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Old 02-03-2016, 02:18 AM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Havasu AZ.
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Hello jhinkle,

I have 5 articles for you:

The Grey Ghost
by Dr. Lynette Morgan 2002-01-01
http://staging.maximumyield.com/arti...=116&submit=Go


Powdery Mildew
by Dr. Lynette Morgan 2001-03-01
http://staging.maximumyield.com/arti...D=78&submit=Go


Maddening Mildew: Prevention and Control
by Dr. Lynette Morgan 2010-10-01
http://staging.maximumyield.com/arti...=622&submit=Go


Furry Frustrations
Written by Dr. Lynette Morgan March 2013
http://www.maximumyield.com/inside-m...y-frustrations


The Fungus Among Us!
by Cindy Rea, 2005-11-01
http://www.maximumyield.com/article_...=273&submit=Go

Unfortunately the links don't work anymore. Maximum yield has updated their website and either taken the pages out of their database, or changed the links. Either way the links don't work anymore. When I find good articles from creditable sources and authors, I save them in a text document, and file them on my computer to save them. So even though the links don't work, I still have them in their entirety on my computer.

If you send me a private message with an e-mail address, I can send you the text documents with the articles. I don't save the e-mail address or put it on a mailing list, and I recommend only giving me your e-mail through a private message because that way I will be the only one that ever sees it. If you don't trust giving me your e-mail, create a new free e-mail account. It only takes 5 minutes to create a e-mail account. But I would really like to get you these articles, and the only way I can is to e-mail you the text documents I have saved.

Quote:
I've read other articles that state the 1.5 to 3.0 EC produces a good volume of tomatoes but not flavorful ones -- tastes like the one in the store - bland. For flavor -- the EC should be 4.0 to 4.5 --- so I was not concerned about my EC climbing to 3.4.
You may not know this but most store bought tomatoes are hydroponically grown. Their not bland because of low nutrient concentrations, their bland because they were picked before they were fully ripe. Even the so called vine ripened tomatoes are the same. They just leave the stems attached when they ship them so they can technically call them "vine ripened." You've grown tomatoes before so you know how how they should taste and when their ripe enough. You wouldn't pick them when their pink, and set them on the counter waiting for them to turn red. But that's exactly what happens with store bought tomatoes, and why their bland. They pick them pink and let them turn red during shipping and sitting on the shelf in the store. They would get soft way to soon if they waited tell their ripe to pick them. They can't sell them if their soft. Nobody buys soft fruit. I'll bet even you like to feel the tomatoes and would only buy them if they are nice and firm with no blemishes. That's what sells, not ripe. If you want actual ripe tomatoes, you have to grow them yourself.

There are a lot of environmental factors that affect nutrient uptake, as well as water needs by the plant, like plant size, amount of fruit on the plant, temperature, humidity, light (photosynthesis), oxygen levels, co2 levels, etc. etc.. There are times it's better to use lower nutrient concentrations, and times to raise concentrations. But to simply conclude that higher nutrient concentrations will always produces better tomato is wrong. In fact I have another article to send you as well called:

nutrients - Over and Under Use
by Dr. Lynette Morgan 2001-05-01
http://staging.maximumyield.com/arti...D=81&submit=Go

And I'll post a direct quote from the article:

"Some crops such as lettuce and other greens prefer a much lower EC than fruiting crops such as tomatoes, and each crop has its own ideal EC range for optimum growth. When the EC is being run to high for a particular plant, this will show as visible symptoms within the crop. A high EC, effectively puts the plants under `water stress' since the plant cells begin to lose water, back into the more concentrated nutrient solution surrounding the roots. As a result the first sign of nutrient `overuse' is plant wilting, even when supplied with sufficient nutrient solution. If the high EC conditions re not too severe, the plants will adjust to these conditions and you may see growth which is `hard' in appearance - often a darker green then usually, with shorter plants and smaller leaves."

While higher concentrations can be beneficial to certain plants and under certain circumstances, there is a definite downside of concentrations that are to high as well. So understanding the things that affect nutrient and water uptake, as well as how and why these factors affect the plant is more complicated than just saying higher is better. I rarely ever use nutrient solutions at 100% strength. Typically I'll make it about 75%-80% strength for full grown plants and plants in full growth. Younger plants anywhere from 10% for sprouts and seedlings, then 25%-50% and up to 75%-80% depending on size.

Quote:
Being a retire engineer, I'll start collecting data daily - add a variable for plant size -- and see if I can start predicting when to change out the solution as opposed to waiting until I get massive PH swings.
I have created some "Daily/weekly hydroponic system charts" for collecting data. I tried to get as much in one sheet of paper using both sides as I can to eliminate tons of paper needing to be used over time.

But honestly, I don't even use them. I physically look at my plants on a daily basis, and can tell by looking at them if the nutrient concentrations are low, to high, diluted (spent). As a grower, I'm about as lazy as it gets when it comes to writing things down. Most of the time I don't even mark on the calendar when I changed the nutrients. I generally go anywhere between 1-4 weeks between nutrient changes. Also sometimes I will just add back some diluted nutrients to bring up the concentrations if I feel the plants could use it, but don't think I need to do a full nutrient change yet. Again it all depends on the environmental factors that affect the plants water and nutrient uptake, as well as water volume compared to plant size.

When I start seeing changes like the overall growth seems to slow down, the new leaves start coming out a lighter green (yellowing), the nutrients are spent. I don't check pH daily, but if I suspect a problem, or know the nutrients haven't been changed for a while, I'll pay closer attention to daily pH and look for abnormal swings. Also if the plants are drinking a lot of water compared to your total water volume, and your having to add back 20% or more water back daily to keep the water level up, that will deplete your nutrients much quicker. As well as cause pH swings if you don't pH adjust the water before adding it to your nutrient solution.

Quote:
To make 10 gallons of solution follow this formula:
In 10 gallons of water, dissolve 1.3 ounces of 5-12-26, when that is totally dissolved add 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts for extra Magnesium and Sulfur. Finally add in .86 ounces of Calcium Nitrate. This will give you 150ppm of Nitrogen, which is the perfect rate for growing hydroponically.
This is a good example of why I would contact the manufacture directly to clarify what they recommend for the crops I'm using their nutrients on. I don't know why this person is recommending adding the Epsom Salts. The full description for those exact nutrients on JRPeters website states:

"This formula was designed as a base foundation for hydroponic growing. It can be manipulated in such a manner as to provide virtually any combination of nutrient levels desired, providing the highest availability to plants, due primarily to Jack’s has proven ability to remain in true solution over long periods of time. Should be used in combination with the 15-0-0 Calcium Nitrate in a two-part system."

So first, the manufacture makes no reference to adding Epsom salts in the first place. Second there is no ratio for adding it in the statement you posted. If I'm going to be adding it, I would want to know why, as well as know exactly how much (the ratio). A balanced nutrient solution would already contain Magnesium and Sulfur. And If there were some crops that could benefit from increasing the Magnesium and Sulfur levels, I would want to know which crops those were first before just adding it because someone else did. Then because adding Magnesium and Sulfur will change the balance of nutrients, I would want to know the exact ratio for adding it in the second place.
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