FFOF soil problems

[Tone5500]

Ok plants are about 3 weeks from cut had them in cups at first then I transplanted into 3 gallon pots I think from reading now I should have waited. So I used FFOF soil with a lil extra perlite I'm, while the plants have finally came out of shock they are growing new growth everyday but I'm noticing burn on leaf tips so I check my run off water ppm and its at 2000 plus , ph is at 6.8 , only thing I've used is o/r water and cal-mag to bring ppm up to around 50 , is this normal with FFOF soil or should I flush and not water for a week, temps are good to 69-79 low and high humidity 25% , 600 watt , great ventilation , any help thanx

 

[jbizness]

U definitely should not add calmag to soil unless u see a deficienciy. I would either re transplant into a more stable soil maybe a super soil or get a good root system going with a brewed tea. I stopped using ffof bcuz of the unstable from bag to bag and they started having bugs and overall shitty product. Look into coco in the future.

 

[CannibisLabGeek]

I don't give my clones any nutrients for the first 3-4 weeks I just let the soil take care of that. Right before I transplant for the first time I start giving light amounts of nutrients. I start at about 25% normal dose and gradually go up from there.
I would suggest flushing out your clones and take a week off from giving them nutrients. Also I agree with jbizness, I used to use FFOF, but I noticed I would get a ton of little fruit flies and spider mites. Ever since I switched soils I haven't had any problems.

 

[tikitoker]

What do you mean you should have waited?
What soil and ppm strength was the donor mother using? FFOF is great soil, I always lime @ 1 tbsp/g with powdered dolomite.
Whats the pH going in? Should be a stabile 6.5
I use Ro-Di and always add cal/mag at 180-200ppm then dose fertilizer. If you let the purified water sit out it takes on Co2 and pH raises. Its because the water has zero value to it and is an excellent solvent. When you add fertilizers to pure water fresh off the tap, it can have wacky readings or really low readings. This is going to give you some pH spikes within the soil, but being 100% organic and alive soil, it has the ability to buffer pH. Feed the microbes and they feed the plant. And 2000+ppm for fresh FFOF is normal. Organic ppm/ec/pH is inaccurate hen using digital testing meters. d FFOF can carry a med size plant 3-4 weeks

I think you are not buffering your ro-di water enough, and that's having an adverse effect on ca/mg, ph.

 

[tikitoker]

U definitely should not add calmag to soil unless u see a deficienciy. I would either re transplant into a more stable soil maybe a super soil or get a good root system going with a brewed tea. I stopped using ffof bcuz of the unstable from bag to bag and they started having bugs and overall shitty product. Look into coco in the future.

Howws about you tell us how you prepare your coco and what brand with nutes?

 

[tikitoker]

FFOF/FFLW 50/50 +20% castings/compost
1tbsp dolomite per gallon
1tbsp rock dust per gallon

Ro-Di +ca/mg @ 200ppm
watered every 3 days using AACT made from the Ro-Di/ca/mg mixture.

seedlings are from 3 grows ago and are 1 week (left pic) in age to 1.5 weeks( right pic).

 

[JohnDee]

Hi Tone,
I haven't used FFOF, but I have seen some of the issues others have had.

As you found out, it's a very potent soil and I know it can burn seedlings though never seen it burn clones. It doesn't surprise me. If you had grown it larger, that may not have happened.

Also, on the issue of CalMag with RO water. It may be true that the soil has enough, but since you're only adding 50 ppm CalMag, I just don't see a problem with that.

And just to correct a mis-statement by TikiToker. When RO water absorbs CO2, it forms carbonic acid and lowers ph, not raising it. It gets confusing thinking about ph. More acid in the water lowers ph...seems sort of backwards. lol

Your plant will probably grow out of the burn...but if it gets worse, you could, as a life saving measure, dig it up and transplant to a milder soil. May not be needed though. Good luck,
JD

 

[Tone5500]

My water going in is at a 6.5 . @tiki so what do you think should I just relax or flush I mean new growth is growing everyday just noticing a lil tip burn or flush should I replant with your mixture with line and such . My water is r-o I keep it in a sparklers 5 gallon water dispenser that I also drink from,thanks

 

[Tone5500]

Hey thanks Johndee yea I think I'm going to give it a little while long I just don't like to and zero value water to a plant and thanks for the ph tip , I think next time I will put all my plants in the bubbler cuz I'm having better success with that just really like soil for some reason seems more satisfying I dunno I'm a weirdo thanks you guys

 

[JohnDee]

Tone,
From your description of the healthy new growth, it sounds good and it should grow into the soil. I know what you mean about hydro though. I was a soil grower till about 6 years ago and switched to hydro. For me, it was just less work for my aging body...let the water pumps do all the work! But I also get more reliable success with hydro. Anyway...happy growing.
JD

 

[racerboy71]

Hey thanks Johndee yea I think I'm going to give it a little while long I just don't like to and zero value water to a plant and thanks for the ph tip , I think next time I will put all my plants in the bubbler cuz I'm having better success with that just really like soil for some reason seems more satisfying I dunno I'm a weirdo thanks you guys

i'd just leave it as is tbh.. even though some of the older growth maybe burnt, as long as the new growth is coming in nice and healthy green, i'd not sweat it too much..
i'd just leave it as is and stop giving them any and all nutes for about two weeks or so or when they start to look hungry again, which is pretty easy to spot as growth will slow and they'll just look over all not happy..
remember a lil bit of nutrients goes a long way, and it's always easier to add more then to take anything that you put in out once it's in..

 

[tikitoker]

Agree, if its just a lil tip burn then she's good to go. She has enough and a bit more. If the burn gets worse then take action, but in my experience all plants will work it out in a matter of a week if its just mild burn all on their own.

 

[Tone5500]

Yea that's what I'm thinking just give her time , so just to clafifire I'm good on putting in the cal-mag just at round 50-80 ppms, or should I just be going staight 5 ppm witch the water I get comes at and just balance my my ph to 6.5 thanx

 

[JohnDee]

Hi Tone,
Look at it this way...if you were using 80ppm tap water, nobody would tell you to use pure RO instread. So if you're happier with the CalMag in it, do it. It certainly won't delay your clone recovery.
JD

 

[tikitoker]

Hi Tone,
I haven't used FFOF, but I have seen some of the issues others have had.

As you found out, it's a very potent soil and I know it can burn seedlings though never seen it burn clones. It doesn't surprise me. If you had grown it larger, that may not have happened.

Also, on the issue of CalMag with RO water. It may be true that the soil has enough, but since you're only adding 50 ppm CalMag, I just don't see a problem with that.

And just to correct a mis-statement by TikiToker. When RO water absorbs CO2, it forms carbonic acid and lowers ph, not raising it. It gets confusing thinking about ph. More acid in the water lowers ph...seems sort of backwards. lol

Your plant will probably grow out of the burn...but if it gets worse, you could, as a life saving measure, dig it up and transplant to a milder soil. May not be needed though. Good luck,
JD

Wow that's crazy, about the acid and it lowering pH. I am going to research that because I have literally exhaled into a cup of RODI fresh out the line and watched the pH raise. Once the water (solvent) has something dissolved into it (I use raw powder humic/fulvic acid or GO ca/mg+) the pH is more accurate and stable and more neutral than acidic. when Im brewing I make certain nutritional additions at certain times and its nice to have a stabile starting point to work from.

 

[ThatLEDGrowKid]

Just wanted to chime in here....

i've used FFOF for 2 cycles now, just bought the 1.5cu ft bags from a local store for $12.99 i think....
FFOF + 20% perlite
1/2cup Azomite/gal
Mycorrhizae 2-3 tbsp/gal

my first batch of FFOF mix was amazing. plants went the entire way through veg with a straight H2O and Hygrozyme diet. no nutes whatsoever until a couple weeks into flower. Gave them water pH ~6.5 and they were more than happy. My current batch of FFOF mix, while exactly the same as the last batch in formula, seems to be acting very differently. it seems like the pH of this mix is much more acidic than the last batch...i was giving my plants the same 6.5 water, but the plants started to show signs of lockouts and the leaves started to curl under like the pH was too low. moved to plain 7.0 water and that seemed to correct the issue. i've read many stories of people using FFOF with ~6.5 water and having their runoff be pH 5.0-5.5. so it seems like if you get a good batch of soil, it works out great, but like other people are saying, it's inconsistent. in the future i am definitely planning on moving to the TGA supersoil recipe