| Posted by lbhydro |
| Posted on Sep 20 2002, 12:49 PM |
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The GH 1-2-3 formula is what i use and it has served me very well. This is how I mix my nutes. I feel that this is a fail safe method. Many people will tell you what to mix but I have taken the time to even tell you how..............
First thing you must know is that all hydro systems are not equal. Some like DWC and Aero need lower ppms. Where Ebb & Flow for example can handle higher ppms. I use a DWC system like the one explained in Train1’s article on Overgrow and these instructions are exactly what I use today in my DWC. It is a very good system and I would suggest it to just about anyone although there are better systems IMHO for doing a larger scale grow, the Freedom buckets for example.
This is the exact steps I take to insure a proper nutrient solution. First and foremost use good water. I use RO water that I get for 20 cents per gallon at my local water store. This first example is my bloom formula. It is to take you through the steps of properly preparing your nute solution. My res is 25 gallons so you will have to adjust for your size res.
First add all of your “extras” to your res. I would suggest getting a container that would be able to hold the same amount of water as your res. That way you can prepare your mixture in the mixing container then empty your res and immediately pump the fresh solution into your system so that they will be out of the water for a minimal amount of time to reduce shock. In bloom I add 80ml of Bcuzz bloom stimulant (that’s what the bottle suggests for my res size), and a small amount of Epsom salts, about 2 TSP. You must mix your e-salts in warm water, a cup full will do, or they will take forever to dissolve and throw off you readings. This little trick will help you whenever you need to mix something solid into your nute solution. Dissolve it first. Then I prepare to add my GH Flora mixture. First off you need to know how to mix them together in a way that there is really no way for you to make an error. To do this you must separate a few steps. I never pour nutes directly into the reservoir. This will make it almost impossible to get the incorrect ratio of Micro-Grow-Bloom. What I do is get a gallon of water and mix my nutes ratios into that then I simply add the solution to my res until I reach the desired ppm. You CANNOT mix them together in their pure form, they must be diluted or nutrient lockout can occur. My system hold 25 gallons so I use 80ml as my one unit of measure. I use the 1-2-3(G-M-B) formula. It is the one that GH recommends and it works well for me. Always add Micro, then Grow, then Bloom. So I get my bucket of water and I add 2 measures of GH Micro. I mix it up. Then I add my 1 measure of Grow. I mix it up. Then I add my 3 measures of Bloom. I mix it up. Remember my measure is 80ml yours will be different according to your res size. If you make too much throw it away or use it else where if you make too little you will have to mix more. Then I throw a submersible water pump in my mixing container to keep everything mixing as add to the solution so my reading stay true. You can use anything, just be sure your nutes are fully mixed before trusting your readings. I have found ph to take longer to stabilize than ppm's so really let it mix up well before you count on a ph reading to be true. I then add My GH mixture slowly to the mixing container until I reach my desired ppm. After I have the ppm’s set I adjust my ph until my mixture is perfect. Then I quickly dump my res and put the contents in my mixing container into my res. Bada bing….that’s it. Here are the mixtures I use. If you add them in the manor outlined above I can guarantee it will come out right.
Rooting Cutting’s---
Nothing, nada, zilch, pure RO water and a rooting powder, liquid, or gel is all you need
Seedlings/clones--
Add a drop of superthrive per gallon of water, e-salts, and a 1-1-1(G-M-B) GH mixture at 250 ppm and adjust ph to 5.2 – 5.8.
Early vegging—
Add a drop of superthrive per gallon of water, e-salts, and a 1-1-1(G-M-B) GH mixture at 350-450 ppm and adjust ph to 5.2 – 5.8.
Vegging—
Add a drop of superthrive per gallon of water, e-salts, and a 3-2-1(G-M-B) GH mixture at 500-650 ppm and adjust ph to 5.2 – 5.8.
Transition to blooming (first 2 weeks of 12/12)—
Add my Bcuzz bloom booster, e-salts, and a 1-1-1(G-M-B) GH mixture at 700 ppm and adjust ph to 5.2 – 5.8.
Full bloom---
Add my Bcuzz bloom booster, e-salts, and a 1-2-3(G-M-B) GH mixture at 750 - 950 ppm and adjust ph to 5.2 – 5.8.
A few notes:
When I give a range of ppm I start off low and mix a little extra GH to slowly bump up the ppms as the days go on to make sure the plants can handle it. Every strain will grow a little different.
If heat is a problem you can use a silicone solution such as pro-tekt to raise ph and give the plants a little something to help them out in hot weather. Use it sparingly. I wouldn’t add more than 1 ml per gallon into your res. I think it can slow down growth.
Don’t try to add all kinds of stuff to your res, the simpler the better. That is why I add so little Epsom salts, because GH is good shit and I only add some to be safe because I heard it was lacking Mg a bit. If I start having Mg issues I would bump it up but I haven’t had to yet.
You will not need H2O2(hydrogen peroxide) unless you have an improper nute solution. If you keep your res temps at 68-72* and it is light tight you won’t have algae problems and your plants will be the happiest. The higher your nute temps go the less O2 the water can hold. It is a property of water itself and no amount of bubbles will help.
Don’t get too picky. This is very important. I keep my nutes at a ph between 5.2 – 5.8. If it is in this range DO NOT try to get it “perfect” by adding ph up and down. This applies even when you are first mixing your solution. It will just mess things up, trust me here. If you mix up your solution and you don't HAVE to use the ph up or down DON'T. When you do adjust try to hit 5.5 but once again don’t be too picky. If it’s a little higher or lower let it go. You’ll just mess things up by trying to mix it exactly.
If you have a nutrient deficiency or some other problem that you think might be nutrient related change em out for good fresh nutes. Don’t add all kind of magic cures to your nute solution. It an’t worth it and it usually doesn't work out well.
I have found that an organic additive such as Bcuzz or the new GH floroliciuos is very benificail to the overall health of your plants, especialy the roots, when growing with chem ferts. I used to have to use hydrogen peroxide to control algae but I haven't had any algae in a long time and my temps aren't alway ideal. |
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