Update....:) watered them really good, then nutes at 1/2 recommended dose. Did a PH run off test and the runoff was 5.5. So it is too low...I found this info and am using it as a guide. From what I gather I need to water my water at a higher ph (Im currently using 6.5 ph'd water) so if I raise my watering ph to 7.0 that should make the runoff 6.0 right?
Heres the info Im using
1. It's simple to find out if you are using too much food or not enough by watching the nutrient concentration levels in your tanks day to day. Don't be concerned with the exact reading, rather watch how it rises and falls from each day to the next. The differences between when you put the solution into the tank and the readings you get several hours later or the next day are what tell you if your plant is eating, drinking or happy.
Start with 1.00 EC (or a SAFE nutrient strength). Next day, if it reads 1.4, it means your plants have been using water and your nutrient solution is becoming more concentrated. This means the concentration of nutrients is too high, so you dilute.
If the meter reads lower than the previous day, 0.7 say, it tells you that the plants are eating nutrients faster than they are drinking water, so you should increase your nutrient strength. If it remains the same, your feeding schedule is on target for now. The nutrient/water intake fluctuates with the growth of the plant, so you must continually monitor it day to day.
Your plants will tell you the optimum nutrient levels. When they are receiving optimum food and water, the readings remain constant. The more you do it, the easier it gets. The reason no one can tell you what PPM/EC levels to use is because every garden is different and every plant has different requirements due to their particular environment. That's why you have a ball park starting figure, but after that your plants will tell you almost exactly what they require.
Why do you want to know your runoff pH? Simple- it's an indication of how your water, fertilizer, and grow medium are interacting chemically.
There are 3 measurements that are important to know when you are caring for plants growing in a soil or soilless medium.
The first is the pH of your source water.
Next is the pH of your nutrient solution after the fertilizers and supplements are added.
Last is the pH of your soil. But that's the hard one! You can't just stick a pH meter in the dirt and get an accurate reading, and the cheap metal-probed meters that show this are usually not all that precise.
So how does one determine soil pH accurately? With a runoff test! First, measure the pH of your tap water and record it. As an example, let's say that it is 7.0, exactly neutral.
to check soil Ph usually you can check your runoff or waste water (water from the bottom of the pot). to do this water the plant let it sit for about 10 mins then re water so you get a good cup or 2 of the runoff, then collect it. let the sediment settle for about 5-10 mins, then use a Ph tester to check the Ph of that runoff water (water from the bottom of the pot).
Now place the pot over a clean rinsed container and pour enough water through the soil to start dripping out the bottom. Collect about 4 ounces of runoff water. Check to see if it is discolored as well.
Now, if you only have liquid indicator, which is just fine, pour this water into a clean small tube or the test vial that came with your pH testing kit.Add a few drops of indicator solution, shake, and read the color change.
If you have a meter, simply stick the electrode in the water and read.
Let's say that your runoff comes out at 6.5. How did that happen? The water passed through a more acidic matrix and dropped its pH. You can assume that your true soil pH is a couple tenths of a pH point lower than the runoff in this case- I'd assume about a 6.2. If it comes out HIGHER, just go in the opposite direction. If it came out 7.5, you can assume that you need to drop down from about 7.8.
You want around 6.0-6.5 for a soilless mix, or 6.3-6.8 for soil.
