Hydroponics (DWC) Newbie

[GpsFrontier]

Hello atulbaliga,
I'm glad to hear you find my site useful, I try to update and add to it regularly.

Yes the values in the charts are for larger plants. The values in the charts are also only a starting point guide. There are lots of variables that will affect a plants nutrient uptake, and it would be impossible create a chart that could include every possible variable. Even the amount of light, temperature, and humidity will change how a plant uses nutrients. Not to mention the specific variety of the plant in any plant category. So the charts are meant to be a general starting point.

With pH, right around 6.0 really works for just about all hydroponically grown plants. Some plants may benefit from a little higher pH, like with peppers. Some spicy pepper plants increase heat with higher pH. But you never want to go above 7.0, and 6.6 is right on the edge of that. pH doesn't need to be exact, you just want to be within a range. Most plants fall between 5.5 and 6.5 for good nutrient uptake. So if you shoot for right in the middle at 6.0 it doesn't mater if it vears some. If your growing hot peppers and like them as hot as you can get them, closer to 6.5 while their fruiting could help that. But if it gets above 7.0 then the plants could suffer from nutrient deficiencies.

As for the nutrient concentrations and seedlings, yes absolutely, seedlings don't need full strength nutrients. That's kind of like giving a baby that eats baby food a 7 coarse meal. Theirs no way a baby could eat a 7 coarse meal. He would take a few bites and the rest would be in the trash. If he tried to eat it all, he would get sick or bloated. In fact for seedlings as small as the one's in the pictures you posted, I typically don't even use any nutrients at all until they reach that size. Then start with something like anywhere from 10% to 25% strength. Then in a week or two when they bigger, I'll increase it to about 50% strength, and so on....