Understanding PPM
- Thread starter iNFID3L
- Start date
MidnightJoker
Well-Known Member
I bought a PPM reader, I can't find it right now, but I bought it from eBay. I use FoxFarm nutes and they post the EC and PPM's on their feeding schedule. To be honest with you, I have used it twice and then never again. I just go by the FF nutes schedule and adjust my PH for every feeding. I haven't found a PPM reader to be useful at all, but I know that some people on RIU swear by them. IMO, you can get by with out using one.
iNFID3L
Well-Known Member
yeh ive been looking into it, i might not bother......why go to all that trouble of setting the ph and nute mix in the 1st place with meters , if your going to check what comes out the bottom as well, it seems to me that it only makes for more confusion.
grizlbr
Active Member
Just go by the label. Got a site that help you adjust just start by the label. http://www.firstrays.com/fertcalc.htm For my own understanding 3 325mg aspirin tablets to a liter is 975ppm. Shoot for desired ppm of nitrogen too high too early = too tall stretch.
iNFID3L
Well-Known Member
ok so where do i find the correct run off ppm for a nute ratio of 3-1-2 ?
or how is that worked out ?
Gary Busey
New Member
I bought a cheap ppm meter from Ebay from some Chinese seller. It was like $8 shipped.
I rarely use it.
PH is way more important.
I rarely use it.
PH is way more important.
Gary Busey
New Member
I'm in hydro, I check it from time to time, it'll be more important as the plants get older, they are just 20 days old right now, they don't eat much yet.
I guess it is important so you know how much your plants are eating, or not eating.
18 years in soil, and I never once tested PH or PPM. I got all this stuff when I started hydro a month ago.
I guess it is important so you know how much your plants are eating, or not eating.
18 years in soil, and I never once tested PH or PPM. I got all this stuff when I started hydro a month ago.
jondamon
Well-Known Member
Yes this is correct, in hydro you can watch increases/decreases in ppm's/EC's to judge the strength of res changes and top ups,
Meters come in handy using soiless/coco as you can measure like hydro.
J
tip top toker
Well-Known Member
I bought one under advice and have used it maybe twice in the few years i've been growing, the majority of that in hydro. Only issues i've encountered have been because i let the res empty out, not because the mix was hot. In fact one of the time i did use it the girls were sitting in an EC of around 4.0, way too much, but they didn't show any signs of discomfort.
Niko Bellick
Well-Known Member
I am about to start my tenth successful grow or so and the only thing I would say I could not live without would be my Ph meter. Everything else I just wait for the plants to tell me.
Xcon
Active Member
I'd say it depends on your situation. I'll never try a different nute line again without testing the ec of my doses first. Might be the only time I do it, but AFIC it's necessary for any level of inexperience. I'm sure that people who are familiar with all the nutes and doses that they've been using for years have no need for one, but guys who are still new and like to try different shit can certainly benefit from using one. (of course, everybody with 1 or 2 grows under their belt is a pro around here however, I've got 18 months of growing so I consider myself new to the hobby)
It's like the PH debate, or the flushing your soil debate... ph and flushing might be useless for the pros, but they can be pretty darn important for people who actually make mistakes. Same thing with ec meters.
It's like the PH debate, or the flushing your soil debate... ph and flushing might be useless for the pros, but they can be pretty darn important for people who actually make mistakes. Same thing with ec meters.
tip top toker
Well-Known Member
I've used a handful of different nutes and never checked the EC, the way i figure is that the nute company would like you to be a returning customer so they're hardly going to print instructions that're gonna nuke everything 
there are certainly a couple of companies who do, but they seem to be few and far between.
there are certainly a couple of companies who do, but they seem to be few and far between.
Xcon
Active Member
Sure they have, but that's irrelevant to you. How are YOU doing without one? If you don't need it, don't buy it. What I'm saying is that they can be useful to people who need them. I've had quite a bit of trouble, and found ec meters to be useful in my experience.
Xcon
Active Member
angelsbandit
Well-Known Member
I have an in tank constant PPM meter, and it is nice to be able to just look down and know how much of your nutes the plants use.
If the PPM is dropping quickly I add more nutes when I top off the reservoir, it the PPM stays close to the original readings, or go up I just add water.
If the PPM is dropping quickly I add more nutes when I top off the reservoir, it the PPM stays close to the original readings, or go up I just add water.
jondamon
Well-Known Member
I swear by a BLUELAB EC TRUNCHEON which i use to test my Res to see how plants are feeding via increases/decreases in Res EC this way when i topup or change the Res i can adjust and allow for said increases/decreases.
IMO this way you can rest assured you're not over or under feeding .
In soil its a little different as you don't generally feed everytime, so as far as EC's go it would only help you to keep a record for that strain for next time.
J
IMO this way you can rest assured you're not over or under feeding .
In soil its a little different as you don't generally feed everytime, so as far as EC's go it would only help you to keep a record for that strain for next time.
J