lower soil PH
- Thread starter Nutella
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babygro
Well-Known Member
What's the soil ph and how have you measured it?
Nutella
Active Member
I gradually added nutes for the third time three days ago. This time I gave it a full dose. Everywhere that new leaves are sprouting its light green.
I read somewhere that the soil ph was probably high. I have ph meter but only for water. The one with the drops that change color.
I used Jack's Classic fertilizer, 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. I added a picture. The flash from the camera and the light from HPS, make the light green look yellow. Its not as bad as the picture.
I read somewhere that the soil ph was probably high. I have ph meter but only for water. The one with the drops that change color.
I used Jack's Classic fertilizer, 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. I added a picture. The flash from the camera and the light from HPS, make the light green look yellow. Its not as bad as the picture.
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babygro
Well-Known Member
Well it's hard to tell from those pictures. Are they light only where there's new growth? I doubt very much if it's PH so you can stop worrying about that.
What's the NPK of your fertiliser and how long have they been in those pots and what type of soil is it?
mogie
Well-Known Member
To grow to a large size, marijuana requires a steady supply of nutrients, which should be added to the water on a regular basis.
The amount of nutrients to add to the water depends on the size of the plant, the size of the pot, and the general condition of the soil.
Always add water when you add any nutrients or fertilizer to the soil.
It is recommended that you dissolve the fertilizer in the water before watering the plant.
Adding more nutrients than a plant requires will poison the soil thereby harming plant growth and development.
Foliar feeding, or spraying the leaves with a fertilizer solution, is an ideal way of fertilizing large plants with nutrient deficiencies.
Nutrient deficiencies can best be detected by a change in the condition and color of the leaves.
Soilless mixtures are a good alternative to using large amounts of soil, the main advantage being that the nutrient balance is easy to control.
Although marijuana will grow in soils with a pH between five and nine, it thrives in soils with a neutral pH of around seven.
Soils with a high content of organic matter are often quite acidic with a fairly low pH.
Most nutrients are soluble in soils with a pH balance of between six and seven and a half.
Continued use of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium will lower the pH of the soil, this can be rectified by adding some Calcium.
To save over-fertilized plants, the soil can be leached by removing the top few centimeters and over-watering with lukewarm water.
Although healthy, strong growing plants love a steady supply of nutrients, you should never fertilize them every day.
A plant growing in a poor soil, low in nutrients will develop better than a plant growing in over-fertilized soil.
To balance the pH of an acidic soil, crush some egg-shells and soak them in water. Then strain out the shells and pour the water over your plants.
Unless the soil is poor in nutrients, a young seedling growing in a large pot doesn't require any fertilizing for the first few weeks of it's life.
Although Cannabis does not grow well in a soil with a low nutrient content, this is preferable to a soil that has been toxified by over-fertilization.
The influence of the soil, and in particular the nutrient content of the soil, to the potency of the plant is something which cannot be overlooked.
Nitrogen can be positively correlated with higher potency and increased growth, and it is the most influential nutrient available to the grower.
Organic fertilizers are less concentrated than chemical mixes, and as the nutrients are released more slowly, there is less chance of toxifying the soil.
A typical program of fertilization may be to fertilize after the fifth week of growth, and then every two weeks thereafter until flowering.
It is always better to fertilize your plants more often with a more diluted solution, than to give them concentrated doses at longer intervals.
Always make sure that the fertilizer is completely dissolved in the water before you apply it to your plants.
It takes less Nitrogen than other nutrients to toxify the soil, and hence there is less margin for error when using it as a fertilizer.
The amount of nutrients to add to the water depends on the size of the plant, the size of the pot, and the general condition of the soil.
Always add water when you add any nutrients or fertilizer to the soil.
It is recommended that you dissolve the fertilizer in the water before watering the plant.
Adding more nutrients than a plant requires will poison the soil thereby harming plant growth and development.
Foliar feeding, or spraying the leaves with a fertilizer solution, is an ideal way of fertilizing large plants with nutrient deficiencies.
Nutrient deficiencies can best be detected by a change in the condition and color of the leaves.
Soilless mixtures are a good alternative to using large amounts of soil, the main advantage being that the nutrient balance is easy to control.
Although marijuana will grow in soils with a pH between five and nine, it thrives in soils with a neutral pH of around seven.
Soils with a high content of organic matter are often quite acidic with a fairly low pH.
Most nutrients are soluble in soils with a pH balance of between six and seven and a half.
Continued use of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium will lower the pH of the soil, this can be rectified by adding some Calcium.
To save over-fertilized plants, the soil can be leached by removing the top few centimeters and over-watering with lukewarm water.
Although healthy, strong growing plants love a steady supply of nutrients, you should never fertilize them every day.
A plant growing in a poor soil, low in nutrients will develop better than a plant growing in over-fertilized soil.
To balance the pH of an acidic soil, crush some egg-shells and soak them in water. Then strain out the shells and pour the water over your plants.
Unless the soil is poor in nutrients, a young seedling growing in a large pot doesn't require any fertilizing for the first few weeks of it's life.
Although Cannabis does not grow well in a soil with a low nutrient content, this is preferable to a soil that has been toxified by over-fertilization.
The influence of the soil, and in particular the nutrient content of the soil, to the potency of the plant is something which cannot be overlooked.
Nitrogen can be positively correlated with higher potency and increased growth, and it is the most influential nutrient available to the grower.
Organic fertilizers are less concentrated than chemical mixes, and as the nutrients are released more slowly, there is less chance of toxifying the soil.
A typical program of fertilization may be to fertilize after the fifth week of growth, and then every two weeks thereafter until flowering.
It is always better to fertilize your plants more often with a more diluted solution, than to give them concentrated doses at longer intervals.
Always make sure that the fertilizer is completely dissolved in the water before you apply it to your plants.
It takes less Nitrogen than other nutrients to toxify the soil, and hence there is less margin for error when using it as a fertilizer.
babygro
Well-Known Member
Well if the soil ph is between 6.0 and 6.5 you'd want to raise it wouldn't you not lower it. A ph range of about 6.4-6.8 is best for Canna.
If they've only been in those pots for a week, why are you feeding it already? And 20-20-20 is pretty potent stuff you don't ever want to feed much more than a 1/4 recommended dose of that at a time.
I'm not familar with the MG soil you use, but does it have those time release fert capsules in it?
kieahtoka
Well-Known Member
As long as your plants arent showing any sign of burn from the nutes you are adding don't flush, you don't want to over water them. It would be a good idea though to add more water in future waterings to get rid of excess salts that are in the soil, but not to the extent of flushing.
Nutella
Active Member
shit, i read this too late. I watered them until the extra water came out the bottom. Now i'm just dumping the extra water. I didn't do it too much. I didnt flood the thing though. Just enough to get some water out the bottom, about a cup per plant.
How long should I wait until flowering?
I want to flower soon and have foxfarm tiger bloom and big bloom. I know there is a schedule, for adding the nutes. But when I mix them I should do 1/4 of the recommended dose?
How long should I wait until flowering?
I want to flower soon and have foxfarm tiger bloom and big bloom. I know there is a schedule, for adding the nutes. But when I mix them I should do 1/4 of the recommended dose?
Nutella
Active Member
I bought a ph meter (Rapitester) and my soil is acidic. I also purchased organic garden lime (Epsoma) to neutralize the soil. it has a scale based on 100sq feet.
4.5 to 5.0 ------ 5 lbs
5.0 to 5.5 ------- 4 lbs
5.5 to 6 --------- 2 lbs
6.0 to 6.5 ------- 1 lbs
6.6 & higher ---- 0 lbs
my ph is at 4.
How much shoild I mix into my 16-inch pots?
4.5 to 5.0 ------ 5 lbs
5.0 to 5.5 ------- 4 lbs
5.5 to 6 --------- 2 lbs
6.0 to 6.5 ------- 1 lbs
6.6 & higher ---- 0 lbs
my ph is at 4.
How much shoild I mix into my 16-inch pots?
Cali chronic
Well-Known Member
I am learning about Ph up and down using the net and there are plenty of articles about it from reputable University's.
I read in this thread about different solutions to raise and lower. Some good some not. If your Ph is Neutral 7 you are fine if it is lower then 6 you are needing Nutrients and or too much lime/ lack of nitrogen. careful with Nitrogen as it will burn like firehouse chili boy! Flowering is fine as long as your plants are mature. Uneven node spacing and preflowering is best to wait for. No need to flush to flower however after 1 month of growing and feeding you should flush the girls early in the day and at 3 times the size of the container poured thru at once---or as she will take---and seep off. Ph balance your water first as this will help with your Ph goal.
White Vinagar will reduce and yes baking soda will raise.. If you are wasting money on distilled it comes bottled at 7 give or take .001. I see you bought the good soil for the girls fine--- but miracle grow or the likes of will do the job. As about a month or 18 -20 inches she has sucked the nutrients out of that 5 gallon planter bucket ---not a 5 gallon painting bucket!
Flowering she likes more Potassium then she wants Nitrogen as N is for grow and leaf generation. That is why you do not want N when you are cloning. So you do not inhibit leaf growth as Root growth is what is desired.
Now after you flush (great time to T-plant if needed) Now it is time to feed her Potassium for flowering see super Bloom food as it is a good example of the nutrient percentage switch.
Either work 2 tablespoons to a 5 gallon into a few inches of Petemoss or Sphagnum soil on the top so it gets flowed thru at watering time. If you T-plant for the stretch (prob not nec if you are in 3 gal or more size pots) make sure you add about 1 oz of b-1 per---1 gallon of flush.
Great for the root system and flushing as well as picking up the metals she wants and may have depleted. *Note if you use food with N-P-K N is Nitrogen and P is Potassium and K is the Ash anyways the fact that you are using the K&P in even amounts you are helping keep PH balance.
But when plants are using light they are burning Nitrogen and as the Nitrogen goes the Ph climbs. Careful replentishing the Nitrogen "as every action causes a reaction". In other words, there is a Nitrogen mix I picked up at Ball-mart and it is a 20-0-0 means 20 Nitrogen and 0 on the P and K so the Nitrogen will lower the Ph yet keep in mind too much Nitrogen causes toxic soil to acheive the 6. whatever number you are looking for---this may or will cause other problems. If you want to add the Nitrogen before planting for Vegging---- then use like one light tablespoon to an ample 5 gallon mix as well as cutting it with the Pete moss will help. And when you feed her make sure the stuff has the metals in it too (like Miracle grow all purpose plant food 'for use in watering cans") she need those as much as the other especially if you are cranking the light for longer then 14-15 hours a day! I am not for Miracle Gro or any other just a reference of amounts of nutrients and the right stuff in it.
Hope this helps, I may have slipped over a few things as I mentioned this was what I learned from The Medical Grow Bible by J.C and articles on the net from Universites about Ph and soil.
Regards
C.C
I read in this thread about different solutions to raise and lower. Some good some not. If your Ph is Neutral 7 you are fine if it is lower then 6 you are needing Nutrients and or too much lime/ lack of nitrogen. careful with Nitrogen as it will burn like firehouse chili boy! Flowering is fine as long as your plants are mature. Uneven node spacing and preflowering is best to wait for. No need to flush to flower however after 1 month of growing and feeding you should flush the girls early in the day and at 3 times the size of the container poured thru at once---or as she will take---and seep off. Ph balance your water first as this will help with your Ph goal.
White Vinagar will reduce and yes baking soda will raise.. If you are wasting money on distilled it comes bottled at 7 give or take .001. I see you bought the good soil for the girls fine--- but miracle grow or the likes of will do the job. As about a month or 18 -20 inches she has sucked the nutrients out of that 5 gallon planter bucket ---not a 5 gallon painting bucket!
Flowering she likes more Potassium then she wants Nitrogen as N is for grow and leaf generation. That is why you do not want N when you are cloning. So you do not inhibit leaf growth as Root growth is what is desired.
Now after you flush (great time to T-plant if needed) Now it is time to feed her Potassium for flowering see super Bloom food as it is a good example of the nutrient percentage switch.
Either work 2 tablespoons to a 5 gallon into a few inches of Petemoss or Sphagnum soil on the top so it gets flowed thru at watering time. If you T-plant for the stretch (prob not nec if you are in 3 gal or more size pots) make sure you add about 1 oz of b-1 per---1 gallon of flush.
Great for the root system and flushing as well as picking up the metals she wants and may have depleted. *Note if you use food with N-P-K N is Nitrogen and P is Potassium and K is the Ash anyways the fact that you are using the K&P in even amounts you are helping keep PH balance.
But when plants are using light they are burning Nitrogen and as the Nitrogen goes the Ph climbs. Careful replentishing the Nitrogen "as every action causes a reaction". In other words, there is a Nitrogen mix I picked up at Ball-mart and it is a 20-0-0 means 20 Nitrogen and 0 on the P and K so the Nitrogen will lower the Ph yet keep in mind too much Nitrogen causes toxic soil to acheive the 6. whatever number you are looking for---this may or will cause other problems. If you want to add the Nitrogen before planting for Vegging---- then use like one light tablespoon to an ample 5 gallon mix as well as cutting it with the Pete moss will help. And when you feed her make sure the stuff has the metals in it too (like Miracle grow all purpose plant food 'for use in watering cans") she need those as much as the other especially if you are cranking the light for longer then 14-15 hours a day! I am not for Miracle Gro or any other just a reference of amounts of nutrients and the right stuff in it.
Hope this helps, I may have slipped over a few things as I mentioned this was what I learned from The Medical Grow Bible by J.C and articles on the net from Universites about Ph and soil.
Regards
C.C