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  1. #1

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    Default ph tutorial

    hi just found this ph tutorial and thought it might be helpful to some like me
    hope it helps

    1.INTRODUCTION

    Hydroponics has come a long way in the last few years, It is no longer a mystery or secret technique. It is a simple reliable way of growing plants. easier and more consistent,

    by far than growing in soil. All you need to do is master a few basic principles on a step by step basis....

    If you are a beginner at Hydroponics growing we strongly recommend
    that you concentrate first on growing plants as we describe bellow. Later, when you have mastered the basics, you can upgrade and automate your system.

    The nutrient solution is the basis of all hydroponics, it is the most important thing for you to come to grips with and ot is the key to your success. We ate discussing this
    first because you will need a nutrient solution, whatever you are growing and whatever system you plan to use.

    The nutrient solution is, simply, the liquid that you water the plants with. It must contain all the mineral elements needed for plant growth and they must be in the correct
    proportions. Nothing can be left out, even micronutrients such as molybdenum which should be in your solution in a concentration of less than one part per million. Fortunately,
    these days, there are a number of good nutrients on the market and it is simply a matter of choosing the product that best suits your particular needs.

    When making nutrient solution you should follow the manufacturers instructions to the letter. Our most popular nutrients are a three part solution made by General Hydroponics.
    It is important to add the Micro Flora first and let it mix for 10 minutes or so before adding the Flora gro and flora bloom in any order afterwards. This will guarantee that
    the nutrients won't lock each other out. This should be done with twin packs too for the same reasons. If you have made up the nutrient solution to the directions and you want
    it stronger. Make up a bucket of nutrient solution making sure that the same ratios i.e.: 10ml gro, 20ml micro, 30ml bloom. Add the stronger bucket of nutrients to your
    original solution until you reach the nutrient reading you want. For seedlings and cuttings the CF reading should be 8CF-12CF, for vegetative stage the reading should be
    14CF-16CF and for the flowering or fruiting stage should read 18CF-22CF. I must stress how important a meter is for hydroponics without it you are guessing and defeating
    the whole object of this accurate way of growing.

    A good nutrient solution should contain a full profile of trace elements, usually known as micronutrients in Hydroponics. The essential micronutrients are Iron, Manganese,
    Copper, Zinc, Boron and Molybdenum. Some solutions may contain other less common elements such as Nickel but those are the key ones and no true nutrient solution would be
    without them.

    The best solutions will supply most of their trace elements in the form of Chelates which is the usual choice of professional growers. A chalet (pronounced Key-late) is a form
    of the element in which the molecule is locked up in a kind of organic jacket which ensures its stability within the solution. Once the molecule has been taken up by the plant,
    it immediately becomes available to the biological process. This is particularly important in Hydroponics because the pH of the nutrient can fluctuate quite a lot and ordinary
    trace elements will easily precipitate and become unavailable of the pH is not to their liking. even of it is only for a short time. This is particularly important with the key
    trace element Iron which is highly unstable in its non-chelated form. Chelates are many times more expensive than the simpler forms of the element. This is a very good indicator

    of the quality of any nutrient solution of it contains fully chelated micronutrients. Boron and Molybdenum are not usually chelated as they are vary stable in other forms.

    2.PH & CONDUCTIVITY

    pH and Conductivity are the two most important variables in nutrient solution Managment. A basic understanding of them is essential for successful hydroponic gardening...

    pH is a measurement of the acidity or alkkalinity of a solution. On a scale of 1 - 14 neutrality is represented as 7. The ideal pH for almost all hydroponic applications
    is 6. pH for Rockool cultivation should be slightly lower, ideally about 5.8.

    Plants growing in soil have widely differing preferences for pH. This is not the case in hydroponics and all plants in hydroponic systems will function best at a nutrient pH of
    6

    3.MEASURING PH

    This is best done with a meter but there are various kits using liquid and papers available. Kits are adequate for applications such as pot culture where the nutrient is
    supplied to the plant once and is set up before being replenished.

    Growers using re-circulinting systems such as NFT or Ebb and Flow will certainly need a meter to monitor their solution accurately. Meters will require regular calibration and
    instructions for this are supplied with them.

    4.PH IN PASSIVE HYDROPONICS

    Passive hydroponics refers to growing in pots full of a medium such as Perlite or Canna Coco Peat or to hand watering RockWool Slabs...

    Normally for this type of cultivation we would recommend the grower to make up a large container of nutrient at a time. A 200 Litre plastic drum is an ideal container.
    Omce this is made up to the correct strength ( conductivity), the pH can be checked and adjusted to the ideal leved of 6. A careful note should be made of the exact amount of
    pH UP or DOWN that is added at a time. In the futue this amount can be added as routine when making up solutions and pH should remain pritty constant from batch to batch
    although spot checks ate recomminded from time to time. A good Kit, such as the one we supply can be used for this because although the pH measurement takes longer than with a
    meter, it only needs doing occasionally in passive systems. The nutrient solution in the drum should remain quite pH stable and can be applied to the plants as needed.

    5.PH IN ACTIVE SYSTEMS

    Active systems are ones in which the nutrient solution is supplied to the plants by pumping, such as Ebb & Flow tables, NFT, Dutch Pot and Aeroponic. In most domestic systems
    the solution is re-circulated to the roots continuously over a period of time...

    6. HARD WATER

    Hard water is characterised by high levels of Bicarbonates and it makes itself known by depositing lime scale in kettles and by reducing the lathering capacity of soap.
    Hard water will usually have a high pH but not necessarily. What will distinguish hard water is that it will take much more acid to reduce the pH than with an equivalent
    sample of softer water. This is because the Bicarbonates have to be neutralised and this used up quite a lot of acid.

    The obvious problem for the grower is that he will be adding quite large amounts of acid on aa regular basis. If using Phosphoric acid this may lead to a build up of Phosphate
    in the nutrient tank over time. High levels of P in the solution can inhibit the uptake of other salts, Zinc for instance, and cause general nutrient imbalance.
    Solutions to hard water problems


    1. The first and most obvious solution is to change the nutrient tank regularly. This will reduce the chances of Phosphate accumulation and ensure maintenance of a good
    nutrient profile. Frequency of changes will depend on tank size and number of plants. In very Hard water arias however a large amount of Phosphoric acid will be needed to
    correct pH when nutrient is first made up.

    2. It is possible to use Nitric Acid to control pH. This will overcome the problem of phosphate accumulation but Nitric Acid is a very unpleasant and dangerous liquid. It
    should never be handled by anyone who is mot experienced with aggressive liquids and all good laboratory procedures should be observed. NItric Acid will only solve the
    Phosphate problem, it will not make any difference to the high levels of Calcium and other minerals which will eventually accumulate in the tank.

    3. Best Solution by far is to use a specific formulation which is usually based on more acidic components. Hard water General Hydroponics Flora Range was formulated in
    response to demand from growers in various areas of t he United Kingdom such as London, Thames Valley and other arias with very hard water. It was formulated to correct the pH
    of alkaline water and minimise the amounts of Phosphoric Acid that are required to maintain it at correct levels. It also takes account of the other minerals to be found in
    Hard water use of this product will ensure the best possible results in Hard water areas.

    4. A reverse Osmosis Filter (R. O unit) will remove the mineral ions by passing water through a very fine membrane. The water produced can be very pure and will allow normal
    nutrients to be used with complete confidence.

    7.CONDUCTIVITY

    The conductivity of a solution is an expression of the capacity of that solution to conduct an electric current. Distilled or de-ionised water will conduct virtually no
    electricity at all and will therefore have a conductivity reading of zero. As salts are dissolved in the water so the conductivity of the solution increased. The conductivity
    of a nutrient solution is therefore a measurement of its strength as indicated by the actual amount of salts dissolved.

    Conductivity is usually expressed in terms of CF. CF stands for Conductivity Factor and the units of measurement are usually milliSiemens, microSiemens or Siemens. The
    difference between these is purely in the placing of the decimal point. There are a thousand microSiemens in a milliSiemen. A CF unit is equal to a hundred microSiemens so
    there are 10 CF units to a milliSiemen.
    CF Meters

    CF meters usually read in milliSiemens or CF units but for the grower it is simply a matter of getting the decimal point in the right place. As a rule of thumb it can be said
    that a good conductivity level for most purposes would be 2.0 milliSiemens (expressed as 2.0mS/cm2). We can call this a standard working solution.

    Therefore Standard working solution =2.0mS. =2,000 uS = 20 CF units.
    Parts per Million

    Conductivity is sometimes expressed in terms of parts per million (ppm). One gram of any salt, dissolved in a Litre of water will make a solution containing 1,000 ppm of that
    salt. However different salts have a different capacity to conduct electricity so two solutions made with different salts could both be 1,000 ppm, but have quite different
    readings in a CF meter. It is therefore not possible to make an exact conversion from parts per million to CF units, however as most nutrient solutions have approximately the
    same ratio of constituent salts we can make an approximate conversion; 1 mS = 10 CF unit=~ 640 ppm.

    Therefore Standard Working Solution= 2.0mS= 20 CF =~ 1280 ppm.

    Many different meters are available from Growrooms UK. We have the cheaper digital meters like Eutech or Hanna and we also stock the Amazing Conductivity Truncheon, Saltesta
    Wand and pH Wand from New Zealand which use flashing LED's to show CF or pH reading. These are accurate and reliable and cannot be too highly recommended. They also carry a
    full two year warranty which is quite remarkable for such sensitive instruments.
    pH and Conductivity in RockWool systems

    Plants grown in RockWool slabs need slightly different nutrient regimes than in other systems. pH should be somewhat lower, at 5.8 rather than 6. Conductivity should also be
    slightly lower than in other applications. It is very important to remember that the readings in the tank may not reflect the reality within the slab. Nutrient should be
    extracted from the slab regularly for measurement. In a well maintained system there should not be too much variation between tank readings and those obtained from within the
    slabs. If Conductivity begins to rise in the slab it will be an indication that irrigation is either too infrequent or too short. It is neccessary to trickle nutrient into
    slabs for just long enough to get a 10 - 15% run off. The Timer should be adjusted to provide this amount of nutrient at least four times during the daylight period. More
    frequent irrigation may be beneficial. Remember that as plants grow they will take up much more nutrients and watering cycle will need to be extended regularly throughout life
    of the crop. The regular check of nutrient from within the slab itself is the most important routine for the rockwool grower. If the Conductivity begins to rise then the grower
    will increase irrigation to ensure run off at each watering cycle. If Conductivity remains high then it is a simple matter to flush the slabs.

    In an active system the pH will need checking and adjusting in the main tank on a regular basis. In most systems fresh water is added to the tank to replace that used by the
    plants. The incoming water is usually of a higher pH than the nutrient solution so there tends to be an upward drift in pH. This can be corrected by the regular addition of
    small amounts of pH DOWN. This process of pH control can be cancelled out with a pH kit but as it needs doing often the busy grower will be better off using a meter. If the
    water supply is classified as 'hard' the grower must be very careful with re-circulating systems.

    8.CUTTINGS

    Cuttings are a very important part of Growroom activity. Taking clones off a mother plant ensures that the plants are female and of good stock. Seeds tend to grow at an uneven
    rate so the plants are finnished at different times. It is therefore important to pick a good mother plant to take
    your cuttings from.

    Cuttings should be 4 - 5 inches (100 - 125mm) in length and in good health. It is a good idea to starve the mother plant of nutrients for a couple of day's so the cuttings
    taken will be looking for nutrients.

    Prepare the rockwool prior to taking cuttings. This is a simple proccess but must be done 12 hours before cuttings are taken. SBS 36mm and 25mm Grodan Rockwool blocks
    that fit perfectly into the 75mm and 100mm Grodan Cubes, or can be put straight into Hydroden Clay Pebbles. Make up a bucket of nutrient solution to a CF reading of 10-12 CF
    and pH reading of 5.8. It is important that the Rockwool is not lying in a puddle of nutrient solution within the propagator and now too wet or damping off will become a problem.


    The cutting should be taken just above an internode and cut with a single sided blade or scalpel. Remove the planta leaves from the internode and plunge the cuttings into a
    bucket of tepid water. After 30 seconds remove the cuttings and shake of access water. The cuttings should then be dipped in clonex rooting gel up to 1/2 to 1 inch and placed
    in rockwool and into a heated propagator at 21-22 centigrade.

    Cuttings should be under 16 hours of daylight hours for the fastest rooting time but 18 hours is the normal recommedation.

  2. The Following 37 Users Say Thank You to v1nc3 For This Useful Post:

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  3. #2

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    Thumbs up

    Great post mate.

    I am going to move this post into the hydroponic section as i think it would be best suited in there and make it a sticky.

  4. #3

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    Default

    Very nice post,some good info there.
    Plant a Seed
    ........&........
    Free the Weed

    https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/showg.../500/ppuser/11

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    GEORGE (11-12-18)

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    pretty in depth man

    good stuff

    i measure ph using a liquid kit, it normally reads a light green to yellow. i think thats about right

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    GEORGE (11-12-18)

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    Good info and glad to see that a newbie that aint got that many posts is actually posting some good info for us new guys to learn off!

    Nice


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    im new to this and i just started my system up using gh 3 part in a flood and drain ,,started from seed 6 weeks ago in rockwool been hand watering but wow 2 days into the new set up has really made a positive outcome

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    GEORGE (11-12-18)

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    excelent tutorial m8. advise all new growers who are using hydro to take note of this im sure its going to help me on my way to my crop

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    GEORGE (11-12-18)

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    hi....great post very helpful.....but im having a problem where i filled the resivoir and used ph down to bring it to 6.2.......as a few days have past the ph is dropping is it ok to put ph up in the same tank?

    thankyou

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    GEORGE (11-12-18)

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    Quote Originally Posted by chiface View Post
    hi....great post very helpful.....but im having a problem where i filled the resivoir and used ph down to bring it to 6.2.......as a few days have past the ph is dropping is it ok to put ph up in the same tank?

    thankyou
    hi mate more info please. whats your setup? nft, bubblers etc?
    how big are the plants and are you in veg or flower?
    what ec are you running at and is is falling or rising?
    When you do things right, people wont be sure you've done anything at all.

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    GEORGE (11-12-18)

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    Quote Originally Posted by prime View Post
    hi mate more info please. whats your setup? nft, bubblers etc?
    how big are the plants and are you in veg or flower?
    what ec are you running at and is is falling or rising?
    nft ,plants are 18 inches, 3 weeks into flower.....and looking great..im keeping my ec at 24.....but will rise daily.

    thankyou

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    GEORGE (11-12-18)

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