What to do with nutrients for continual fruit?

[jdavis500]

This is my second go around with Serranos in an AG Harvest Elite.  The first time, I was very impressed with my success, but I was flying blind with TDS, nutrients, water changes.  I never measured or had a plan.  The plants produced for over a year.  There were definitely times of dormancy and times of crazy flowering.  This time I am recording pH, TDS, water changes and anything added.  Shooting for 6-6.5pH and 1300-1500 TDS.  I am using the Flora 3 part series from GH and the ingredients taper into the ripening stage.  I wonder what is best for longterm production.  Should I consider cycling between flowering/fruit/ripen?  Stick with and fruiting combination?  I had pretty good success with AG food alone previously, but I think I can do better.  Any thoughts are appreciated.

[Shawn]

Hello and Welcome!

It is wonderful to hear about your success with your peppers. I myself and a pepper person but I have never let my plants produce that long as I like change and new things.  One day maybe but I am eager for different things.

I have thankfully never needed to check TDS or pH or PPM.  We have knowledgeable members here who have had success and I think they will add their thoughts as they log in. 

Have you taken a look at the Nutrients and Supplements Board?  There is a lot of information but again I believe someone with better knowledge will be able to assist you.

Using nutrients other then AG, I stick with AG nutes and only add a calcium supplement to my peppers after day 30 of planting.  I use Mr. Mucha-Stash as other use Calimag.  There is information on both in the board mentioned above.  I am nervous to try the GH 3 phase products as the measuring is intimidating to me.  Also though a member here wrote up a pretty good GH101 thread.

[airscapes]

I think the best thing you can do is change the fluid weekly and you will not have to do much else.  In my larger hydroponic experiment the info provided me from multiple professional sources was to change the solution weekly. This is for tomatoes but not really much different from peppers an.   After tracking PH and ec for weeks on 2 differently plants (bucket system and tub system) the plant need food after 7 days if not before, it has dumped waste into the water for 7 days.. best thing to do is, drain/flush/fill with fresh.. This is why most plants do just fine in a AG without monitoring the EC and PH.  The AG nutrient drops water with a ph of 7.5 to right around 5.1  once you add some water on day 2 or 3 your are back in the 5.5 range and good to go.. then you add more nutrient on a schedule and then change which starts you over..   Stepping away for that  system with another feeding system, you will need to monitor the values and you will also need to buy a quality meter ($200-$500) with cleaning, calibrations and storage fluids(consumables) as well as clean and calibrate the probe weekly..  Other wise you are not really measuring anything if the device is not accurate.
This link is helpful info on why the above is important. extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/electrical-conductivity-and-ph-guide-for-hydroponics.html


Those $16-$30 meters on amazon look good but believe me they are not.. The paper strips are not really accurate either.  I ended up with a Hanna Gro-line meter, a very larger investment for something I probably will not use next season.. but it is a tool and I do tend to collect tools! 
Good luck and I second the fact you should probably terminate the plant after the first crop.. or buy a second machine and have them staggered so when the first had produced and finished the second is right there ready to keep you fed!

[jdavis500]

Thanks for your input folks.