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 UncleT
Stranger
Registered: 05/16/12
Posts: 5
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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 Do soil growers need to Ph adjust irrigation water? 
#623038 - 05/16/12 03:50 PM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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OK, I know this Ph issue has been written about quite a bit, but as much as I ask growers, hydro shop owners, and browse forums, I get mixed answers.
I am growing in Fox Farms Ocean Forest in containers. My tap water I use for regular water has a Ph of 7.4.
Last year I religiously used Ph down to bring the level down to 6.7-6.8 or so. I would fill up a reservior and let the chlorine dissapate, and then add some Ph down to bring it to the desired point of 6.8.
I had some nute lockout at the end of the season last grow. After asking growers and everyone else I could ask, a had a few people tell me it was because I am Ph adjusting my irrigation water. The acid from the down is building up and causing issues.
Other people would tell me I *should* be doing just that, adjust the water (and nute solution when I feed) to be in the proper range by using the Ph down solution.
So what's the real answer here?
I've heard "the soil buffers the ph, so don't worry about it"
Why wouldn't Ph down cause the same issues with hydro growers? They use it in their reserviors to keep the Ph on point. What am I missing here?
Thanks for any help.
Edited by UncleT (05/16/12 03:53 PM)
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 Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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Re: Do soil growers need to Ph adjust irrigation water? [Re: UncleT]
#623039 - 05/16/12 04:17 PM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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Nute lock out can happen for a few different reasons. It could be that your pH is either way to high or low, or it could be that you aren't flushing and getting a build up of excess salts in your soil. The latter is what I would out money on.
Soil does help buffer out the pH a bit, but continued watering with out of range pH will slowly change the pH of your soil.
You should ALWAYS adjust your pH. It does not build up in the soil, excess nutrients do. To the best of my knowledge at least. I've never heard of this happening, or seen it in years of cultivation, and I have always used the run of the mill GH pH adjusters.
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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UncleT
Stranger
Registered: 05/16/12
Posts: 5
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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Re: Do soil growers need to Ph adjust irrigation water? [Re: Hawksresurrection]
#623040 - 05/16/12 04:29 PM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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I've tried flushing a few times and had bad results. It just ended up a mess. And if I'm supposed to run twice as much water through the container as it holds, I would be flushing 30 gallons through these 15 gallons containers. That would just turn it to sludge.
Am I doing something wrong there? I mix about 20-25 percent perlite in my FFOF so it should have good drainage. But when I flush, it compacts the soil, and no more good drainage.
So, I should keep Ph adjusting my irrigation water then, correct?
Sometimes I think the guys at the shops just want to give me a quick, easy answer. They'll almost go any direction you lead them....with a quick, "ya, that's probably it".
Thanks!
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Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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Re: Do soil growers need to Ph adjust irrigation water? [Re: UncleT]
#623042 - 05/16/12 05:04 PM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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Well I don't know why you're having issues with flushing. I have 30 gallon containers and run 90 gallons of water when I flush, and it doesn't turn it to "sludge". Of course it creates a lot of water, but you should setup your grow area so that it can handle that amount of water if you are going to use containers that big.
I don't add anything to FFOF, there's no need. Are you sure that you're letting your plants completely root your soil? The root system should hold all the soil together when you flush. Flushing also should in no way affect the drainage, even if the soil compacts down.
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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UncleT
Stranger
Registered: 05/16/12
Posts: 5
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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Re: Do soil growers need to Ph adjust irrigation water? [Re: Hawksresurrection]
#623053 - 05/16/12 06:28 PM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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I don't have issues with flushing. I've flushed a few times in the past and didn't see any benefits. It just seemed like it compacted the soil and affected the drainage. The leaves got curly. At the end of last year's harvest I flushed ok with no problems. But I guess I should do it earlier in the veg state to rid excess nutes.
What do you mean by "am I letting my plants completely root my soil?"
I use General Organics Bio-Root to help promote root growth, and at the end of harvest last year, when I pulled the plants, the roots are fully grown around the container. Not to the point of being root-bound though.
I was told by the local grow shop and a few people online to cut 20-25 percent perlite into FFOF. I think it's just personal preference. I googled it and it's 50/50 with growers adding perlite to improve drainage. Some do, some don't.
Thanks for your help.
Edited by UncleT (05/16/12 06:48 PM)
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UncleT
Stranger
Registered: 05/16/12
Posts: 5
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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Re: Do soil growers need to Ph adjust irrigation water? [Re: UncleT]
#623057 - 05/16/12 06:44 PM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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So nobody else has any personal experience they want to share about Ph adjusting water for soil grows?
I know everyone gets upset about the "noobs" but we all have to start somewhere.
Edited by UncleT (05/16/12 06:51 PM)
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Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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Re: Do soil growers need to Ph adjust irrigation water? (moved) [Re: UncleT]
#623063 - 05/16/12 07:07 PM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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 This thread was moved from Soil & Organic Nutrients.
Reason:
Should get more traffic here.
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Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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Re: Do soil growers need to Ph adjust irrigation water? [Re: UncleT]
#623065 - 05/16/12 07:11 PM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
UncleT said:
I don't have issues with flushing. I've flushed a few times in the past and didn't see any benefits. It just seemed like it compacted the soil and affected the drainage. The leaves got curly. At the end of last year's harvest I flushed ok with no problems. But I guess I should do it earlier in the veg state to rid excess nutes.
What do you mean by "am I letting my plants completely root my soil?"
I use General Organics Bio-Root to help promote root growth, and at the end of harvest last year, when I pulled the plants, the roots are fully grown around the container. Not to the point of being root-bound though.
I was told by the local grow shop and a few people online to cut 20-25 percent perlite into FFOF. I think it's just personal preference. I googled it and it's 50/50 with growers adding perlite to improve drainage. Some do, some don't.
Thanks for your help.
There's no need to flush during veg unless you're just hitting them super hard with nutes during that time. I flush once halfway through flowering to prevent build up and make sure I don't have any problems.
By completely root, I mean is your soil basically just a huge ball of roots. No loose soil. Sounds like you are just fine though.
I've tried all sorts of amendments to FFOF. And from this experimentation I have found that there is no reason to amend this brand of soil.
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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UncleT
Stranger
Registered: 05/16/12
Posts: 5
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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Re: Do soil growers need to Ph adjust irrigation water? [Re: Hawksresurrection]
#623087 - 05/16/12 08:16 PM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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Thanks so much hawksapprentice
I don't hit em very hard at all with nutes.
And now that I think about it, the very first grow I did when I flushed and got curled leaves, I wasn't Ph adjusting my water. I'll have more confidence flushing now, knowing that flushing 30 gallons of high Ph water is most likely what caused the curled leaves.
I was actually hoping you'd be the one who would initially respond to this thread. I've been researching on the forums here and you seem to give excellent advice.
Thanks again!
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Tank333
Psychotic Hippie
Registered: 08/19/10
Posts: 1,241
Loc: Washington
Last seen: 4 years, 10 months
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Re: Do soil growers need to Ph adjust irrigation water? [Re: UncleT]
#623103 - 05/16/12 09:23 PM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yea, Hawk is usually pretty spot on with his advice, and he's also pretty prompt at getting answers out there for ya. I think he's a bit like me and has nothing to do but watch his plants grow and sit on the computer and BS... lol
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My best run so far
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Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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Re: Do soil growers need to Ph adjust irrigation water? [Re: Tank333]
#623123 - 05/16/12 11:22 PM (12 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Tank333 said:
Yea, Hawk is usually pretty spot on with his advice, and he's also pretty prompt at getting answers out there for ya. I think he's a bit like me and has nothing to do but watch his plants grow and sit on the computer and BS... lol
Awe I wish that wasn't true....but it is. On the plus side I'm drunk right now off of Bushmills whiskey sour! Woot!
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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