grayman has germinated

[grayman]

When you get your pH meter, check your water, your water when the nutes are mixed in and the runoff. In soil you want low 6’s for pH(I think 6.2-6.5 is the sweet spot but I don’t check pH due to growing organically for years and using a product that is pH buffered now). If the pH is too high or too low, certain nutrients are locked out(calcium and magnesium or cal mag seem to be the quickest to show and easiest to ID). A lot of people have found their water has really high pH lately(someone on here said they are getting 10 out of their tap).

Here's my numbers:
Water (bottled RO) = 6.5
Water + Nutes = 6.5
Water only runoff = 6.4
Water + Nutes runoff = (will check next time I feed nutes)

The only substance that has given me a very broad range of results is my water. Sometimes it starts displaying 8-something, then slowly goes lower and lower to like 6.3. I think I finally found a way to hold the device at a certain level and am getting more consistent results, but my water pH doesn't make sense to me. Thoughts?

 

[SubmarineGirl]

Here's my numbers:
Water (bottled RO) = 6.5
Water + Nutes = 6.5
Water only runoff = 6.4
Water + Nutes runoff = (will check next time I feed nutes)

The only substance that has given me a very broad range of results is my water. Sometimes it starts displaying 8-something, then slowly goes lower and lower to like 6.3. I think I finally found a way to hold the device at a certain level and am getting more consistent results, but my water pH doesn't make sense to me. Thoughts?

I use water from my kitchen faucet. I’ve noticed it can range so I fill a 5 gallon bucket and give it a stir after a few minutes. I have not noticed any PH change after that and have actually checked this when I waited several hours between watering two sets of plants. I know this may not help you but your numbers so far look good to me. I do notice when I feed nutes, it brings my soil ph down so I end up raising the input to get an runoff acceptable for nutrient intake So I’d watch those numbers you get at your next couple waterings after adding nutrients. Good luck with your grow

 

[oldfogey8]

Here's my numbers:
Water (bottled RO) = 6.5
Water + Nutes = 6.5
Water only runoff = 6.4
Water + Nutes runoff = (will check next time I feed nutes)

The only substance that has given me a very broad range of results is my water. Sometimes it starts displaying 8-something, then slowly goes lower and lower to like 6.3. I think I finally found a way to hold the device at a certain level and am getting more consistent results, but my water pH doesn't make sense to me. Thoughts?

Subby(in the above post) is a good reference for pH issues. She battled pH a few months ago and has a good handle on it. I don’t check pH though I suspect I am having a oH issue with a pot I have 6 plants in now(yes, you read that right). I didn’t intend on flowering the plants but it happened and they are looking like dog doodoo at this point. They are pollinated do I am not doing anything about it. Glad your plants are looking good now.

 

[grayman]

I use water from my kitchen faucet. I’ve noticed it can range so I fill a 5 gallon bucket and give it a stir after a few minutes. I have not noticed any PH change after that and have actually checked this when I waited several hours between watering two sets of plants. I know this may not help you but your numbers so far look good to me. I do notice when I feed nutes, it brings my soil ph down so I end up raising the input to get an runoff acceptable for nutrient intake So I’d watch those numbers you get at your next couple waterings after adding nutrients. Good luck with your grow

I'd like to try my municipal water once I get this grow under my belt. We have good water here. I should leverage.

I'll keep collecting data. I'm still uber ignorant when it comes to pH and what I'm looking for and trying to do, so I appreciate your input/experience. You're great, @SubmarineGirl and @oldfogey8 !

 

[oldfogey8]

I'd like to try my municipal water once I get this grow under my belt. We have good water here. I should leverage.

I'll keep collecting data. I'm still uber ignorant when it comes to pH and what I'm looking for and trying to do, so I appreciate your input/experience. You're great, @SubmarineGirl and @oldfogey8 !

For reference.

 

[Hippie420]

My well water comes out of the ground as a straight 7.0. Once I add my goodies, it'll rise up a couple of tenths. In hydro, I always give it an hour to settle, then I tweak it down to 6.8. If I were to ever grow in dirt inside, I'd pull out a gallon, ad my nutes, wait a bit, and then tweak it down before watering my plants.
I use straight well water, unfiltered, and no RO system. Can't see taking stuff out of the water that occurs naturally just to buy chemicals to replace the stuff I took out. Works for me.

 

[oldfogey8]

My well water comes out of the ground as a straight 7.0. Once I add my goodies, it'll rise up a couple of tenths. In hydro, I always give it an hour to settle, then I tweak it down to 6.8. If I were to ever grow in dirt inside, I'd pull out a gallon, ad my nutes, wait a bit, and then tweak it down before watering my plants.
I use straight well water, unfiltered, and no RO system. Can't see taking stuff out of the water that occurs naturally just to buy chemicals to replace the stuff I took out. Works for me.

Did you mean to say you tweak down to 5.8? I thought hydro needs lower pH.

 

[WeedHopper]

Yeah me too. I had to keep my DWCs between 5.5 to 5.8. sometimes it would drift up to 6.0
In soil I do 6.5 to 6.8

 

[SubmarineGirl]

View attachment 310531
For reference.

@grayman if you understand this chart that fogey posted, I try to keep my runoff above 6.0 so that my cal mag and other nutrients have a better chance of working. I’ve noticed when I use cal mag at under 6.0, it is almost like I didn’t use it getting rusty spots showing the need of cal mag. As of now, your numbers look good but like I say, keep an eye on your runoff numbers after you do nutrients as it effects how what you put in takes to the soil

 

[oldfogey8]

@grayman if you understand this chart that fogey posted, I try to keep my runoff above 6.0 so that my cal mag and other nutrients have a better chance of working. I’ve noticed when I use cal mag at under 6.0, it is almost like I didn’t use it getting rusty spots showing the need of cal mag. As of now, your numbers look good but like I say, keep an eye on your runoff numbers after you do nutrients as it effects how what you put in takes to the soil

I was looking at that chart after I found it(again). If I hadn’t read that around 6.3 was the sweet spot in soil, I would have concluded that between 6.5 and 7 would be a better range. It looks like iron and manganese availability begin to drop off in the 6.5-7 range so maybe the availability of those micronutrients are more critical to proper growth? I really just posted the picture for reference I guess since nobody is going to be able to precisely balance pH at the root level(which I am guessing would be somewhere between the nutes going in and the run off pH values). Like VPD charts, pH availability charts are just good to be aware of so you can do your best to shoot for optimal growing conditions(which I never get to)…

 

[grayman]

Here's the numbers from today's feeding:

6.86 Buff Sol.: 6.9
Water: 7.0
Water + Nutes: 6.7
Runoff: 6.2

Also, this is my nute solution:
2 liters RO water
2 ml CAL-MAG 2-0-0
0.75 ml FF GrowBig 6-4-4
30 ml FF BigBloom 0-0.5-0.7

After review (from the best of my buzzed recollection), I noticed I only used 10% of the GrowBig that I should have for 2 liters. I guess I'll just add next time. The new growth is yellow-ish, so I think she really needs this.

 

[Hippie420]

Did you mean to say you tweak down to 5.8? I thought hydro needs lower pH.

Yes sir. I fat fingered the keyboard. Thanks for the correction. I gotta start proofreading my stuff better.

 

[WeedHopper]

Here ya go Grayman,, This is the schedule I use.

 

[grayman]

So I'm measuring pH of nute solution prior to going on the roots/soil, then again after via runoff, then this should give me a better estimate of what the soil is (i.e. somewhere between those values). And with THAT value in mind (between feeding solution and runoff) is what you want to target in that ideal pH range for various nutrient. So when Subby says to keep the runoff above 6.0, the soil/root pH is likely a little higher and exactly what my girl wants? I'm catching up a bit.

Super helpful charts, @oldfogey8 and @WeedHopper . Thanks for sharing.

Day 50 with some foliage close-ups of where she's at. Where I did clip some leaf tip ends post burn and flush, you can see there still a little burn. Also notice yellow-er tips of new growth. Could it be a deficiency of some sort too since I flushed and been stingy with nutes since? I also accidentally only gave 10% of main micro nutes yesterday. I'll make sure it's on point (or slightly higher) next time.

She looks to me to be weeks away from flowering still. Thoughts?

grayman

 

[oldfogey8]

You pH hypothesis (pH in vs pH out so the soil is somewhere between) makes sense to me and is pretty much what I would think to be true. As far as the new leaf tip burn, I am thinking it it a bit of hysteresis and something I don’t think you should be too concerned about. The new growth being lighter green happens. If you are providing the right nutrients, those should green up as they grow. Nitrogen, where the ‘green-ness’ comes from, is what they call a mobile macronutrient. It can be moved from one area of the plant to areas of the plant that it ‘feels’ needs more nitrogen. Back to the hysteresis thing, there is a lag in time between your flush or feeding before you will see results (maybe a couple of days or more). The saying “like watching grass grow” applies to watching this ‘grass’ grow. You strike me as meticulous and attentive to details so chalk up everything you learn to being a first time grower and refer back to this journal or notes for future grows. I suspect you are on the road to being happy with your plant.

 

[grayman]

Day 57. Picture of the base structure below. I topped her twice and one of the branches that I supercropped has branched so now I have 11 main cola branches growing. Been trying to just "read" her day by day to see what she needs. Going well so far since the nute burn.

Is it a coincidence that the one branch I supercropped is super thick and thriving now? The thickest and only main branch that's branched another cola branch (I think).

 

[grayman]

Day 59 for Alora. She seems happy and steadily growing. Nute burn seems addressed for the time and it looks like she likes how I'm treating her. The pipe cleaner in the middle standing straight up is my 14" reference to when she's big enough to flip. Gotta start working on a little light blocking tent for Becky to veg in while Alora is flowering.

Day 18 for Becky. Just transplanted from a solo cup 2 days ago. It was getting more and more yellow and sad looking. Tried a little nutes in the water (cal-mag and a little BigBloom and light GrowBig with Nitrogen). Nothing noticeably helpful. Transplanted to a larger pot and saw all the bottom roots in a solid white layer on the bottom, the roots never came out of the little holes in the side of the cup (which I was waiting for). Pretty confident that the diagnosis is root bound, and hopeful she'll be healed in a 2-3 more days. Any input welcome.

 

[grayman]

Alora day 66. I also super cropped a few high tops to even the canopy. I've got my cardboard grow tent prepped for Becky to continue vegging out while Alora flips to flower. I'm pretty pleased with the light isolation, but the true test will be if Alora flips or not. Anyone have any "rules of thumb" when it comes to how much is too much light leakage for flipping a plant? Seems less than moonlight to me.

Any recommendations for feeding adjustments for flipping? I have some FF Tiger Bloom 2-8-4 that I plan on using at first sign of flowering (which I'll also have to look up).

Also, bud trimming scissor recommendations out there? I'm willing to invest in something that makes the process more comfortable/easier (and I like the idea of spending hours zen-ing out trimming buds).

Thanks!
grayman

 

[CrashMagnet]

I doubt some light leaks will prevent your plant from flipping, though it is supposedly the root cause of hermies. But my flower room leaks plenty of light, with LED overhead lights always on in the next room, and so far no plants have hermied on me. Others report pin hole leaks in their tents resulting in hermies.

 

[Hippie420]

Ever see a totally dark night sky? Some are darker than normal, but some you can read a book by.