Not in my opinion or experience, but others have found run-off to be a good method. I prefer using the slurry method with either RO water of a 0EC, or distilled water. Be sure to measure parameters before doing the slurry as well as after.

forgive me for sounding so fresh.. but what exactly is a slurry method? and why and how would you use it?

thanks for your patience maiden

peace--prove

No problem. The slurry method is quite simple, and as it suggests, you make a slurry with the media. What I do is this:

Take a bit of media from all pots. I like to try to take some from the top and middle or bottom of the pot (you may need to up-end the plant to get to the bottom). Mix that together.

Take an amount of either distilled or very clean RO (reverse osmosis) water, measure its pH and EC (electrical conductivity).

Mix the media into the water sample so as to achieve a slurry. Let that set 7-10mins. Retest. Those pH and EC parameters are closer to what's actually happening in the root zone than what's being 'washed' through. Make sense?

I think this method will work great for me as, most of our potting mixes downunder involve bits of bark and who knows what else + it seems to be stunting the growth of my babies. Also from what i have been reading and what I have been doing I am way off the mark - from the way i have been watering to the ratio of my medium.. But by no means will i be giving in by this..

You live and you learn

thanks for all of your help!
peace--prove

There are a few types of soil pH test's you can do...

The 2:1 (slurry): Get some distilled water, needs to be distilled. I keep a gallon around for clones and the occasional 2:1 test. Get a clean cup of some sort, Nothing to large because you want to get your pH meter in it and reading accurately. Take a tablespoon of media from the container of your choice, I like to do a couple if its in flower and each pot monthly in my mother room. Now apply 30ml (2 tablespoons) of DISTILLED WATER (If it isn't 7 and 0 EC it won't work right). Mix it let it sit for a few minutes, then dip in your meter. Get your pH and EC. Then refer to the set points for your growing media etc.

2:1's are good for checking to see if there is something off in your media, for example you added to much guano to the mix so its way to hot. The 2:1 will help demonstrate that. They take time and are kind of inefficient. Really the recommended thing for people in organic mediums who have to monitor decomp in there media.

Run-off: This is what your talking about, Its a great way to measure the amount of available nutrients in an organic medium. Its also really good for seeing if your plants are using the fertilizers your applying when you water.

Sauce pan under the plant works ehh, I would recommend putting a cup under one of your drains and allowing it to fill up. In a professional setting we generally have a little rig that fills up and is checked daily. If your EC rises above the intake EC you know your plants arn't using the salts and there is something wrong. Could be pH, disease etc.

^^ Great warning sign, it can also help you prevent burn. Even though its generally to late at this point.

Water going in (I cant think of the actual name I learned for this, but hey. Its gonna work.): The water you going to give your plants, test it before you water them. Its just that simple.

You better know what your giving to your plants. Test the water going in, Fix it if it isnt right. H3P04 (Phosphoric acid) is really cheap, and can be ordered in bulk at high concentrations(95%-97%)! Dilute it if your EC is to high for the stage of growth your in.