Current Malawi grow - Revelation in my grow room

[blondie]

Ohhhh. Man. My latest round of Malawi’s and the grow once again looks bad. I had thought this was all due to over watering and it may have been in part. But I now have a self watering system and have not watered since planting from peat pellets, 3-4 weeks ago. I just tested my tap water and it’s fucking 10.... yes 10, maybe a bit higher. I am assuming the drops are at least somewhat accurate. No matter how I look at it, this seems huge.

I tested three different times. Sample 1 was in a plastic container and direct from tap. Light blue, looks very close to 10, a bit more maybe. Sample,two from my plastic bins containing water that feeds my system. Same sample container and nearly identical, if not identical results. Third sample different container and sample drawn from a five gallon bucket filled about two weeks ago and left in a corner. Untouched from tap. This sample was again about identical. I think I’ve covered a thorough test and concluded if the ph test drops are good, then I need to lower that ph like now. The way my grows go, this fits. My current Malawi’s are stunted, somehow got PM, burned leaves, purple stems, twisted and knarled leaves, spots. Bad bad bad.

My solution is going to be add 4 tablespoons vinegar per gallon water, let settle a bit and test ph again. Add more vinegar if needed in smaller doses, maybe tplspoon at a time.

 

[DNM1]

Ohhhh. Man. My latest round of Malawi’s and the grow once again looks bad. I had thought this was all due to over watering and it may have been in part. But I now have a self watering system and have not watered since planting from peat pellets, 3-4 weeks ago. I just tested my tap water and it’s fucking 10.... yes 10, maybe a bit higher. I am assuming the drops are at least somewhat accurate. No matter how I look at it, this seems huge.

I tested three different times. Sample 1 was in a plastic container and direct from tap. Light blue, looks very close to 10, a bit more maybe. Sample,two from my plastic bins containing water that feeds my system. Same sample container and nearly identical, if not identical results. Third sample different container and sample drawn from a five gallon bucket filled about two weeks ago and left in a corner. Untouched from tap. This sample was again about identical. I think I’ve covered a thorough test and concluded if the ph test drops are good, then I need to lower that ph like now. The way my grows go, this fits. My current Malawi’s are stunted, somehow got PM, burned leaves, purple stems, twisted and knarled leaves, spots. Bad bad bad.

My solution is going to be add 4 tablespoons vinegar per gallon water, let settle a bit and test ph again. Add more vinegar if needed in smaller doses, maybe tplspoon at a time.

A photo of a leaf or two, and B.,I'm sure you get a response

 

[Tangwena]

PH is the issue for sure Malawi is resilient though, fix the PH even if you have to use bottled water for a short time and it will all be good I am sure.

 

[The Hatter]

Ohhhh. Man. My latest round of Malawi’s and the grow once again looks bad. I had thought this was all due to over watering and it may have been in part. But I now have a self watering system and have not watered since planting from peat pellets, 3-4 weeks ago. I just tested my tap water and it’s fucking 10.... yes 10, maybe a bit higher. I am assuming the drops are at least somewhat accurate. No matter how I look at it, this seems huge.

I tested three different times. Sample 1 was in a plastic container and direct from tap. Light blue, looks very close to 10, a bit more maybe. Sample,two from my plastic bins containing water that feeds my system. Same sample container and nearly identical, if not identical results. Third sample different container and sample drawn from a five gallon bucket filled about two weeks ago and left in a corner. Untouched from tap. This sample was again about identical. I think I’ve covered a thorough test and concluded if the ph test drops are good, then I need to lower that ph like now. The way my grows go, this fits. My current Malawi’s are stunted, somehow got PM, burned leaves, purple stems, twisted and knarled leaves, spots. Bad bad bad.

My solution is going to be add 4 tablespoons vinegar per gallon water, let settle a bit and test ph again. Add more vinegar if needed in smaller doses, maybe tplspoon at a time.

I know your pain. I too have tap water with crazy high PH. Although it's not as bad as yours, mine is up above a 9. I learned to run my water through a filter which helps but if I forget to change out filters regularly there is hell to pay for my more sensitive strains. Right now I am embarrassed to admit I have two kali china x zam plants that look very unhappy because of this. I wanted to post some pics since I had a tag mix up incident with the seeds and I think what I assume are my A5 x Mal might be my Kali China x Zam but I was so ashamed of how bad they look that I havent uploaded the pics to get a proper ID.

People never suspect the tap water, since they figure something they drink must be ok for plants, but there is tap water out there that will strait up kill your plants.

 

[SolarLogos]

Ohhhh. Man. My latest round of Malawi’s and the grow once again looks bad. I had thought this was all due to over watering and it may have been in part. But I now have a self watering system and have not watered since planting from peat pellets, 3-4 weeks ago. I just tested my tap water and it’s fucking 10.... yes 10, maybe a bit higher. I am assuming the drops are at least somewhat accurate. No matter how I look at it, this seems huge.

I tested three different times. Sample 1 was in a plastic container and direct from tap. Light blue, looks very close to 10, a bit more maybe. Sample,two from my plastic bins containing water that feeds my system. Same sample container and nearly identical, if not identical results. Third sample different container and sample drawn from a five gallon bucket filled about two weeks ago and left in a corner. Untouched from tap. This sample was again about identical. I think I’ve covered a thorough test and concluded if the ph test drops are good, then I need to lower that ph like now. The way my grows go, this fits. My current Malawi’s are stunted, somehow got PM, burned leaves, purple stems, twisted and knarled leaves, spots. Bad bad bad.

My solution is going to be add 4 tablespoons vinegar per gallon water, let settle a bit and test ph again. Add more vinegar if needed in smaller doses, maybe tplspoon at a time.

Greetings Blondie, good to see you again. Did you get to try the last malawi you grew outdoors? That was going real well.
In my experience, if you haven't fed them and there isn't too much nutrients in the soil, try something like Botanacare bloom or another natural, not chemical, liquid nutrient. My water runs 7.8-7.9 pH. Adding organic or natural liquid bloom nutrients to the water and it always drops it to about a 4.2 pH. I always have to adjust up. This might put you pretty close to where you need to be. It will certainly drop the pH. This will work temporarily, as you really should only feed when you need, but it might help your plants for a quick fix now.
If you can afford it, get a good pH meter. Unfortunately, I've never found a cheap one that worked, but maybe someone on here can recommend one that they have had luck with. Two things I cannot go without, a pH meter and an ec meter. If I had to choose between the two, the pH meter hands down, it's essential imho.
Hope it helps
SL

 

[one Q]

Here is what I used to do:

Get a couple blue jugs, get some RO from the vending machines from the local grocer. Then mix that either 50:50 or 60ro:40tap or whatever and then. Add nutes and let it rest for a bit... usually over night. Check pH.

This usually gets your water in the proper range. This plus a couple of drops of what ever pH down you choose if you need it.

Bottom feeding is best if done like this- Full strength, half strength, repeat. Until you see that they can take full each time. I did full strength 4 feedings and got burn... and Sativas are going to be even more sensitive.

Hope this helps.

 

[BenoitV1984]

I haven’t checked/changed my pH since I grow organic (biotabs)... For once, there is no need and those ph+/- thingy would destroy the soil life anyway.

Might be worth looking at their fertilisers if you don’t want to bother about ph/ec ever again.

 

[SeriouslySilly]

As you know, the pH of your tap water is obviously wayyy out of range, but I suggest you also check out the water quality reports from your water provider to determine the kind of chlorine the water is treated with.
A lot of municipalities have switched over to chlorAMINE (emphasis added), and it’s a lot rougher on plants than the traditional calcium chloride.

 

[starke]

I also have alkaline well water, though not nearly as bad as yours (my ph is 7.6 to 8.4 depending on time of year, rainfall etc.)

Based on my experience at ph adjusting my water in small quantities, you will probably not find vinegar to be a satisfactory ph down. Although it will lower your ph short term, with water so alkaline your ph will almost immediately begin to creep back up. If you have access to any, phosphoric acid or even sulfuric (battery acid) these will work far better. Just my two cents worth, based on past experience.

 

[Im'One]

I save rain and use it. Sometimes just mixing it with my tap will get me in range.

 

[blondie]

Thanks for the info everyone. Much appreciated. I’ve started messing with a few suggestions here. I hope this is the final issue. I will look at the towns chlorine treatment as well.

 

[Range]

I also have alkaline well water, though not nearly as bad as yours (my ph is 7.6 to 8.4 depending on time of year, rainfall etc.)

Based on my experience at ph adjusting my water in small quantities, you will probably not find vinegar to be a satisfactory ph down. Although it will lower your ph short term, with water so alkaline your ph will almost immediately begin to creep back up. If you have access to any, phosphoric acid or even sulfuric (battery acid) these will work far better. Just my two cents worth, based on past experience.

Absolutely agree here 100%. This is also my experience, with river water that is a pH of 8.0+.

I started using vinegar to pH it and it just doesn't hold it down. Commercial "PH DOWN" (phosphoric acid) has been much better for me.

I have tested both methods by pH'ing a bucket of water and leaving it overnight, then testing it again the next day to see how much it has drifted. Whilst both of them drift up, the "PH DOWN" bucket drifted up a lot less than the one with plain vinegar.

Also after using PH DOWN instead of vinegar on my plants, the difference is very noticeable, the plants are much happier.

 

[tobedetermined]

Absolutely agree here 100%. This is also my experience, with river water that is a pH of 8.0+.

I started using vinegar to pH it and it just doesn't hold it down. Commercial "PH DOWN" (phosphoric acid) has been much better for me.

I had the same experience with pH 7.2 town water in my first grow several years ago. Vinegar would not keep the pH down. As soon as I switched to a commercial pH Down (phosphoric) the problem disappeared.

 

[Dr. Purpur]

Get a carbon filter that fits on your garden hose
Get a probe to check moisture. I use a long thick probe from CWP
Get paper test strips for pH
Get pH up, or down liquid from General Organics.
Problem solved