pH @ 5.9 - Soil

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I got an actual pH meter finally!

Nutrient mix was adjusted to 6.5 going in and the runoff ended up at 5.9

I need to flush. The next feeding is already set for 100% h2o. The ladies typically share 2 gallons of water between the 4 of them, a half gallon each. Now, I just need to know how much to water it, and what is the best water to flush with.

I have both distilled and R/O water. I was thinking about flushing with 2 gallons of water (1 gal. distilled, 1 gal. R/O) to each pot. (pots are 5 gal.) Should I add all of the 2 gal. at once? Over an hour? A couple hours? I have a feeling that flooding a plant like that would do more harm than good. BUT, I don't know shit about this, I have never flushed before.

What about the pH of the water? where should I aim for going in? 7.1, to even the 5.9 out to 6.5? Or pH starting @ 6.5? Also, I've heard that R/O can be harmful to soil by leaching out the nutrients due to it's "0 qualities" Or was that hydro?

Either way....I need some help.

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From my little hidden thread in the Grow Logs...

Seeing as how the boards are a little slow today, I have done some more research, and have made a preemptive decision: each lady will get 10 gallons of half/half distilled/R.O. water. The water will be applied over the course of a day, as spread-out as possible; I don't want to drown them. The pH will be at 7.0, I will try to check the run-off after each application to see how they are reacting. I have a feeling that it *shouldn't* take too much to get the pH back up to the 6.5 range; as I already have a healthy amount of prilled dolomite lime in the mix. (1.5 cups of lime to 1.5 cu. ft. of soil) I would imagine that the lime will easily bump pH after 10 gallons of water.

I will be doing this in a couple of days, as I just fed last night with nutes. (when & where I discovered my run-off problem) ...So I have a couple of days to get some responses/advice before I follow through.

Stinky? Rhizome? Reaper? Pharma? Opie? Weedhound?

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Ahhh.....the boards really have been slowing down like LIP said.....:(

That's too bad,....though, it may be a good thing. I really think that the changes, the whining, and departures may shake the forums of the "n00bs" that people have been "hating on" lately. - "For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction."

That sounds good to me......but I'd ph your water to 6.8ish going in. The norm is 3 to 5 times the amount of water for the size of your pot ....if you have a one gallon pot you should flush with 3 gals...etc.

You want the water to go through fairly fast. If it were me I would add a gallon as quickly as possible...wait for it to drain and do the next one. Water sitting in there isn't flushing things....it's just sitting there mostly and not helpful.

Check the ph of your runoff as you go.....if ph normalizes after three gallons then stop.....a normal soil runoff ph is what you are aiming for here so more than that won't do anyone any good.

Stinky tells me that the very last flush you do (once eveything is normal) should be with 1/4 strength ferts......then let the plant dry out.

Thank-you Hound!

Do it all at once. You goal is the FLUSH out the bad shit, not to just get it wet.
Use tap water. The CaCO3 dissolved in most tap water will help neutralize acids. Adjust the pH of your flush solution to 7.5. Check runoff after the first couple gallons.
The final flush should be with a solution of 1/4 strength complete fert at pH 6.8-7.0 (since you are starting low and a slight drop will continue).
I'm guessing you're in a peat-based medium and have been in the same pot for at least 8 weeks?

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Originally Posted by stinkyattic

I'm guessing you're in a peat-based medium and have been in the same pot for at least 8 weeks?

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Yep. They were transplanted into Fox Farms Ocean forest 7 weeks ago. The second ingredient is sphagnum peat moss. I'm starting to think that I'm gonna want to mix my own soil next time...

I'm also assuming that I should let my tap sit out for a day to let the chlorine out, right? Thanks for the help.

Edit: I think I'm gonna go the Agway/perlite route next time, for sure.

maybe i missed it in your thread, but why are you flushing? i hit the link to your grow thread and didn't see any problems with your plants. if you're flushing just because your runoff ph isn't 6.5, then i would advise against it.

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Originally Posted by Bongojaz

maybe i missed it in your thread, but why are you flushing? i hit the link to your grow thread and didn't see any problems with your plants. if you're flushing just because your runoff ph isn't 6.5, then i would advise against it.

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The thing is, our runoff pH is indicative of the soil pH. A pH of 5.9 is not ideal for nutrient uptake in soil. Correcting the pH of the soil will help prevent problems before they happen and result in bigger, healthier plants.

Norkali - I grow in coco. The things I do in coco would probably drown a soil plant. Of course I know the procedure for flushing plants in soil, but there are dirt farmers on this forum who deal with your kind of issues on a regular basis and I figure that you're better off to hear from them.

PC :smokin:

^^^you should never chase ph, especially if your plants aren't displaying any issues. if you ph "everything" you put in/on your plants correctly, then ph should never be an issue. instead of a large flush, i suggest when you water/feed, always allow for some runoff. this will act as a mini-flush, and eliminate the need for a flush altogether, until the harvest time flush. i'm also a coco fan and will never go back to soil!

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Originally Posted by Bongojaz

^^^you should never chase ph, especially if your plants aren't displaying any issues. if you ph "everything" you put in/on your plants correctly, then ph should never be an issue. instead of a large flush, i suggest when you water/feed, always allow for some runoff. this will act as a mini-flush, and eliminate the need for a flush altogether, until the harvest time flush. i'm also a coco fan and will never go back to soil!

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Well, I don't grow in soil, so ..... :wtf:

Have you read the information that Canna products has on the web for using their coco nutes? Canna claims that pH measurements from coco runoff are meaningless. I check my runoff occasionally, but more for curiosity than anything else.

PC :smokin: