I have 300lirre pearlite and 200l lava rocks All was used in a bed that went salty do I wash em to reuse ? Or do I get new stones ? Gota use the ro filter if so gona take a day to fill the bath lol but didn’t wanna waste all that time if they will have absorbed somuch sodium it won’t wash off ? Pearlite is green from being in a swick is that useable still?
I'd use plain tap water unless it's really bad in some way. Check the dissolved solids with a PPM meter and you should be fine once you reach whatever your tap water ppm started at.
The time and labor cost might not be worth it but you could use bleach and hydrogen peroxide to try and remove the mildew from the perlite, the only problem is perlite is fragile and breaks down easily. Lava rocks would be easier to wash clean. I agree with TimJ, I'd skip the RO water and just use tap unless you're on really bad well water, etc. To assist with the perlite wash, I'd suggest using a 40gallon bucket with drain holes punched thru. Stick the perlite in the bucket, stick the bucket in the shower, place a screen over top of bucket (since perlite floats)....and just run the shower head over the bucket for 15mins.
Spot on ppm wohooo thanks gona do a gypsum wash as it changes salts to sulfates which was out easy Then do em1 soak Then plain and measure ph buy new here I need 5bags at £29 a bag yeah like $35 and 5days wait I think I can run ro water in 24 hrs 100gal so il do that tap is 400ppm 7:1 ca mg
I'd skip the bleach as she grows in a living organic medium. Bleach is a strong and effective disinfectant. Its active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, denatures protein in micro-organisms and is therefore effective in killing bacteria, fungus and viruses. Even the chance of left over residue would keep me from using it. I believe it is only salts she is trying to remove. A better choice might be soap nuts. I believe the salts in the aeration material become hydrophilic in the presence of a strong surfactant like soap nuts. This is similar to flushing a growing medium to remove salt build up.
Green on the pearlite is most likely algae. Salt /sodium should rinse out with hot water Sand, pea gravel even broken glass will replace the pearlite and the lava rock. If you not wild about those options then buy new pearlite and lava rock . My vote is replace the old grow medium with a new grow medium.
That's like +10-5 gal buckets each. That will take some real time and effort. Probably lots of water too.
I have a mix pumice as it’s expebsive here but wanted it for benefits I did notice in bath they go white instantly where as lava rocks running black still lol almost clean water keep throwing gypsum in to dislodge salts Once clean I wil soak in ro clean Rivne and resold check ppm and add em1 then 1 last Rince and yes I used 200litre plain tap water And will need and filling now 100litre ro due to volume I have a broke back lol And plants are locked out I do hope they recover once I pot up I need a foilar for them I think
Omg 17 hours 4buckets filled with tap to wash 12 bucket fulls later I’m stil washing off soil from inside the lava Finaly runs clear now fill ro up and rince fill rince fill shake n sit ppm in 35 Ppm out 95 Grrrrr Last fill tonight Washing my pearlite now uggghh yuk like cement stones at the bottom lol Skimmed floaters to buckets Sinking heavy sludge to bin funny looking back this is half my grow almost done I Am Buying My Next stones for the other bed wow hahahah
The perlite won’t wash clean its ppm and ph still high Shal I buy more pearlite or are clay hydroton ok!?
Have you tried a soak in water pH-ed with citric acid to 4.0? Then rinse in plain water an hour after? I don't use clay myself. So, I'm not sure about that one. I use rice hulls or perlite. I'm not even sure the above suggestion will work. I'd try a small solo cup first and if it works well do your whole batch. I recycle everything I can so I'd give it a try.
It takes 2 hours to fill my water bucket lol and I’m now on wash 8 and I have 2 buckets hahaha I feel like pouring them on they highways and watching the vans smash them up lol I will get new and use this on the allotment beds Just wondering if the clay balls would be like lava. Rock but lighter
We don’t our soil digest roots we leave ‘‘em be but otherwise use an enzyme hydrozyme or em1 soak 24 hrs so digest ‘em n h202 and phos acid for salt
I don't think there are any DWC grows around these parts of GC. You will get better info asking this in a hydro section.