Testing PPM
hendu2875
10 years ago
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biggyboy
10 years agohendu2875
10 years agoRelated Discussions
runoff pH/ppm
Comments (4)I purchased the bale last season from an independent nursery that mostly distributes wholesale plants. It appears to not be --100%-- sphagnum as there are some twigs in it. But the package does say "sphagnum" peat. I would think it would also advertise on the label "pH balanced" or "with wetting agents" if that was the case. Then again, I can't explain why the runnoff is pH neutral if the medium is significantly acidic. Since I potted the plants last Thursday, there is new growth on one of the two large (unidentified) rhizomes and the Sarracenia rubra alabamensis ... but nothing else. I'll have time to repot them Friday ......See MoreAm I using my PPM meter right?
Comments (6)Basically, what hex says, and just to add that a 342 calibration is a weak solution and more suited for testing most tap water. But such hair-splitting accuracy won't play a roll in your hydro need as long as you have a way of telling stronger from weaker on any calibration at all. The actual calculations the stick is giving are really a black box if you start splitting hairs and ... conversions get hairy when you deal with summer vs. winter on top of who's calibrating with what and at how strong and at what temperature. Sticking with EC frees you from ever worrying about ppm conversion factors again, except when helping others wade through the mess ppm has caused. So, you can complicate life with ppms or just use the actual signal of the stick gives, which is EC, and never look back, because the ppm is not what is being measured, it's the EC. The only benefit I see to "ppm meters" is that they are cheaper, but not by much. If you wonder how something that has programmed into it an extra level of conversions can be cheaper that the one that simply gives the raw electrical number, it's because mass produced meters are TDS since tap water is usually measured in ppm, and the guy that started making EC meters makes them in smaller runs. In hydro, there's a case to be made for those using a single brand of powdered fertilizer that ppm is easier to relate to gram readings, but to be honest I have never once seen a single post of someone actually using it for that. If you add up the ppms we are actually interested in, like N, P, K, S, Mg, Ca, Fe, etc., the total won't add up to the ppm on your meter, so why bother? Since you already bought TDS, consider it like a speedometer. Mix the ferts new, and check the reading. The reading is your rough speed limit. No one will give you a ticket for going a little bit faster or slower, but major differences and your plants will need to pull over into the shoulder. If you use EC, though as already noted, you will be able to share your results without everyone degenerating into a ppm vs. EC food-fight! EDIT: Let me add, for your purposes, it is not the NaCl calibration with 342 ppm NaCl that will make a squirrel's ass difference. What you want to make sure is that it is compensated for temperature. A 342 ppm calibration would be extremely inconvenient for me if it were only done at 25 C, and not automatically compensating for temperature ("ATC"). Many of the cheap meters do not have ATC, so watch out since even one degree make a difference in solution measurement. for a typical 10 C temp dif, the uncompensated readings of the same brew will be 20% different - and that becomes a problem! This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Fri, Apr 4, 14 at 15:56...See Moregetting water tested professionally for ppm
Comments (3)I would recommend finding a local lab to test your water. The need to keep your operating costs down is important for a viable business. I'm thinking your local universities have the expertise and equipment to perform these tests. Try this link it may help. http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/cdemello/tw.html...See MorePPM testing--is it necessary?
Comments (8)Hey there Adriana, Thanks for the link to Alabama Hydro. I have the Quick Dip Nutrient Meter, but it reads, "442", "KCL", and "uS" (which I believe is microsiemens). I have heard that the 442 is good for testing pond water with fish and plants, and KCL is potassium chloride. I have no clue which one to use for testing my Millennium nutrients. I try to keep the blinking LED's in the middle, but peppers or tomatoes require higher levels. Any advice from other hydro gardeners? Thanks, Jason...See Moregrizzman
10 years agoPupillaCharites
10 years agohendu2875
10 years agoPupillaCharites
10 years agoPupillaCharites
10 years agohendu2875
10 years agohendu2875
10 years agohendu2875
10 years agohex2006
10 years agoPupillaCharites
10 years agohex2006
10 years agohendu2875
10 years agoPupillaCharites
10 years agowillardb3
10 years ago
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