OK. I’m behind the 8-ball on the whole runoff ordeal. Is there an easy-to-understand explanation, chart, great video. I’m growing in soil FFHF+FFOF+Pearlite. White Widow autos. Feeding Homegrown standard nutes 1x per week at 1/2 strength. In full flower on most plants, others in pre-flower.
Argh, am I overthinking again @MDBuds @DollarBill @Highwayman. My plants look good. They seem happy – but I’m not testing runoff properly. What’s the easiest way? Geez, I have so much to learn.
@GrnyGrows I have never checked run off, I typically don’t give my plants that much water at a time, the ph is good going in and by checking the weight of the pot before next water I know the plants are taking it in. I think you really should be concerned if something starts to seem wrong. I do have a soil tester for ph and wetness, but actually I have not used it for my current grow.
I have 14 plants going with a total of 6 strains in a 4X4 tent. 6 of the plants are in 1 gallon pots and the others are in 3 gallon pots. 4 of the plants are photo and the rest are autos. I am gonna flip the photo plants in about a week. I have been rotating the plants around to try and give them even amount of light. I will probably have to move a few of the plants outside before to long as they are really filling up this tent. I think I will arrange them and have the 4 photo plants in the corners until some of the autos finish. I will be moving the photo plants in and out of the tent to flip them and also so I can keep the autos running the 18/6 light schedule.
Quite a forest. I’ve got ab out the same going at this point. I think I’m about to be overwhelmed.
good afternoon to all! today something unexpected happened, the plug came off the timer and the plants slept for another four hours. I went to see and two of the 6 plants released preflowers. I’m entering the 7th week of vegetation and my question is if this was a sign that I should enter the period of 12/12 or I continue my initial idea of 8 weeks of vega
@GrnyGrows run off pH is just as simple as it sounds. You test the run off water in your saucer after you water or feed.
This is beneficial for hand fed and other hydro grows with run off more than it is a soil grow unless you’re just using spent neutral soil as a substrate.
It allows you to see if you have salt build up with your standard chemical nutrients because if you have potassium salt build up for instance your run off pH will be alkaline (over 7) or if you have ammonium salt build up for example (nitrogen) your pH will be acidic (under 6).
It allows you to adjust your feed and know when you need to flush and honestly is a more accurate method with doing soil hydro than measuring ppm because soil will always have a high run off ppm compared to other substrates.
Run off pH also isn’t necessary in an organic living soil because it will just have you chasing your tail. You also don’t want to water to runoff with organic living soils because it can damage the ecosystem you have developed.
Only thing I’d add on the testing aspect… its good to catch it as it flows out the bag or pot… the suacer will hold nutes and read high ppm/ms. Ph maybe not so big of deal though. I set mine on a small pallet… it gives room to catch runoff
I never check runoff either. Got a PH pen used it once. I think too many try to make this way more difficult than what it needs to be. We are not commercial farmers here just people trying to grow their own smoke.
That the awesome thing about growing organic my friend happy growing
I don’t know that I’m having trouble. I’m worrying again… duh. The first time through everything seems daunting, until you know what you didn’t know. That’s my saying for today.
I’m trying so hard not to overthink. But patience is NOT a virtue – of mine.
So – should I do my next grow organic? I have all my soil supplies. But I want the KISS method – super simple. I need to read and study more. But, have my hands full with my herd of women right now.
Do you mind if I attach a USB cable to your brain – for a transfer of knowledge.
OK today I put 6.7 pH water in and runoff is at 5.6. What should I do? Plants seem happy. I feed again on Fri.
Basically in a 100% organic grow it really doesn’t matter if your water is 6.0, 6.5 or 7.5. The runoff is going to be around 5.6-5.8. Idealy I would water organic about 6.25-6.5 if I was PH’ng. As long as your amendments to your waterings are 100% organic also. Organic is always going to move everything to the acidic side which is the way your plants like it.
My mountain well water is about 6.8. After aeration and sitting out about 6.0 when it goes into the plants. But Ive watered at 7.5 and 6.0 and checked the run off and it was exactly the same 5.7. Trying to ph in organic seems useless to me.
@GrnyGrows if you’re using FFOF (an organic based soil) that hasn’t been used up and spent yet you shouldn’t be measuring run off pH yet. FFOF isn’t a neutral soil so your run off pH and ppm will have you chasing your tail. Since you’re using soil that isn’t neutral just keep your feed pH in range like you have been and if you notice issues do what’s called a slurry test before adjusting nutrients.
A slurry test is a much more accurate way to measure pH in an organic soil grow even if you aren’t using organic nutrients.
250 ml soil mixed with 250 ml distilled water mix it around and let it settle. Wait 20 minutes. Mix it around and let it settle again then use your pH pen to test the pH.
FFOF has plenty of nutrients in it from mineral amendments and composts and manures so it isn’t what is considered a neutral substrate where you would check run off pH.
If you were doing coco hydro, peat hydro, etc… those are “neutral” substrates.
Hooray. I’m going to stay the course. Let the girls tell me if the need anything.
