Bluelab Conductivity Pen (EC or ppm)

Dial In Your Nutrient Solution With The Bluelab Conductivity Pen (EC or ppm)

Even if you follow your feeding schedule perfectly, it's still important to double-check your work by using the Bluelab Conductivity Pen (EC or ppm). It will prevent you from underfeeding and overfeeding your plants, and result in healthier, more potent, heavier yielding plants.

Its also important to be aware of the temperature of your nutrient solution. If your water is too warm or too cold, your roots will be susceptible to issues like stagnant growth or root rot. We recommend feeding your plants at 65 - 72 degrees F.

To make sure the plants can get at the food, you need to measure the pH of the solution. Check out our handy Bluelab pH Pen so you have every tool required to manage your nutrient solution.

Bluelab Conductivity Pen (EC or ppm) Features

• Measures both conductivity and temperature in one handy tool
• Selectable units for conductivity and temperature
• Backlit LCD display
• Calibration optional
• Successful EC or ppm calibration indicator
• Hold reading function
• Low battery indicator
• Fully waterproof
• Auto off function
• Automatic temperature compensation
• 1 x AAA alkaline battery included

What is conductivity?

Electrical Conductivity (measured in ppm, EC, TDS, CF) is the total soluble salts contained within a liquid solution. Pure water does not contain salts, so it has a conductivity measurement of zero. By adding soluble elements to the water, electricity is able to move through the solution giving it a conductivity rating. The higher the nutrient content, the higher EC/PPM.

So why is it important?

Using hydroponics as an example, different crops grow well at different levels of nutrient strength (Electrical Conductivity - EC). Controlling this nutrient strength is all-important in providing the best conditions for your crop. Without proper measurement, your crop could fail from root burn brought on by too high a nutrient level, or death by natural causes from not receiving the vital elements they need to grow.

Different crops grow well at different levels of nutrient strength. It is important to control the nutrient strength to provide the conditions in the root zone which provide maximum uptake of balanced nutrition into the plant while minimizing stress.

For each crop there is a range in which the nutrient strength is optimal, providing enough nutrient for growth, but not so strong that the concentration of salts in the plant gets too high. Electronic meters are available to measure the conductivity of the nutrient solution.