or 500 scale. If the book is written in the UK, it could be the 700 scale. If it was written in Australia, well it could be any of the three!

If you must grow using ppm, you will need to know the following;

What ppm scale is the book referring to?
What ppm scale is your meter using?
Which standard or calibration solution should you use for your meter?
What ppm scale is the nutrient formula referring to?
(Courtesy of BlueLab)

What PPM scale is your nutrient formula referring to?

Manufacturer				Scale
Advanced Nutrients			700 scale

Botanicare				700 scale

CES/Cutting Edge Solutions	500 scale

Dutch Master				500 scale
Dyna-Gro					500 scale

FoxFarm					700 scale using dechlorinated tap water

General Hydroponics 		500 scale using reverse osmosis water

General Organics 			500 scale using reverse osmosis water

House & Garden 			700 scale

Humboldt Nutrients 			500 scale
Hydro Organics/Earth Juice 	500 scale
Nectar for the Gods			700 scale
Rock Nutrients				700 scale
Roots Organics				500 scale
Rx Green Solutions			500 scale  using distilled water
Soul						500 scale

Technaflora 				500 scale

7 Likes

Thanks a bunch for that bunch of info!! :grin: I think I (kinda) get it. I’m using GH nutes so I should use the 500 setting. Is this more accurate than the EC setting? I didn’t use this tool at all with the three I recently harvested because the PPM was so high the first time I checked and I didn’t understand any of it. The plants were growing and healthy so I decided it wasn’t important at the time. :thinking:

2 Likes

Flushed 2 gal plain water and got her PPM down to 90!! :sunglasses: I’m going to have to stick with the 500 setting because it’s become nearly impossible to change the settings. I don’t know about the warranty but I might look into it. I’ve had it a bit more than 60 days. :unamused:

3 Likes

I fed Cookie this morning… I hope it wasn’t too soon but I thought coco and hempy needed to be fed/watered daily. That’s how I’ve been doing it (in coco) :thinking:

After I added 2-3 ml cal mag, flora micro and Flora Bloom I was at 610 PPM and figured ‘close enough’ :upside_down_face: PPM coming out was much lower at 240… I’m guessing/hoping this good :crossed_fingers: However pH went up… from 5.7 to 6.2. I hope this isn’t creating a new problem. Kinda tempted to repot her into just coco without all that darn perlite. I’m comfortable with coco… but was trying to expand my horizon. Maybe it’s just too soon, I’ve only completed one grow :smile:

3 Likes

I like it @GreenThunder. Feeding time for my girls too!

1 Like

Lemon Kush is looking better. Fed her yesterday with 580 PPM in and it was 360 coming out. I think we’re on the right path now and I’ve learned a bit about how this works. :nerd_face: Now I guess it’s time to really learn about specifics… what nutes they need more/less of at various stages. I prefer knowing over blindly following the schedule on the bottle (tho that did work!) :v::green_heart:

I really don’t know how/why my first grow was so successful other than I accidentally stumbled onto the right nutes levels/schedule… which is weird because it was 3 different strains with 2 photos and 1 auto; they all got the same feedings. :thinking:

5 Likes

She’s looking better than awhile ago. I see improvement that’s for sure. @GreenThunder

1 Like

Gave her a bit more love today, pulled the taller branches to open up the middle.

Put honey on some stem wounds, from where I squeezed the stem too much; healing nicely.

(Edited to swap a pic)

4 Likes

I can’t get over how much better she’s looking! I’m so excited (and a bit proud) to have saved her from the brink of death (maybe a little dramatic!)

Check out those bud sites!!

They won’t be big and her yield won’t be much but I’m still pleased with my little experiment. I really hope she IS a she… we’ll find out in a couple weeks, I’m going to flip her in a couple days. :v::green_heart:

4 Likes

Will done! Happy to see they’re bouncing back nicely.

1 Like

You might be pleasantly surprised how much she yields for her size.

3 Likes

At this point I’m just glad she’s still alive… I’ve grown attached :nerd_face: There are so many bud sites I wonder if her crooked little stem will hold up - I will give her support as needed :crossed_fingers:

5 Likes

Lemon Kush is 100 days old today (counting from sprout) She seems fairly healthy; I’ll flip her to flower tomorrow. I need to block the light leaks in the closet. I really hope she’s a girl :crossed_fingers:

5 Likes

Put her in the corner of the tent, with the clones. She looks better…

… but are these balls?

1 Like