Ph too high?

J

Jutachi

Active Member
Hello guys. Bigger
Plant :cream of the crop lemon venom,
smaller plant : green crack

Light: Chinese hlg 550v2 quantum board 480w dimmable

Both in 5gallon fabric pots Roots
Organic soil mixed with ewc, compost, dr earth flower girl bloom, dolomite lime, perlite. Reused some soil again and mixed with fresh roots organic soil and amended.

Water: tap water is low ppm out the faucet. Ph usually around 6.5-7.I usually let it sit out at least 24hrs before use in a 5g Lowe’s bucket.

I feel like it’s ph because the plants have steadily gotten worse over time. Theyre
Droopy, purple stems, light/lime green and overall look very unhappy. After watering the run off has been 7.4-7.7. Slurry test came back with the same ph results. At first I thought it was cal-mag b/c that’s how it started off looking. So I top dressed some dolomite lime and fed organic cal mag. Problems didn’t get better. Next I been just watering regularly with plain water with 6.6-7ph still no improvements. Also tried lowering water ph to 4.5-5.5 for 3 gallons and the runoff didn’t budge from 7.6 at all. I top dressed some ewc and it did nothing and I just top dressed some lobster compost last night hoping microbes will help.

im Thinking of using the espoma soil acidifier aka sulfur but not sure how it would work if I have dolomite lime mixed in as wel already. Anyone use sulfur to lower ph slightly and if so what’s the measurement I should use.
If I can’t fix this I think I’ll transfer to fresh roots soil with organic material added when I go to put them in the 10g pots. Suggestions anyone? Been fighting this problem about a month now with no results. Maybe I’ve been going about it wrong?
As of last watering run off was 7.6 ph ppms around 1300-1400
 

Attachments

J

Jutachi

Active Member
Tbh I did all that stuff
Over 1 months time not like within a couple weeks or something lol new growth hasn’t improved since it started. They’re in 5 gallon pots and usually I water around 3-4 days in between and I make sure the pots are light and I give them about a gallon of water every time. The temps are between 76-80 so the soil dries fairly quickly but not too quick. How much is overwatering? Can’t let organic soil get too too dry it’s not good for the microbes?

I gave them 3 gallons of 5.5ph the other day because I read somewhere that it would lower run off ph but it didn’t work so now they’re drying out and I’m not sure to do next. The ph is definitely off the stems are all purple. Run off measuring mid-high 7s. Not sure how much longer they can last like this before they die, they look super unhappy.

so you guys think the garden sulfur is a no go? I’d hope it drop the ph so the plants can start eating again. Seems to be eating itself
 

Attachments

Herb & Suds

Herb & Suds

Well-Known Member
Just dry it it and find the answer ...what you have been doing isn't helping
And then slow your roll on environmental changes
 
J

Jutachi

Active Member
Sorry what you said was confusing. Everything I’ve been doing is to find the answer to my problem. So I’m here actually trying to find the next course of action because all the drying and finding the answers I’ve been doing up until isn’t working haha lol.

Some background info :
4x4x6.5 tent
Hanna PH meter to test ph and ppms
Temps stay 70-80 avg
Humidity 45-55 avg
24 hours of light, no dark period 480watt quantum board chinese
5 gallon fabric pots
Organic soil, no synthetic ferts have been used.
Tap water with 50-60ppms 6.5-7ph let it sit out at least 24 hours

Since spotting the problem here is the steps I’ve taken.

1. it started off looking like cal mag with nice green leaves and brown spots here and there. Top dressed 1.5 tsp dolomite lime and I watered with cal-mag by general organics and molasses. And let it dry out.
2. Problem didn’t get better, gave plain water and waited for it to dry.
3. Problems looked to become worse and worse with yellowing starting between veins so I watered with some Epsom salt and molasses. Let soil dry out.
4. Problems kept progressing and just gave it plain water. Let it dry
5. Getting worse , gave it a 1/4str dose of espoma liquid organic feet 2-2-2 npk in a gallon of water. Let it dry
6. New growth still deformed and yellow some damage and purple stems everywhere. Top dressed a good amount of EWC and dolomite lime and watered it in. Let soil dry. Week later still looking sick. Run off ph testing 7.5-7.6
7. Flushed 3 gallons of water phed to 5.0 thru. Checked runoff ph, still 7.4-7.7. Did slurry test, same thing.

all those steps spanned out over about 1month. Plant still sick, not sure what else to do other then transplant Into the 10gallons and mix some fresh roots organic soil with some organic material and the soil my plants are alreadyin and hope maybe that balances it out. If not then sulfur? Does this sound like a good plan to combat this?

or just leave it alone and keep watering with 6.5 phed water?
 
Last edited:
majjy_rane

majjy_rane

Active Member
sometimes less is more and time is of the essence. get off that overnursing habit and just let it grow. me for example give mine just GH 3 part flora series and looks great. my greatest issues were always PH and shaky, dopey hands while defoliating. :bigjoint:
 
Kushash

Kushash

Well-Known Member
Jutachi said:
Sorry what you said was confusing. Everything I’ve been doing is to find the answer to my problem. So I’m here actually trying to find the next course of action because all the drying and finding the answers I’ve been doing up until isn’t working haha lol.

Some background info :
4x4x6.5 tent
Hanna PH meter to test ph and ppms
Temps stay 70-80 avg
Humidity 45-55 avg
24 hours of light, no dark period 480watt quantum board chinese
5 gallon fabric pots
Organic soil, no synthetic ferts have been used.
Tap water with 50-60ppms 6.5-7ph let it sit out at least 24 hours

Since spotting the problem here is the steps I’ve taken.

1. it started off looking like cal mag with nice green leaves and brown spots here and there. Top dressed 1.5 tsp dolomite lime and I watered with cal-mag by general organics and molasses. And let it dry out.
2. Problem didn’t get better, gave plain water and waited for it to dry.
3. Problems looked to become worse and worse with yellowing starting between veins so I watered with some Epsom salt and molasses. Let soil dry out.
4. Problems kept progressing and just gave it plain water. Let it dry
5. Getting worse , gave it a 1/4str dose of espoma liquid organic feet 2-2-2 npk in a gallon of water. Let it dry
6. New growth still deformed and yellow some damage and purple stems everywhere. Top dressed a good amount of EWC and dolomite lime and watered it in. Let soil dry. Week later still looking sick. Run off ph testing 7.5-7.6
7. Flushed 3 gallons of water phed to 5.0 thru. Checked runoff ph, still 7.4-7.7. Did slurry test, same thing.

all those steps spanned out over about 1month. Plant still sick, not sure what else to do other then transplant Into the 10gallons and mix some fresh roots organic soil with some organic material and the soil my plants are alreadyin and hope maybe that balances it out. If not then sulfur? Does this sound like a good plan to combat this?

or just leave it alone and keep watering with 6.5 phed water?
Click to expand...
I would suggest any plant that is struggling under 24/0 of light should be adjusted to 18/6.
 
Renfro

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Testing runoff is unreliable. Get a proper soil pH meter and eliminate the guess work. I have an Apera PH60S that is very nice, I also have a Hanna thats ok too, my buddy has the blue lab. All are the ones with a spear probe for use in soil or liquids.
 
P

piratebug

Well-Known Member
You really have to up your ca/mg + add epsom salt if you running them samsung lights. In other words, you really need to change the ratio for your ca/mg supplement, so instead of using a 3:1 or 2:1 ratio that works great when using mh/hps/cmh, you should be using 1:1 ratio when using them samsung lights. I use 5ml ca/mg + 1 tsp epsom salt per gallon of water before mixing anything else to keep my babies nice and green when I am running samsung lights! Any way... per 12" inch pot, (a 5 gallon pot), you would need to top dress, work it in with a fork, each pot with 1/3 of a cup aluminum sulfate to lower the soils pH from pH 7.6 to pH 6.5. It takes roughly 1.0666 tablespoons to lower the pH by pH 0.2 in a (5 gallon pot). But remember, next time you should do that before planting your plants!
 
J

Jutachi

Active Member
So you guys think I should just use the espoma garden sulfur 1/3cup per 5 gallon and just give it plain 6.5phed water once a week?
Sound like a good plan before I do it ? Will the dolomite lime in the soil counter the effects of the sulfate?
 
P

piratebug

Well-Known Member
The reason I said to use "aluminum sulfate" instead of "sulfur", is because aluminum sulfate will bring the pH down immediately, while it will take plain old "sulfur" at least 2 - 3 weeks to completely break down before it will bring the soils pH down to where you are needing it!
 
J

Jutachi

Active Member
Ah I see thanks. Can you recommend me any organic aluminum sulfate products ?

I also read somewhere that aluminum is bad for Mj plants and to use iron sulfate instead.

“Most alkaline soils have a pH no higher than 7.5, which is within the range for optimum growth. Soils that are too alkaline can be adjusted by adding gypsum, which frees insoluble salts, and include iron, magnesium, and aluminium sulphate. Marijuana has a low tolerance for aluminium; so marijuana growers should use iron or magnesium sulphate in preference to aluminium sulphate. Sulphur and gypsum are worked into the soil in the same manner as lime.
{Table 19.}”

I will be purchasing tomorrow. Iron sulfate over aluminum sulfate? As long as my micro herd isn’t affected and the ph is lowered to where it needs to be
 
Last edited:
J

Jutachi

Active Member
Hey guys back with an update. I transplanted them to 10g pots with fresh roots soil and mixed some compost and ewc in. Also sprinkles great white Myco around the root balls. Literally the whole 5g of soil was the root ball. So I assumed maybe root bound was happening but I didn’t think it could happen a month into a grow in 5g pots? Idk but they seem to have bounced back. I did sprinkle like 2 tbsp of iron sulfate on top just Incase. I also trimmed most of the damage leaves off as well. Also began scrogging, still have a lot of clearing to do under the scrog. Any thoughts?

side note: how high do you guys hang your qbs from plants? Mines are at 24in from the tops dimmed to around 50-60 percent power
 

Attachments

J

Jutachi

Active Member
I’ve actually just been giving them tap water that’s been left out since the transplant. I then use lemon juice to ph it down to 6.5-7 ph.
 
J

Jutachi

Active Member
Will let you know but not much I think the water is at around 7-7-8 after sitting out. The lemon juice uses less than 100ppm for sure because the ppm of the water before the lemon juice is 57-70ppm after is doesn’t fluctuate that much it’s still under 100ppm by the time ph reads 6.5
Much
 
J

Jutachi

Active Member
Hey guys another update:

did some more trimming below, not rushing to clear below thenet don’t want to stress the girls too much. it’s been almost 2 weeks since I last watered the one on the right and the soil meter is still reading between 3-5 on the moist scale on the soil meter. Isit normal for 10g of
Soil to take that long to dry out? Thinking of watering it Saturday night. They’re still growing, new growth looks better but not all the way better yet. Some tips have been burn.

since I translplanted I haven’t added any nutes yet going to wait a couple weeks soil should be full of microbes. Next water will add 5mL/g molasses. Thoughts?
 

Attachments

You must log in or register to reply here.
Top