Do seedlings require ph'd water in a sterile growing medium/

adjusting ph is to prevent nute lockout right? But what about in a sterile medium like rockwool when they are in their first 3 weeks and receiving no nutes at all; shouldnt have to worry about lockout right? So why bother adjusting ph for seedlings?

When I do seedlings, I mix a 1/4 strength nutrient solution adjusted to ph 5.8 and dip my 1" cubes into it until they're soaked through. When they're bigger, I soak 3" cubes for 30 minutes with the same solution.

How do you water your cubes?

not actually using rockwool. Im using sunshine mix 4 which is a soilless medium and also completely sterile

Then you'll prolly be ok with distilled water, but I would stick to ph guidelines if at all possible

I don't adjust untill I start nutes.

thanks for the feedback anonymouse. and thank you too stumps. I really appreciate all the advice Ive been getting from you lately! I kind of fucked up in that aspect since I added the lime right away but now I know for next time. So how do you guys test the ph of your soilless mix? Is this the method you use as well?

Not 100% on what your asking. I use a liquid test kit. or test strips. ph to 5.3-6. I add lime to my coco when I replant the seedlings.

You test the ph of the water that is or was in the soil. Officially you take a few tablesppons of soil and acually draw thw aeter out of the soil with a filter and syringe type set up. Or just check the pH of the water tha seeps out of the soil. Or use a pH meter actually made for testing thepH of th water by just sticking the probe in the moist soil. The last test is the least accurate. You really do not test your soil pH you test the pH of the water after it has been in good contact with the soil. So when someone says they have acidic soil it actually means they have soil that makes the water (moisture) acidic.

man you have no idea how much confusion you cleared up for me with that one paragraph. + rep!

Fatman do you teach high school chem? nice

College Environmental Engineering. I do also have degrees in organic chemistry, civil engineering, mathematics and aquatic chemistry and education in many other areas. I usually take at least two or three courses a year besides teaching and research work. Nice getting paid to teach, learn and play in research labs.

I'll Keep my Engineering jokes to myself. lol

A town was having a problem with cattle coming intothetown and pooping every where. they were located next tofederal open range lands. they decided to call som professional at the university to give suggestions. They asked theenginnering department first. they siad that cattle needed in this climate x many acres each of grass land. so they said to build a rectangular fence so big by so big. They asked a few physics professors next. They said we agree that each head of cattle need so many acres, but a more cost effective fence would be had by making a round enclosure. The asked the math department next. The math professors said, "consider the in side out and the outside in" as that is most efficient and ecomomical method of constructing the fence. The town folk said WTF. The math professors then said "each head of cattle required many acres of land and each person required merely a few thousand square feet each", so simply put a fence around the people/town and therefore fence the people in rather than out, and fence the cattle out rather than in.