Is my runoff ppm too high?

[Itsasecret]

Growing 3 Auto’s in soil. Day 27 above ground. Tested my runoff today and it was 2170ppm (6.1ph). This seems high to me. I’ve been gradually building up my nutrients as I go. Today was the highest I’ve put in and it was only 545ppm that I watered with. Is 2170ppm too high for my runoff? Should I water with plain ph’d water next time with about 10%-15% runoff to try and achieve a small flush out?
Thanks in advance people.

[dphipps1020]

Are you watering with nutrients every time? From what I understand you should be doing one with nutrients and the next just water. If you're feeding every time it will cause buildup. Hope that helps

[Itsasecret]

bboyfromwayback how much molasses are you planning to use and how often? I’ve heard 1 teaspoon per litre and to do one time with, next time without? I’ve heard so many different opinions but I’d still like to hear yours. I got myself a jar of unsulphered organic black strap today. Essential journey!

[bboyfromwayback]

That stuff is super thick so I don’t measure it, I just pour it in but not much. Probably close to a teaspoon per gallon

[dphipps1020]

I've heard different things about molasses. I've gone with 1 tsp per gallon for the last few weeks and it worked ok. I've actually already started feeding my flowers now because of something I read on another site (they're just finishing week 5) that says you can feed all the way through but with less for veg. I've upped my molasses to a tbsp per gallon every other water. Not sure how fast I'll be seeing results but it should be pretty quick.

[bboyfromwayback]

I’m no expert at all but I’ve been doing my thing for quite a while and I’ve never checked the runoff for anything other than it let’s me know when I’ve watered enough. I use FFOF soil and don’t use any nutes until the plants tell me they need it which usually takes 5-6wks depending on the growth of the plant. Once I start using nutes I use them very lightly and use them in every watering because they’ve always been there in the soil until gone so it makes sense to me to use them every time I water until it’s time to flush. Over the years, since I’ve adapted this style of a grow, I’ve only had a few plants show signs of nute burn in which case I watered thoroughly with plain ph’d water the next few times then resumed with even less nutes afterwards. Some may disagree but I believe you’re over thinking it and making your grow too difficult. The plants leaves will tell you all you need to know if you know how to read them. Just my ten cents

[CaptainWiese91]

Totally agree on this one. Good answer to your question.. I’m doing exactly the same.
But remember autos don’t need that much nutes in the first place.
And it all also depends on what type of soil you have for your plants. If mine don’t show me anything I don’t give anything. Have 5 big feminized in my grow room - in week 1 of flower didn’t add anything beside cal-mag to be honest. They are from March, as long as they grow every day, I don’t need to feed and of course if they look healthy

[CaptainWiese91]

Forgot to mention 6,1 in PH is good. No problem there also.

[Itsasecret]

Hi bboyfromwayback. You’re probably right that I’m over thinking things..I’m good at that! This is my first grow and I’m trying my hardest not to screw this up. I’ve probably started feeding nutes a bit early? The plants are growing fast and drinking a lot. I’m going to give them plain water next time and back off the nutes a bit more. I’ll read my leaves a bit more and see what they tell me. I’ve researched the leaves and the signs a lot. I was worried that my plants might have almost used what was there so I wanted to start slowly introducing light feeds..only grow and CalMag so far and molasses for the first time today.
Thanks for your response, much appreciated.

[bboyfromwayback]

No problem bro! I just recently joined and to be honest, if I was a new grower reading some of the stuff people post on here I’d probably just keep paying for weed instead if growing it myself. Honestly it’s not hard but some people sure make it seem like it. Not saying they’re ways are wrong, just too complex. I keep shit simple

[Itsasecret]

Haven’t even got the option to buy my own where I live. Everything has dried up since this Covid19 shit started.
I won’t say exactly where I live but it’s a very small island between the UK and France. The only thing for sale is called soap bar and it’s £25 a gram...no thanks!

[dphipps1020]

Simpler is definitely better. I used to think I had to be in my tents for hours every day doing something to "help" them grow better. Now I go in, look at them (I spend more time looking at them than anything else), maybe give my girls in veg a spray with straight water, do some minor training (once I quadline there's not a lot else to do except defoliating and maybe tying them down more), and water if I need to. Keeps me from feeling overwhelmed with having a lot to do to them too. Other than the thrips I recently found, I haven't run into many other issues, and that will be fixed when I get my spray. Plants stay green and healthy (not even brown leaf tips usually) and seem to just want to grow and be beautiful. I'm glad I changed my process because it seems to be helping a lot. Seems like when I pay more attention to them it hurts my yields. Now I have a few 4' (almost) ladies in flower that seem to be just wanting water and not much else. Remember, sometimes less is more. I have 17 plants going, some clones I'm trying to revive (I'm convinced they're not dead yet), and some seeds germinating, and maybe spend a total of less than 10 hours a week on them all together, unless I have to do a major defoliation.

[CaptainWiese91]

bboyfromwayback Actually I’m with you there. In the start when you read a lot, it seems so overwhelming. But it’s not.. be flexible, keep calm and keep it simple 👍🏻

[Itsasecret]

Think I’ve done too much research by the sound of it. Keep it simple stupid. My plants are looking great..I just need to chill out a bit.

[CaptainWiese91]

dphipps1020 im so bored with it sometimes 😅. I go down turn lights on, maybe water. 12 hours later, I shut down my lights. Don’t even look at them anymore . And with this virus, I’m fucking bored in my house 😂😂. My first grow I would spent all day in the tent or in the garden, but too much love can kill them😁😁

[bboyfromwayback]

So freaking true! It’s easy to do too much, especially now with the internet and SO much information to sort through. I used to burn my plants all the time with the ‘more has to make em bigger’ approach or I was always tinkering with them which lead to over stressing them so they were always stunted. It wasn’t until I asked my buddies dad (who to this day grows the best smoke I’ve ever had) what I was doing wrong and he pretty much said everything lol he dumbed things down for me and my grows were much better. Over the years I’ve learned that every plant is different, not just each strain but they all prefer the simple approach

[CaptainWiese91]

bboyfromwayback Where I come from we call that “puppy love” you simple break the little puppies neck with too much love 😂. Slow smooth, smooth is fast👍🏻

[dphipps1020]

I've simplified it so much that even my dogs can help me lol just checking the seeds

[dphipps1020]

I defoliate all the way through. Sometimes light and sometimes heavy and I usually feel like it's too much. Only way you'll learn is to just do it. You'll see, in a week it won't even look like you touched it

[Itsasecret]

Should I concentrate on the large original lower fan leaves or should I concentrate on the newer fan leaves which are blocking light? Thanks.

[dphipps1020]

I usually start from the bottom and go up because they will die off anyway starting at the bottom. Start with a few today, a few more tomorrow and so on, if you're not comfortable doing it all at once. I usually take all the fan leaves except for a few at the top by the time they go to flower

[CaptainWiese91]

Fucking awesome pic. Can’t upload of my dogs, to high in pixels🤦🏼🤦🏼 But my Rottweiler is too lazy to walk down to the basement 😂👍🏻

[CaptainWiese91]

It’s my wife. It’s not me 😂😂😂

[CaptainWiese91]

Itsasecret don’t be. If you are worried, just take a little today and wait a couple of days and then do a little bit more

[Itsasecret]

I just need to figure out which leaves would be best to remove and also figure out how much stem to leave? From what I’ve seen from other people’s pics it looks like they leave a few millimetres of the stem rather than cutting right back to main stem? Apologies for being so nervous. I don’t want to hurt my babies..it took me long enough to get over my snapped branch, lol.

[Itsasecret]

I’m also considering defoliating myself today too..the Barber’s have been closed for 2 months now and won’t be opening again for a while. Time to dust of the hair clippers and get busy. My plants and myself should be feeling a bit lighter by the end of today! We’re celebrating 75 years of freedom today over here (Liberation Day). What a day for me and the girls to feel “Liberated”.

[CaptainWiese91]

I have my barber coming home to me, through the lockdown 🥳 it’s all up to you what you are going to do with the defoliation. I understand with the nervousness, I have it right now with my 5 critical kush. Did a little yesterday and going to do a little today also. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast👍🏻

[Itsasecret]

It’s happened. Half an hour well spent in the tent. Looking a lot better now. The one at the back really needed a trim! Before and after shots included...Might bake the leaves for a bit in the oven and make some tea out of the dried leaves?

[CaptainWiese91]

Not bad👍🏻 Wasn’t that hard ehh😆👍🏻 They will like you for it👍🏻

[Itsasecret]

Didn’t go too crazy to begin with. I’ll have another look in a couple of days.

[CaptainWiese91]

You can always take more leaves. But you can never take the leaves back👍🏻