Started my Autos, Sour diesel and GG4 directly in my 5 gallon pots on Feb. 6th they sprouted Feb 9th. They are growing quickly. They are in Happy frog with Natures living soil Auto concentrate mixture also added extra worm castings and perlite. I tested my soil preemptively because my last grow I did it with Ocean forest and had a hard time keeping the soil ph up, I test my soil with blue lab ph probe, I have been watering with 7.0 ph dechlorinated water but my soil ph is already reading an average of 5.6. I like my range between 6.0 and 7.0 for optimal nutrient intake and I don’t want to stun these young Autos. I already have down to earth dolemite lime that I probably should have amended in the soil from the start but now these guys are planted and I’m wondering should I top dress a small amount and try not to disturb those tiny roots when I mix it in the top few inches or should I do a water mixture? How much would you recommend for young plants? They are still being watered only a small amount of water daily with a turkey baster at this point so I’m thinking mixed in the water might not be as successful as top dress. Tell me what you think. I’m including pictures so you can see what I’m working with.
Dolemite Lime new Grow
- Thread starter dlive84
- Start date
LeastExpectedGrower
Well-Known Member
Planning on lots of fungus gnats I see?
Herb & Suds
Well-Known Member
First what lime did you purchase?
Second don’t mess with the soil on such tiny plants
Let them establish themselves
Second don’t mess with the soil on such tiny plants
Let them establish themselves
I like to be preemptive with the sticky traps to make sure I don’t have problems, but I have a good routine to keep pests away so I haven’t had much trouble.
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Jjgrow420
Well-Known Member
Foxfarms...... Should be called bugfarms
LeastExpectedGrower
Well-Known Member
I moved to Promix from a more 'organic' soil and I haven't had a bug since.
Jjgrow420
Well-Known Member
Ive never had an issue with promix. Bought ocean forest one time a long while ago, and it was like every fungus gnat on earth was in it. Never again.
I was taught using promix (or sunshine #4 same diff basically). So it's just what I've always stuck with
Like I mentioned in my top post I’m using a blue lab ph probe and meter to measure soil. I hear you on the starting small and pot up, that’s a great strategy for photos but I like to plant directly in my finishing container with Autos so that I have no transplant shock.
LeastExpectedGrower
Well-Known Member
Promix is handier for me. The bales seem expensive except that they're compacted and hold WAY more medium than regular gardening bags of soil. It seems to be a more uniform medium (not as much junk to pull or screen out) as well. The hitch is that there's no good place locally to pick it up, so I go out to a pro greenhouse supply place that's about an hour away and I buy 2 or 3 bales at a time. They keep it inside and warehoused, so it won't pick up any additional life while stored either.
Jjgrow420
Well-Known Member
Every hydro store around here (obviously) has it plus home Depot sells it too. It's a good medium. I always recommend it because it's easy to use and fairly forgiving. I cut mine with coarse peat 5gal per every 15 gal promix. So in 20g of mix there's 5 gal of coarse peat.
Used to pay 22bucks a bail. Now it's 34 or something stupid. Fucking legalization!
LeastExpectedGrower
Well-Known Member
I do my best to avoid hydro/grow shops at all costs, so there is a closer place that probably has it, but I just hate the business model (mark everything up about 30% more than a regular retail outlet because it's 'grow')...for what they sell it for I can happily pay the extra $4.00 in gas. Besides most hydro stores are inhabited by douches.
calvin.m16
Well-Known Member
If you get gnats Gnatrol or Microbe-Lift BMC are great natural options that will eliminate them. Just mix into water and soak roots with it per directions. I use 1 drop per/gallon of Microbe-Lift BMC in the dropper bottle and it makes the gnats vanish within a couple days.
jimihendrix1
Well-Known Member
I use Promix BX, but if you use lime, Id use a mix of both Calcitic, and Dolomite.
Use 2/3 parts Calcitic, to 1/3 parts Dolomite. Calcitic is better for PH change. Promix BX-HP use both Calcitic, and Dolomite, in the above ratio.
Top dressing with lime really shouldnt be a problem.
If you do decide to top dress use
1.3 TBLSP of Calcitic/Agricultural Lime to 1/3 TBLSP of Dolomite for every gallon of soil. Then water. Considering they are seedlings, dont get them sopping wet either, trying to dissolve the lime. It will dissolve in time, as the watering get heavier.
Using both of these types of lime will also add both Calcium, and Magnesium to your soil.
Use 2/3 parts Calcitic, to 1/3 parts Dolomite. Calcitic is better for PH change. Promix BX-HP use both Calcitic, and Dolomite, in the above ratio.
Top dressing with lime really shouldnt be a problem.
If you do decide to top dress use
1.3 TBLSP of Calcitic/Agricultural Lime to 1/3 TBLSP of Dolomite for every gallon of soil. Then water. Considering they are seedlings, dont get them sopping wet either, trying to dissolve the lime. It will dissolve in time, as the watering get heavier.
Using both of these types of lime will also add both Calcium, and Magnesium to your soil.
Budzbuddha
Well-Known Member
I find adding a couple of cups of neem meal to any and all bagged medium is a good thing to stave off possible internal pest infections …. And what can hitchhike along transportation of product / pallet piles.
PJ Diaz
Well-Known Member
AgSil 16H