[MedUser420]

I happened to check the run off and it read 7.15, I watered with 6.25 ph water. Am I locking out nutes with the ph so high? My medium is 1 part Ocean froest, 1 part shultz organic compost, 1 part perlite with dolomite lime.

iam using OF with lime also and experienced the same thing. I have since cut the OF with some peat and adjust my tap water to 5.5-6.0 after letting it sit for about 2 days. the plant have recovered nicely. It took about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. Just be patient. try and get your run off water to about 6.0 if you adjust your nute water to what i stated your soil ph will drift towards that. hope this helped.

[sproutco]

Originally Posted by vonforne

iam using OF with lime also and experienced the same thing. I have since cut the OF with some peat and adjust my tap water to 5.5-6.0 after letting it sit for about 2 days. the plant have recovered nicely. It took about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. Just be patient. try and get your run off water to about 6.0 if you adjust your nute water to what i stated your soil ph will drift towards that. hope this helped.

Sounds like you added too much lime.

Originally Posted by sproutco

Sounds like you added too much lime.

One tblsp per gallon and adjusted the water according to your thread on ph.
everything is fine now.

[sproutco]

^^ I was talking to meduser...that he used too much lime. I liked your suggestion to acidify the water. I am glad you found my thread useful.

Best thing to do is mix up a really small batch of soil like in a large cup and use the same ratio of ingredients. Wet well. Wait a week. Test ph. Then you will get an idea of what a larger batch will be like. Sometimes I use 3 or 4 different lime rates in different cups to see which one I like best when trying out a new soil mix. Typical lime rates for potting soils could be 1 to 10 pounds per 27 cubic feet (1 yard) depending on what is in the mix. 1 pound dolomite lime is about 24 tablespoons. 1 gallon of soil is .13 cubic feet. So, 1 tablespoon in a gallon of soil = 8.65 pounds per 27 cubic feet(1 yard). I see quite often around icmag that people are using 2 tablespoons per gallon of soil which is probably too much. (17.3 pounds per 27 cubic feet or 1 yard)

you had me in the Quote Sproutco just thought it was me, sorry for the mix up.

[Suby]

It's organic, use dolomite lime lime, use plenty of EWC and a quality peat nased grow medium and..

Forget the Damn Ph

it's organic humic acdis take care of the rest.

I do use humic acids and still had a ph problem. I use lime and still had a Ph problem. Liquid Karma ...right? theres another one but its for Hydro and not organic (completely)
and I use alot of EWC as a matter of fact just increased the amount I am using. On the older containers I top dressed with EWC. but still have to adjust the H2O ph to keep it down.

[Suby]

Answer me this V, do the plants look good or stunted and nute deprived?

I think to some extend original water ph is a variable also like a very high starting ph.
Try rain water if yours is too high, rain water is unfortunately acid rain which is perfect and purer than tap water.

Liquid Karma or a good microbial tea every watering has helped me keep my grow looking healthy and ph meter free, tea every watering activated with EWC, LK, liquid seaweed and molasses.

Hi Suby, I have just found the Blackstrap at a feed store. I use Liquid Karma and Maxi Crops Liguid Seaweed and have just increased the EWC in my soil admendments. The palnts were looking a little light green, not the real dark that I used to have in the past. They do seem to be coming around.The older plants in long veg are starting to look real good.Dark green and no signs of any Def. or any kind but only after adding some new things from you. thanks for the pointers, . My tap water is around 8.0 sometimes higher out of the tap. I adjust, but 24 hours later it is aroung 7.0 again. So I adjust again to 5.5 and it will settle around 6.0, give or take a little. I'am hoping that the EWC that I have increased will help with this. I threw that piece of junk Rapicrap test meter away and every now and then use the run off method to check. I'am hoping that things will settle down now. And I will not have to worry about PH again. I will let the soil do it, itself. I do have one question for you though, I was looking closly at my Dolomite lime and it says it contains calic lime also. Have you heard of this and will it be effective for what we are doing? Or would it be harmful? The brand is Sunnydale and they sell it at H.D. The Hyro store has finally gotten my Pulverized Dolomite lime I ordered 8 wks ago but I have already done a good deal of planting with the other Dolomite.
And a friend of mine is using run off water and his soil is aroung 5. and he is using the same lime as me. But not the same mix. He has his own thing going there. One of the guys who knows everything and will take no advice or hints from any one EVER. So, I just dont say anything anymore. Thanks for all the help and stay safe. See ya soon.

Von


And Meduser: I hope the things we are discussing are helping you also. We or I did not intend to highjack your thread. Our problems are along the same lines and I hope you are still reading your thread. Good luck with your PH problem and I hope your plants, like mine are recovering nicely.