Aussie Growers Thread

Joomby

Well-Known Member
Those soil test kits are a bit funny depending on your sample size,you have to take samples from as many different parts of the pot as you can mix that all up then do 3 or 4 tests and get an average. I’ve only tested native soils though ive never phed my container soils but that test is really out I’d be doing a few to see if you just picked up on a pocket of something
I usually test a dry sample to. I'm not sure if water ph in the soil would give a false reading but that's just what I do
 

OzCocoLoco

Well-Known Member
I usually test a dry sample to. I'm not sure if water ph in the soil would give a false reading but that's just what I do
Soil ph tests are really tricky I was shown to do a slurry test but I’m not sure that’s the best way,different test kits may be different,if the kits instructions say dry that’s what I’d do
 

Nugachino

Well-Known Member
Haha fuck I don't even know how to check pH haha

I don't even bother to check it anymore.
The more I tried to correct the problem. The worse it got.The two best courses of action I've taken have been either to flush the medium. Or to repot into a fresh medium.

For me. A problem with the soil "heat" had been either an improperly mixed- or under cooked batch. I've got at least two buckets with my original soil mix in it. Both have had a small amount of amendments since then.

Grannies clone is actually sitting in one of them. And she seems fine.
 

OzCocoLoco

Well-Known Member
I don't even bother to check it anymore.
The more I tried to correct the problem. The worse it got.The two best courses of action I've taken have been either to flush the medium. Or to repot into a fresh medium.

For me. A problem with the soil "heat" had been either an improperly mixed- or under cooked batch. I've got at least two buckets with my original soil mix in it. Both have had a small amount of amendments since then.

Grannies clone is actually sitting in one of them. And she seems fine.
Yep I reckon your spot on. The heat in the soil is from the microbial action I think bacteria are probably the cause of the heat but I could have it back to front, it’s the middle part of the composting process that actually heats up and if there’s enough volume will go thermophilic till the microbes in that stage have consumed all the available food and then it will start cooling of,and a more balanced population will start to take over. After that if you just add small amounts you can add almost any amendment and the biology will take care of it. I don’t add huge amounts of anything except gypsum into my base mix I do try to add a lot of different amendments that break down at different rates,then I almost continually add small amounts of stuff as a top dress and then fortnightly I’ll top dress with a good amount of well rotted compost or wormcastings to boost the microbe numbers.
 

C00pers

Well-Known Member
Those soil test kits are a bit funny depending on your sample size,you have to take samples from as many different parts of the pot as you can mix that all up then do 3 or 4 tests and get an average. I’ve only tested native soils though ive never phed my container soils but that test is really out I’d be doing a few to see if you just picked up on a pocket of something
Im glad to hear that actually. I had a feelin its wrong because it was hard to get a sample because of how chunky the soil is and i havent added anything to raise pH. I might grab a few sample and dry them out and grind them a bit to check properly
 

C00pers

Well-Known Member
I don't even bother to check it anymore.
The more I tried to correct the problem. The worse it got.The two best courses of action I've taken have been either to flush the medium. Or to repot into a fresh medium.

For me. A problem with the soil "heat" had been either an improperly mixed- or under cooked batch. I've got at least two buckets with my original soil mix in it. Both have had a small amount of amendments since then.

Grannies clone is actually sitting in one of them. And she seems fine.
Yep I reckon your spot on. The heat in the soil is from the microbial action I think bacteria are probably the cause of the heat but I could have it back to front, it’s the middle part of the composting process that actually heats up and if there’s enough volume will go thermophilic till the microbes in that stage have consumed all the available food and then it will start cooling of,and a more balanced population will start to take over. After that if you just add small amounts you can add almost any amendment and the biology will take care of it. I don’t add huge amounts of anything except gypsum into my base mix I do try to add a lot of different amendments that break down at different rates,then I almost continually add small amounts of stuff as a top dress and then fortnightly I’ll top dress with a good amount of well rotted compost or wormcastings to boost the microbe numbers.
That could make sense for my soil since it only cooked for a month and there was heaps of compost in it. As well as the newer leaves on the plant seem to be doing okay its just the middle leaves that look fried so maybe the soil will 'cool' and/or the plants will adjust and hopefully the problem will take care of itself
 

OzCocoLoco

Well-Known Member
Im glad to hear that actually. I had a feelin its wrong because it was hard to get a sample because of how chunky the soil is and i havent added anything to raise pH. I might grab a few sample and dry them out and grind them a bit to check properly
You can get a pit of pipe and cut an angle on the tip and push it right down into the pot and then you get a sample from the entire depth ,do that in a few places and mix all that together that should give you a pretty good spread for you to test
 

Nugachino

Well-Known Member
That could make sense for my soil since it only cooked for a month and there was heaps of compost in it. As well as the newer leaves on the plant seem to be doing okay its just the middle leaves that look fried so maybe the soil will 'cool' and/or the plants will adjust and hopefully the problem will take care of itself
That actually does make sense. If it's got plenty of compost in it. Then it's probably got a lot of nitrogen to "heat" up with.
 

Nugachino

Well-Known Member
You can get a pit of pipe and cut an angle on the tip and push it right down into the pot and then you get a sample from the entire depth ,do that in a few places and mix all that together that should give you a pretty good spread for you to test

Ah yeah. That's the other thing. The surface pH is likely to be different from that of say a couple inches or more below the surface.

That confused me at first. I thought I was testing right, taking from the surface. When, if I'd actually taken it about 2-3" below the surface. I might not have been getting such differing readings.
 

C00pers

Well-Known Member
That actually does make sense. If it's got plenty of compost in it. Then it's probably got a lot of nitrogen to "heat" up with.
The plants also went from light to very dark green real fast so im thinking the soil needed longer to settle but hopefully if i just keep watering with no nutes as they get bigger theyll be able to take up the N without being burnt
 

bobqp

Well-Known Member
I don't even bother to check it anymore.
The more I tried to correct the problem. The worse it got.The two best courses of action I've taken have been either to flush the medium. Or to repot into a fresh medium.

For me. A problem with the soil "heat" had been either an improperly mixed- or under cooked batch. I've got at least two buckets with my original soil mix in it. Both have had a small amount of amendments since then. Yeah I have nosy neighbours so I can't make my own soil

Grannies clone is actually sitting in one of them. And she seems fine.
 

bobqp

Well-Known Member
It's easy man. I use the same kit as coopers. Just get a bit of the soil put it on a dry clean piece of plastic put some of the powder on the soil then put a few drops of the liquid on and compare the colour to the chart. I really only use it for my bush grows so I know what I'm working with
I might give it a try. But I'm getting massive growth spurts with the soil I'm using so I think the pH must be good.
 

bobqp

Well-Known Member
I'm tipping my plants every 8 days. The way there growing its going to be hard to hide them. Some plants have over 50 tips already. It looks like its going to be a bumper season. But the strains I got from america most of them burn to a white crisp in the Aussie sun. Pretty sure they must be indoor strains.
 

OzCocoLoco

Well-Known Member
So many people bag nirvana out. But I found there strains to be potent like aurora indica. Would make a great bush strain if it wasn't for the mold. Buds we're so thick that they couldn't dry out.
I’ve found most companies have some solid strains and some shit ones,a lot of guys will bag a company out and you find out they grew 1 or 2 seeds lol
 

OzCocoLoco

Well-Known Member
I'm still paranoid about getting seeds in a way. I'd love to have some new ones. But, I don't want to have pigs at my door. Or have my shit confiscated and what not.
It is a bit stressful especially at first,I’ve had over 25 orders in the last 2 years and haven’t lost 1 but it only takes 1 and it bring heat on you. I never get parcels to a grow but I do get them sent to my home address I change up my name so it looks close enough that it could be a typo but different enough to give plausible deniability.
 
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