Ph lockout? Soil pH too high?? Need help fast please!

I have 3 plants right now do not look so good. They are showing signs of NPK (mainly N) being locked out due to HIGH pH in the soil. The leaves are yellowing from the bottom on up, from the tips of the leaves, working there way back to the node. BTW, I am growing in organic soil, so I don't think flushing would help. Just wanted to point that out. The soil mix consist of Lady Bug Vortect Organic potting soil, 1 cup Alfalfa meal, 1 cup Kelp meal, 1 cup Green sand. Thats it, I occasionally feed with a guano tea/molasses tea or foliar. Thats all I have done, nothing else.

PLANT#1 has already lost 4 fan leaves due to N lockout:




The feed water has a constant pH of 5.4-5.5.

The run off tested at 6.9-7.0.

PLANT#2 looks very light overall, but is also showing classic signs of N lockout:




The feed water has a constant pH of 5.4-5.5.

The run off tested at 6.5-6.6.

PLANT#3 is in a mix of FFLW and Earthworm casting with 40% perlite. She is showing the same bullshit yellowing. on the bottom/oldest leaves:



The feed water has a constant pH of 5.4-5.5.

The run off tested at 6.5-6.6.

I am quite frustrated at this point since I have battled this problem with no solution. My current soil is pissing me off and 3 out of 4 plants are dying slowly and dont know what I should do.

I was thinking of getting some pH down and lowering the pH to about 4-4.5 in an attemp to bring my run off down to about 6-6.5...I dunno if thats the best idea or what soooooo someone please help me out.

-Alter

Dude the pH needs to be 6-7???
Why lower to 4.5? LOL.

Anyways it needs nitrogen dude.
You haven't been feeding it?

I know what my pH needs to be. I know it needs Nitrogen but I think it is locked out. If I am feeding water with a pH of 5ish and my runoff is coming out at around 7, don't you think my soil pH is is higher than 7? Thats the problem, my soil is higher than 5 possibly causing a lockout of N?? I am not thinking correctly?

I was thinking of I lower my pH solution for my feed water even lower, I can maybe bring my runoff down from 7 closer to 6 allowing nutrients avaliable to my plants. Hell, what do I know. Hence this thread....

Could be (Zn) def.
Remember to much of one nutrient can show def in other nutrients..
Hope these help.

View attachment 2194958View attachment 2194959

It doesn't look like pH at all dude.

Water doesn't matter..
Whats the 'Soils PH'?

It is higher than 7. My run off is 7 so I know my soil pH is higher. I don't use soil testers, only pH pens. But I know it is higher than 7. My plants don't need to be fed, there is plenty of food in the soil, just unavaliable...I think. Hell what do I know. Why would water not matter? I have read time and time again that people adjust the pH of feed water to bring down the pH or the soil? Am I fucking retarted or something or do I just not know how to grow?

Alter Ego said:

It is higher than 7. My run off is 7 so I know my soil pH is higher. I don't use soil testers, only pH pens. But I know it is higher than 7. My plants don't need to be fed, there is plenty of food in the soil, just unavaliable...I think. Hell what do I know. Why would water not matter? I have read time and time again that people adjust the pH of feed water to bring down the pH or the soil? Am I fucking retarted or something or do I just not know how to grow?

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Where do you get a pH pen?
Lol.

Hanna 98129. It works just fine. I know this for a fact.

Alter Ego said:

Hanna 98129. It works just fine. I know this for a fact.

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Wth is hanna?
Lol.

Look man, are you here to make fun of me or try to help?

I usually throw a handful of crushed oyster shell into the mix when preparing my soil. If I forget I throw it on top or make a slurry and pour prior to watering. It can be found at most farm and feed shops.

tranka32 said:

I usually throw a handful of crushed oyster shell into the mix when preparing my soil. If I forget I throw it on top or make a slurry and pour prior to watering. It can be found at most farm and feed shops.

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This the useful help I was looking for. Oyster shells into a slurry and pour prior to watering....got it. Now the only question is, how long does that take to take effect? I need to fix this fast before I lose all my fan leaves.

if you are really worried about it get a soil ph reader. it has a probe.

dank smoker420 said:

if you are really worried about it get a soil ph reader. it has a probe.

Click to expand...

Does no one believe in run off test anymore? I have tried 4 different probe testers, all are unaccurate and suck. I am not talking about the cheap walmart crap either.

If my feed water is 5.5 and my run off is 7...it makes perfect sense to me that my soil pH is on the high side. I dont need to know exact #s...all I know it that it is too high and I need to lower it.

what kind of soil are you using??

idk what you're checking water runoff ph for, as i don't understand what that's telling me??

and wtf if your ph in the water for @ 5 something?? it should be around 6.5 or 7 if you worry about that sort of thing, which i don't..

they don''t look bad, they look a bit hungry like everyone else is telling you.. why do you think they looked locked out and just aren't hungry?? just up the nitrogen a bit and let em rip.. they don't look too bad imo...
keep an eye on new growth to make sure it comes in nice and lush green..

racerboy71 said:

what kind of soil are you using??

idk what you're checking water runoff ph for, as i don't understand what that's telling me??

and wtf if your ph in the water for @ 5 something?? it should be around 6.5 or 7 if you worry about that sort of thing, which i don't..

they don''t look bad, they look a bit hungry like everyone else is telling you.. why do you think they looked locked out and just aren't hungry?? just up the nitrogen a bit and let em rip.. they don't look too bad imo...
keep an eye on new growth to make sure it comes in nice and lush green..

Click to expand...

The soil I am using is Lady Bug Vortect Organic potting soil, 1 cup Alfalfa meal, 1 cup Kelp meal, 1 cup Green sand. Thats it, I feed with a high N Mexican bat guano/molasses tea foliar feed with the same mix. They get fed but dont show improvement...so I don't understand how they are hungry.

I don't see how no one understands what the hell I am talking about when it comes to my pH testing process. I don't know what else to say about that.

if it makes you feel better, i know what you're thinking alter ego! i have no advice, since i just have mine in miracle grow, feeding miracle grow nutes, and keeping water ph around 6.5. i don't water my plants to the point that there is "runoff" to test, but we have so many different variables, that i doubt what's working for me would work in your case. good luck anyways!

I'd be more worried about what ur putting in than what's running out. at PH 5.5 ur gonna have loads of lockouts. Nutes in soil are absorbed at PH 6.2-7.0.

Just raise the PH to 7.0 in the meantime to help neautralise it and u can add dolomite lime to raise the soils PH. If you've been flushing a lot recently then make the next mix 1/4 strength ferts and leave to dry out for a good few days.

Hope this helps.

Soil is a buffer. For example, your soil ph is at 8 lets say. You ph your feed water to 6.5 but the runoff tests at 7.4 or whatever. Thats because the water is buffering to the soils ph. run off is not an accurate way to measure soil ph. i think anyways.. if im wrong someone correct me

Alter Ego said:

The soil I am using is Lady Bug Vortect Organic potting soil, 1 cup Alfalfa meal, 1 cup Kelp meal, 1 cup Green sand. Thats it, I feed with a high N Mexican bat guano/molasses tea foliar feed with the same mix. They get fed but dont show improvement...so I don't understand how they are hungry.

I don't see how no one understands what the hell I am talking about when it comes to my pH testing process. I don't know what else to say about that.

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Fine, plenty on N and K, no P to speak of. Kelp and greensand>K, Alfalfa>N. A bit lopsided and I use all three of those, but several 'other' things as well.

Your runoff is fine. Quit douching those plants with that 5.5 or whatever you're dumping on them. That's just a stoner science fuck up. Reading sites like this, but with no practical experience to back it up.

How long have those *nutes* been cooking? Alfalfa takes a few weeks as does kelp meal. Greensand takes months.

I would suggest getting some Espoma *tone*, your choice. Add some, water with plain old tap water and give it a couple of weeks.

The plants don't look bad and you're trying to fix what ain't broke.

Wet