If water is given pH balanced do I need to buffer?

[Guest]

I read alot about different ways to buffer the medium but if I am using RO water and some pH up after adding any nutes do I need to be concerned with buffering it?

What pH do you consider ideal to water with in soil? I am using Fox Farm Ocean Forest.

Thanks!

 

[NiteTiger]

I always PH to 6 in soil.

 

[Guest]

Uh oh, I've been going 6.5

 

[Brian1975]

6.5 is a good run-off PH to shoot for in soil. Not the only one that works but indeed a fine PH to find when testing.

 

[Guest]

Is using a buffer necessary?

 

[NiteTiger]

6.5 is certainly not going to be a problem in soil.

as far as a buffer, most nutrients have a buffer in them, no need to add more. I've never specifically added a buffer, ever.

 

[TrustNoOne]

dolomite lime added to the soil should be all the buffer you'll need.
ffof= 1 tbsp/gal of soil
good luck.

 

[Guest]

I do put in 2 tbsp of dolomite lime already and really was asking if it is necessary only for a uncontrolled pH environment.

As for the optimal level, would 6 be preferred? What would be the spot on best level?

Thanks for the responses, I really have learned a shitload here about raising plants!

 

[Guest]

Brian1975: Just saw your reply, had missed it. Thanks!

 

[Guest]

I use ocean forest also and agree with 1 tbls per gallon soil,two is best for more acidic mixes like promix.I also use RO water and balance to 6.5 or so,lime green/yellow with the general hydroponics Ph test kit.Even if you use calmag every other time the added cal and mag in the dolomite is preferred with R/O water IMO.Not so much for PH buffer as for the cal and mag.Dont forget when measuring gallons of soil most 1 gal nursery containers hold around .6 of a gallon

 

[Guest]

Thanks! Lately, when I've been potting up I haven't added anything to the soil. Again, I don't know if that is right or not. I will begin to add the 1 tbsp of dolomite lime (I have the pellet type, all I could find) but I don't know that I should go back to adding perlite or not. Especially now that the plants are under the 600 W light, do I want to allow the soil to hold onto the water longer?

I cut the top off a 1 gal plastic milk jug leaving the handle and that is what I've been using to measure out the soil.

I have just started flowering for the first time, 5 days in with Sweet Tooth #3. I also added some Mandala Safari Mix plants that I had planned to do next round but they are a good foot already and they would have to be on deck for 2 months more? I plan to fert along the way using the lucas formula and GH flora keeping the ceiling at 0.8 EC. I have adopted the Mandala "Fertilizing Wisely" thread as the fert road to follow.

Another question I have a foliar fogger. Any suggestions for best foliar feeding practice for the flower cycle?

 

[Guest]

Foliar feeding during 12/12 should really only be done during the first 3 weeks or so,when flowers are forming I would knock off the misting and turn up the dehumidifier.As for using OC with or without added perlite thats totally a matter of preference.I prefer to add about 20-25% perlite to the mix so my medium runs dry on the 3rd or 4th day.This enables me to water twice a week feeding once a week or every other watering.On a "feed" day,I'll never go over the third day without nutes,this is because the soil is still sufficiently hydrated to accept nutrition.On a "water" day I may let the plants go to the 4th day letting them dehydrate a bit before watering.The whole idea behind this is it's OK to use plain water on a somewhat dehydrated plant,but its not OK to feed her.You never want to feed a root system in a totally dehydrated media.

 

[Guest]

WOW! Great advice, thank you!

 

[Guest]

Foliar feeding during 12/12 should really only be done during the first 3 weeks or so,when flowers are forming I would knock off the misting and turn up the dehumidifier.As for using OC with or without added perlite thats totally a matter of preference.I prefer to add about 20-25% perlite to the mix so my medium runs dry on the 3rd or 4th day.This enables me to water twice a week feeding once a week or every other watering.On a "feed" day,I'll never go over the third day without nutes,this is because the soil is still sufficiently hydrated to accept nutrition.On a "water" day I may let the plants go to the 4th day letting them dehydrate a bit before watering.The whole idea behind this is it's OK to use plain water on a somewhat dehydrated plant,but its not OK to feed her.You never want to feed a root system in a totally dehydrated media.

soilman, I will be feeding for the first time today since starting flowering on the 20th. On the 20th I had potted up 2 of the 4 from 3 to 5 gal and watered. The other two are now in 3 gal bags and I plan to move them up to 5 gal next week, the 2nd week of flower. I plan to foliar feed the 1st 3 weeks, as you suggest, once a week on the day I feed. I will use the fert solution I will water with. Would you say that is good?

(Edit: Would it be wise to foliar feed on the day of watering during the week rather than the day they also get fed?)

Based on your advice, when I added 3 Mandala plants to the flower hut on the 24th, they were parched on that day so I gave them only water and will get their 1st feeding next.
Couple questions:
1) What pH to shoot for to see approx 6.5 runoff? Should I top dress the plants with the dolomite? At least the ones that were potted up without the extra dolomite added?
2) Is it cool to feed at the same time the plants get potted up with FFOF or should that be a water only session?

 

[Guest]

I didn't mean to push foliar feeding jj,just to let you know its not recommended on flowering plants.I personally have never foliar fed,others do it with good results.The closest I come to foliar anything is a cool mist humidifier in veg,my plants get all they need through their roots I see to that.I've never topdressed with dolomite I've always used powdered dolo. in my soil mix,I've heard of others doing it in a pinch though.Beats no dolo especially if you can work it in the soil.Shoot for a 6.5 nute/water PH you should be fine.The beauty of dolomite is that if you water with a 5 PH nute solution,it buffers the soil to near neutral and your runoff will be in the neutral range.The same applies with an 8 PH nute solution,again neutral runoff.This isn't to imply nute/water PH balancing is unecessary when dolomite is present in the media,you still can experience soil PH "drift" if too low or too high PH nute solution is used.I balance my nutes but hey if I hit 5.5 or even 5ph once in awhile I know the dolomite will back me up.One day I'll take a plant or two in a dolomitized medium and pay zero attention to nute/water PH until harvest and see what I got.I know from checking runoff PH at harvest that the dolomite does holds soil ph near neutral all the way through a 60-70 day flowering period.When you transplant up into your growbags, I'd use it.

 

[Guest]

Thank you, soilman! I will throw some in there for sure. As for the foliar end of it, I appreciate your input.

 

[Lady 420]

If your using FFOF soil, don't feed for the first 3 weeks.

Don't foliar feed. This is ireversible once done. If you apply too much, you can''t get it back. This is only for recue situations when the root system is in trouble.

If you use something like peatmoss or pinebark that is very acidic, you would be wise to use a low rate of dolomite lime to get your ph in range up. If your using vemiculite or perlite as your sole media, you would not need to raise the ph. If you add little or no dolomite lime to your soil mix, you need to add cal mag to your water.

Lady 420 out...........

 

[darthvapor]

I use dolomite and ph all my feedings at 6. from my understanding the lime slowly raises it from 6 back to seven and the plant gradually feeds on the nutes it needs at their best absorbed ph from 6-7. Seems to work well. I find nothing grows tastier nugs than soil with organics.