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Multiple cycle living soil issue.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Moonwater
  • Start date Start date Sep 2, 2025
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Multiple cycle living soil issue.

Moonwater Sep 2, 2025 64 Replies 3,995 Views
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Moonwater

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#1
Hey everyone . I have a 3x3 with a 100 gallon smart pot living soil situation. I lost count of the exact amount of cycles it has done. Something around 12-14 in the last 5 years. I always top dress between harvest but these last 3 grows have shown this deficiency. I was thinking maybe iron but also possibly just magnesium. What do y'all think?
 
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BearWater

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#2
Have you changed anything else? New light? Was the strain grown the other two runs?
 
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Moonwater

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#3
BearWater said:
Have you changed anything else? New light? Was the strain grown the other two runs?
Click to expand...
No. Same 4 100 watt mars hydros in here. Different strains every time also
 
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Moonwater

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#4
BearWater said:
Have you changed anything else? New light? Was the strain grown the other two runs?
Click to expand...
The top dressing I use between runs is Dr earth. His 2-2-2 dry amendment. I occasionally throw in banana peels and whatnot for the worms
 
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Moonwater

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#5
BearWater said:
Have you changed anything else? New light? Was the strain grown the other two runs?
Click to expand...
CO2 is also supplemented to 1500ppm start to finish except when lights are off it goes down to 600
 
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Bigalmoby

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#6
@Mikedin is the living soil go to hope he can help
 
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BearWater

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#7
Bigalmoby said:
@Mikedin is the living soil go to hope he can help
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That was next on the list! thanks homie!
 
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Moonwater

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#8
Bigalmoby said:
@Mikedin is the living soil go to hope he can help
Click to expand...
Okay thank you I will reach out
 
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Moonwater

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#9
BearWater said:
That was next on the list! thanks homie!
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Heck yeah lol. Sweet I'll send my predicament that way. Thank you for the prompt responses.
 
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#10
No idea, do you add lime because they have a habit of going acidic after a few uses indoors.
 
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Moonwater

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#11
KG1 said:
No idea, do you add lime because they have a habit of going acidic after a few uses indoors.
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Yes I do but it's been probably 5 cycles since. My well water is slightly alkaline at 7.6 ph and it's water only I wouldn't have suspected the soil to go acidic. I'll have to look more into that topic
 
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defective

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#12
Moonwater said:
Yes I do but it's been probably 5 cycles since. My well water is slightly alkaline at 7.6 ph and it's water only I wouldn't have suspected the soil to go acidic. I'll have to look more into that topic
Click to expand...
Maybe a soil analysis to skip some of the guesswork? I know I’ve seen some people on here talk about that, but I’ve got this memory problem when I get high and can’t remember who
 
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Moonwater

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#13
defective said:
Maybe a soil analysis to skip some of the guesswork? I know I’ve seen some people on here talk about that, but I’ve got this memory problem when I get high and can’t remember who
Click to expand...
I am aware of soil analysis options but I much rather old school figure it out amongst the community
 
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Mikedin

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#14
Moonwater said:
I am aware of soil analysis options but I much rather old school figure it out amongst the community
Click to expand...
Hmm, right off the bat it dosent seem like a mag issue to me, i wouldn’t expect such even coverage of the leaf coloration, iron came to mind as well, I believe it starts at the top newer growth, it is a possibility

Another option would be PH, being as many cycles in as you are it’s possible, plus using the well water with the higher PH it could be that the soil is slowly beginning to become too alkaline and beginning to affect nitrogen uptake

Interesting issue, I’ll keep looking at it for sure

Dr earths I’ve never used before but a lot of people do

Have you always used the dr earths in the bed?

What else do you add on a normal basis? I know you said a banana peel for the worms here and there, I just made homemade FFJ from bananas and mangos not too long ago and have been testing it outdoors and in my 4x4 bed they seem to love it at 4ml/gal

Any other additions you do on a normal basis? It’s also possible you’re running hungrier strains and the 2-2-2- isint keeping up

I run the build a soil craft blend but I also add the big 6 macro, kashi, earthworm castings (each bag was started with approx 60-70 worms split between European nightcrawlers and red wigglers, I use a bit of Alaska fish fert here and there but prefer the advanced nutrients Organics line big mikes OG tea, nice liquid neut, also organics alive FPF and the FFJ I made,

The reds prefer the top end and the nightcrawlers prefer the bottom

I did notice something similar to this in one bag I wasent getting the water as deep in, bottom of the bag was over drying, I run ecowitts in all 3 of the 30’s shallow a shallow and deep in each one, once I got the moisture levels corrected the plant recovered nicely

Do you monitor moisture levels? Oversaturarion could also affect the uptake and resemble a nitrogen deficiency

I also use the horticultural aloe, it helps assists with photosynthesis and nutrient absorption I did notice a small difference in the plants overall leaf health and appearance once I started using it I water only I never spray the plants unless I need to neem them or something but prefer clean grow spaces (yours looks great)

Is this your only tent?

Feel free to stop by the grow topic I set it up as a living soil discussion so everyone is free to throw out ideas and opinions on living soil growing! There’s not a ton of us so I wanted a nice space for us all to play my living soil 30 gals are only on their 2nd cycle but I’ve been running organics for awhile

Mikedin’s living soil adventure and discussion topic
 
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KG1

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#15
Water pH is irrelevant, you need to know ppms and breakdown of each element.

A pH of 8.0 with a ppm of 70 isn't going to make any difference to your soil pH.

A PH of 6.2 with a ppm of 400 will probably cause certain elements to build up notably calcium carbonate.

Alkalinity tells a better story than PH on its own.

People who pH reverse osmosis water are in for a big shock when they work this out lol
 
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Mikedin

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#16
KG1 said:
Water pH is irrelevant, you need to know ppms and breakdown of each element.

A pH of 8.0 with a ppm of 70 isn't going to make any difference to your soil pH.

A PH of 6.2 with a ppm of 400 will probably cause certain elements to build up notably calcium carbonate.

Alkalinity tells a better story than PH on its own.

People who pH reverse osmosis water are in for a big shock when they work this out lol
Click to expand...
Yeah I’m a tapper, I run straight tap water but I run it through a chlorine / VOC in line filter (probably dosent do Jack but water tastes better though it been doing it for years lol) I still let it sit out but only because I fill my 5 gallon jugs as soon as I use em, my outdoor while still in organics I just give water right out the hose, I haven’t tested PH in years now but being 20-24 cycles in it’s possible, something’s is off, the rhizosphere should be able to adequately adjust PH regardless before it’s uptaken by the plant but it’d be interesting to see what a slurry test or soil analysis says after that many runs.
 
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#17
Mikedin said:
Yeah I’m a tapper, I run straight tap water but I run it through a chlorine / VOC in line filter (probably dosent do Jack but water tastes better though it been doing it for years lol) I still let it sit out but only because I fill my 5 gallon jugs as soon as I use em, my outdoor while still in organics I just give water right out the hose, I haven’t tested PH in years now but being 20-24 cycles in it’s possible, something’s is off, the rhizosphere should be able to adequately adjust PH regardless before it’s uptaken by the plant but it’d be interesting to see what a slurry test or soil analysis says after that many runs.
Click to expand...
Why not just start again with new soil, you had a good run with this one sometimes the juice ain't worth the squeeze
 
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Mikedin

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#18
KG1 said:
Why not just start again with new soil, you had a good run with this one sometimes the juice ain't worth the squeeze
Click to expand...
That would be OP’s choice (you mighta mistaken me as the original poster)

But yeah, I would start a new bag just to get it righted again, (I’d keep working at this one too at the same time see how I’d correct it) but I run 6 tents not sure how many he has at his disposal I’m just a nut

I have 3 30 gals between a 4x8 and 4x4 I just got in my new 60 gallon bag for my new 4x8 lol
 
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ktram

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#19
Your zebra-striped leaves are a textbook indicator of magnesium deficiency in cannabis. Magnesium sits at the center of the chlorophyll molecule and when the plant doesn't have the requisite amount it will pull Mg out of older leaves to support new growth. One teaspoon of plain Epsom salt in one quart of R/O water sprayed on the underside of the leaves will halt the progression and new growth will return to normal appearance in 24-48 hours. Often Mg deficiencies are the result of nutrient lockout rather than a lack of Mg. I would also flush your dirt base with SLF-100 enzymes in R/O water as that cures nearly all lockout issues. If the issue persists water in some Cal/Mag.
 
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Moonwater

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#20
I only have used straight well water this entire time. Not even teas or anything. When I built this soil I used all manner of exotic inputs. But the maintenance top dressing have always been just Dr earth that same 2-2-2 one. It's all cover crops at the moment so I haven't added any kitchen scraps this cycle. When I do it's bad avocados, bananas, apples, strawberries. There has been a lot of eggshells added a year ago. The worms make quick work of everything that get put in there. The avocados shells last a while tho. Had one sprout in there lol
 
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