[BigPete]

I grow in coco and always had yellowing of the lower leaves no matter what I did I couldn't cure it epsoms, calmag, it just made matters worse. My present grow I add a couple of drops of superthrive to every watering and 5 ml of seaweed extract [drain to waste} and I have lush green all over. I use aqualakes A&B

[hyposomniac]

Originally Posted by stewart169

Even the cheapo paper test strips will show how much crap is removed from RO water compared to any tap water. Ever wonder why so many homes have them for ice makers and coffee use etc. ? If you cant locate REAL data try google. Im not going to do it and link hundreds of links for you.

Just saw this post and it stuck me as odd.. I wasn't asking you to locate anything for me, in fact I just got done reading about RO bicarbonate removal on Google when I posted that. Not sure why the 'tude buddy; I've never asked you to do anything for me, but I guess you and you test strips are chemistry experts now so I will direct all future questions to you.

[redneck shogun]

I moved to a new city this year and started getting my water from a dispenser that advertised it as filtered. I thought that should be good enough since i only filtered the water I was giving them when I lived out in the country. Turns out this city water is toxic to life even when filtered.

[growingcrazy]

Originally Posted by bigjdawg

I don't ph because everything I read said you don't need to in organic soil since the soil buffers it's self from the dolomite lime. That's the reason why I haven't done so

If it was my water source would a normal water filter remove biocarbonates? Or would i have to buy a special water filter or start buying ro water?

You are correct in thinking that the soil will buffer the pH once you have watered. The missing portion is knowing what the soil pH is at so you know what your solution pH will settle to(buffer).

If you add 7.8 tap water to a 7.6ph soil, not much pH change will occur. Your stuck at that pH and limiting nutrient availability. If you get lucky and have a high peat mix that is at a pH of 5.8 and then you water in that 7.8 tap water, you might get lucky and land at a good pH range in solution.

If you adjust your pH from the start you are giving your roots the chance to be surrounded by the proper pH from the moment of initial watering.

Use the lime to increase your soil base mix pH to mid 6's. Set water pH to 6-6.5.

Test the soil and your water. Adjust accordingly.

I am going to say this... Everyone was wrong when they said not to pH your water in the past.

[growingcrazy]

Originally Posted by bigjdawg

I don't ph because everything I read said you don't need to in organic soil since the soil buffers it's self from the dolomite lime. That's the reason why I haven't done so

If it was my water source would a normal water filter remove biocarbonates? Or would i have to buy a special water filter or start buying ro water?

You are correct in thinking that the soil will buffer the pH once you have watered. The missing portion is knowing what the soil pH is at so you know what your solution pH will settle to(buffer).

If you add 7.8 tap water to a 7.6ph soil, not much pH change will occur. Your stuck at that pH and limiting nutrient availability. If you get lucky and have a high peat mix that is at a pH of 5.8 and then you water in that 7.8 tap water, you might get lucky and land at a good pH range in solution.

If you adjust your pH from the start you are giving your roots the chance to be surrounded by the proper pH from the moment of initial watering.

Use the lime to increase your soil base mix pH to mid 6's. Set water pH to 6-6.5.

Test the soil and your water. Adjust accordingly.

I am going to say this... Everyone was wrong when they said not to pH your water in the past.

[bigbadbiddy]

It's just a misunderstanding of terminology.

The people saying you don't need to PH your water in organic/living soil are talking about outdoors where there is so much soil and water and space that there is more than enough buffer for any water PH level you might use, safe for Flint water or the like.

But even if you use organic soil indoors, you still do so in a pot or small bed and there is simply not enough soil to buffer any PH you may throw at it.

While outdoors the soil can deal with any PH water, in your indoor setup, the organic soil can maybe buffer anything up to PH 7.8 let's say. If your water comes out the tap at 8.0 we have a problem and nutes will get locked out.

I personally did not get reliable readings from my cheapo "soil PH meter" as well as my water PH meter and had to simply test it out. But you water your plants often enough and just have a look at them and see how they react.

My water starts at a PH close to 8 which I previously lowered to about 6.5 which was a huge step forward in terms of plant health. But I noticed that I had no adverse, rather more positive effects, by lowering PH even further. I am now aiming at a PH of 6.0 for my water and will likely test going as low as 5.8 or 5.6 or something.

My soil has a PH somewhere north of 6, maybe even 7. So the water naturally has to be lower PH to land somewhere near 6 where no nutes are locked out (afaik).

[moose eater]

Originally Posted by bigjdawg

I don't ph because everything I read said you don't need to in organic soil since the soil buffers it's self from the dolomite lime. That's the reason why I haven't done so

If it was my water source would a normal water filter remove biocarbonates? Or would i have to buy a special water filter or start buying ro water?

I've only read through to post #13 thus far, so forgive me if I'm being redundant or obtuse.

I ph everything I plant, including the raised beds in the outdoor main veggie garden. I use mostly organics, a bit of 'natural' and minor soluble most of the time. I ph everything, and there's a difference in the outcomes.... -no- -doubt- .

Only recently did I go back to ph-ing the (water/liquid feed) regularly; I hadn't done that real regularly in years. Still don't for the veggie garden... but I also know my well water ph, and test the soil in the beds, shocking the garden outside every few years with agricultural sulfur to address the calcium carb in my well water.

Your posted k values in the maxi-crop looked suspect or in error to me, but who knows?? (*That was just an observation and is neither here nor there, really).

The pic on the far right at the bottom of the first page, however, is what I interpret when I see it in my plant color as maxed or excess K that hasn't yet worked its way into a catastrophic state yet, but is capable of getting there with some 'help.' That green hinging on greying a bit...

But I could be wrong, too. I am more often than I'd like to think..

[hazyfontazy]

Originally Posted by bigjdawg

I don't ph because everything I read said you don't need to in organic soil since the soil buffers it's self from the dolomite lime. That's the reason why I haven't done so

If it was my water source would a normal water filter remove biocarbonates? Or would i have to buy a special water filter or start buying ro water?

in coco ive fixed this problem by using a brita filter /and or bottled water ,was a nightmare :(

[growingcrazy]

Originally Posted by bigbadbiddy

It's just a misunderstanding of terminology.

The people saying you don't need to PH your water in organic/living soil are talking about outdoors where there is so much soil and water and space that there is more than enough buffer for any water PH level you might use, safe for Flint water or the like.

But even if you use organic soil indoors, you still do so in a pot or small bed and there is simply not enough soil to buffer any PH you may throw at it.

While outdoors the soil can deal with any PH water, in your indoor setup, the organic soil can maybe buffer anything up to PH 7.8 let's say. If your water comes out the tap at 8.0 we have a problem and nutes will get locked out.

I personally did not get reliable readings from my cheapo "soil PH meter" as well as my water PH meter and had to simply test it out. But you water your plants often enough and just have a look at them and see how they react.

My water starts at a PH close to 8 which I previously lowered to about 6.5 which was a huge step forward in terms of plant health. But I noticed that I had no adverse, rather more positive effects, by lowering PH even further. I am now aiming at a PH of 6.0 for my water and will likely test going as low as 5.8 or 5.6 or something.

My soil has a PH somewhere north of 6, maybe even 7. So the water naturally has to be lower PH to land somewhere near 6 where no nutes are locked out (afaik).

The key with outdoors is that rain water is generally acidic. You could water multiple times a week with high pH, high bicarb water and then get one good rainfall a week at 5.7 and things are fine.

I use a pH probe and doser in my res. for indoors. Keep the pH at 6.2 at initial flower, rising to 6.6 or so at the end of flower. Set the dial and walk away, no more pH concerns. My other addition is a weekly soil drench with fish hydrolysate that is usually a low pH, somewhere in the 5.2 range. That weekly pH swing keeps the entire array of nutrients available in solution.

[bigbadbiddy]

TIL about PH probes and dosers.

Bit pricey for my wallet but maybe I am going to start hitting up the neighbors who used to have pools. Maybe I get lucky

[growingcrazy]

I have a milwaukee like this one. Buy the green pump made to work with it and you have 0 hassles.

https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-Ins.../dp/B00I47XIX2