FFOF + Dolimite Line = Any Good?

[BudLvr]

Im about to start another grow and have had problems with LOW Ph in the past. But I now have a new Ph meter for my liquid fert mix. I still need to get one for the soil.
But I was woundering if it's a good idea to ad about 1/4 cup of dry powered Dolimite Lime with the 1 Full bag (25-30lbs) FoxFarms Ocean Forest (FFOF) soil??
A. a good idea to add as it will help
B. just OK to ad as it wont harm or help much
C. a waste of time to ad as it wont help or harm much
D. a BAD idea to ad as it harmful

I dont know what the PH in the soil is or was when the plants were 2+ months old. But my guess, is LOW. Since the Ph in the fert liquid mix was about 5.2 But I know got a Liquid PH meter so that problem should be more cleared up.

BUt let me know what your guys and gals best opions are with the dolimte lime. im sure their are other things i can use but i already have the DL and dont want to spend anymore for a soil addivtive
But i will be buying a soil PH meter very soon

 

[luciferateme]

i use lime now and on my current grow its much etter than my last, havnt had any issues with cal/mag def and the ph is always steady around 6.8. personally i think its a good thing so chocks away and add the lime fella.
lu

 

[Wetdog]

A

You will need more than 1/4 cup for the whole bag. "I" use 2tbl/gallon of mix, or 1cup/CuFt of mix.

If that is the 1 1/2 CuFt bag, add 1 1/2 cups of the dolo.

Wet

 

[zazahzle]

ffof is ph balanced and will remain that way with proper watering.

 

[BudLvr]

alright, so it sounds like it aint to bad of an idea to ad a little.
Even if the OF stays well ph with proper watering, i thought it would still be little benifeical somehow.

Now just to decide on how much to use per bag of OF. Im guessing it only comes it that 25lb bag maybe 1.5cuft i think. it cost like 22.50.
I just want to go light with it. as ive been having problems with adding too much stuff before. plus with the OF staying well Ph it shouldnt need much anyways. Thats why i was just guessing 1/4 cup for the bag.
Im only doing 3 plants this time. So the one bag should be enough.
But perhaps I ad lil more and put in 1/2 cup D.Lime to the OF bag.

 

[yesum]

Lime raises ph to 7 but does not lower it from above 7, so if you have alkaline water, no you do not want it. My water was over 8 and until I ph adjusted it, the soil was too high in ph and caused probs.

Perlite is a better amendment imo.

 

[medicalgrowman]

ffof is ph balanced and will remain that way with proper watering.

Not in MY experience.
FFOF soil typically lowers my PH by 1.5points.
I would start with 6.5PH, then I noticed my plants were looking sickly.
I tested the run-off and it came-out to approx 5PH.
So now I start with 8PH water and it comes-out approx 6.5ph.
Even since I've been watering with 8PH in FFOF soil, my plants have been
looking much healthier in my legal medical grow.

 

[Nullis]

Wetdog had the best answer.

When I amend my soil for the second transplant usually I add in more dolomite lime (to Ocean Forest) along with a dry starter fertilizer and guano. For seedlings that will be transplanted in due time adding dolomite isn't that necessary, but for the final transplant you could add in the amounts Wetdog suggested and probably not have to worry too much about pH for the better part of the bloom period. Don't worry too much if your pH is 7 or a little higher and your goal is to foster beneficial bacteria (especially N fixing bacteria) because they like the pH around there.

Lime raises ph to 7 but does not lower it from above 7, so if you have alkaline water, no you do not want it. My water was over 8 and until I ph adjusted it, the soil was too high in ph and caused probs.

Perlite is a better amendment imo.

I seem to hear this a lot about lime raising pH to 7, but I am fairly positive that given enough dolomite lime media pH could climb above that. Add a reasonable about of lime to some water and do a pH test. It will barely dissolve in the water, but if you're using pH drops it should turn bluish green or whatever the highest on the scale is... unless my mind is totally fucked and I just imagined having done that.

How is perlite any 'better' than dolomite lime? Perlite is practically inert (and over-used in my opinion)... we're talking about two completely different kinds of soil ingredients.

 

[Wetdog]

alright, so it sounds like it aint to bad of an idea to ad a little.
Even if the OF stays well ph with proper watering, i thought it would still be little benifeical somehow.

Now just to decide on how much to use per bag of OF. Im guessing it only comes it that 25lb bag maybe 1.5cuft i think. it cost like 22.50.
I just want to go light with it. as ive been having problems with adding too much stuff before. plus with the OF staying well Ph it shouldnt need much anyways. Thats why i was just guessing 1/4 cup for the bag.
Im only doing 3 plants this time. So the one bag should be enough.
But perhaps I ad lil more and put in 1/2 cup D.Lime to the OF bag.

Dolomite and Garden lime are just ground up limestone rock, two different limestones, but still rock. I guess you could over apply it, but you would have to work at it. You can certainly under apply it.

I've grown citrus in straight, crushed, oolitic limestone. Too heavy by itself, but nothing burned or anything like that. It's that mild. Oolitic limestone is another type of limestone and pretty much the whole of SoFla sits on it.

Hydrated lime is something else and you should avoid it, way too hot. Sometimes called quicklime.

"I" would do the 1 1/2cups for the bag, but do at least 1cup if you are nervous. That 1/2 cup just might run out right in the middle of flowering. That's what seems to happen a lot with FFOF, they just don't add enough.

Wet