If you were a new grower again, what would you tell yourself about EC/PPM?

First time cannabis grower, but long time gardener.

I've only ever measured PH for my other plants... I have tried researching EC/PPM with cannabis grows and feel COMPLETELY overwhelmed with this information.

If you were a new grower again, what would you tell yourself about EC/PPM? Trying to weed through the advanced stuff to get the basics solid.

What are you growing in? That will dictate the answers.

Not much. Follow nutrient companys feeding schedule and usually thats enough. Im growing in soil and dont look after pH too much, like once in veg and once when flowering with all nutes in use.

TCH said:

What are you growing in? That will dictate the answers.

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I have my seedlings in HP Pro Mix with Mycorrhizae and will be transplanting into Fox Farm Ocean

I'd say, use a time tested complete formula, like GH Maxi series, and see how you do with a "low ec" during flower (around 1) before you try to push high EC or add "bloom boosters."

I would make sure ph of nutes and plain water were 5.5 to 6. I would use 1/3 to 1/2 strength nutes. Low PPM/EC. Then go up if needed.

Hell, no EC meter even needed, the mfg charts just give a EC reading to help u gage if you messed something up with dosing the NER. cause your meter reads something way off. not needed if dosed correctly.

Coco was easiest, you just put tap water so they get micro nutes and because it really is fine, so the added EC just ignore it. PH it, h2o2 to keep it fresh for a week and good to go. mfg chart should be user friendly and if it comes in light medium heavy feed, they did all the work for you and just follow.

if nutes arent flora i would figure out whats light medium heavy amd start light. dirt is tough, i liked watching coco plants grow faster than other journals of same strain, never an issue with medium like under or over watering. the nutes have everything and if you have defeciencies or toxicities/lockout just ask someone here.

its good to know ec of your tap but thats it. the charts already tell you what your dosing is. no one tells me i need something my nutes dont have. calmg included. buffer coco.

the charts listing the EC will help users here gage how hard your feeding. nothing to vigorously shoot for on a meter if at all. i quit after a certain point.

again dirt is such another story, i feel like the main difference is not having to feed daily and if that dont bother you and you rig together an autofeed system, it isnt tedious IMO. I rather do that then have sudden research to do and plus coco i swear, gave me something new to look at/train on daily basis from sprout.

woops i see now you are growing in dirt. well anyways, just in case you looked into coco, i only had to do all this. dirt, has a lot of nuances that can get fustrating to me and sides to choose. i only got crap from making coco harder than needed at first.

JoCannaBanana said:

First time cannabis grower, but long time gardener.

I've only ever measured PH for my other plants... I have tried researching EC/PPM with cannabis grows and feel COMPLETELY overwhelmed with this information.

If you were a new grower again, what would you tell yourself about EC/PPM? Trying to weed through the advanced stuff to get the basics solid.

Click to expand...

Cannabis is a lot like growing tomatoes.
FFOF is a good choice if you have a green thumb.
What do you plan on using to feed your plants?
What fertilizers are you already comfortable using?
Do you plan to grow organic or with bottled synthetic nutes?

As a beginner gardener I wish people had stressed that growing indoors is more about balancing the environment to meet the plants needs. A plant will only grow as fast as the biggest limiting factor will allow, so the EC needs to be balanced for the actual conditions in your grow. Humidity, temp, proper watering practices (making sure it doesn't get to dry/wet and that it's fully saturated with proper run off if using salt based ferts), air circulation and CO2 all tie together to determine the evapotranspiration rate which determines the EC needed.

You have the right idea, focus on the basics and understanding the science and then the rest falls into place. Growing isn't hard, it's just complicated as there's a lot of things that are interdependent (like soil hydration affecting the EC for example) but once you understand the basics it'll start falling into place.

Not specifically related to EC or ppm but Mulder's chart definitely helped me understand nutrient interactions better:


I think of it as "for when you're giving it more of "x" but the problem keeps getting worse." Look at how many different nutrients have an antagonistic relationship with Calcium, and then look at how many growers supplement with Cal-Mag, not really considering why or if their plants even need it...