Ph/ppm problems

[XxShibbyxX]

Hi everyone I'm having some difficulty with my water runoff in my flower room. The ppms are over 2000 and the ph is at 7.

Some info about this room...

3 gallon pots with ffof medium.

I've been flushing them for about 2 weeks with just tap water.
Last night I mixed up ten gallons of nurients for them and the ppms were around 1000-1100.

I'm currently using pure blend pro grow and pro bloom (soil), liquid karma, cannazyme, seaplex, silica blast, sweet, and superthrive for the first transition week then I was planning on just taking out the pro grow when transition is over.

I also have AN big bud, canna pk 13/14, foxfarm cha-ching, and sugar peak grand finale. But those would obviously be used when needed.

Anyways I just gave them some more tap water and the runoff was way to high both on the ph and ppm. Could it be the tap water that's making them look worse it's got about 200ppms and it arond 7 ph straight out of the hose?

I tried to let my babies get to where it looked like they needed nutrients instead of feeding them nutrients every day with every watering like I was doing before. I was told doing that was to much. The buds came out good over all but it looked like popcorn instead of big one piece coalas.

Any help or feedback would be greatly appriciated on anything I cold do to keep my ph and ppms in check so my babies look their best

 

[KMothsi]

"I've been flushing them for about 2 weeks with just tap water."

How old are they? If you're in the transition week, let's assume they're in week 4 of veg. If so, you're plants are hungry. Your water should be OK from the tap, but I hope you are waiting at least 3 days before using any of that water. The chlorine needs to evaporate. Check your municipal water analysis to see if they use chlorine or chloramine to disinfect the water. Chloramine does not evaporate. It is used where I live, and in my experience, it leads to finicky plants with constant nute disorders. If so, consider using RO water and supplementing with Cal/Mag.

Those ppms are pretty high. Especially if you've been giving them just plain tap water for so long. Such a drastic change in ppm, especially during the transition week when it's good to tone things down, is going to cause lockout in my opinion. The only explanations (I can think of) for why a plant that has been fed nothing but tap water would have run-off almost double the original concentration is lockout, improper watering, or a severe build up of concentrated salts in the soil (Na+Cl, for example).

1) The chlorine in your tap water along with the sodium in there too could potentially be building up. Otherwise, flushing for two weeks would remove all of these salts.

2) If you are watering improperly (usually overwatering), bad things can happen. Only water "when the plant needs it" (I know that's not helpful).

3) Lockout. This is my best guess at the problem. The plant is thirsty for H20, and so when you pour your nutrient solution on the soil, the plant is trying to suck out whatever water it can. So, when you check run-off the concentration sky rockets because the plants are not absorbing the nutrient ions. Watering problems could be contributing to this. I am also curious what caused you to flush for two weeks in the first place, because if the problems are still there after 2 weeks of flush...then the problem is probably in the water (or the watering schedule).

I would attempt an RO water flush and see if the problem gets better or worse. If better, then avoid the tap-- ppm and pH are not enough info to determine whether or not the water is OK. I've had water with 100ppm kill plants because the old pipes deposited small amounts of heavy metals into the water.

Also, if you have not yet switched to 12/12, I would wait to do so until your problems have resolved themselves. Once you switch to 12/12, any problems you have will have negative repercussions on yield, potency, etc.

 

[KMothsi]

Sorry for the grammar mistakes...lil stoned over here.

 

[Speedy87]

is this because of tall ph according to you? outdoor plant (lemon Skunk) what cause this?

 

[michaeljordan]

Shibby, in my experience testing the runoff of pH is reliable. Testing runoff of ppm doesn't make much sense, because you are picking up tiny particles of dirt. Don't worry about the ppm runoff.

Why did you flush them for 2 weeks?

Also, did you add more lime to your mix or something?

 

[XxShibbyxX]

Hi guys thanks for the replies I'm stuck using my cell as my computer for now otherwise id have pics for you guys. Without getting into to much detail I was feeding them nutes everyday for the first 2 months then I have to move spots so the plants got neglected and were watered every other day with tap and maybe twice in a period of a month I fed them nutrients. So now that I'm at the new spot and have things going I thought a flush with just tap might be good before I started them on nutes.

So I flushed for like 2 weeks. I didn't use clearex although I do have some. Once they perked up a little I figured they cold start feeding again so I mixed them a diluted recipe of nutes. I'm pretty positive I gave them a small enough among to not burn them.

Tonight they look ok... The chem dawg looks like it burns easy or something its more delicate than the rest.

Another thing I have to many strains right now this flower cycle will just determine which I keep and which I don't.

I've fed them one time with nutes since I started 12/12 and they look really good all things considering. Friday would be the end of the transition week so that's week 2 of flower right? I was gonna take out the pro grow and start the AN big bud..

Is there anything I should know or try with soil?

If pictures are needed I can post some tomorrow when I can get to a computer.

 

[XxShibbyxX]

Real quick. I've been just using the hose to water should I put my water into jugs and ph down it at all?

Also th water is kinda warm I've heard that can affect nutient uptake as well.

Would that mean I need a chiller of some kind?

 

[XxShibbyxX]

Quick update: I just watered with tap and I checked the runoff from the floor the ppms were 400-500 range and ph was around 7.4. I think the tap is around 8. The would be the third time I've watered with just tap since I gave them nutes.

What's the ideal range for your ppms to be at during veg and flower? I know everyone has different opinions but a general idea would be good to have

 

[XxShibbyxX]

Anything?

 

[Headsmcgee1]

Real quick. I've been just using the hose to water should I put my water into jugs and ph down it at all?

Also th water is kinda warm I've heard that can affect nutient uptake as well.

Would that mean I need a chiller of some kind?

Yes definitely put your water in a container and ph it down to 6.5 for soil. The ideal temperature of the water should be between 65-72

Also, what size pots are you using?

 

[Headsmcgee1]

 

[XxShibbyxX]

3 gallon bags

 

[Headsmcgee1]

Your plants might be root bound. I usually use as a rule of thumb 1 month per 1 gallon of pot size. I.e. if you are going to veg for 2 months and flower for 2 months you pot should size should be over 4 gallons.