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Here this mite help you out my friend…
Knowing What Your Plants Are Eating and How Much
They Can Handle
October 20, 2016 by Devin Martinez
One big question growers ask is “Why are my plants
suffering even though
I used all the right nutrients, feeding cycles,
lighting cycles, and adjusted
temperatures and conditions to their absolute
best?”
That’s because their pH and PPM levels are off,
making it difficult for your
plants to eat. pH refers to potential of Hydrogen
ions in your water, which
will determine if your water is too acidic or has
too much alkaline in it.
PPM (parts per million) refers to the concentration of minerals and soluble
matter in your watering solution.
Correct pH and PPM levels are the backbone of any grow,
and will be the
difference between a healthy grow and a huge waste of
time and money.
pH Levels
Simply put: the right pH level will create an environment
where your plants
can absorb nutrients quickly and easily, leading to a
better harvest.
Nutrient-rich water is filled with elements that are
helpful to your plants.
However, if those elements can be broken down properly
those same elements
can harm your plants.
pH levels is important to understand because the right
level will determine
the quality of helpful bacteria in your water that help
break down elements,
helping the metabolic rate of your plants. How? In two
ways:?
When pH levels are too low (pH level of around 5 of lower), heavy
metals like iron and aluminum change and can become toxic
to your plants ?
If the pH level is too high (pH level of around 6.5 or
higher)
elements like calcium and phosphorus can’t be broken down
completely, which
will hinder the growth of your plants
This change in properties is due to how acidic your water
is or is not.
You’ll want your plants’ nutrients to be a little acidic
otherwise they can’t
break down, but too much acidity and your nutrients can
become toxic.
So remember: pH too low= toxic to your plants, too
high= growth decrease.
That’s why you want to have the perfect level of acidity
in your water,
which will be around 5.5-6.0
Typical pH Levels ?
3.5 and below: Root Damage ?
4.0-4.5: Poor Nutrient Uptake ?
5.0-5.4: Good pH Level ?
5.4-5.8: Perfect pH Level ?
6.0-7.0: Acceptable pH Balance ?
7.5-8.0: Poor Nutrient Uptake ?
8.5 and Above: Root Damage
Note: Soil grown plants tend to need a little bit higher of
a pH than hydroponics
because soil retains and releases certain elements to your
plants at different times.
However, both hydroponic and soil pH levels should stay
within the same optimal range
of 5.5-6.0 pH.
PPM Levels
PPM (Parts Per Million) refers to concentration of the particulates in your feeding
solution.
From minerals found in tap water to natural elements found in your nutrients, your
job is to make sure that the PPM levels in your water
solution are on point so you’re
not under- or over-feeding your plants. While it’s an easy
concept to understand on
the surface, it’s a little more complicated when you have
to adjust elements.
Now, pH plays a huge factor in PPM levels because even
though you may have the correct
PPM reading, some of the particles- and the concentration
of those particles- can be
harmful for your plants.
For example, let’s say your plants need to be at a PPM
level of 700. You mix your
solution and you get a PPM reading of 700 but your pH is
around 4.5. That means that
the majority of the available food for your plants is
likely to have lots of heavy
metals in it, which will quickly toxify the plant. You’ll
need to adjust the pH level
of your solution to make sure you’re not toxifying your
plants.
“But won’t that throw my PPM levels off because you’re
adding particles to your feeding
solution?” It can, and that’s what’s so tricky about PPM
and pH levels: When you adjust
one you usually have to adjust the other, which can be
simple or a huge pain depending
on the water and nutrients you’re feeding your plants.
Common PPM Readings
These readings reflect the PPM your water should have at
a given stage of growth
? Seedlings: 100-250 (nutrients aren’t really
needed here, hence there’s not a
lot of particles needed)
? First Half of Vegging Cycle: 300-400 (this is
usually after you transplant,
which still don’t require many nutrients)
? Second Half of Vegging: 450-700 (you’ll start giving your plants more nutrients
at this stage)
? First Half of Flowering: 750-950 (your plants will be eating more as they grow,
so they’ll be taking in more nutrients)
? Second Half of Flowering: 1000-1600 (this is when your plant’s eating the most,
especially if you give it additives)
? End of Flower, Entering Harvest: As close to 0 as possible (this is when you’ll
be flushing your plants, so you don’t want there to be a lot of particles left over)
Adjusting pH Levels
When it comes to feeding plants there’s two ways of looking at it: homemade or store bought.
Same goes with balancing your pH: you can either purchase a pH buffer from a store or you
can use ingredients you can find around your home or in the grocery store– but both come
with their advantages and disadvantages.
Homemade pH Buffers
? Advantage: If pH levels are low you can use a little citric acid or even white
vinegar to help bring your water’s pH down. When you need to raise your pH levels you
can use a little bit of baking soda in your solution and bring those readings back up.
This will cost you less than picking up a buffering
solution. ?
Disadvantage:
The issue with using these solutions
is that they don’t work for
very long. You’ll find yourself having to add a little
lemon juice every other day, then
having to use a little baking soda to even things out.
Moreover, we’ve also heard of
growers using these ingredients and seeing severe spikes
in pH, which if not handled
properly and quickly and bring your grow to a halt.
Premade pH Buffers
?
Advantage:
Most hydroponic companies out there
will have pH buffers, usually
called . They’re much easier to use than citric acid or
white vinegar mixes. They’re
designed raise and lower the pH of your water while
keeping your water’s pH levels
balanced for longer than it would be without them.
? Disadvantage: As we’ve always mentioned, easier
usually means more expensive.
These solutions usually won’t cost you an arm and a leg,
but they’re definitely something
you can’t simply make at home and will cost some money.
Adjusting PPM Levels
Before you start adjusting your PPM levels, you’ll first
want to make sure your tap water
is ready to feed your plants. That means you’ll want to
adjust the PPM of your base water
before you start feeding it to your plants Now, any time
you add anything in to your watering
solution, you’ll be adding more particles in to it, so
keep an eye out on your PPM levels at
all times.
? To rid your water of too many particles you
can use things like a carbon filter or a
reverse osmosis machine to clean your water. However,
many growers agree that most tap water
has helpful minerals (like calcium and magnesium) that
actually help plants.
? During and after the vegging stage, your plants
will want more out of their feedings
so filtering isn’t really necessary. That’s why we
recommend only using filters at the
beginning of the plants life when low PPM readings are
needed.
For a quick fix when PPM’s are high just add a bit
of fresh water with a good pH
level and watch them drop. Filtered, pH’ed water is great
when things get a little too
much in your reservoirs.
?
When readings are low it’s usually time to feed
your plants. When you add nutrients
to your feeding solution your PPM’s will go back up, and
when your PPM’s and pH’s are in
balance your plants are going to be happy and healthy.
?
Just remember that these readings need constant
adjustment, so if you haven’t been
keeping a close eye on your plant’s PPM and pH levels
there’s not better time to start than now.
)
