Beware of SM-90!!

[Rellikbuzz]

For those of you who have used or are wanting to use SM-90, let me pass on something that has affected me. First of all, SM-90 appears to be a great product not only for bug control but also to help root colonization. SM-90 apparently has many benefits other than this but I chose to use it as a on-going regiment against insects.

I first spotted a problem a couple of weeks ago as my plants were developing yellow leaves at the lower branches. This was followed by necrosis of these leaves. I also had a few leaves exhibiting intervenial chlorosis (yellow of leaves with green veins). Of course my original thought was a nitrogen deficiency and possibly a phosphorus deficiency but I am using Advanced Nutrients entire 2+program, so nitrogen or phosphorous shortage seemed unlikely. I had been foliar spraying a mixture of SM-90 and water of the plants every three or four days and just misting them with PH'd water inbetween. I had been mixing my nutes at a PH of 6.3-6.4 so PH shouldn't have been a problem, or so I thought. Just out of curiousity I overwated my plants a couple of times and PH'd the run off and it tested out anywhere from 6.8-7.2! I then lowered the PH of my mix to 5.8 and feed a couple more times and then tested the run off and it was still hovering around 6.6-7.0! I couldn't figure it out! Why was the PH still so high when my nutes were PH'd so low?

Well, while pruning my plants last night and removing some of this yellowing plant material, I mixed up a new batch of the SM-90 foliar spray. I decided to PH this foliar spray and guess what? The spray with normal tap water (my tap water PH's at 8.4-8.5) was PH'ing at 9.4! I was told that because SM-90 is made up of with a lot of citric acid in it and that it would make it very acidic. This is NOT the case! I PH'd SM-90 straight from the bottle and it tested out at 9.5 or so! PH Down hardly even touches this shit. I had to put more PH Down in this standard spray bottle than I have to in my 5 gallon res for my nutes. It took at least a tablespoon to get this stuff down to 6.5! Here, all this time, I have been spraying my plants thoroughly with a 9.5 spray and wondering why my soils PH is so high when my nutes are so low. The plants drips into the soil after I spray it, so it has obviously affected my soil PH accordingly.

While SM-90 seems to be a very effective means of battling insects and help to colonize the root system, just be very, very careful to watch your soil's PH and pump that shit full of PH Down to get it under control! Now that I have done that the plants seems much, much happier and look very lush. Despite the intial problems here, I will be keeping SM-90 in my garden supplies now that I know what to look for in the way of PH. I just wanted to warn you guys and make you aware of what happened to me. Some of you may already know this. If so, sorry to waste your time. For those of you who don't already know? Be forwarned!!! SM-90's PH is high as hell and needs to be brought down for use with MJ.

 

[Guest]

Rellikbuzz... Have you read the label on SM90?

For foliar sprays: Dilute 1 part SM-90 with 5 parts water. May be repeated every 3 days for up to 3 spray applications.

What is your application rate and ratios on SM-90? This is pretty potent stuff... I'm wondering if perhaps at these rates... you've overdone it?

It seems that cannabis likes about HALF the recommended labeled amounts of pretty much anything... nutes... amendments, etc.. It's best to start on the low side of things and work up.

SM-90 saved my ass last summer when I had high res temps and the beginning of root rot.

Good luck in resolving your current issue... I'll be watching this thread very closely. I just sprayed my babies with a shot of SM-90 foliar spray mixed at half the dosage. Thanks for the heads up on this. My babies are in an ebb & flow... I'll watch the PH of the res closely to see if there is any rise.

Anyone else using SM-90? What for? What are your application rates? Care to share your experiences?

 

[Rellikbuzz]

Hey Maistre - Thanks for the response. Yes, I did read the label and am mixing it 5 parst water to 1 part SM-90. I have only applied it maybe 5 or 6 times over the last month or so. I was just highly surprised that the PH of this mix would be so high when the biggest part of SM-90's ingredients are citric acid based.

I just transplanted into Fox Farm's Ocean Forest soil. Previously, the plants had been in Fox Farm's Light Warrior soilless mix. It was the soilless mix that the PH was so high in. I am hoping that the transplant has helped to bring the PH down a bit. I am watering tonight with plain PH'd water and I hopefully will get some run-off that I can then PH. So, we will see.

By the way, I wasn't suggesting that SM-90 is a bad product. Much to the contrary, in fact. I just wanted to warn people that the PH is so high when using this stuff that it can adversly affect the plants by raising the PH of the soil to intolerable levels. Thanks again for your response, Maistre!

 

[Guest]

I'd say also to be careful when working in hot area that when you spray it, or apply it for that matter any different way it will increase resperation and if you media dries out the plant will suffer dehydration. Bump up watering when using this stuff to keep it up to speed!

 

[Bozo]

Too much PH down can also be a problem

 

[badmf]

You read the label but have over applied it, imo. It states "for foliar spray" every 3 days for "up to" three applications! You say you sprayed "5 or 6 times over the last month" so you doubled the usage! Also always use a flush spray to clean off the leaves to prevent buildup! check www.nutrilifeproducts.com for further info.

 

[Rellikbuzz]

Badmf - Thanks for the reply. I think that you are right. I have laid off applying any more SM-90 for a bit. All along I have been following up these foliar applications the next few days after with a rinsing foliar spray of just PH'd water to rinse the leaves off. However, I think it'll be a couple of weeks before I apply the SM-90 again. I will probably do it a week or so after I flip the lights to 12/12 and, if I do it then, I will most likely dilute the 5 to 1 mix in half. Thanks again for following this, bro! You da man!!

 

[badmf]

To all; if you foiliar anything, remember to "rinse" off a couple days afterwards (Tepid ph adj!)to release the leaves of excesses and allow the stomata to open. Now thats a snappy stomata!

 

[Guest]

Hey badmf... thanks for the "rinse tip"!

 

[Papier33]

Guys sm 90 aslo works on mildew, the way to destroy mildew is changing the ph on the surface of the leaf! Adjusting the ph results into no efficiency against mildew

 

[xxPeacePipexx]

^ I concur and it is a great preventative . I have never had an issue with spraying leaves with either alkaline or acidic mixtures , they are not roots lol .

 

[Lit_Reflex]

You read the label but have over applied it, imo. It states "for foliar spray" every 3 days for "up to" three applications! You say you sprayed "5 or 6 times over the last month" so you doubled the usage! Also always use a flush spray to clean off the leaves to prevent buildup! check www.nutrilifeproducts.com for further info.

I'm a little confused here.... The *minimum* recommended applications for a 31 day month is 10 applications, up to 30 and you're saying he's overdoing it with 5 or 6?????

 

[MJPassion]

Lit,
What's not to understand?

The directions list a specific amount to mix, 5 to 1.
The directions list a specific frequency for application, every 3 days.
The directions list a maximum number of applications, 3...

What's not to be understood?

As a side note...
active ingredients are:
1% coriander oil
94% canola oil*
5% Triethanolamine

Where's the citric acid?

*canola oil from the US is mostly made from GMO canola so this alone will force me to stop using the product even though it works great, ime.

 

[watts]

sm-90 is made in canada

 

[Mikell]

Our canola is GMO as well, to my understanding. What little isn't becomes contaminated, though I believe PEI keeps things kosher.

If you're going to avoid GMO, canola, soy and corn are the main culprits.

Have fun with that Bottled drinks and prepackaged food are out of bounds. Anything packaged, plastic wrapped or bottled is going to contain a by-product of one of those three crops.

 

[vostok]

I like to think that many growers have moved on from "03-08-2005, 08:23 PM"
and that SM=90 like most.. extreme chems is only used as in extreme situations

...the choice is yours ..and so are the results

 

[Hollymontana]

For those of you who have used or are wanting to use SM-90, let me pass on something that has affected me. First of all, SM-90 appears to be a great product not only for bug control but also to help root colonization. SM-90 apparently has many benefits other than this but I chose to use it as a on-going regiment against insects.

I first spotted a problem a couple of weeks ago as my plants were developing yellow leaves at the lower branches. This was followed by necrosis of these leaves. I also had a few leaves exhibiting intervenial chlorosis (yellow of leaves with green veins). Of course my original thought was a nitrogen deficiency and possibly a phosphorus deficiency but I am using Advanced Nutrients entire 2+program, so nitrogen or phosphorous shortage seemed unlikely. I had been foliar spraying a mixture of SM-90 and water of the plants every three or four days and just misting them with PH'd water inbetween. I had been mixing my nutes at a PH of 6.3-6.4 so PH shouldn't have been a problem, or so I thought. Just out of curiousity I overwated my plants a couple of times and PH'd the run off and it tested out anywhere from 6.8-7.2! I then lowered the PH of my mix to 5.8 and feed a couple more times and then tested the run off and it was still hovering around 6.6-7.0! I couldn't figure it out! Why was the PH still so high when my nutes were PH'd so low?

Well, while pruning my plants last night and removing some of this yellowing plant material, I mixed up a new batch of the SM-90 foliar spray. I decided to PH this foliar spray and guess what? The spray with normal tap water (my tap water PH's at 8.4-8.5) was PH'ing at 9.4! I was told that because SM-90 is made up of with a lot of citric acid in it and that it would make it very acidic. This is NOT the case! I PH'd SM-90 straight from the bottle and it tested out at 9.5 or so! PH Down hardly even touches this shit. I had to put more PH Down in this standard spray bottle than I have to in my 5 gallon res for my nutes. It took at least a tablespoon to get this stuff down to 6.5! Here, all this time, I have been spraying my plants thoroughly with a 9.5 spray and wondering why my soils PH is so high when my nutes are so low. The plants drips into the soil after I spray it, so it has obviously affected my soil PH accordingly.

While SM-90 seems to be a very effective means of battling insects and help to colonize the root system, just be very, very careful to watch your soil's PH and pump that shit full of PH Down to get it under control! Now that I have done that the plants seems much, much happier and look very lush. Despite the intial problems here, I will be keeping SM-90 in my garden supplies now that I know what to look for in the way of PH. I just wanted to warn you guys and make you aware of what happened to me. Some of you may already know this. If so, sorry to waste your time. For those of you who don't already know? Be forwarned!!! SM-90's PH is high as hell and needs to be brought down for use with MJ.

Thanks