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First time grower seeking advice

  • Thread starter Thread starter Menequadon1
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First time grower seeking advice

Menequadon1 35 Replies 918 Views
Page 2 of 2 · Replies 21–36 of 36
#21
Jmaes Mabley said:
First thing Id do is check PH of soil.
2nd thing Id do is can that fertilizer, and never have to deal with Cal/Mag again.
Id switch to??
Master Blend
4 18 38
Epsom Salts
Calcium Nitrate
NOTHING else needed.
Also if you want to use your Tap Water?? Dilute it 50%+ with Distilled/RO Water. Id cut it 65% myself, but also check if you can, the sodium content. If high, scrap it.

Ocean Forest-Forest Mix PH is best at 5.8-6.2
And water is best PH to the same 5.8-6.2
Grow Big is Hybrid, and is to be TREATED AS A CHEMICAL GROW, NOT ORGANIC
NOT 6.2-6.4, and your ph water up to as high as 6.7, is an extremely bad idea.
OF-FOREST MIX often bottoms out at 5.0-5.5 PH.
Forest Mix as other OF soiless mixes are low in Calcium, and Moderate in Magnesium.

I would have also cut the Forest Mix with 30% perlite. Forest Mix I believe is heaviest of all the OF products, and is not conductive to good root aeration.
If medium needs PH correction??

I recommend using 2/3 parts Calcitic Lime and 1/3 pars Dolomite. While I dont know what amounts youd need, Id use that ratio as that is what most Peat based Manufacturers like Premier use to correct PH/Buffer Peat Based Soilless Mediums.
I myself use Promix BX, others like HP, as it is a bit lighter, but I use HID/HPS and like the bit of extra water retention. Both are A#1. Next time, if possible use wither Promix BX, or HP.
But Id can the fertilizer and switch to
Master Blend
Epsom Salts
Calcium Nitrate.
Also they have to mixed in that order.
PH water after EC Achieved. I try and get PH water under 5.9
Use EC of .8 on seedlings from Day ONE-13 on a 56-70 days flowering strain.
EC 1.6 Veg
Early Flowering
EC 1.6 from Day 1 12/12-Day 20
Also EC is based on 500 Scale
EC 1.8 Day 21- day 48
EC Day 49-70 1.6
Click to expand...
They are in soil
What am I missing soil ph should be 6.3-6.9
Your quoting hydro ph range
am I missing something ?
 
#22
Wait...

So you're seeing 1328 in your tap or is that your runoff? You mentioned siemens but are you sure it's not giving you a 500 method conversion? If that's ppm then BOTH of these are an immediate problem. If it's your tap then I understand why you're leaning into RO. If that's your runoff then really the only thing that is going to fix it is to run enough water VOLUME... SLOWLY... through that soil to bring that number down to a safer level. You should aim for around 1.6 (800 ppm) but if you don't want to be that aggressive, at least pour enough to get it to 2.0 and then you can stop. At 2.6 your roots are becoming partially dehydrated and the longer you wait, the longer the recovery. I've been there and just trying to give you a heads up.
 
#23
Do agree btw this is a chem grow & should be treated as such & i am not knocking the rest of the advice as as i said at each interaction i am an organic grower & they would be better if a chemical grower stepped in to help.
I could work out ec & the like as I know enough not to be dangerous 😂 however it’s not abc to me like it maybe to chem growers, organics maybe abc to me however chem not so much hence why I’d rather folks like you & @Ninjadogma help I only really noticed the ph value you suggested seems odd nothing else bud
 
#24
Gmix said:
They are in soil
What am I missing soil ph should be 6.3-6.9
Your quoting hydro ph range
am I missing something ?
Click to expand...
Fox Farm Forest Mix is Peat Based.
Gmix said:
They are in soil
What am I missing soil ph should be 6.3-6.9
Your quoting hydro ph range
am I missing something ?
Click to expand...
Happy Frog Forest Mix is a peat‑based, lightly amended potting soil. Since it’s peat‑based, it works best in the 5.8–6.2 pH range.
Happy Frog Forest Mix isn’t soil. It’s a peat‑based potting mix=MEDIUM, so it runs on the 5.8–6.2 pH range instead of soil pH.
 
#25
Jmaes Mabley said:
Fox Farm Forest Mix is Peat Based.

Happy Frog Forest Mix is a peat‑based, lightly amended potting soil. Since it’s peat‑based, it works best in the 5.8–6.2 pH range.
Happy Frog Forest Mix isn’t soil. It’s a peat‑based potting mix=MEDIUM, so it runs on the 5.8–6.2 pH range instead of soil pH.
Click to expand...
Yea im using happy frog and ocean forest at about 50/50. It says its soil but i do sea the peat content, so slightly lower pH is better?
 
#26
Ninjadogma said:
Wait...

So you're seeing 1328 in your tap or is that your runoff? You mentioned siemens but are you sure it's not giving you a 500 method conversion? If that's ppm then BOTH of these are an immediate problem. If it's your tap then I understand why you're leaning into RO. If that's your runoff then really the only thing that is going to fix it is to run enough water VOLUME... SLOWLY... through that soil to bring that number down to a safer level. You should aim for around 1.6 (800 ppm) but if you don't want to be that aggressive, at least pour enough to get it to 2.0 and then you can stop. At 2.6 your roots are becoming partially dehydrated and the longer you wait, the longer the recovery. I've been there and just trying to give you a heads up.
Click to expand...
I have one of those pH pens that is a combination and it also tests for TDS, ET, sanity as well as us/cm.
The 1328 was from my tap water. I dont think im going to use tap because my tap water is especially bad and runs through a softener so is very salty
 
#27
Jmaes Mabley said:
Fox Farm Forest Mix is Peat Based.

Happy Frog Forest Mix is a peat‑based, lightly amended potting soil. Since it’s peat‑based, it works best in the 5.8–6.2 pH range.
Happy Frog Forest Mix isn’t soil. It’s a peat‑based potting mix=MEDIUM, so it runs on the 5.8–6.2 pH range instead of soil pH.
Click to expand...

Menequadon1 said:
Yea im using happy frog and ocean forest at about 50/50. It says its soil but i do sea the peat content, so slightly lower pH is better?
Click to expand...
Yes. 5.8-6.2.
 
#28
Jmaes Mabley said:
Fox Farm Forest Mix is Peat Based.

Happy Frog Forest Mix is a peat‑based, lightly amended potting soil. Since it’s peat‑based, it works best in the 5.8–6.2 pH range.
Happy Frog Forest Mix isn’t soil. It’s a peat‑based potting mix=MEDIUM, so it runs on the 5.8–6.2 pH range instead of soil pH.
Click to expand...
Huh that makes life complicated as there’s a lot of mediums that are peat based bio bizz for one.
Guess I’ll have to ask what medium someone’s in, in future.
Well I learned something today I guess.
IMO I’m thankful I grow organically with no need to chase ph
 
#29
Gmix said:
Huh that makes life complicated as there’s a lot of mediums that are peat based bio bizz for one.
Guess I’ll have to ask what medium someone’s in, in future.
Well I learned something today I guess.
IMO I’m thankful I grow organically with no need to chase ph
Click to expand...
So organic grows dont need to be ph’d? Does the soil naturally adjust the waters ph?
 
#31

1. “No need to adjust pH” is ONLY true for ONE situation​

True organic, microbe‑driven soil + real mineral soil + no salt nutrients + stable pH water

That is not Fox Farm.That is not Forest Mix.That is not peat‑based bagged media.That is not salt feeding.
Forest Mix is:
  • peat
  • compost
  • bark
  • perlite
That is soilless, not soil. Peat acidifies over time. Forest Mix commonly bottoms out to 5.0–5.5,
 
#32
Jmaes Mabley said:

1. “No need to adjust pH” is ONLY true for ONE situation​

True organic, microbe‑driven soil + real mineral soil + no salt nutrients + stable pH water

That is not Fox Farm.That is not Forest Mix.That is not peat‑based bagged media.That is not salt feeding.
Forest Mix is:
  • peat
  • compost
  • bark
  • perlite
That is soilless, not soil. Peat acidifies over time. Forest Mix commonly bottoms out to 5.0–5.5,
Click to expand...
my friend grows in fox farm, happy frog and has never ph’d anything, you don’t need to and i use promix and have never ph’d,..
really just learn how to feed the plant correctly,.
 
#33
GNick55 said:
my friend grows in fox farm, happy frog and has never ph’d anything, you don’t need to and i use promix and have never ph’d,..
really just learn how to feed the plant correctly,.
Click to expand...
Promix BX/HP already contains both Calcitic/Dolomitic Lime, and buffers between 5.5-5.8 PH. Unless one uses organic Promix needs nothing for correct PH. Only PH water of 5.8-6.2.
Fox Farm soils (Ocean Forest, Happy Frog) have heavy buffering. They can correct bad pH for a while.

Ive grown weed since 1972, and bought the first HID when they came out in late 1977. I do believe I know how to feed/water a plant.
 
#34
Well an update for any who care:
I didn’t really know what to do based on some of the conflicting opinions, which I do appreciate nonetheless.
So
I watered Chunk on the 13th with 1 gallon of distilled water to which I added a teaspoon of Growbig, as well as about 1.8 mL of Calmag. I then balanced it to a pH of 6.4.
I measured the runoff directly out of the bottom of the fabric pot, and the pH was 6.18, the PPM was 901 as was the salt PPM, the EC was 1.8, and the salt percentage was .08, all based off of the readings on my multipurpose pH pen.
I then watered Afghan last night on the 15th
1 gallon distilled water, 1.8 mL Cal mag, half a teaspoon of grow big, and 6.4 pH
I wasn’t able to measure the runoff on the Afghan, unfortunately, but will be doing so on the next water, which will not have any nutrients. Will provide updates on how they both perform over the next few days.
 
#35
GNick55 said:
my friend grows in fox farm, happy frog and has never ph’d anything, you don’t need to and i use promix and have never ph’d,..
really just learn how to feed the plant correctly,.
Click to expand...
Is it possible that your friend and many, many more dont need to ph due to the fact that their water is not as acid or as alkaline as some other people?
Just wondering as I have only 12 successful grows, have always ph,ed up from 5.9 to about 6.5 and use a combination Ocean Forest, Happy Frog and Promix HP.
Thanks for the feedback.
 
#36
Jmaes Mabley said:
Promix BX/HP already contains both Calcitic/Dolomitic Lime, and buffers between 5.5-5.8 PH. Unless one uses organic Promix needs nothing for correct PH. Only PH water of 5.8-6.2.
Fox Farm soils (Ocean Forest, Happy Frog) have heavy buffering. They can correct bad pH for a while.

Ive grown weed since 1972, and bought the first HID when they came out in late 1977. I do believe I know how to feed/water a plant.
Click to expand...
I use oyster shell flour in my living soil mix for ph buffering. Have never tried it but I wonder if adding it to FF soil would improve it's ph buffering ability. Seems logical 🙄
 
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