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I know testing runoff is a poor way to tell soil PH and all, but...
I watered today with water adjusted to 6.5. The runoff came out at over a 9. Its their second watering since their first transplant to this soil. I tested my soil mix after letting it sit for like a week in a windowsill and watering it twice and the soil test kit said it was right around 7.
Just seemed like quite a jump from 6.5 to 9?
The plants look fine though they are really green, so I could see there being a N buildup due to a jacked PH...
Maybe I'm over thinking due to my borderline OCD will to do this right?
^^^^^^^^^ Worried noob.
-------------------- "Don't do drugs because if you do drugs you'll go to prison, and drugs are really expensive in prison." - John Hardwick
Not over thinking, I would say 9 is a bit far too alkaline for the plant to be healthy and it's probably gonna be exhibiting problems soon. What does your soil mix consist of?
-------------------- If you ain't smokin' dro, you're smokin' reggie.
Since posting that though, I added one more part verm, and two more parts perlite to make it a little airier. Also a touch more bone and blood, but not much, as my N and P tests showed pretty low on the scale.
I think I read somewhere that Dolomite and hydrated lime can be switched in equal measure for each other, just that hydrated is instant, and dolomite more like a time release. I thought I hardly used any for the amount of soil I mixed. Could this be the culprit?
I tested the soil and nothing was through the roof, and like I said, the PH was around 7.
Now only like 3 hours after watering, the tiny new growth is showing some curling. They looked really good from the time I transplanted into this soil, till right now...
What do I do?
-------------------- "Don't do drugs because if you do drugs you'll go to prison, and drugs are really expensive in prison." - John Hardwick
After some reading, I come to find that I underestimated the importance of calibrating your PH tester. I figured since it came with the slip filled out by Tim at the factory, saying it was calibrated at such and such a date, that it should be pretty accurate for a while. Then I read you should calibrate every time you test.
How often do you guys do it?
Anyway, I calibrated to 7.0 and then checked the tap water, and it was 7.3, not 8.3 like I thought. So while this doesn't explain the 6.5 to 9 swing to me? At least now I finally have my PH problem corrected, again, and I can finally give them proper levels.
I've just been torturing these plants from germination.
-------------------- "Don't do drugs because if you do drugs you'll go to prison, and drugs are really expensive in prison." - John Hardwick
I calibrate every 3 watering/feedings, mine requires using 2 solutions, one 7.01 the other 4.01, this could be different according to the meter, Ive only used one so. I do it every three times cause I find my meter goes out a bit around 3 or 4 so I do it to be safe, again some may require more or less, youll kno when you become more familliar with yours.
-------------------- Everything is fictional, I dont even exist.