WTF. I cant seem to get my ph straight. I put in 9.5 this time and I got one plant with a 7.3 runoff, one at 6.8, and two right around 5.5-5.4. My last grow I just put in 8.5 and got out 6.5. I am using the same brand of soil(ffof) soil. I dont understand why they are varying so much. What, do I have to mix 10.5 for two plants and low 9's for the other two? Anyone have to mix seperate ph for each plant?
I did check right after watering. Checking about 5 minutes later I have one at 7.1, one at 6.5(yay) and two at 5.5. I dont get why they are so different, is this common?
I will be honest with you in like 5 years of fox farm growing I never once checked my runoff. If you put in what you are supposed to you shouldn't have to. No I use Sunshine mix #4 which is a soil less mix. No need to check runoff.
Well from what I understand, one is supposed to go by the runoff not what is being put in. My first grow in ffof I always put in 8.5 and got out 6.5 for all three plants. Now if I put in 8.5 I get like 5.0 out. So I went up to 9.5 and got one at 6.5 which is sweet, but one at 7.1 is to high and the other two at like 5.5 and 5.4 are too low. By the looks of some of my leaves I need to get all of them into the 6.5 range. Just sucks having to wait 3 or 4 days between waterings to try again. I think I will go like 9.2 for the two plants and raise it to like 10.2 for the others. I just find it odd that they are not all the same. It is only my second grow though. Got 20 ounce off my first grow with 3 plants. If I just put in 6.5 water I would be in the low 4's or something. So just putting in what you need will not work for me. any other advice/help welcome.
Flush, flush, flush. I understand the run off reasoning. However I see all these growers with ph problems and defficiencies who measure run off. I have never had a ph or defficincy problem. Now decide for yourself which method you trust more. Or you are doing something wrong that you aren't telling us. Re calibrate your ph meter to start with, do a good flush, and start over.
I agree with todderfran that you should not worry about PH run off, instead worry about the PH of the water/nutes going in. Ive always read that the PH going in is what matters, adding water with a PH of 9 can be bad. Maybe because the PH of the water is so high that your plants are overcompensating so they get real low PH runoff. Try it the other way for a few watering's and see where it takes you.
Yeah I will stick with my method. I learned from a serious old school grower, they don't fuck around.
Thats all good and stuff, but I did water my last grow with 8.5 and a runoff of 6.5 and got 20 oz's from 3 plants. My last grow is in my sig. obviously 8.5 in did not hurt anything. Now we are talking about changing the way one measures ph? Its what I learned off this board. Check ph on your runoff. Check some of my past threads. We go round and round about ph and how to check it. I thought it was standard to check runoff. What the runoff is, is what the ph of your soil is. What you put in does not matter as long as the runoff is good. At least thats what I thought I learned over the years. I'm just trying to get a feel for if its normal to use different ph for different plants in the same soil. As stated above, my last grow was all the same give or take a tenth or so. Now I have plants varying as much as 2 points. I calabrate my ph tester every month and its dead on last time I checked, which was this morning.
Also, if you are using FFOF it has guano in it, which is not evenly spread throughout the mixture, instead it's more like random pockets. If you are top feeding, the water will take the path of least resistance. It will form a drain, in the soil, where the water will travel through. If it's going through an area with Guano in one and the runoff on the others doesn't go through guano... maybe that could have something to do with it? Just guessing. As a note I had PH issues too, I use 2/3 FFOF, 1/3 Promix and I mix a few spades of pulverized lime in the soil mix to help keep the PH up (not sure if my nutrients or the soil mixture was lowering PH but once I started to work the lime into the soil (b4 planting) I stopped having Ph issues. Never measured run off though, just tested the actual soil in a few different areas. Also, I bottom feed due to what I mentioned above. I was noticing that the water was coming out of the bottom of the container as quick as I was pouring it in. The plants seem to love the bottom feeding.
Good point, although my water ususlly takes a good 6-8 cups before I start to see runoff. So it aint just pouring through. Just never heard of this issue before. Hopefully all goes well. I hate to put in 9.5 water but IT was not even enough. Kinda crazy, but either way I need a runoff of 6.5ish and with 9.5 in I am only getting 5.5 out....that does not cut it. although it may be accumulative and not need as much next time as it settles out. We shall see. I'm sure I'll have fat bud either way.
I am calling bullshit on 20 oz. off three plants. Not putting in 9.5 anyhow. Post those pics here and prove me wrong. Sorry not trying to be a dick if that's how I sound.
Sorry, I would never bullshit. My first grow is well documented in my sig. the thread is called first serious grow. or just click the link in my sig. I got nothing to prove, just trying to grow some good shit. I will refrain from what I really feeling like saying to you. Enjoy your growing experience. Live and learn is what comes to mind.
and if you read correctly, I said I was putting in 8.5. Which I did, Have been smoking on it since 2-10 almost a year now. What-Ever.
[quote name='"abrahamx"']Thats all good and stuff, but I did water my last grow with 8.5 and a runoff of 6.5 and got 20 oz's from 3 plants. My last grow is in my sig. obviously 8.5 in did not hurt anything. Now we are talking about changing the way one measures ph? Its what I learned off this board. Check ph on your runoff. Check some of my past threads. We go round and round about ph and how to check it. I thought it was standard to check runoff. What the runoff is, is what the ph of your soil is. What you put in does not matter as long as the runoff is good. At least thats what I thought I learned over the years. I'm just trying to get a feel for if its normal to use different ph for different plants in the same soil. As stated above, my last grow was all the same give or take a tenth or so. Now I have plants varying as much as 2 points. I calabrate my ph tester every month and its dead on last time I checked, which was this morning.[/quote] Use the ph going in the soil not runoff. I've grown a couple times in ff soil. Never measured runoff only going in. Now I use promix tho. Better and easier IMO
I would like to believe you but how do you explain my last grow putting in 8.5 and almost everyone else(if you research the subject) saying it is the runoff that matters. I only have one grow down but I went with the runoff and the grow was very sucessful. check my sig. 20 ounces off three plants.
If your the expert why you asking advice? For what its worth. I have herd and been told run off ain't that big of a deal unless there is a problem. The most important thing is whats going into your soil. I use coco and always make sure there i some run off. 5.8Ph is ideal for Coco 6.5 for Pro Mix soil etc. just sayin kd
Never said I was the expert. I am just looking for some talk on the issue. Not sure why you would think I was trying to claim I was an expert.
[quote name='"abrahamx"']Never said I was the expert. I am just looking for some talk on the issue. Not sure why you would think I was trying to claim I was an expert.[/quote] I gotta say I think you're right. I'm facing the same issues now. I'm using a ridiculously high ph water on my 2nd grow. (like 9...just to obtain a 6.3-6.5 runoff) And always measure the runoff. Crazy thing is in getting much healthier looking plants than my first grow. I'm not as experienced, and I know this, but ive read on countless websites, dvds, ect, the runoff ph is what matters. I'm just gettin confused at this blog since alot of the info I've read was off this site... The only thing I can think of causing the ph issues between plants is the soil not being mixed well. The ff soil has nutes for 30 days. If not mixed properly, can possibly be the root cause, but I dunno for sure.