Need Help Understanding My Nutrient Delivery Problems!

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curiousgrowth

curiousgrowth

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If your using bottled nutes measure ph of run of but check ph of water going in. 4.5 is way low. I would water at the other end of the spectrum until medium ph is in correct range. If the medium is always moist and the ph is that off it will definitely show deficiencies.


Tap is around 7.4 pH, pH in reservoir after mixing food is right around 6
 
Grownsince95

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Then your cats are peeing in your plants or something because those numbers just don't make sense 🤔 what are you measuring ph with?
 
Grownsince95

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I've never used an auto pot system before... how do you go about checking run off with that? Its bottom fed if I understand correctly right?
 
curiousgrowth

curiousgrowth

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I've never used an auto pot system before... how do you go about checking run off with that? Its bottom fed if I understand correctly right?

Instead of testing runoff like you normally would, I grabbed some coco from the top of the pot and let it sit in some tap water for a bit. I then measured the ph of that water to get my coco pH.
 
curiousgrowth

curiousgrowth

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Then your cats are peeing in your plants or something because those numbers just don't make sense 🤔 what are you measuring ph with?

GH indicator fluid. I have a pH pen, but it never agrees with the indicator fluid no matter how much it gets calibrated. I bought a second bottle of the indicator fluid thinking it might have been bad, but the new bottle agrees with my old, so I’ve been using that instead of the pen.
 
RealizedReal000

RealizedReal000

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Buy a blue labs soil ph tester. They are an absolute plant saver and you will never have to worry about not knowing the mediums ph.
 
Grownsince95

Grownsince95

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Instead of testing runoff like you normally would, I grabbed some coco from the top of the pot and let it sit in some tap water for a bit. I then measured the ph of that water to get my coco pH.
Well you are bottom feeding so I would expect the reading from the top of the medium to be all out of whack that's not where the roots are feeding from right now.
 
curiousgrowth

curiousgrowth

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Well you are bottom feeding so I would expect the reading from the top of the medium to be all out of whack that's not where the roots are feeding from right now.


The roots are packed so tight I can’t even dig down 1/4” before hitting a wall of the suckers!

Just as well, I don’t really want to move it around at this point. I’ll see what this mini flush does, and hopefully I’ll be able to see a change by measuring the top.
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

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Ok much and how often are you watering?

Do you have any sort of water softener or treatment?

1000ppm is to high imo... this idea that giving a plant more nutrients makes it grow faster is just not true.

Ppm and ph of runoff?

Ph and alkalinity are very different... it the alkalinity thats important for controlling ph. Without proper alkalinity your going to chase the ph all over the place
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

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You may benefit from reading these.
 
Grownsince95

Grownsince95

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The roots are packed so tight I can’t even dig down 1/4” before hitting a wall of the suckers!

Just as well, I don’t really want to move it around at this point. I’ll see what this mini flush does, and hopefully I’ll be able to see a change by measuring the top.
I'm so confused..if you're doing a flush why can't you measure the runoff?
 
curiousgrowth

curiousgrowth

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Ok much and how often are you watering?

Do you have any sort of water softener or treatment?

1000ppm is to high imo... this idea that giving a plant more nutrients makes it grow faster is just not true.

Ppm and ph of runoff?

Ph and alkalinity are very different... it the alkalinity thats important for controlling ph. Without proper alkalinity your going to chase the ph all over the place


I’m using an Autopot system, which allows the plant to somewhat regulate its own watering. It has a valve that allows the plant to empty its pan, then refills automatically when dry. There is a 2-3” or so layer of perlite at the bottom of the pot to facilitate draining. The coco always stays moist and the plant takes what it needs. It’s going through about 5 gallons a week right now.


No water softener, this is 80 PPM straight from the town.


I understand that I can only feed as much as the plant can eat. I’m not trying to force it, but it feels like something is wrong. I can barely feed half of the recommended amount, no matter the plant I’m growing or food I use.

My friend with the exact same setup and equipment has no issue feeding as directed, which occasionally means over 2000PPM. His plant grew quick and strong, never burned.

I guess my question is why I burn at half the food when everything is the same?
 
curiousgrowth

curiousgrowth

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I'm so confused..if you're doing a flush why can't you measure the runoff?

It was recommended to me that if I ever need to flush while using an Autopot system to never flush from above, always use the system to flush.

I think there is a worry that flushing from above causes the salts that accumulate at the top of the soil/coco to run back into the roots.
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

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I’m using an Autopot system, which allows the plant to somewhat regulate its own watering. It has a valve that allows the plant to empty its pan, then refills automatically when dry. There is a 2-3” or so layer of perlite at the bottom of the pot to facilitate draining. The coco always stays moist and the plant takes what it needs. It’s going through about 5 gallons a week right now.


No water softener, this is 80 PPM straight from the town.


I understand that I can only feed as much as the plant can eat. I’m not trying to force it, but it feels like something is wrong. I can barely feed half of the recommended amount, no matter the plant I’m growing or food I use.

My friend with the exact same setup and equipment has no issue feeding as directed, which occasionally means over 2000PPM. His plant grew quick and strong, never burned.

I guess my question is why I burn at half the food when everything is the same?
Idk ime and if you look around most are feeding half... now a lot depends on environmental factors.

High humidity or low VPD with say co2 is going to require a much higher ppm. Because of the low transpiration rates... typically I find 600-800ppm to be the sweet spot as a maximum in my grows.
 
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