Rain water and tap water discussion

[blondie]

Less Nutes is probably one of the better General Remedies for what is ailing plants.

We Canna growers tend to OD our plants with what we think is TLC.

But for them it's like adding sugar to Coca Cola. Too Much.

This times infinity.. very important piece of advice.

Today I actually felt well enough to pick up my rain buckets and bring them inside. They got algae growing. I’m going to put some bleach in but wondering what amount per gallon?

I also oddly had some energy to clean out a large black trash bin like the one in creepys picture above. I’m going to use this as a storage. Its in the basement now and next rain I’m going to fill the small buckets and empty into this bin. Hopefully my health will stay well enough to lift the full buckets and not have to deal with algae again. My inside buckets are just fine but nearly empty.

Just measured my tap and it read 182ppm . Also measured my rain, that has the algae, it measured 12. No ph yet, looking now actually.

 

[Three Berries]

I use 10 drops per gallon of bleach for my humidifier water. I can smell it still so probably can go a little lower, I think it's !8% bleach.

I stored 20 gallons in a blue carboy this winter in the garage. It's pretty heavy but can still be moved around with a two wheel cart.

Currently have 150 gallons full but have quit using it for the most part inside.

 

[Creeperpark]

I keep the ppm at around 300 or .3 EC throughout the whole grow and still burn the tips a little. Half of that 300 ppm is cal-mag. It only takes a little fertilizer using pure rain

water. Heres todays indoor plants. Low ppm with low lighting 400 w HPS

 

[Creeperpark]

Here's a photo of 3 outdoor sisters in the barn during a rainstorm. Almost never over 300 ppm or .3 EC using rainwater. These are almost finished, only getting pure rain with no fertilizer now

 

[f-e]

Nice looking buds Creeper. I'm kinda jealous of some.
ec1 is between 500 and 700ppm usually. As EC is an actual measurement, and ppm a guesstimate from that measurement. I imagine you are trying to work back from the ppm guess to an EC reading. Making it 0.45 - 0.6
I bet you have a 500 pen. Common in the states. Hardening your water to 0.3, then adding 0.3 of food, and getting an eye opening result.

 

[Creeperpark]

Nice looking buds Creeper. I'm kinda jealous of some.
ec1 is between 500 and 700ppm usually. As EC is an actual measurement, and ppm a guesstimate from that measurement. I imagine you are trying to work back from the ppm guess to an EC reading. Making it 0.45 - 0.6
I bet you have a 500 pen. Common in the states. Hardening your water to 0.3, then adding 0.3 of food, and getting an eye opening result.

Just plain rain and food now, however keeping the same PPM after dropping cal-mag. I work with PPM readings only. but I try to explain a generally low EC. I don't know about true EC readings numbers. I have pens that read all but I'm hooked on PPM reading. It's all the same just a different display of numbers. Thanks, friend.

 

[Creeperpark]

This times infinity.. very important piece of advice.

Today I actually felt well enough to pick up my rain buckets and bring them inside. They got algae growing. I’m going to put some bleach in but wondering what amount per gallon?

I also oddly had some energy to clean out a large black trash bin like the one in creepys picture above. I’m going to use this as a storage. Its in the basement now and next rain I’m going to fill the small buckets and empty into this bin. Hopefully my health will stay well enough to lift the full buckets and not have to deal with algae again. My inside buckets are just fine but nearly empty.

Just measured my tap and it read 182ppm . Also measured my rain, that has the algae, it measured 12. No ph yet, looking now actually.

I'm so sorry you are feeling bad Blondie, I hope you get to feeling better soon. When using a pH meter you have to have at least 125 ppm in the water to get a true reading. The pH pocket pens work by using electric conductivity and if theirs nothing in the water for conductivity you will get false readings.

 

[blondie]

Just got my latest ph meter and yup... Can’t read my rainwater PH very well. With only 34ppm seems it can’t get a true reading. Tap is near 8 which I figured. I’m going to believe rain is in a good range and just go with it.

Got a bunch of buckets out tonight. Should start raining here soon. Restock my dwindling supply. Still have some with a touch of algae the bleach didn’t kill. I’d rather not use.

This grow was really an experiment as I still have a pile of weed and don’t really need more. I’ve got it figured now what works in my environment and what screws things up. indoor next fall is going to be phenomenal. I just need a bit better of a rain gathering system for more plants. I’m going to give away my excess to local breast cancer organizations since my wife just lost both hers. She sleeps well after edibles.

 

[Creeperpark]

Just got my latest ph meter and yup... Can’t read my rainwater PH very well. With only 34ppm seems it can’t get a true reading. Tap is near 8 which I figured. I’m going to believe rain is in a good range and just go with it.

Got a bunch of buckets out tonight. Should start raining here soon. Restock my dwindling supply. Still have some with a touch of algae the bleach didn’t kill. I’d rather not use.

This grow was really an experiment as I still have a pile of weed and don’t really need more. I’ve got it figured now what works in my environment and what screws things up. indoor next fall is going to be phenomenal. I just need a bit better of a rain gathering system for more plants. I’m going to give away my excess to local breast cancer organizations since my wife just lost both hers. She sleeps well after edibles.

Rain has a standard pH of around 5.5 before anything touches it. I wait until I have 130 ppm before I even put a meter in the water. The sweetest thing about rainwater is the pH is so easy to work because the impurity level is so low. . Remember to calibrate your new meter with #7 and #4 calibration fluid.

 

[Three Berries]

My rain water varies but usually is 6.5-6.8 or so. Have seen 7.0,

They sell a KCL pH meter storage solution I've found lets the meter react faster initially. Don't let it dry out.

 

[Creeperpark]

My rain water varies but usually is 6.5-6.8 or so. Have seen 7.0,

They sell a KCL pH meter storage solution I've found lets the meter react faster initially. Don't let it dry out.

How do you test the pH of pure rainwater? TB

 

[Petrochemical]

Mechanisms of hydrogen peroxide decomposition in soils​

The rates and mechanisms of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) decomposition were examined in a series of soil suspensions at H2O2 concentrations comparable to those found in rainwaters. The formation of hydroxyl radical (OH) as a possible decomposition intermediate was investigated using a new, highly sensitive method. In surface soils with higher organic matter or manganese content, H2O2 usually decayed rapidly, with disproportionation to water and dioxygen dominating the decomposition, whereas the formation of the hydroxyl radical (OH) represented <10% of the total H2O2 decomposed. In contrast, for soils with lower organic matter content, H2O2 usually decayed much more slowly, but OH was a major product of the H2O2 decomposed. The decomposition was principally associated with soil particles, not the soil supernatant. Different sterilization techniques indicated that decomposition of H2O2 was at least partly due to biological activity. Because the loss of H2O2 can largely be accommodated by the production of O2 and OH within these soils, our results suggest that disproportionation through a catalase-type mechanism and the production of OH through a Haber-Weiss mechanism represent the principal routes through which H2O2 is lost.

Mechanisms of hydrogen peroxide decomposition in soils - PubMed

The rates and mechanisms of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) decomposition were examined in a series of soil suspensions at H2O2 concentrations comparable to those found in rainwaters. The formation of hydroxyl radical (OH) as a possible decomposition intermediate was investigated using a new, highly...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The OH radical will strip calcium. and form insoluble CaOH.

Here's a pic of 2L of well water that I pHed with KOH. It striped the Ca out immediately and you can see it settle in the bottom.
View attachment 18124616

That was a neat read

 

[Three Berries]

That was a neat read

That -OH will sneak up on you and fool your plans....

 

[Three Berries]

How do you test the pH of pure rainwater? TB

My rainwater is never pure. Lowest ppm I've seen was 11. It comes off my roof and then into the organic stew of the gutters and rain barrels.

I have to filter it to use it in the humidifier mister.

 

[Three Berries]

My two veg plants I gave a good flush, until the run off was 6.5 and ppm around 1200 with 440ppm well water goin in. Been watering with just some 440ppm well water. Then well water with some CaCl2 added. Today the bigger one is showing the yellow tips today as well as being waterlogged. I gave them all big drink yesterday and sucked out about a gallon from the trays this morning so they had wet feet all night.

But that's telling me it needs some nutes now with the next watering. Going 1/2 strength on the big and full to the little, it's looking a bit yellow all over and I'll add a bit of the homemade cal mag directly to the soil after the nutes.

The flowering ones are not getting anymore of the CaCl2, got the same flushing treatment and well water now for a couple weeks. Adding a bit of Epsom to the well water. They both have crispy edged leaves. Will be going to 1/2 nutes with MgCl2 top treatment.

Finding out the Epsom and the hard water don't work well Ca wise, Mg wise OK. I guess if you wanted to strip the Ca out of the water it's a good thing. The sulphates binds with the Ca to form gypsum.

 

[blondie]

Your crispy leaves aren’t over Nute? You mind sharing a jpeg if possible? I think I’m way over nute right now. I’ve been watering just rain since adding Nutes a few weeks or so ago, relying on the soil mostly. Looks like I have to water to runoff and measure ppm.

 

[Three Berries]

They crispy edges are the effect of over nutes. But as I was adding the CaCl2 it appeared to prevent the burning. Only after I quit with the top dressing of CaCl2 and then flushed did the nute burn really show. I quit with eh top dressing though the yellow tip issue went away but the yellowing of the top leaves in general; started. This was pH or salt lockout and anymore Ca only aggravated the issue, I think.

Here's a lights off with flash. it shows better with the LED. My oldest and the test plant dummy. Just goin on week 6 12/12. The smaller is a 10 days behind but benefits from the sacrifices of her older sister.

And the 10 day younger. No signs of the burnt edges until I flushed. I did'nt flush enough apparently with these two.

And the two veg plants. The second one is just starting to show the yellow tips but has the overwatered.

look right now.

 

[Creeperpark]

Keep those wheels rolling TB., you are doing a good job. When the pH rises above 7 the tops will start to turn yellow. Higher pH locks out Iron and other micronutrients. Also, too much calcium can cause the pH to rise up to 7 and if you use nitrate-nitrogen fertilizer together the pH will rise more and turn tops yellow. You are learning a lot and really doing a good job TB. .

 

[blondie]

Very nice plants indeed. Wish I could say the same. My plant took a nosedive. I thought my soil was needing a bit of charge. Turns out the opposite.

As I sit and look at her the buds really are still filling out nicely. I can see crystals. Maybe the damage is done. It’s supposed to rain hard and I will be able to empty buckets half way full. This means enough water to measure runoff. I’m going to guess it’s as high as me right now.

 

[TPFTFW]

I guess I grow boof cuz I use filtered tap water?

I used to feed 1/2 strength maximum, and feed every other watering, now I’m feeding full strength every time. Before I didn’t have any run off as I basically let the pots wick the water up in a flood table of sorts.
no I water from the top so I can actually flush

Sour Diesel
I feed organically which throws EC off but it says 1200ppm or so and 3.0 Ec lol
And they’re still hungry
49 days