VADugin said:

I guess the big question is am I locked out from nutrients due to PH
Or
deficiencies and start feeding?

Few more pics to help.
I tried to show one plant at a time & included the runoff PH from the watering just before
I’ll pickup a soil PH tester today when I run to town and post that result also!


Plant “4” -6.78
View attachment 1174537View attachment 1174541View attachment 1174542View attachment 1174555

Plant 3 - 6.74

View attachment 1174557
View attachment 1174558View attachment 1174559View attachment 1174560plant1 -6.85
View attachment 1174561
plant 2- 6.77
View attachment 1174563View attachment 1174564View attachment 1174562

Click to expand...

Yes you’re locked out why don’t you ph your water down to 6.5? It’s not supposed to be 8

2Bad said:

Yes you’re locked out why don’t you ph your water down to 6.5? It’s not supposed to be 8

Click to expand...

I head read some mixed things on ph of water in soil. Especially when using soil with nutrients - but thanks for confirming that!
Obviously the plants don’t like it

I’ll pickup some PH down today while in town and flush with water at 6.5

Do you have a water softener?

Aqua Man said:

Do you have a water softener?

Click to expand...

I don’t have a whole house one! Just a sediment filter on main water supply

the water I’ve been using is from our shower filter that is a
15 stage shower filter off Amazon for well & hard water
claims to remove or reduce

• Active chlorine
• Lead
• Iron (II) & Iron (III)
• Arsenic
• Cadmium & Mercury
• Chromium (VI) & Chromium (III)
• Selenium & Magnesium

VADugin said:

Checked PH on runoff and input today

looks like my ph input has gone up some more. Input water (after my basic filter) still PH 7.9 @20c

runoff on each plant
6.85
6.77
6.74
6.77
All @21.5-22*c
going to check into the PH range for Mg uptake

I see mixed opinions on using PH up/down with soil, but in my case I think I will need to pick some up!

Should I also swap to distilled water until I can get a better filter on way?

Click to expand...

Your runoff pH is a bit high.
pH down won't do anything to the soil, so don't worry about it.

What kind of filter are you using on your water? Do you have a link?

VADugin said:

I don’t have a whole house one! Just a sediment filter on main water supply

the water I’ve been using is from our shower filter that is a
15 stage shower filter off Amazon for well & hard water
claims to remove or reduce

• Active chlorine
• Lead
• Iron (II) & Iron (III)
• Arsenic
• Cadmium & Mercury
• Chromium (VI) & Chromium (III)
• Selenium & Magnesium

Click to expand...

Hmmm yeah have a link? As long as it's ot exchanging sodium for say like magnesium or calcium.

Aqua Man said:

Hmmm yeah have a link? As long as it's ot exchanging sodium for say like magnesium or calcium.

Click to expand...

ComfortablyNumb said:

Your runoff pH is a bit high.
pH down won't do anything to the soil, so don't worry about it.

What kind of filter are you using on your water? Do you have a link?

Click to expand...

Here’s a link
15 Stages Shower Water Filter with Silver layer -... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KR91M1...abc_JT6EQRTPQZB6M211EARB?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Your water filter is loaded with Calcium Sulfite.
Change your filter.

Do not use water after that filter. Better off using your well water and I would suggest purchasing an RO unit.

ComfortablyNumb said:

Your water filter is loaded with Calcium Sulfite.
Change your filt

Click to expand...

Aqua Man said:

Do not use water after that filter. Better off using your well water and I would suggest purchasing an RO unit.

Click to expand...

Thank you guys I appreciate your time!

In this case would it be better to flush out the pots/saturate them once I have a better filter in place; or let them grow out of it?

VADugin said:

Thank you guys I appreciate your time!

In this case would it be better to flush out the pots/saturate them once I have a better filter in place; or let them grow out of it?

Click to expand...

Best to remedy this as soon as you can

Aqua Man said:

Best to remedy this as soon as you can

Click to expand...

Looks like I can’t find a decent RO system locally and it’ll take a few days to get here + install
I’ll pickup some gallons of water for next couple of waterings and get a 5 stage RO on way

Should I flush the pots ahead of watering schedule to try and get rid of the excess minerals or just go with distilled water at the next watering?

Got the RO system installed

Thought it was interesting the RO water is HIGHER in PH!?

water coming in at 8.6

recalibrating meter now prior to water

holding at 8.6... will wait to water until I go pickup ph down.
Should I add a tsp/cal mag to each gal? Ppm of water is 6.

VADugin said:

Got the RO system installed

Thought it was interesting the RO water is HIGHER in PH!?

water coming in at 8.6

recalibrating meter now prior to water

holding at 8.6... will wait to water until I go pickup ph down.
Should I add a tsp/cal mag to each gal? Ppm of water is 6.

Click to expand...

With 6ppm, the high ph is meaningless.

VADugin said:

Got the RO system installed

Thought it was interesting the RO water is HIGHER in PH!?

water coming in at 8.6

recalibrating meter now prior to water

holding at 8.6... will wait to water until I go pickup ph down.
Should I add a tsp/cal mag to each gal? Ppm of water is 6.

Click to expand...

As @growsince79 said ph is meaningless at that ppm.

Have a read here.

VADugin said:

Got the RO system installed

Thought it was interesting the RO water is HIGHER in PH!?

water coming in at 8.6

recalibrating meter now prior to water

holding at 8.6... will wait to water until I go pickup ph down.
Should I add a tsp/cal mag to each gal? Ppm of water is 6.

Click to expand...

Add 100 ppm you may need to add a buffer so read the thread I linked and then let me know if you ha e questions.

pH your water to 6.5
My tap water is 8pH cause the Shenandoah River is our city water supply.
Takes 1 ml pH down to get to 6.5 - 6.6.

Also get some Epsom Salts. The Garden version that Pennington sells at Lowes.
I mixed 1 gallon of tap water with it and then measured the pH then used the pH down accordingly. (Epsom salts do not affect pH.)
I watered mine on week 3 with them. The girls exploded in a darker green since Mg is major for chlorophyll making them green

Epsom Salts is organic even though it can be used in hydro because it comes from a hot spring in England.
Also gives Sulfur too.
You can use oyster shells from Down to Earth or their Crap or Shrimp ferts that are awesome for vegetative growth and Calcium.
Either way people have to go Dolomite Lime (Ca + Mg) + Sulfur (Epsoma Soil Acidifier from Lowes) its organic. I am doing all organic my first grow right now and its awesome.
Or they go Epsom Salts (Mg + S) then add Calcium from Aragonite, Ground Oyster Shells, Calcium Nitrate or eggshells.
Or you can go Gypsum (Ca 20% + S 16%) then add Epsom Salts for Mg

Either way any of those above can be used combined in the right ratios or alone to amend soil before planting in final pot or to fix deficiencies.
Also getting a deficiency poster is helpful.

The Sulfur in Epsom and the Epsoma Soil Acidifier will help lower your soil pH.
There is soil test kits sold at Lowes (Like $12) or on Amazon.
The one at Lowes gives you 10 pH test, and 10 each of Nitrogen, Phos and Potassium.
Iused it to test the Phos and Potassium levels of the banana tea I made by soaking washed organic banana peels in purified water in a lock lid jar in the fridge then strain it.
Going to use it for ferts during mid to late flower along with blackstrap molasses.

The smell so far of the plants is amazing using organics.

Just remember pH the water down to 6.3-6.7 range to prevent lockouts.
Always check pH after adding anything to your water for feeding and adjust accordingly.
Don't overfeed. Sativas are generally lighter green than indica varieties too.
Sative - lighter green, skinnier leaves. Tall and less bushy. Indica - Wider leaves and darker green. Shorter and bushier

That Dr Earth Pot of Gold is 3.3 pH after adding to 1 gal of my 8pH.
Took 32 ml of pH UP to get it to 6.6pH. Then boom the girls got nice and darker green. I gave 1/2 dose to the 2 autos.
The Super Skunks loved it. Next grow I am going hydro to try it out for the heck of it. I bought all of General Hydroponics nutes for that grow on Purple Kush photos.

Good Luck on your growing and follow the guys on these forums. They have lots of experience under their belt.

things are still moving along!
I originally did feed 75 ppm calmg along with 175ppm of my base a+b from humbolts secret line.
Few tips curled but overall saw a jump in growth, I think I should’ve started a little lower on nutrients.
Next watering was just cal mg to 100ppm 3 days later

most recently
I missed the timing on last watering, in a rush seeing everything folded down and over I didn’t add any calmg to my RO water.

the yellowing/paleness in leaves wasn’t as pronounced prior to most recent just RO watering.
I think based on charts Looks like magnesium deficiency and still low on calcium? I have been trimming the DEAD leaves that are completely shriveled /paper crispy. Just a few per day per plant.

I water again sometime tomorrow and was thinking I’ll stick with just cal mg at about 100 ppm or should I up the dose

Still working through some type of deficiency.
Feeding RO water now @ph 6-6.3 with 75-100ppm cal mg + iron from humbolts secret

Today’s thoughts -
still looking like upper leaves are yellowing between veins from a magnesium difficiency. Some visible spotting rust colored near tops of leaves. Some of the new side growth is a nice dark green; however the fan leaves coming from these lower stems are still showing deficiency signs (crinkling, browning, etc)
top sets of leaves are showing yellowing tips and very light in color. Sulfur?


Picked up some Epsom salts for next watering (tomorrow it’s looking like they are thirsty following the underwatering)

will add some mg to the same cal mg dosage and see if that helps.

Fairly certain I should be starting with my ferts?
I have humbolts secret base a+b, golden tree, plant enzymes, and flower stacker
I’m just hesitant to start mixing things up without things smooth. Don’t like to change multiple variables at once... but if I’m being hard headed please tell me

Use distilled or RO water add 100ppm (not more) cal mag.

If the soil contains nutrients then add 50ppm cal mag and water. Do not PH just water.

Do a good wet dry cycle.

Anyone who tells you that you need to or can adjust you soil PH by phing you water is misinformed.

Adding something like aluminum sulfate yeah. Bit now ph down.

Make SURE they are getting a good wet dry cycle. Over watering is watering to often NOT TO MUCH AT ONE TIME.