FFHF and FFOF and RO water

[TCH]

I am doing a grow with 3gallon fabric pots. I put about a 60/40 mix of FFOF/FFHF in the pots. OF on the bottom and HF on top for the seedlings. I mixed in about 20% perlite. I am new to soil growing. When I water, am I ok to use RO water? My tap water goes through a softener. I could get water out of the hose spigot if thats preferred. It is before the softener.

Second part to the question. My RO out of the dispenser reads right at 6.0ph. Do I need to bump that up for watering in soil?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[pahpah-cee]

The RO is preferred to softened water. 6ph water in soil is fine as soil will buffer the PH.

it the tap water in your county is clean I would highly recommend using this. RO water has been stripped of all minerals. Your plant may get deficiencies after a while with just RO. You could also do 3/4 RO 1/4 tap if you want to keep the PPM down in the water.

I use RO. My water is BAD. Full of chloramine and other nasty things. I’ve been using a product “Full On” to add to my RO. I’ve also seen people adding extra cal mag to RO.

 

[TCH]

I am on a well. I no longer have a tds meter and I dont recall what it measured from the hose bib. I can use that water if needed because it is before the softener. I also have calmag if needed.

 

[pahpah-cee]

I am on a well. I no longer have a tds meter and I dont recall what it measured from the hose bib. I can use that water if needed because it is before the softener. I also have calmag if needed.

I’d just use the well water as is. No dilution or adding anything. I’m jealous. I don’t want to use RO.

 

[TCH]

Good deal. I'll start out with that and see how it goes. Thanks

 

[visajoe1]

use the hose water, dont need RO growing in soil. RO strips all the buffers, CA/MG from the water. then you have to add it back in.

give hose water only for 2 weeks, then time to begin feeding before soil is depleted. what is plan for nutrients?

 

[insulintype1]

use the hose water, dont need RO growing in soil. RO strips all the buffers, CA/MG from the water. then you have to add it back in.

give hose water only for 2 weeks, then time to begin feeding before soil is depleted. what is plan for nutrients?

I've grown in HF/OF and CoCo LoCo from FF.. In 3 gallon pots you will probably get root bound. I typically pot up to 5/7gal if indoors and I only feed bloom and micro once or twice around week 5-6 of flower. I would highly recommend getting a PPM pen and testing your run off. FF soil runs extremely hot but in a good way since it's organic. Once you add bottle nutrients though you can lock the plant out as the soil becomes way too hot. This is just my experience with their products.

 

[TCH]

use the hose water, dont need RO growing in soil. RO strips all the buffers, CA/MG from the water. then you have to add it back in.

give hose water only for 2 weeks, then time to begin feeding before soil is depleted. what is plan for nutrients?

I have some old botanicare nutrients that I plan on using up.

I've grown in HF/OF and CoCo LoCo from FF.. In 3 gallon pots you will probably get root bound. I typically pot up to 5/7gal if indoors and I only feed bloom and micro once or twice around week 5-6 of flower. I would highly recommend getting a PPM pen and testing your run off. FF soil runs extremely hot but in a good way since it's organic. Once you add bottle nutrients though you can lock the plant out as the soil becomes way too hot. This is just my experience with their products.

So are you saying that you feed no nutrients until they are in their 5th or 6th week of flower? So, after I switch them to 12/12 then the 5th or 6th week after that, start feeding? Obviously, if the plants say otherwise, feed them sooner I assume.

As far as the 3 gallon pots, im not trying to grow monsters and I will probably flip them fairly early in order to sex them and just make it through a full grow. Once I get some known female cuts or seeds, I will focus on a bigger pot and less plants.

 

[insulintype1]

I have some old botanicare nutrients that I plan on using up.



So are you saying that you feed no nutrients until they are in their 5th or 6th week of flower? So, after I switch them to 12/12 then the 5th or 6th week after that, start feeding? Obviously, if the plants say otherwise, feed them sooner I assume.

As far as the 3 gallon pots, im not trying to grow monsters and I will probably flip them fairly early in order to sex them and just make it through a full grow. Once I get some known female cuts or seeds, I will focus on a bigger pot and less plants.

From my experience most FF products don't really require much if any bottle nutrient at all. Its set it and forget. Just practice good watering habits make sure you let the pot get light before you water and let the soil do it's thing. I am a pot up grower with soil. So jiffy pellet --> solo cup --> 1 gallon plastic nursery pot --> 7 gallon final for flower. my feed on week 5-6 is just a rough estimate and by no means set in stone. some plants are heavy feeders and others are super light. if you water to run off you can check the run off PPM. I won't add anything until that PPM is around 800 during flower. the soil should be able to handle most of your plants needs. one thing with FF products and most soils they have gnats in the soil.. easy way to deal with that is mix in Demetrius earth. I do this in a large plastic tub and let the soil completely dry out before planting.

 

[TCH]

From my experience most FF products don't really require much if any bottle nutrient at all. Its set it and forget. Just practice good watering habits make sure you let the pot get light before you water and let the soil do it's thing. I am a pot up grower with soil. So jiffy pellet --> solo cup --> 1 gallon plastic nursery pot --> 7 gallon final for flower. my feed on week 5-6 is just a rough estimate and by no means set in stone. some plants are heavy feeders and others are super light. if you water to run off you can check the run off PPM. I won't add anything until that PPM is around 800 during flower. the soil should be able to handle most of your plants needs. one thing with FF products and most soils they have gnats in the soil.. easy way to deal with that is mix in Demetrius earth. I do this in a large plastic tub and let the soil completely dry out before planting.

I do have a big bag of diatomaceous earth in the barn that I bought for chickens. Obviously too late to mix into the soil, but can it be sprinkled on top of the soil if gnats show up?

Also, with my outdoor garden, I watered in the evenings so the soil stayed damp longer and let the plants soak up more water. Does it make a difference in the tent if you water before lights out or not?

 

[insulintype1]

I do have a big bag of diatomaceous earth in the barn that I bought for chickens. Obviously too late to mix into the soil, but can it be sprinkled on top of the soil if gnats show up?

Also, with my outdoor garden, I watered in the evenings so the soil stayed damp longer and let the plants soak up more water. Does it make a difference in the tent if you water before lights out or not?

yes indoors. don't have a gnat issue outside.. I try to water in the morning.

 

[TCH]

yes indoors. don't have a gnat issue outside.. I try to water in the morning.

Oh yeah, I was talking about vegetable garden outdoors and when I would water it. Thank you!!