fox farm soils have low ph ?

fiestamik

Member
So I got 4 girls in flower day 37 of flip and I'm useing ffof and fox farm nutrients . The ph adjusted water going in is 6.8 but comes out around 5.9. I figured salt buildup probly cuz ff says its soil has a nuetral ph. Anyway I got some seedlings started they r a week old put into happy frog soil with sum extra lime and today I watered ph in was 6.8 came out at 5.8 ...! Has anyone had issues with fox farm soils before I'm honestly had my eyes open to organics and am going to try super soil next go around but I want the soil ph to be right. Is roots organics ph usualy nuetral or does every soil just have a low ph thought the runoff should be within like .5 of what u put in . I'm worried about it cuz my blueberrries r hurting due to the low ph of the soil thinking nutrient lockout I gave one a big flush and she's comming around but idd like to just have things right so there no problems in first place.
 

Swisher Sweet

Active Member
I use fox farm products and Happy Frog and haven't had any PH issues at. Was using Black Gold with good results before. I haven't used the Fox Farm Soils simply because of the cost (pretty expensive). I do use the SledgeHammer for nute lockout pretty regularly but don't know if you have a nute lockout of some sort going on.
 

fiestamik

Member
Well its looking like calcium and mangenese deficiency maybe cuz its started at the top of the plant with new growth and was working its way down but I'm not sure have seen nothing like it . Leaves getting brown yellow black spots then it overtakes the fan leaf and turns almost hole leaf brownish black and makes the leaves curl up and get real dry and brittle I used a minute amount of growbig as foliar feeding once and flsuhed and its comming out of it . I'm thinking I should get the sledgehammer kangaroots and other thing I guess useing the fox farm nutrient def need to be giving a good flush once a month or so I guess. I just thought it was weird to check runoff ph of happy frog right when it comes out of bag and its 5.8 ish . Another thing is I use tap water that sits for atleast 2 days maybe its to hard . I really need a new ppm meter .
 

mike91sr

Well-Known Member
I had this exact issue with FFOF. I water with tap water, ppm ~250, pH ~7.2. Runoff was 6.0-6.2. I can only imagine the soil itself had to be around 5.5 to get it down that low, but no soil probe yet. FFOF is based on sphagnum peat moss which is known for becoming more acidic over time, and despite what they say I had to add lime. I never really got the issue completely resolved TBH, just good enough to make it to harvest. Quality and yield definitely suffered as a result. I've since switched to HF and haven't seen any problems, still using same water and nutrients.
 

Bonkleesha

Active Member
Well its looking like calcium and mangenese deficiency maybe cuz its started at the top of the plant with new growth and was working its way down but I'm not sure have seen nothing like it . Leaves getting brown yellow black spots then it overtakes the fan leaf and turns almost hole leaf brownish black and makes the leaves curl up and get real dry and brittle I used a minute amount of growbig as foliar feeding once and flsuhed and its comming out of it . I'm thinking I should get the sledgehammer kangaroots and other thing I guess useing the fox farm nutrient def need to be giving a good flush once a month or so I guess. I just thought it was weird to check runoff ph of happy frog right when it comes out of bag and its 5.8 ish . Another thing is I use tap water that sits for atleast 2 days maybe its to hard . I really need a new ppm meter .
consider the possibility that you have a virus.
 

crazyhazey

Well-Known Member
So I got 4 girls in flower day 37 of flip and I'm useing ffof and fox farm nutrients . The ph adjusted water going in is 6.8 but comes out around 5.9. I figured salt buildup probly cuz ff says its soil has a nuetral ph. Anyway I got some seedlings started they r a week old put into happy frog soil with sum extra lime and today I watered ph in was 6.8 came out at 5.8 ...! Has anyone had issues with fox farm soils before I'm honestly had my eyes open to organics and am going to try super soil next go around but I want the soil ph to be right. Is roots organics ph usualy nuetral or does every soil just have a low ph thought the runoff should be within like .5 of what u put in . I'm worried about it cuz my blueberrries r hurting due to the low ph of the soil thinking nutrient lockout I gave one a big flush and she's comming around but idd like to just have things right so there no problems in first place.
odd, never had this problem. try flushing it through with something higher in pH like natural spring water or rainwater if you have it.
 

fiestamik

Member
A virus didn't cross my mind don't know to much about viruses and plants another thing to research I guess.... I don't have spider mites sum people said that but I've looked under the scope and don't c shit. I had a case of fungss gnats but I got azamax and use once a week as a drenched and I havnt seen one flying around for weeks but I know its the larvae that do damage to roots ..... I dunno the 2 trainwrecks I have r un affected look great one blueberry is having a hard time and other blueberry is actually starting to get the same thing as the other one but just started today. Im gonna be switching to roots organics I guess something more coco coir based.
 

crazyhazey

Well-Known Member
A virus didn't cross my mind don't know to much about viruses and plants another thing to research I guess.... I don't have spider mites sum people said that but I've looked under the scope and don't c shit. I had a case of fungss gnats but I got azamax and use once a week as a drenched and I havnt seen one flying around for weeks but I know its the larvae that do damage to roots ..... I dunno the 2 trainwrecks I have r un affected look great one blueberry is having a hard time and other blueberry is actually starting to get the same thing as the other one but just started today. Im gonna be switching to roots organics I guess something more coco coir based.
could be nute lock or just root bound, pictures?
and the fungus gnats are from overwatering, poking holes in your soil can help the moisture wick out as well as stimulate root growth and air flow to your roots
 

fiestamik

Member
And those pics above are the worst leaves of the bunch and its just at the top , down in the middle and bottomed everything looks fine. Guess just have to do better next one. I got mango and c99 seedlings going now gonna be a few weeks till I get clones from them but def gonna be switching soils fox farm is just to acidic or I just got a bad batch or something
 

MrDank007

Well-Known Member
It's not the soil although FF is a little acidic. It's most likely the water and that is a calcium issue, which can get locked out a lower PH. What is your water like going in?
 

fiestamik

Member
Well got them in 5 galon grow bags . And I'm thinking its lockout also and at first was watering every 3rd day but I've now started only watering every 4 or 5 days sometimes a week if they look ok was def over watering at first . Just getting back into it this is first go around for indoor in a few years just thought it was weird the 4 I got have been getting same everything the ttsinwrecks look awesome and blueberrys are hurting
 

fiestamik

Member
The water going in is adjusted to 6.8 but plain water no adjustement is hovering around 6.5 after it sits for a few days
 

fiestamik

Member
I have cal mag + and watered them with it when I first saw this happening but it got worse and worse then I flushed 2 days ago and it seams to have stoped. Also after I flushed I tested a little runoff from the end of the flush.and it was 6.4 but that's not a very acurate number cuz it was water from end of flush. This is a pic of the blueberry on the right and other ones in the back
 

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fiestamik

Member
add some dolomite lime to your fox farms and you should be good
I did add lime to the happy frog I just got and transplanted the seedlings into but I got the garden lime from espoma and used about a half cup in the happy frog bag and mixed well . Maybe it takes some time to take effect? And I need to get real lime not this clay pelatized stuff . Well it might be ok after a few waterings and the clay disolves but then there will be little paches of lime instead of it mixed thoroughly ... I need to get the real stuff
 

crazyhazey

Well-Known Member
I did add lime to the happy frog I just got and transplanted the seedlings into but I got the garden lime from espoma and used about a half cup in the happy frog bag and mixed well . Maybe it takes some time to take effect? And I need to get real lime not this clay pelatized stuff . Well it might be ok after a few waterings and the clay disolves but then there will be little paches of lime instead of it mixed thoroughly ... I need to get the real stuff
mix up the soil before planting it, and dolomite should do it. if not you can just water with spring water, its pH is about 6.9 so itd bring it up a little.
 
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