reading your plants vs. nute directions vs. reading your ppm

most hydro growers can relate to this, fixing up a nute reservoir at the recommended level, only to have the leaves curling like crazy 6-12 hours later.

we are all trying to maximize our crops, so it easy to do.

If I mix my nutes at the level that they recommend for week 5 bloom, it is 1600ppm,

I have noticed that they seem to do best if I leave them around 7-800ppm, and top up according to changes in the ppm level. If the nutes drop more than 50ppm after I add water, then I add nutes to bring it back up, and rebalance ph. if they use more than 100ppm in 1 day, then I raise their base point by 100. (ie, they start at 800, then after drinking 3 gallons, I add 3 gallons back to them, and they are at 700ppm, I will raise them close to 900, because they have shown that they are eating more.

I also check them daily to see leaf color, margins, veins, tip curl, taco'ing, spotting, and all that stuff.

I bumped them up to 1000ppm a few days ago, and the leaves all started curling and burning up, plants are 5 wks into bloom. so I dropped it back down to 750.

I know they say 50% strength is what the ladies like.

anyone have similar experience? are you all doing the same as me? or do you have other solutions?

I tend to support the "reading your plants" method. I mainly try to get a feel for how high of a ppm reading each plant can take...then adjust accordingly. I look for there to be an equilibrium with the ph and ppm. If you can adjust each so that there is little-to-no variation each day that you check the readings, then you are gravy. The plants are getting exactly what they need...

I do not go over 300-500 during rooting/early veg, 600-700 during heavy veg, 800-900 during the first 1-2 weeks of flowering, and then 1200-1300 during the rest of flowering until I flush. But I adjust each strain, according to how they respond. That regimen works for me just about everytime, though.

One thing I NEVER do is follow the exact instructions on all of the bottles. At least as far as nutrients go. Enzymes, vitamins, and such that don't affect ppm I usually put just a little under the recommended amount.

So 280 ppm during 3rd week of flowering is way to little? Im using FF big bloom in baccto soiless mix. It looks like I am having nute burn so I am confused.