I’m looking to grow in coco coir next time. I’ve practiced mixing nutes (my downfall on soil grows too), and every time I mix a gallon up, my EC shoots from effectively zero to almost off the charts. I don’t know how to remedy this. It’s my understanding that a high EC will lock out nutes and you’ll kill your plants - how do I fix it without essentially giving the plants plain water, which will make them weak and poor producers?
2 Likes
Let’s see if I can at least start the process of helping you.
First let’s lay out your system with as much information as needed to help you.
What EC/ppm tool are you using and what is the calibration feature and how often do you check.
What nutrition are you using and be specific. If it has a cannabis feed schedule online ( and we will check ) 
and you are not using the specified feet rate explain what changes you have made.
What is the water source and your base water source EC/PPM
pH control tool and calibration and bla bla bla
By now I am sure ya know what we need.
Now explain how you feed your coco and how often. Runoff and all that.
Do you know what it means when you put in higher and lower comes out?
How about if pH changes from in to out?
The folks here can help and they sure helped me along the way!
2 Likes
General Hydroponics Flora series. It has a schedule online, but it is VERY heavy. I initially dilutes it down to 1/4 what they recommend so as not to burn the plants - I’m trying to follow Dr. Coco for MJ’s book, but I’m really hung up on getting EC in line.
Base water is distilled with an EC that does not read on my device - a BlueLab Truncheon. pH of the base water is typically 7.5. My pH meter is also BlueLab and was calibrated 3 weeks ago.
I pH the water down to between 5.5 and 7 for feeding, but that’s AFTER having to dilute it down with fresh distilled to bring the EC down to an acceptable level, which I believe is tanking my nutes way below 1/4 strength.
My plants are currently seedlings. They get fertigated 2x per day at 6 AM and 5 PM.
Because they’re so small, I’m only putting about 500ml of water on them, so I don’t currently get enough runoff to test EC/PPM.
2 Likes
Ok understand.
While I look up stuff and make breakfast what is the EC you are putting 2 times a day at 500 ml per feed. Also is the broad range on pH a " thing " that a grower does. I have seen some folks steering but have not seen a 1.5 pH range on hydro.
Ok I see the 3 part has a light feed application that has ppm/ and feed rate dictated in the column.
What are you feeding if it’s the 3 part and if not what are you using?
The range in pH is from other places I’ve read that say different nutes are absorbed better at different pH. I’m willing to lock it down if that’s truly the issue.
The dose I’m following is in a physical book, so the best I can do is a picture of it (sorry). Currently I’m following the day 15-20 day protocol BEFORE having to water it down with ~4 extra gallons. I do not know what the nute concentration is after bringing EC down to an acceptable range - very low, I assume. THAT is the problem I’m up against - balancing EC with proper nute load.
Ok let’s see what the plants are doing.
The light feed for flora trio is way different than that one. Donno why but I have not seen the flora with the 3 ranges of feed before.
Try using this download.
And again what was the mixture EC/ppm and I will not comment on the PH issues but it seems sketchy. I know about uptakes and such but steering is much more later in the grow and I have not seen anyone run hydro above 6.7 or so.
Ok download the newest flora chart from flora. Look at the light feed and tell me what you see?
And throw up plant picture including historical ones from last grow.
As I thought even coco for cannabis recommends 5.6-6.2 with lower being for veg and slightly higher for flower as it helps with those respective nutrients.
If you are going to pin your pH go with that web sites recs unless someone has steered a grow with the higher number.
I did not mention it but calcium and mag are required in coco as it holds onto those nutrients so it has to be in the water every time.
When you mix up a gallon of mix the EC/ppm should be very close to the numbers in the feed chart especially with pure water. If it is not let me know as you have stated "dilutes it down " and I am not sure what that means. If it says 1.8 of this and 1.8 of that in a gallon of water and it does not come out to floras numbers fill stop let us know we will figure it out.
Let’s get it handled before the next feed.
How high? You have a schedule posted, is your final ec close to what is on the chart when you use the chart to mix?
If you’re growing in hydroponics the acceptable ph range is not that big. You’ll pretty much want it right at 5.8. If you’re aerating your res (you probably should be) your solution ph should creep up some naturally and allow for a little more mobility of phosphates but once it gets over 6 you should probably adjust back down.
I don’t think i seen you mention what type of system other than you’re fertigating twice per day. Is this a drain to waste system then?