I've been using PBP for close to two decades in soil. For the first 5 years I bought into the whole organic soil will correct the pH of anything you throw in it. I did ok not pHing my water/nutrients. But I had weird shit pop up on every run...some strains worse than others.
I finally got sick of something always going on with them, so I said what the hell and started pHing all water/nutrients I gave them to 6.5. Haven't had a problem since.
I'm not saying that the soil won't correct the pH of the water/nutrient you are running thru it. I'm just saying that in my experience, especially with PBP dropping the pH significantly, it was my problem.
If you get rid of the gnats and you still have weird splothes/spots, just try pHing your feedings on one plant thru a whole run. I'm no grow master by far, but from what I have gathered on the organic thread, most of the growers that have success with not pHing their feedings, mostly use water only, with an occasional tea. PBP is some pretty acidic stuff.
I'm using Happy Frog and LC's organic soil for the record.
What do you recommend for pH up and down? I have Earth Juice granules that I have used in the past but found they are finicky, and mine are quite old.
I will test what you guys are saying and post the results. Please do not mistake my dry attitude as holier than thou, it's just how I type.
I appreciate all the posts here, really.
When using EJ you really have to crush it up and make sure there are none of the chunks in there. Then find the smallest measure you can and figure out just how much that changes the PH. This way you have a constant measure that drops or raises by x amount and go from there. My 2 cents.
I used to use EJ pH Up and Down. It's temperamental AF. Lol. I use Cyco pH Up and Advance Nutrients pH Down. They both are liquid, are very concentrated and only take very little to change the pH. I'll probably get Cyco pH Down when the AN runs out...mainly because the Cyco is easier for me to get than the AN. Both brands are good.
I am currently growing a couple E Glue plants in organic soil in smartpots. They are two totally different phenos. One is short and much darker and looks like a white pheno and one is tall and lanky and looks like a glue pheno. The Glue pheno plant has had about 50% of the leaves like this since about week 4 of veg. She is still growing and now at day 32 of flower filling out. Disclaimer this is my first grow of this strain. I do NOT have gnats. Or any other bugs. My soil report from Spectrum shows a sulfur level of m3-ppm of 2318 which seems pretty high. PH 6.3 and I have added some extra Gypsum and steamed bone meal after the report and before I planted in this soil. First run on it. This plant also seems to be hungry and wanting more P. I have been feeding both liquid bone meal and liquid kelp along with top dress of Kelp and Worm Power and ground rye along with aloe and coconut in the RO water. I will try to throw up some fresh pics that show my leaves like this. I have no clue what it is but she is still doing fairly well. This is also a mainline style grow with 8 colas per plant. This week they get a full dose of liquid bone meal and liquid Kelp and next week liquid Kelp only and then its water only with a little aloe and coconut for one week and then plain RO water till harvest. Dont know if thats right but we shall see.
Here are a few pics. The plant on the left is obviously the glue pheno and the right is the darker squater "the white" pheno I think from pics of other "The White" plants I can find. Didnt mean to pick them this way when I had to choose from 4 seedlings to keep 2 to grow out. Obviously I dont have room for all 4. I thought they looked like the same pheno but in a solo cup at two weeks I suppose it can be hard to tell for a newer grower like myself.
I wish I knew for sure why the leaves on the left plant are doing this. However she is growing pretty well I think and hope she starts packing on weight.
For the OP not trying to step in your thread but I am having the same issue as I hope you can see.
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I don’t recycle soil. I've always thought about it but haven't tried yet. I find PBP is really hard to burn the plants. So I don’t think salt build up would be a problem as long as you are getting decent runoff with your waters.
I really don’t ever flush using Botanicare. I use 15ml/gal of PBP and 5ml/gal of Calmag pHed to 6.5 every watering (beginning of veg thru bloom) until the last 2weeks. I then use straight water pHed to 6.5 until harvest.
Sorry but I refuse to buy into the RO water stuff. Lots of growers use it.I would guess its a copper deficiency from RO water. Do you have well water or city. If well just feed plant that.
WOW. Some people pay for the water it flows from your sink.