View Single Post
  #2  
Old 05-10-2015, 03:26 AM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Havasu AZ.
Posts: 1,855
Default

Quote:
Or dow the plants use different amount of each nutrient which would mean that I would somehow have to test for each nutrient and adjust accordingly?
Yes, that's exactly it, plants don't use nutrients in even ratios. They take what they need and leave the rest. EC/TDS/PPM meters can't tell you what is in the water, only the total combined. That's why I don't use them. You need to have the water Lab tested to be able to get a breakdown of the quantity of each individual mineral element in it. And that would be expensive, not to mention be outdated by the time you got the results back a week or two later. Then there's the question of how you plan to replenish only the mineral salts that are depleted withough't adding the ones that aren't.

To keep a balanced nutrient solution, you'll want to do regular nutrient solution changes. Dump out the used nutrient solution, and mix up a fresh batch regularly (so it's balanced). And in-between nutrient changes, you'll want to make sure you maintain the same water level. So as the plants drink the water, replace it with plain fresh water to keep the same water level as much as possible. The more the water level fluctuates, the more the strength of your nutrient solution will fluctuate.
__________________
Website Owner
Home Hydroponic Systems
Reply With Quote