runoff pH down almost a whole point??

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HarryHood

HarryHood

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compared to going in.

new farmer here so maybe this is common? i'm growing 5 auto's in 80% FFOF and 20% Happy Frog. i just finished watering and checked the runoff. my pH going in was 6.4 at and my runoff was 5.6. is this common in soil and if not what can i do to correct it? any and all help is appreciated. thanks!
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

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Likely feeding too much fertilizer or simply watering too much?


ppm’s (how much nutrients are in the soil) are more important to meter than ph in a buffered potting soil. I bet they are very high.
 
HarryHood

HarryHood

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Likely feeding too much fertilizer or simply watering too much?


ppm’s (how much nutrients are in the soil) are more important to meter than ph in a buffered potting soil. I bet they are very high.
thank you for the response. i haven't fed anything yet other than mycorrhizae and root magic. they're roughly 2.5 weeks old. most likely watering too much as i hear it's a common newb mistake. like you said obviously gonna back off the watering for sure.

my water out of the tap pH is 8.0 and 310ppm. should i just not pH next time i water seeing as it's that high? i neglected to take a ppm of the runoff today, but i've read it may be way out of whack when growing in FFOF. do you know if this true?

also, getting roots organic terp tea both grow and bloom. will this help or hurt?
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

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I have no experience with terp tea. I do t use supplements like that just base nutes and silica.

ocean forest will give very high runoff ppm as more nutrients become available but the microbes meter what the plant gets. We start fertilizing only when the nutrients deplete and the plant starts to show some fading. Feeding of early will cause problems right away.

310 is hard water. Use more than 25% runoff to help clear away calcium buildup. It may need acid or filtering.

but you may be adding too much ph down and that is causing the ph to lower.

All of these things are trial and error and can act different in different grows.
 
HarryHood

HarryHood

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I have no experience with terp tea. I do t use supplements like that just base nutes and silica.

ocean forest will give very high runoff ppm as more nutrients become available but the microbes meter what the plant gets. We start fertilizing only when the nutrients deplete and the plant starts to show some fading. Feeding of early will cause problems right away.

310 is hard water. Use more than 25% runoff to help clear away calcium buildup. It may need acid or filtering.

but you may be adding too much ph down and that is causing the ph to lower.

All of these things are trial and error and can act different in different grows.
right on, thanks. had no idea that i had hard water, and i'm definitely using a few squirts of the ph down so i'm gonna back off using that next go around. gonna go with only water with the 25% runoff. appreciate the responses.
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

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right on, thanks. had no idea that i had hard water, and i'm definitely using a few squirts of the ph down so i'm gonna back off using that next go around. gonna go with only water with the 25% runoff. appreciate the responses.


usually no reason to Ph down plain water. I only would if i saw the ph rise in the soil over time. Water takes on the ph of the medium not instantly changes it like a strong nute solution can.
 
HarryHood

HarryHood

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usually no reason to Ph down plain water. I only would if i saw the ph rise in the soil over time. Water takes on the ph of the medium not instantly changes it like a strong nute solution can.
thank you for the heads up on that. just starting out and i think i'm on information overload. sometimes things i read are conflicting, but i'm finding it best just to ask the good farmers here their advice/opinions as you guys/girls have been at it far longer than myself. certainly appreciate your help
 
HarryHood

HarryHood

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usually no reason to Ph down plain water. I only would if i saw the ph rise in the soil over time. Water takes on the ph of the medium not instantly changes it like a strong nute solution can.
totally forgot to ask you if i should just run plain tap water with 25% runoff today so they're not screwed up? i did water them today, or should i wait until the next watering to do so?
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

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totally forgot to ask you if i should just run plain tap water with 25% runoff today so they're not screwed up? i did water them today, or should i wait until the next watering to do so?



I have not seen your plants but i normally wait until they are very dry and light. In ocean forest with 25% added large perlite mixed in my seedlings and young plants go more than a week between waterings. Even at peak flower in 3 gallon buckets it takes 2-3 days.

so if you did not add additional drainage and mixed even denser happy frog in you should not be watering sooner than that unless your room is quite hot.
 
HarryHood

HarryHood

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I have not seen your plants but i normally wait until they are very dry and light. In ocean forest with 25% added large perlite mixed in my seedlings and young plants go more than a week between waterings. Even at peak flower in 3 gallon buckets it takes 2-3 days.

so if you did not add additional drainage and mixed even denser happy frog in you should not be watering sooner than that unless your room is quite hot.
gotcha. i wanted to add perlite, but the garden store was out when i grabbed my soil.

also, just checked my runoff as there was enough left in the tray to measure. it was 1770 ppm. that's insanely high, right?
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

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gotcha. i wanted to add perlite, but the garden store was out when i grabbed my soil.

also, just checked my runoff as there was enough left in the tray to measure. it was 1770 ppm. that's insanely high, right?


not for newish ocean forest. But does show you have watered too much i think.
 
HarryHood

HarryHood

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not for newish ocean forest. But does show you have watered too much i think.
ok, cool that makes me feel a little better. i'll be posting pics soon. gotta dig out an old cell to put them on instead of my current phone as i'm located in a state that's not too hip to legalization just yet.

thanks again, MiMedGrower, i really do appreciate your help.
 

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