Fantastic miracle pH solution for soilless mixes

[Retardo Motabon]

Hey Suby rocky, go back to you organic thread. Yes your trying to hijack a thread why? Obviusly this is not for you so go home. If you want to get into the semantics of what is truly organic or whether or not you need to check pH go over to the big secret and post your opinions there.
This thread was made to help newer folks understand how to more accurately test their soilless mix if measuring by runoff. Most people don't bother to test their soilless mix before adding amendments. If you prefer to tell people they don't need to know what is in their mix and follow blindly do it elsewhere. Drop the semantics.

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

I didn't realize we have a college boy trying to play grower till you PMed me Retardo. Horticulture student no less.

Kinda like an engineer that can design a house from top to bottom.

But when it comes to building the house he doesn't have a clue.

The guy with a white hat and clipboard, standing over your shoulder while your working hard. Only to stop you from work, to tell you your not building something the right way.

I'm the guy with the hammer.

 

[Retardo Motabon]

Still at it Rocky? You hammer is a limp dick. I looked at your gallery, read your posts. Straight up mouth, no skills. If you wanna keep slinging crap. You got plenty that you are sitting in. I'd suggest starting there. Just don't use it in your mix as you can't figure out how to use raw organics from what I can see or any organics. I still don't see what your point here is other than trolling and trashing.

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

My point was to shut your thread down and give people a proven alternative to your methods.

I feel like I did my job.

I do like my organics "cooked".

Sorry if the shit got too deep for ya!

P.S. For a guy that's trying to be academic and scholarly, your spelling and inability to create an outline, or breakdown your "fantastic miracle pH Solution" into more than one paragraph, does not add academic credibility to this thread.

Peace
Rcky

 

[Retardo Motabon]

Thuglife please go finish a grow, learn how to use a camera, photograph your amazing grow, put it in your gallery and then act like you know something. Until then I can only assume you are a troll with some kind of chip on your shoulder or just seriously delusional. Seeing is believing. I don't see anything but an epsom salt label and some blurry leaf shots in your gallery.

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

Well here's some pics of yer own shit...if seeing is believing. I see some plants that have been overfertilized, got the claw and are chock full of N right till the end (probably synthetic)...I'm sure it tastes wonderful and is easy on the lungs. You're a man...with a pH meter...what could go wrong?

I do have a chip on my shoulder...phosphoric acid does not belong in a soil grow.
Phosphoric acid is what most companies use for pH down, it contains a form of P that is unavailable to plants. No big deal right? Well the problem is it bonds with Ca, now making that Ca unavailable also. Ca and Mg need to be in balance in the soil, so Mg def will be the first symptoms. Anyone using water with more than 50 ppm Ca and a pH of over 7.5 will use alot of pH down and will lockout a significant amount of Ca. If you have any lime in your soil...things will be even worse. If you use R/O water and no lime your method will work...I'm not denying that, albeit more difficult for a new grower. I can't imagine how much effort it would take to keep your pH in check, especially in a peat based mix which will continually become more acidic throughout a grow if lime is not added. If this was thread was about hydro...I wouldn't have a problem with it. The pH will drift from 5-7 in the soil no matter what you do...it has to, because different nutrients become available throughout that range. Adding lime to your soil, will make the pH drift back towards 7. Even a good hydro grower will start his res at 5.8 and let it drift upwards slightly. If anyone reads your thread and uses pH down with hardwater...their plants are dead. I know because I've done it. Also if you mix up something like EJ or PBP and test the pH it will read around 4 or 5...if you bubble it for 24-48hrs the pH will drift on it's own up closer to 6. If you add pH Up to it instead to make it that "perfect" pH of 6.3 and didn't pour it on your plants for a day the pH would drop to 5.7 or so. Time to add more potassium hydroxide! This is great for the soil microlife. You're basically a hydro grower at this point. Talk some science instead of just slinging mud college boy.

Here's one for everybody. Do a simple search on Google "hardwater nutrient lockout"


I DONT MAKE STUFF UP!

 

[sirgrassalot]

After reading this I'm sure glad I don't have to pH anything except my hair.

 

[TanzanianMagic]

If you don't test your soil before planting or adding amendments you might as well add your nutes blindfolded as your levels may be way off before you even start. Knowing this, rules of thumb like always add a teaspoon of lime to your mix don't seem quite right.Test first, then add nutes or amendments knowledgeably.

Another good idea is to buy a garden sieve, so you can take the biggest chunks of peat out of it.

Why doesn't even potting soil that is specifically intended for use with marijuana come ready to use, with a correct ph?

 

[TanzanianMagic]

Not really because most organic fertilizers or even mediums other than coco are slightly to highly acidic.

Zoolander it's all good, you have some nice looking plants there also.

If anyone is just starting out by all means ph until your heart is content, but there is no way I am measuring runoff, I don't have the patience and I don't see the point.

S

Coco is acidic too, by the way.

 

[zolar]

i just noticed this today and the title caught my eye

re run off you should check it for ph at least once in a while

if you are into numbers and graphs and all check a lot

using a reasonably balanced mix or yard dirt compost and pearlite or whatever knowing what your water is PH and PPM
to start and what it is after soaking a pot or grow bed til run off
is a good starting point for techies

if you are new and trying to go organic with a mix it wiull probably help prevent big errors to do the run off thing
at the start of your grow if you have a meter or test strips
i would check Ph of run off about once a week depending on how light your mix gets when its dry vs wet a mix that gets
real light when dry is going to be more sensative to water changes faster than a soil compost pearlite mix ie vs coir or peat coir in particular will accumilate excess fert salts fairly quick with over feeding so the hydro fuss over PH is justified

very simple if your run off reacts when poured into a glass of
baking soda and water its most likely too acid

if your run off reacts [fizzes] when poured into vinegar and water
its too alkaline

these house hold chemicals can give your a vague idea of ph on runoff


but from what i've seen most folks doing a regular soil/compost mix shouldn't have many problems with PH

using coir or hydro first off get R.O. or distilled or rain water
if possible get a mentor /coach