Using a water meter for cannabis

[Week4Bytch]

God I hate using meters, they’re such a buzz kill in the garden. I just add as much beneficial bacteria and fungi as I can and water with tap. Keeping it simple.

water hose?

 

[PahPahCee]

water hose?

For outdoors I use the hose.

For indoors I drag my garden hose into my garage and fill up my reservoir. Then I have drippers going to each plant.


I used to PH my water or use RO water. Now I I’m just using my shit LA water (ph 8) and top dress langbeinite in to work with the tap water.

 

[Week4Bytch]

For outdoors I use the hose.

For indoors I drag my garden hose into my garage and fill up my reservoir. Then I have drippers going to each plant.


I used to PH my water or use RO water. Now I I’m just using my shit LA water (ph 8) and top dress langbeinite in to work with the tap water.

That's the 3rd person I've heard swearing by Langbeinite. Do you top dress about a teaspoon (per pot) every two weeks?

 

[PahPahCee]

That's the 3rd person I've heard swearing by Langbeinite. Do you top dress about a teaspoon (per pot) every two weeks?

A smart dude name Kratos on another forum helped me out with my tap water. I gave him my water report and he explained it. My water is 200+ppm with 8-8.5ph and a load of calcium carbonate in it.

To quote him:

“By top dressing with Langbeinite on a bi-weekly basis, at half the recommended dosage on the box, the Sulfate in the Langbeinite should break apart the salts that are building up in your soils as a result of your tap water. Also, by omitting Dolomite Lime/OSF from the new soil you build, you can work with your water instead of against it, using your water as a liming agent.”


It sounds kind of crazy but I swear to god it worked for me. I just reamended 200 gallons of soil with No lime in it. So I’m committing to this concept.

 

[Week4Bytch]

A smart dude name Kratos on another forum helped me out with my tap water. I gave him my water report and he explained it. My water is 200+ppm with 8-8.5ph and a load of calcium carbonate in it.

To quote him:

“By top dressing with Langbeinite on a bi-weekly basis, at half the recommended dosage on the box, the Sulfate in the Langbeinite should break apart the salts that are building up in your soils as a result of your tap water. Also, by omitting Dolomite Lime/OSF from the new soil you build, you can work with your water instead of against it, using your water as a liming agent.”


It sounds kind of crazy but I swear to god it worked for me. I just reamended 200 gallons of soil with No lime in it. So I’m committing to this concept.

Are you Padawon?

 

[Week4Bytch]

Anyways, yeah I'm probably on that same thread (think I started the Calcium Carbonate Thread over there). I'm dam near tempted to do that myself..but.. think I'll wait to see how it goes for you first..

 

[PahPahCee]

Anyways, yeah I'm probably on that same thread (think I started the Calcium Carbonate Thread over there). I'm dam near tempted to do that myself..but.. think I'll wait to see how it goes for you first..

small world. That’s the exact thread that I’m basing this off of. I just go by Pahpahcee on all stuff. Easier to remember for me.

Hopefully you don’t see me in two months posting about deficiencies or ph issues.

 

[Week4Bytch]

small world. That’s the exact thread that I’m basing this off of. I just go by Pahpahcee on all stuff. Easier to remember for me.

Hopefully you don’t see me in two months posting about deficiencies or ph issues.

Right on bro, I started this Langbeinite experiment 3 months ago on soil I put together from Home Depot, and that went South quick because I have never put soil together before. I know for sure it was my soil mix because calcium issues usually show up around 4 weeks into flower. At least for me it was. My tap is 8.2 with 350 ppms...and even trying the organic approach I was seeing issues around week 4. I was just carbon filtering my tap water the entire grow. Now I'm second guessing that idea to high levels of salt in the tap water. Either way salt, calcium, big problem if it's building up in your soil. But Kratos swears by this Langbeinite. That it breaks down calcium deposits to a usable ion for the ladies to take up. I also saw it out there that Apple Cider vinegar can do the same at a 1:200 ratio. But that's scary as Apple Cider vinegar is a home brew for killing weeds the same! So don't try this at home folks, sounds promising but , I aint there yet. The RO filtering has taken me to week 8 of flower with no problems.

Down To Earth describes Langbeinite as is a naturally mined crystalline mineral that supplies the water-soluble sulfate form of three vital plant nutrients: potassium, magnesium and sulfurs. It’s maximum chlorine content is less than 3.0 percent, minimizing the potential for fertilizer “burn,” and it’s neutral pH does not alter soil activity.

The important thing if you decide to use Langbeinite in your grow is to not...use dolomite limestone. Mixing the two together will cause a Magnesium toxicity.

I'd check if your using any proprietary amendments like Gaia Green, Craft Blend, or Primal Lands Bloom if they have any Langbeinite in them already. (Craft Blend & Primal Lands does).

Well, I might just do a 50/50 mix (tap and RO) and try that out this grow, keep me posted please on how that goes and if any hiccups get a hold of me.

 

[Crabgrassfarms]

Right on bro, I started this Langbeinite experiment 3 months ago on soil I put together from Home Depot, and that went South quick because I have never put soil together before. I know for sure it was my soil mix because calcium issues usually show up around 4 weeks into flower. At least for me it was. My tap is 8.2 with 350 ppms...and even trying the organic approach I was seeing issues around week 4. I was just carbon filtering my tap water the entire grow. Now I'm second guessing that idea to high levels of salt in the tap water. Either way salt, calcium, big problem if it's building up in your soil. But Kratos swears by this Langbeinite. That it breaks down calcium deposits to a usable ion for the ladies to take up. I also saw it out there that Apple Cider vinegar can do the same at a 1:200 ratio. But that's scary as Apple Cider vinegar is a home brew for killing weeds the same! So don't try this at home folks, sounds promising but , I aint there yet. The RO filtering has taken me to week 8 of flower with no problems.

Down To Earth describes Langbeinite as is a naturally mined crystalline mineral that supplies the water-soluble sulfate form of three vital plant nutrients: potassium, magnesium and sulfurs. It’s maximum chlorine content is less than 3.0 percent, minimizing the potential for fertilizer “burn,” and it’s neutral pH does not alter soil activity.

The important thing if you decide to use Langbeinite in your grow is to not...use dolomite limestone. Mixing the two together will cause a Magnesium toxicity.

I'd check if your using any proprietary amendments like Gaia Green, Craft Blend, or Primal Lands Bloom if they have any Langbeinite in them already. (Craft Blend & Primal Lands does).

Well, I might just do a 50/50 mix (tap and RO) and try that out this grow, keep me posted please on how that goes and if any hiccups get a hold of me.

I saw a video that looked into different water sources, mentioning R.O which she depicted as "dead water" meaning no minerals and such. Distilled water was mentioned but she didn't come down negative on any of them. Obviously it comes down to water preparation depending on soil and a host of other things.
I have read and seen a host of articles and videos that mentioned how soil must be right at the start. I can't mention chapter and verse but the top organic potting soils are in the 6% ph range. The dirt is the permanent part of the arrangement as the water comes and goes.
Oh shit! I just checked and see I am in an outdoor forum, well you can certainly grow organic outside.

 

[Week4Bytch]

I saw a video that looked into different water sources, mentioning R.O which she depicted as "dead water" meaning no minerals and such. Distilled water was mentioned but she didn't come down negative on any of them. Obviously it comes down to water preparation depending on soil and a host of other things.
I have read and seen a host of articles and videos that mentioned how soil must be right at the start. I can't mention chapter and verse but the top organic potting soils are in the 6% ph range. The dirt is the permanent part of the arrangement as the water comes and goes.
Oh shit! I just checked and see I am in an outdoor forum, well you can certainly grow organic outside.

oh crap... didn't know this was an outdoor thread... oops... my bad.

 

[Stokes]

A smart dude name Kratos on another forum helped me out with my tap water. I gave him my water report and he explained it. My water is 200+ppm with 8-8.5ph and a load of calcium carbonate in it.

To quote him:

“By top dressing with Langbeinite on a bi-weekly basis, at half the recommended dosage on the box, the Sulfate in the Langbeinite should break apart the salts that are building up in your soils as a result of your tap water. Also, by omitting Dolomite Lime/OSF from the new soil you build, you can work with your water instead of against it, using your water as a liming agent.”


It sounds kind of crazy but I swear to god it worked for me. I just reamended 200 gallons of soil with No lime in it. So I’m committing to this concept.

This is brilliant

Btw have you ever burned your plants using langbeinite? Ive heard you cant but the amount of potassium has me halving the dose

 

[PahPahCee]

Right on bro, I started this Langbeinite experiment 3 months ago on soil I put together from Home Depot, and that went South quick because I have never put soil together before. I know for sure it was my soil mix because calcium issues usually show up around 4 weeks into flower. At least for me it was. My tap is 8.2 with 350 ppms...and even trying the organic approach I was seeing issues around week 4. I was just carbon filtering my tap water the entire grow. Now I'm second guessing that idea to high levels of salt in the tap water. Either way salt, calcium, big problem if it's building up in your soil. But Kratos swears by this Langbeinite. That it breaks down calcium deposits to a usable ion for the ladies to take up. I also saw it out there that Apple Cider vinegar can do the same at a 1:200 ratio. But that's scary as Apple Cider vinegar is a home brew for killing weeds the same! So don't try this at home folks, sounds promising but , I aint there yet. The RO filtering has taken me to week 8 of flower with no problems.

Down To Earth describes Langbeinite as is a naturally mined crystalline mineral that supplies the water-soluble sulfate form of three vital plant nutrients: potassium, magnesium and sulfurs. It’s maximum chlorine content is less than 3.0 percent, minimizing the potential for fertilizer “burn,” and it’s neutral pH does not alter soil activity.

The important thing if you decide to use Langbeinite in your grow is to not...use dolomite limestone. Mixing the two together will cause a Magnesium toxicity.

I'd check if your using any proprietary amendments like Gaia Green, Craft Blend, or Primal Lands Bloom if they have any Langbeinite in them already. (Craft Blend & Primal Lands does).

Well, I might just do a 50/50 mix (tap and RO) and try that out this grow, keep me posted please on how that goes and if any hiccups get a hold of me.

I dove into building soil with coots mix and I haven’t ran into many issues with it. The only good stuff I’ve found at Home Depot is peat moss and 40# of gypsum.

350ppm is pretty rough. It would be hard to not lean on R/O water to cut it down. I’ll look into the ACVingar. I really want to switch to a living bed with using my tap water so I need a good game plan on dealing with the build up.

Last run in 5 gallon bags I was top dressing with dr earth flower girl/langbeinite/worm casting. It went well, I harvest 52g per sqft. I could have done better if I started amending earlier.

This is brilliant

Btw have you ever burned your plants using langbeinite? Ive heard you cant but the amount of potassium has me halving the dose

No I haven’t. I half my dose but apply every two weeks. It does feel uncomfortable pouring what looks like Himalayan pink salt ontop of my soil.

 

[Superman1of2]

Got this water meter yesterday and I have a few questions about using it.
1. How deep into the soil should you check?
2. What should the meter read a) the day after watering, b) the day that water is needed?
3. How accurate is this meter?
Thanks and a tip of the hat.

View attachment 1342623

Hey fellow gardener! I know this post is a year old now but I recently purchased a similar 3 in 1 meter (light, moisture, and PH balance) $10 Walmart special! Lol! Anyhow, the probes are about a foot long. A cpl days ago I noticed the bottom fan leaves were starting to become yellowish at the tips but had green veins! I'm growing outside this season and since i had fertilized 3 weeks ago with the primary nutes (NPK), I knew there was no lack of nitrogen so I immediately thought it was either PH or Magnessium deficiency! I highly recommend this tool as SOP for any grower! So I of course got the meter immediately! I checked the PH, currently sitting at about 6.8 so that wasn't the problem! Turns out, I didn't soil saturate water the soil recently enough as I also use a spray bottle between watering to coat the soil surface (helps over a few days between watering for soil to maintain some moisture) as one person mentioned, starting at about 2 or 3 inches then going a bit lower in stents to check moisture levels is what I did. The first few inches read green but once I hit 6-8 inches it was in the red at less then 3! I immediately watered the soil and went to bed as it was evening. When I woke the next morning and throughout the day I monitored the fan leaves that had yellowing to find that it ceased or least till now hasn't progressed further. So, what I originally thought was PH imbalance or Mag deficiency turned out to be a simple case of underwatering for a week to week and a half and had it not been for the meter I would've never known. I'm an amateur still at growing but have some knowledge! So when it comes to watering my suggestion would be to dip your finger about an inch in the soil, if it feels dry get the meter and check various levels of the soil for moisture and when it needs water and you water, make sure you have efficient drainage and make sure you see some water drain out before you stop the watering so you know all the soil has been watered. I hope this helps.

 

[Week4Bytch]

Hey fellow gardener! I know this post is a year old now but I recently purchased a similar 3 in 1 meter (light, moisture, and PH balance) $10 Walmart special! Lol! Anyhow, the probes are about a foot long. A cpl days ago I noticed the bottom fan leaves were starting to become yellowish at the tips but had green veins! I'm growing outside this season and since i had fertilized 3 weeks ago with the primary nutes (NPK), I knew there was no lack of nitrogen so I immediately thought it was either PH or Magnessium deficiency! I highly recommend this tool as SOP for any grower! So I of course got the meter immediately! I checked the PH, currently sitting at about 6.8 so that wasn't the problem! Turns out, I didn't soil saturate water the soil recently enough as I also use a spray bottle between watering to coat the soil surface (helps over a few days between watering for soil to maintain some moisture) as one person mentioned, starting at about 2 or 3 inches then going a bit lower in stents to check moisture levels is what I did. The first few inches read green but once I hit 6-8 inches it was in the red at less then 3! I immediately watered the soil and went to bed as it was evening. When I woke the next morning and throughout the day I monitored the fan leaves that had yellowing to find that it ceased or least till now hasn't progressed further. So, what I originally thought was PH imbalance or Mag deficiency turned out to be a simple case of underwatering for a week to week and a half and had it not been for the meter I would've never known. I'm an amateur still at growing but have some knowledge! So when it comes to watering my suggestion would be to dip your finger about an inch in the soil, if it feels dry get the meter and check various levels of the soil for moisture and when it needs water and you water, make sure you have efficient drainage and make sure you see some water drain out before you stop the watering so you know all the soil has been watered. I hope this helps.

Thanks for the info. Love it when we figure things out.

 

[Superman1of2]

Thanks for the info. Love it when we figure things out.

Absolutely!

 

[dreadedbud]

I've been looking at a Vortex Vitality soil probe recently as heading on holiday in a few weeks and want to monitor while I am away.

Vortex Vitality Vprobe - Intelligent Plant Health Assistant - Soil Moisture Meter for Indoor Plants. Sunlight/Temperature/Humidity/Soil Moisture. Plant Speaks For Itself. WiFi IoT AI (Grey Sunshine) https://amzn.eu/d/36sX6JR

 

[Week4Bytch]

I've been looking at a Vortex Vitality soil probe recently as heading on holiday in a few weeks and want to monitor while I am away.

Vortex Vitality Vprobe - Intelligent Plant Health Assistant - Soil Moisture Meter for Indoor Plants. Sunlight/Temperature/Humidity/Soil Moisture. Plant Speaks For Itself. WiFi IoT AI (Grey Sunshine) https://amzn.eu/d/36sX6JR

Check out Ecowitts Soil Sensors too.

 

[Natep]

I use a meter as sop in my rockwool. It's wireless and works really well once calibrated. This one works in soil as well. Since I don't check daily all the time these are good.

I use this same meter in my living organic soil.