Ph Problems Help

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NoScope209

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My plants are showing signs of nutrient issues and I think the problem is due to my soil being too acidic. I've just been watering with pure rain water and biobizz bio grow. I think the bio grow also brings down the pH a bit. If I switch my water source to borehole water that has a lot of lime in it do you think it will bring up my pH and not harm my plants? I'm working on testing the pH of the borehole water but I'm pretty sure it's alkaline.
 
JWM2

JWM2

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What kind of soil or soil mix are you using? Have you done a slurry test on it?

It’s pretty easy and accurate. It’s best to know for sure if it’s a ph problem vs just assuming it is.

What’s the ph of your rainwater?

Ours here is a neutral 7 with a really low (>20) ppm. Very similar to bottled distilled water.

If that’s the case you may just need to add some CalMag. I use bloom city CalMag as it has lots of other micronutrients in it as well that help the plant grow.

If you test your ph and know for sure it’s low then I’d suggest some hydrated lime, or Olympus Up by Nectar for the Gods. It’s a liquified limestone and will raise the ph of your nutrient solution or water.
 
1diesel1

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I would get a ph pen regardless of what water your using. I use this one. It works great.
3D1119E1 56B1 490E A52C D219C18D5D0F
 
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NoScope209

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What kind of soil or soil mix are you using? Have you done a slurry test on it?

It’s pretty easy and accurate. It’s best to know for sure if it’s a ph problem vs just assuming it is.

What’s the ph of your rainwater?

Ours here is a neutral 7 with a really low (>20) ppm. Very similar to bottled distilled water.

If that’s the case you may just need to add some CalMag. I use bloom city CalMag as it has lots of other micronutrients in it as well that help the plant grow.

If you test your ph and know for sure it’s low then I’d suggest some hydrated lime, or Olympus Up by Nectar for the Gods. It’s a liquified limestone and will raise the ph of your nutrient solution or water.
My normal rain water is neutral ph. Don't live around any cities I'm out in the bushes. The soil is a potting mix I got from my local nursery. Has a lot of wood chips in it which is making it acidic
 
crimsonecho

crimsonecho

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Definitely get some ph meter dude. If you haven’t taken a ph reading how do you know what ph your rain water has?

Rain water is not distilled water. It doesn’t necessarily has a neutral ph.
If i remember correctly, rain water interacts with the carbon in the atmosphere to form carbonic acid, which is good for bacteria and plants but it takes the ph down. Even in rural areas.

Also i wouldnt water with borehole water too without taking its ph first. Especially if you know there is lime in it. Probably calcitic lime. Which may lock out some other macro and micro nutrients like potassium, iron, magnesium etc.

I think for that water you need a lab analysis to use it safely.
 
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NoScope209

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Definitely get some ph meter dude. If you haven’t taken a ph reading how do you know what ph your rain water has? Rain water is not distilled water. It doesn’t necessarily has a neutral ph.
If i remember correctly, rain water interacts with the carbon in the atmosphere to form carbonic acid, which is good for bacteria and plants but it takes the ph down. Even in rural areas.
Also i wouldnt water with borehole water too without taking its ph first. Especially if you know there is lime in it. Probably calcitic lime. Which may lock out some other macro and micro nutrients like potassium, iron, magnesium etc.
I think for that water you need a lab analysis to use it safely.
Yeah it's been tested and all and is safe for use. I will see how I can get the ph tested I've spent a bit of cash on my grow and it's adding up lol
 
crimsonecho

crimsonecho

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Yeah it's been tested and all and is safe for use. I will see how I can get the ph tested I've spent a bit of cash on my grow and it's adding up lol
What are the ppms?
 
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NoScope209

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This is what I'm dealing with btw. There is some other damage to the leaves but that was pest damaged that I've treated
 
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crimsonecho

crimsonecho

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I don't know that much... it's used for cattle where I live. Growing is far more involved than what I first thought haha
Safe to drink is something else. Its good that its safe to drink but the amount of minerals comes into play when you want to use it for growing.
Why dont you use tap water?
Usually you can find the analysis reports for your tap water on the web.
I mean rain is fine too but you need to take the ph.
 
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NoScope209

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Safe to drink is something else. Its good that its safe to drink but the amount of minerals comes into play when you want to use it for growing.
Why dont you use tap water?
Usually you can find the analysis reports for your tap water on the web.
I mean rain is fine too but you need to take the ph.
Only got rainwater for drinking etc and borehole for toilets in the house. I live on a farm so there is no municipal tap water
 
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NoScope209

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It could also not be ph problems... I think I was overwatering at one stage then some of my leaves started to yellow. I then cut back on watering too frequently and the yellowing has stopped. But now the browing has gotten worse. Could it still be from the over watering?
 
crimsonecho

crimsonecho

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Only got rainwater for drinking etc and borehole for toilets in the house. I live on a farm so there is no municipal tap water
Ok then just get a cheap ph meter and take the ph of your rain water.
By the way your new shoots seem ok.
 
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crimsonecho

crimsonecho

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It could also not be ph problems... I think I was overwatering at one stage then some of my leaves started to yellow. I then cut back on watering too frequently and the yellowing has stopped. But now the browing has gotten worse. Could it still be from the over watering?
Yeah it can be from overwatering.
Its hard to give a definitive answer without knowing your whole setup and feeding regimen. They are outdoors right? What did you use to battle the pests? How much biobizz are you giving? How frequently you are feeding? How frequently you are watering? What are the temps? etc etc..
 
crimsonecho

crimsonecho

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It could also not be ph problems... I think I was overwatering at one stage then some of my leaves started to yellow. I then cut back on watering too frequently and the yellowing has stopped. But now the browing has gotten worse. Could it still be from the over watering?
Also as @JWM2 suggested, adding something with good micro nutrient content may help.
Maybe kelp extract?
 
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NoScope209

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Yeah it can be from overwatering.
Its hard to give a definitive answer without knowing your whole setup and feeding regimen. They are outdoors right? What did you use to battle the pests? How much biobizz are you giving? How frequently you are feeding? How frequently you are watering? What are the temps? etc etc..
I'm feeding 1.25ml/L biobizz grow every watering. This last watering I let her dry out for 4 days and she seemed good with that. For pests I sprayed neem oil diluted in water with some dish soap. I had caterpillars at my leaves. Temps started off not so good as I planted a bit early in the season. First day of spring to be exact. Now temps are good around 23°c-24°c during the day and it doesn't get lower than 15-16 on a colder night. She started off great but ever since I moved her to a bigger container I had these problems.
 
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JWM2

JWM2

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Unless you know for sure what you’re dealing with you won’t be able to fix it. Sure you can get lucky but you’ve got a much better chance of getting unlucky and things can go from bad to worse in a hurry. Find out what everything tests at. Then report back to us. Your local hydro shop should be able to give you some ideas and help you out with local resources and environment. They most likely grow as well.

Just don’t buy their BS if they try pushing a nute line for the sake of getting your cash. That’s the main thing to look for. As a used car salesman the first thing they teach you is you can’t sell a car you don’t have. So sell what you do have.
 
crimsonecho

crimsonecho

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I'm feeding 1.25ml/L biobizz grow every watering. This last watering I let her dry out for 4 days and she seemed good with that. For pests I sprayed neem oil diluted in water with some dish soap. I had caterpillars at my leaves. Temps started off not so good as I planted a bit early in the season. First day of spring to be exact. Now temps are good around 23°c-24°c during the day and it doesn't get lower than 15-16 on a colder night. She started off great but ever since I moved her to a bigger container I had these problems.
You have some low temps at night, maybe take it in at nights?
1,25ml seems a little low, i think you can bump it up to 2mls/lt and see how it responds. The color is very light, seems a bit hungry to me.
I went high as 4mls/lt with biobizz, it is a very gentle nute, usually very hard to burn.
 
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NoScope209

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You have some low temps at night, maybe take it in at nights?
1,25ml seems a little low, i think you can bump it up to 2mls/lt and see how it responds. The color is very light, seems a bit hungry to me.
I went high as 4mls/lt with biobizz, it is a very gentle nute, usually very hard to burn.
I don't want it to run out by the time I get to harvest lol. Only got 1L of bloom and grow. I've got 4 plants do you think it will last me? I can see it running out pretty quick
 
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