Need help? Come here first, I have answers

I wrote this for someone else but as I was writing it I remembered so many threads I read yesterday where a result of pH problems. That should be the first thing you look at when your plant is acting funny. So please feel free to use what you can from this and take this first easy step before posting ascking about deficiencies, because even if you do have identified a deficiency it can be the direct result of pH problems and adding more nutes will make it toxic. So read away, ask questions, add to it, clarify, or correct. There is a little soil info to start but it doesn't take long to see the relation and what you are looking for.


"The reason you want Sunshine Mix 4 is because it is cheap and exactly what you need. It isn'r really soil because it holds no nutrients and comes PH nuetral at 7. The "soil" supports the roots and thus the plant, provide the proper drainage to let your roots breath but also holds on to enough moisture to provide for your plants with out drowning them. While pot likes water it also like to dry out after everywatering. Most new growers have a problem with over watering because they want to take such good care of their plants. After you water your plants you know you have to water them again when you stick your finger and inch in the soil or more and the top is dry but below that is a little moist, no more than every few days. Soild that drys right out will stress and wilt your plant(hopefully not beyond recover) Too much water drowns them and can affect the pH. I used a coloring marker stuck in a hole to know which way to face the plant when rotating and so I don't have to poke a hole in the soil and possible disturb roots. You want your plant to be as stress free as possible.
Now this pH thing I'm talking about. It is very important because it affects the roots ability to absorb nutrients and especially water. It is very important when using nutrients.
Anyways pH I'll give you a few basics first. The scale goes from 1-14, 1 being acidic(vinigar), 14 being Basic or Alkalye(sp?, it's like batteries) and 7 is nutral like distilled water. Bases and acids have different charges. If you think way back to high school you should remeber that particles have charges and the molecules that make those particles have their own charges it's what holds them togather, like a tiny magnet.
Pot has a small window in which the pH of it's soil has to be in order to attract nutrients towards the roots and even water. This range is 5.8-6.8, I'm happy with 6.5-6.8. This is what you want for the soil. If your pH is off your plant will show signs of deficiencies even though food is right there in the soil, it can even wilt and dry because it can't get any water even if the soil is soaking wet.
Now what causes thiis problem with pH? First off your water I'm not sure how yours is but it should be fine with some simple adjustment. Second is a build up of salt(the partcles of nutrients), when salts aren't used one in watering they build up when the second dose of feeding comes, so you have an excess of a charge usually negitive, but those negitive charges want to be balanced, so it attaches to positive charges, such as water and bond with it, locking the needed molecle up. This is Nutrient Lock Out.
(I hope I haven't lost you yet)
This is why more fertilizer, or nutrients, is worse then less.
So when you water your plants you want to water till water comes out the bottom. When you first water use feed or water with a pH of 6.5-6.8. If it is too high you can buy pH down or use vinigar, if too low add pH up or baking soda. Now ater your plant and catch some of the water that comes out the bottom. Test your pH from this water, it should be close to the same as the pH water you put in.
Now what if it isn't the same? One possibility is that the soil itself is a little off and you need to change the pH of your water to bing it to the right range. So if your soil is 5.6 and you want 6.6 you need to raise your water to 7.6 every time you water to try and keep the pH stable.
What if all of a sudden your pH changes? Then you may have a build up, and it is time to learn to flush. Flushing is used to remove those toxic salts that build up. So long as your tap water is close to the pH you want I suggest doing it in the bathtub, just watch the temperature of your water, you want to try and have it close to the root temp (76-80 degrees depending on your grow). You are going to water your plant and let it drain over and over and over. If the water comes out yellow or brown it's a good thing you are flushing because it should be clear. Keep checking the pH of the run off. When the pH coming out is the same as the pH going in flushing is done. I just leave it at that and feed the next watering, others feed using a dilluted feed.
Alot of times when people think they have a nutrient deficiency or other problem it is because of pH related problem, but they don't know that so they feed more and make the problem worse."


Charlie Charlie over and out.