4th grow in Promix - I still suck - Help

sourpuss said:

Try up potting... seems your getting your feed on point... not sure why your ph is 7... I use 6 in promix. .. peat Swings it down anyway like you noticed in the runoff...

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These are the largest pots I can fit given my grow space Micro grow for the win! The largest pot is only .8 gallons.

I'm PH'ing based on the feedback provided. The local store told me to go 6.5 for ProMix, but it seems as though my previous actions have created an acidic environment in the root system, thus the need for higher PH'ed water until it balances out at a more appropriate number. But it is something I will keep a sharp eye out for.

Measuring medium ph is a difficult thing... good luck... on the right track

I'll say it again....I'm pretty sure it was your veg nutes causing the acidic media environment... the pH of your water takes a very long time to effect your media pH....Besides buffers, it is the forms of nitrogen you use in formula that will change your media pH effectively...

MrBungle said:

I'll say it again....I'm pretty sure it was your veg nutes causing the acidic media environment... the pH of your water takes a very long time to effect your media pH....Besides buffers, it is the forms of nitrogen you use in formula that will change your media pH effectively...

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I think you're right. I've been using GH flora nova Grow, but only in very small quantities.



Perhaps it has to do with the type of ProMix I'm using (non BX or HP) that has micro nutrients already in it. I think with improper watering techniques, and the slow release nutrients in the medium, I was getting a build up of salts and slowly lowering the medium PH. I think I will definitely go for the BX + a ton of perlite next time or the HP if my store decides to carry it.

Yep.. looking at the label... it has a proper ratio of NH4 to NO3, but like you said it threw off the balance, having nutrients already in your media...

Keep up the good work.. Its great to see so much progress so soon

Thank you to the helpful people like yourself on the boards, otherwise these would have gone from worse to dead. But I will keep things posted as more issues are bound to arise, and hopefully it will help someone else who may be going through something similar.

Anecdote: last run was my first time using sunshine4. I thought I could use it as a mediumless mix...I got yellowing way early and poor yeild which I attributed to broad mites. I was able to spot 1 leaf beginning to fade at wk 4.5 this run as I was piecing all this info together in this thread. I bumped my ph to 6.5 and it cleared up immediately. My plants started reeking almost right on cue too. Not sure how I feel about running soilless but I'm happy and grateful I have a better understanding how it works now.

A few key points to consider:

1)In 2 very short days your planted have rebounded marvelously please don't add more water till needed...don't give ANY nutrients.
2)You know now the advice you've heeded, worked and started the girls towards a bud bearing life of bliss.

When I was a small child my Grandfather used to say to me, 'You have enough information to be dangerous, but regrettably not enough to make a difference" Why do I mention this you say ?, because Promix isn't necessarily Promix & GH Flora isn't necessarily GH Flora. You've already discovered the problem with your pre-charged media, and will try to get HP next time around...great. Now the GH Flora issue: Many PM growers use GH Flora, but NOT FloraNova...why ?, read the 2 labels please..compare the NPK numbers

Your FloraNova Grow:


Floragro:


Now if you're intending on a 3 part system, and including Floramicro:


Do you see the Nitrogen saturation ?, this will eventually destroy the PH/PPM quality of your media. The Nova is a very strong nutrient, and best left to pure hydro growers..Floragro is a much more lenient and forgiving product for Promix growers. Your flush cycles will be much less, and carefully controlling the plants nutrient intake will be much easier.

As I stated earlier, you have to pick your poison...organic or synthetic, there is a hybrid version also but for a new grower I'd stay completely clear of that path until you get some good experience. The FloraNova is a 5-10% organic compound, the Floragro has pure synthetic minerals...I would stay synthetic for now. If you choose to go organic for taste/health or just love to immerse yourself in the growing experience, that's fine...but organic is a complete different animal with different rules.

Think of growing like sexuality:You can be heterosexual, or you can be homosexual...both are fine. And of course you can also be bi-sexual, which is fine too. If you're hetero or homo, you wake up everyday knowing what you like...if you're bi you wake up some days and say wtf ? you can't decide what flavor suits you Life is easier if you make those choices early, or be confused for the rest of your fucking life...make your choice bro

epic post right there bwanabud LOL
Could the problem have been the fancy pre fertilized promix the OP used?
I try to steer clear of those types of "soiless mixes" , preferring either sunshine 4 or standard white bag promix HP and adding xfine and fine dolomite lime and hydroton in bottom of pots.
for nutes , pretty hard to beat general hydro flora series grow, bloom, micro as a general purpose, nothing fancy nutrient.
I run with just the bloom and micro and feed according to the lucas formula , feed/feed/flush. My feeds are to "just" run off , flushes are done till run off PH is happy.
I generally run 6.3 right thru and start letting it drop to 5.8ish into the last 2 weeks.
I'd take the experts advice here over mine however, but I will say, I have always been very happy with my flavour/potency/yield and general plant health.
it could be a "time in pot" thing to as I'm sure the longer one grows the plant , the inevitable build up of salts will come knocking. I generally am hitting 12/12 in 5 gallon pots once a clone or seedling hits the 'I need a transplant stage' from it's 3/4 gallon pot.

Appreciate the thoughts Tom

Looks lie we do things very similar, and I agree the media that's sterile/inert is an easier format to control...kind of like R/O water, you know what's in it...nothing

I run from 2 qt/2 gal/5 gal post, and run my PH a little higher than you. I run almost all Indica dominant strains, and they starve a bit at the lower levels...but don't fear the "float" if they're calling for something.

I found the Lucas system too strong for my girls, I run 2 part in veg(gro & micro) and 2 part in bloom(micro & bloom)...with a boost of CalMagic & Koolbloom liquid when needed. I started at the 8/16ml regiment and since dropped to 5/7.5, less flushes are needed also.

I haven't found any of my veg plants calling for CM ever, but I do pre-juice them 2 weeks before flip. I'm running 130 lites total, if it didn't work I'd shitcan the system trust me

The last time I used just Pro-mix I used tap water and Botanicare Pure Blend Pro Grow/Bloom/Calmag/Hydroplex. The plants did just fine and the yield was good too. Didn't do any pH checking either.

-Funk

FunkBomb said:

The last time I used just Pro-mix I used tap water and Botanicare Pure Blend Pro Grow/Bloom/Calmag/Hydroplex. The plants did just fine and the yield was good too. Didn't do any pH checking either.

-Funk

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Promix is the shit when starting out just add some soil amendment like ewc or ocean forest to it 80/20 promix/amendments and some dolomite lime for ph and water 2 times weekly with your choice of preferably all natural PBP or Earth juice and you are set man.

Quality won't get any better! You will learn your trade this way and then the sky is the limit!

HD and lowes sell watering meter stakes with ph on them for like $10 grab one I still use them always in soil.

LostTribe said:

Promix is the shit when starting out just add some soil amendment like ewc or ocean forest to it 80/20 promix/amendments and some dolomite lime for ph and water 2 times weekly with your choice of preferably all natural PBP or Earth juice and you are set man.

Quality won't get any better! You will learn your trade this way and then the sky is the limit!

HD and lowes sell watering meter stakes with ph on them for like $10 grab one I still use them always in soil.

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The interesting thing here is, my tap water is at a PH of 7.1. If I add my nutes, it drops it down to about 6.7, which, once through the medium, would runoff to an optimal zone. So I think what you're saying there makes a ton of sense.

When I had my 3 male plants sitting by the window, I literally let them dry out to the point of being droopy. When that happened, I simply gave them just enough water so that I didn't have a bunch of runoff to clean up, but it was straight tap water. I have never seen any plant with such GREEN stems and leaves. No nutes, no PH. Nothing. Simply water added to the Pro Mix Seedlign starter ( with basic nutes ) and those things grew almost an inch every 2 days. Insane.

did you amend with dolomite?

Jonnysact said:

The interesting thing here is, my tap water is at a PH of 7.1. If I add my nutes, it drops it down to about 6.7, which, once through the medium, would runoff to an optimal zone. So I think what you're saying there makes a ton of sense.

When I had my 3 male plants sitting by the window, I literally let them dry out to the point of being droopy. When that happened, I simply gave them just enough water so that I didn't have a bunch of runoff to clean up, but it was straight tap water. I have never seen any plant with such GREEN stems and leaves. No nutes, no PH. Nothing. Simply water added to the Pro Mix Seedlign starter ( with basic nutes ) and those things grew almost an inch every 2 days. Insane.

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That's because they were males, they don't have any of the nutrient requirements that females do for bud production...they are a basic weed.

I'm heading down the road to another thread, you seem to have chosen a path...good luck

Are you using ProMix HP or ProMix BX? The vermiculite in BX can cause delayed dry-out; not a good thing IMO. Not a big fan of vermiculite.

For whatever it's worth to you, my mix for starts is:

1/3 Fox Farm Ocean Forest
2/3 ProMix HP (NOT BX)

It is absolutely fantastic. I use Cannastart as food for the first 2 weeks, and the FFOF gives the rest of the nutes needed to get rapid growth started. Ph runs at about 6; liquids given are adjusted to 5.8-6.2.

After that I transplant into my final mix:

1/2 FFOF
1/2 ProMix HP

No extra perlite or anything else needed. Perfect ph, level of porosity and moisture holding. I'm organic, so your mileage may vary.

Hay All
I never had any concerns with the PH of my run off but from the input I've heard here I think I may start monitoring it.

Keep on Growing Ya'll

Redbuddz

Definitely keep a eye on ph going on, if there is a issue then check it coming out also.

What a thread this has turned into. So happy other people are getting something helpful from this.

Little update!





Here they are this morning. My new baby is looking very, very good and I think will be ready for a watering tomorrow morning. The pot is already quite light but I want to make sure the basement is completely dry before giving her any water.

The two mama plants are getting greener and greener every day. They too, will be ready for a watering, I believe, tomorrow morning.

Now the last one, the one opposite the baby, is the only one starting to look worse. She is the same one that was flushed with 5-8 times the volume of the pot to bring the runoff back to optimal range, and is also the one who is still decently heavy. She doesn't seem to be drinking, or something is going on. The leaves are also beginning to turn purple and lose their perkiness.

The baby will be getting PH'ed water.
The two larger plants - should they just receive PH'ed water or should i give some nutes?
What thinks you of the 4th plant that is turning purple? I will wait for it to completely dry before doing anything, but do we think that the roots are drowning slightly from the intense flush they received many days ago?

Usually the ones that don't dry out like the others, and just keep getting worse have a root issue...
I was thinkin the same thing, you've got some eyes on here... Not everyone gets as much attention in the infirmary... Well done