[coolx]

Hi everyone ....I'm a second time grower and I'm growing in soil and I've done a lot of research and finally came up with a list of ingredients I wanted to use for a tea, then I found the same list as a version of Mr. Soul's mix and the amounts to use. The mix I'm using is:

Veg mix~
1/3 cup Peruvian Seabird Guano (PSG)
1/3 cup High N Bat Guano (Mexican)
1/3 cup Earth Worm Castings (EWC)
5 tsp. Maxicrop 1-0-4 powdered kelp extract
5 tbs. Liquid Karma
5 tbs. Black Strap Molasses
@ 1-cup mix/5 gallons of water every 3rd watering.

Flowering nute tea mix:~
2/3 cup Peruvian Seabird Guano
2/3 cup Earth Worm Castings
2/3 cup High P Guano (Indonesian or Jamaican)
5 tbs. Maxicrop 1-0-4 powdered kelp extract
5 tbs. Black Strap Molasses
@ 2 cups/5 gallons of water EVERY watering.

What I want to know is:

1) The guanos are supposed to bring the PH down and after 24 hours of bubbling with an airstone, the mix is about 5.5, but then after about 48 hours or more, the PH is about 8.3. Is this right? Why does it increase? Am I bubbling too long or is this the result of the breakdown of the guanos? [BTW I'm using RO water (ppm=0) with a starting ph of 6.9]

2) Anyone know why LK is used only for the veg and not the flower? I would be inclined to use it for both.

3) I add the PH UP or DOWN directly to the mix to get it to 6.5 right before I use it. Is this right?

Thanks for your help.

[coolx]

Anyone?

I really need to know if a ph of 8.3 or so is normal after 48 hours of bubbling the above mix. (after just 24 hrs it's 5.5)

[minds_I]

It does seem high.

I think I would also bring down the pH as you did to 6.5 and drench the soil.

Even if the microherd is well established-no sense in making them buffer the pH swing unnecessarily. IMO.

Do you use D.lime in your soil mix?

I have never used LK.

I am of the opinion to keep things simple.

ewc/guano teas, liquid kelp and molasses.

You can also use some wheat flour for protien for the fungus in the ewc.

I also use alaska fish and ej bloom-very little.

And the truth of the matter is I use the ej Bloom as a pH down-just about a 1/2 teaspoon a gallon brings it down from 7.8 to 6.5 for me.


minds_I

[BigJilm]

Guanos are alkaline
At least in my experience, jamaican guano when used in a tea is alkaline

[coolx]

Thx guys .... I know guanos are supposed to be alkaline and my tea is (5.5 ph to start), but after 48 hours of bubbling the ph goes to 8.3 .... I just want to know if that's cos of the by-products of the microherd

I'm wondering if taking the ph from 8.3 to 6.5 will hurt the micorherd, but them if I were taking it from 5.5 to 6.5 that's similar.

Anyway, for now my plants love it (at least for now - I add ph down to take it to 6.5 before I feed em) - 8 hours after feeding (6 dark and 2 light) I have tons and tons of new growth. I just didn't want to gradually up the soil ph to over 7 without realizing.

minds_I - nobody knows where to get dolomite lime where I live - maybe next grow, I'll mail order some. And it's pretty simple - the LK just has a lot of microorganisma, catalysts to help along ... hmmmm maybe I'll try the EJ bloom as a ph downer when I flip to 12/12 .... and your mix is 7.8 - you mean that after bubbling it goes up like mine?

i use alfalfa meal rather than guano for N in veg. otherwise my mix is similiar, but i dont use LK, i just put some brewers yeast in the mix.

dolomite lime should be available at any garden supply store. or any home depot/wal-wart kinda place with a garden center. (although i wouldnt shop there to save my life)

8.3 is too high for the plant to use the available nutes, but more importantly is what is the pH of the soil? for now get a cheap pH soil tester, and later hope for an expensive and good one. watch it daily after you feed to see if it drops to a more reasonable 5.5 to 6.5

i am irie

[minds_I]

coolx,

I believe the label on the D.lime package reads argicultural or horticultural lime.

I have heard others refer to prilled lime but I think that s pelletized and does nto readly breakdown quick enough to be effect inthe short term.

Try thos other names-use the phone, gas is too expensive.

Which is how I found it last year-at a local garden shop (not homedepot ot lowes)

minds_I

[coolx]

Sorry - forgot about this post - been busy tending my girls and making a lot of scrog screens .....

irie-i - I don't water them at 8.3 - that's just where the mix goes when it's bubbling - I take the ph down to 6.5 before I water.

As for ph testers - from what I hear, there are no good soil testers - you have test water in and water out and average.

I bought an expensive water PH tester ($110) but now - just 6 mos later it's f***ed. No-one told me it's supposed to be stored in storage solution to keep the membrane wet. (RTFM you say - like I've got time). You'd think the hydro guy who sold it to me would tell me - for the cross-sell at least if nothing else - that's why you buy in person and not online. I was taking care to keep it clean and dry! And the company won't honor the 6 mos. membrane warranty (they don't know I didn't use storage solution) cos they say the warranty starts when the meter leaves their shop and not when you buy it!! Their tech guy said it's like a milk expiration date. But in that case the warranty expiration should be clearly labelled that way, like milk.

Sorry, had to rant a bit on that - what a waste of $110.

Anyways, now I use ph drops - I can tell the colors to within about 0.1-0.2 - as good as the digital meter.

[coolx]

oh and thx minds_I - I'll try my local nursery - they got some kick-ass stuff - like a 50 lb bag of top-quality EWC for $9 as opposed to about $50.

[LavenderCowboy]

coolx,

There's a soil tester that gives an accurate reading....It's around $109 and it's made by Kelway...Do a google search for "Kelway Ph tester" and see what comes up.....My favorites are not in the computer yet or I'd send you a link....Good luck...LC