EC is a reading. It is not the whole recipe.

EC measures how readily a solution conducts electricity. Dissolved ions contribute to that reading. The meter does not tell you which nutrients—or unwanted salts—are responsible.

This makes EC useful for tracking changes, but insufficient for judging whether a feed is balanced. Record source-water EC separately from the finished mix. Use consistent units and a consistent sampling method when comparing results.

With organic inputs, EC also cannot stand in for the full nutrient analysis or predict all later nutrient release. Do not keep adding feed simply to make a meter match a target designed for a different programme.

Next step: put the reading beside the actual recipe, medium, irrigation record and plant observations. If something changes, investigate those together.

Reviewed 8 October 2026