Does soilless need additional lime?
- Thread starter Løw Spark
- Start date
Old Uncle Ben
Well-known member
What are the 13 essential elements? If some are missing, then yes.
I do soil-less and usually pitch in a handful of gypsum in my bulk. Dolomite lime is even better as you're getting a hit of Mg and Ca both. Ran out......
I do soil-less and usually pitch in a handful of gypsum in my bulk. Dolomite lime is even better as you're getting a hit of Mg and Ca both. Ran out......
Old Uncle Ben
Well-known member
Some of the finest nursery quality soil I've bought. Has dolomite. Peat and pine bark is the base.
No...
I have used Promix HP for years. Ive never needed to add anything.
If you are mixing a batch of water only organic with soilless then yes. I just mixed up a batch with Promix HP and added 6lbs AG lime to 1 bale. Adding Nutrients will cause the mix ph to drop a lot. Promix has no precharge. Be sure to mix well.. I monitor runoff from time to time. Lime raises the pH and when peat breaks down it lowers the PH.
I have used Promix HP for years. Ive never needed to add anything.
If you are mixing a batch of water only organic with soilless then yes. I just mixed up a batch with Promix HP and added 6lbs AG lime to 1 bale. Adding Nutrients will cause the mix ph to drop a lot. Promix has no precharge. Be sure to mix well.. I monitor runoff from time to time. Lime raises the pH and when peat breaks down it lowers the PH.
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Old Uncle Ben
Well-known member
1/4 cup should do it.
NO if you add lime you will take away the pH value and cause problems.
If you need to add lime to buffer the pH just add cal mag to the water.
LungCooking
Active member
i always add 1tbsp/gallon of powdered dol lime in my soil mix.. but i use sterilized cow manure too, which causes ph to drop a bit along with the peat
it depends of what you got there... sunshine #4 i have grown without lime, no problems...
Promix i dont know.. but if you buy peat alone you must add or you will run into ph problems for sure..
it depends of what you got there... sunshine #4 i have grown without lime, no problems...
Promix i dont know.. but if you buy peat alone you must add or you will run into ph problems for sure..
Old Uncle Ben
Well-known member
Depends on the lime. Dolomite has a very slight lowering of pH if you overdue it. Gypsum has no buffering effect.
I don't measure and never had a problem. I just do a handful of this and that for soil.
Berger and ProMix and others design for the pH to come in around 6.2.
Folks put too much emphasis on pH. Cannabis is quite tolerant and I can guarantee you some of the nasty gardens I see here with the sickly yellowing leaves isn't because of pH. It's because folks throw too much crap at their plants and add fuel to the fire.
Noone I know me being the exception measures final soil bulk pH correctly. For starts I have a high quality calibrated pH meter, not some cheap stick in the soil type. 2, you must use lab grade de-ionized water. Add soil to a clean bottle, add enough water to cover it well, shake, let sit for a while and stick your probe in.
UB
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Løw Spark
New member
Just straight Promix HP? People (not here in this thread) keep telling me to add compost/castings, but I wanted to just do straight Promix/Sunshine and then have the Megacrop take care of everything else.
Yes, straight from the bag to the pot. The only thing I add are Microbes. Doesn't matter what bagged soilless I use. Letting them have a proper wet/Dry cycle is important IMO. If you water too often if fucks the PH which leads to lockout. I have far better results using a higher PH than what most recommend. Promix advertises a feed pH of 5.8. I had nothing but issues. My feed PH is 6.4.
If you are using soilless to make a batch of water only then you can add WC, along with other addatives.
If you are using soilless to make a batch of water only then you can add WC, along with other addatives.
Løw Spark
New member
Roger that.
Any issues with shelf life? I have a couple bales that sat over the winter.
nope...Your feed will take care of what the plant needs.
Thanks, friend thats very helpful to know.
