HP Norton's beautiful phrag kovachii x

[NYEric]

Or he fertilizes heavier? oke:

If I could figure out the stupid TDS meter I would up the fertilizer w/out fear! I havent had the time to measure out the salt in a known volume container to calibrate it yet. the level are climbing steadily anyway so we'll see.

 

[gonewild]

If I could figure out the stupid TDS meter I would up the fertilizer w/out fear! I havent had the time to measure out the salt in a known volume container to calibrate it yet. the level are climbing steadily anyway so we'll see.

Just make sure as the "salt" level steadily rises it is rising with a complete balance of nutrients, not just from leftovers and evaporation. The plants are constantly consuming some of the nutrients and as they do the nutrient balance will change in your trays. Nitrogen may become depleted while other salts become excessive.

Ideally your tray water should maintain at only slightly higher in TDS than the fertilizer solution you add. If you keep the balance of your tray water at the desired nutrient level/ratio you will have achieved a hydroponic growing balance in your system.

 

[NYEric]

Ideally your tray water should maintain at only slightly higher in TDS than the fertilizer solution you add. If you keep the balance of your tray water at the desired nutrient level/ratio you will have achieved a hydroponic growing balance in your system.

Ideally, the balance I'd like to maintain is that I wouldn't have to worry about adding supplements at all... :wink:

 

[gonewild]

Ideally, the balance I'd like to maintain is that I wouldn't have to worry about adding supplements at all... :wink:

Right! Always add the correct amount of balanced fertilizer then you don't need to worry, it all becomes a simple routine. :clap:

Perfect fertilizer strength is when you put in a certain concentration at the top and that same concentration comes out the bottom. Ideally your tray water would only loose the nutrients the plants consume. But evaporation screws that up and increases the salt concentration in your tray water. You could offset this somewhat by only adding RO water directly to your trays to replace evaporation and only fertilizer water directly to your plants. But if you replace evaporated water with fertilizer water your TDS will climb. Once you put your roots into a water bath you are into a hydroponic situation and need to monitor the TDS. Once you establish the correct routine it becomes repetitive and you won't even need to worry about testing the TDS.

 

[NYEric]

Well, I am growing hydroponically but the levels on the TDS meter are steadily rising. I might dump the water and use R.O. and start again.

 

[NYEric]

Right! Always add the correct amount of balanced fertilizer then you don't need to worry, it all becomes a simple routine. :clap:

No, I meant not having to add anything.