I've completed a few grows now and while I have been able to harvest each time, I could definitely do better. I have been growing auto-flowering plants and my problems show up when flowering begins, and the plant becomes more demanding of nutrients. I do feed my plants, so the nutrients are in the soil, but I have found that about a month in, the runoff PH has been too low for the plants to uptake nutrients properly. For what it's worth, I have used FFOF and FFHF soils in my grows. I am wondering if the lower PH is caused by the nutrients or PH adjusters that I water with (to get the water PH to 6.5). Maybe the lower run-off PH is from the soil breaking down over time. Either way, I am wondering how I can actively combat this change, to keep the soil PH around 6.2-6.5. Ideally I would like to water with PH 6.35 and get runoff with the same value.
I never pH up or down, the soil is a buffer, if your constantly getting low pH then amend your soil with dolomite. I never check runoff. I just concentrate on what's going in. This is with my ew tea. It's at 6.5. I used ffof as a base soil and took time to create a living soil. Here's another discussion you could give a read Ph of runoff in soil grow Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
That's actually what I was curious about. How much dolomite, or other type of additive would I need to correct the PH when it strays? In my last grow I gave my plant water with PH 6.5 and the runoff was all the way down at 5.7 at one point.
Well man pH between 5.5-6.8 is acceptable. How big a container they in? 5 gallon I'd use a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
Checking the ph of the run off in a soil grow is pointless and virtually impossible do to ph swings in the soil. Whoever came up with that idea must have been really bored. If the plants healthy just keep doing what you're doing. When you're ready to stop messing with ph testers, ph up/down and second guessing the procedure come join us over in the organic section. With a well amended organic soil the soil will buffer against ph swings. I just get water straight from my garden hose. I have no idea what the ph is anymore, nor do I need to worry about it. That's for people who grow with synthetic nutes like fox farms strange mix of synthetic and what they call "natural" nutrients. Until you decide to change, that is if you ever do, leave run off checking for people who grow in hydro, coco, etc.
I spent the first 25 years or growing with fox farms mainly. Used a few other brands along the way. Made the change several years ago and haven't regretted it one bit. I'm willing to bet you'll be just as happy too.
I already am. No chemicals just ew/molasses tea every now and then so far!! Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
I wrote something similar, but people on these boards using FFOF seem to ALWAYS have problems show up when flowering starts no matter how long you veg or how big your container is. It is incredibly frustrating. I have experienced this plenty of times myself, which is why I have switched to an amended soil, organic all the way. Like @killset, I don't pH anything anymore. Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Fox farms is actually easy to grow with. The people you see with issues are typically new growers that would of had issues anyways. Ff is a very easy to find product so lots start out with it. I grew with fox farms for years until I decided to go organic.
Apparently it's not as easy as a properly amended soil, given all of the problems. Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
