Need Guidance on Ph issue

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First
I mean over watering is a symptom right so how do you justify flushing. I would like that explained if possible.

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Over-watering causes certain symptoms. Mainly your plant "suffocating" in water that has no dissolved oxygen in it.

It should be much harder to overwater a plant in a soilless mixture, which should wick moisture around effectively and maintain tiny air pockets for root health. Otherwise, why use it? (Unless you just want to be responsible for providing all the plant's micronutrients. :() Some of these media are designed to be watered up to 4 times a day, and it would take Mike Nelson to actually drown a plant in most of this stuff. ;)

Soil's another story. If you properly water to even slight runoff, your soil should be well-saturated. That's why you are supposed to let the soil dry slightly between waterings: so the roots can get some air. Plants that have been "loved to death" typically look like they've been drowned by being continually watered -- without ever letting the soil dry enough to supply oxygen to the roots.

That's one of the reasons to keep transplanting into slightly bigger containers, rather than planting a seed in a big ol' pot and just letting it "grow into it. " Let's say you water that big pot on the 1st of the month. On the 15th it's still soaked because your little seedling has only a 2" taproot and can't suck up all that water. It goes "stale"--no O2--and your seedling drowns or is attacked by anaerobic pathogens.

The problem is compounded by letting the water sit overnight, or boiling it, without reoxygenating it. It's like putting a plant in a bubble-bucket and then standing on the air line. :wtf:

So whether you saturate your soil for 10 minutes with a watering, or for 30 min to do a flush, it's still gonna take a couple days to dry out. Saturated is saturated. If you worry about the added 20 minutes of flood time during the flush, shake your jugs (woo-hoo) while you flush to keep that water fulla O2. :thumbsup:

Overwatering is a chronic condition--one flush is not going to cause it. However, flushing with wild abandon can cause compaction of your soil, and wash out all your expensive worm poop, bat poop, and buffers, and is best avoided. Measure your runoff and quit flushing when your numbers are right. :thumbsup:

IMO, there is more to watering soil than just slopping juice into a pot. Done right it competes with hydro, if other variables are optimized.

:greenthumb:Now, that's a "sticky worthy" post.:thumbsup:

Mahalo,

Weezard

Thanks DH much appreciated. :thumbsup:

I guess like you said saturated is saturated rather pouring 3 gal or 9 gal for a flush the medium can only get so wet. She is looking good since I did the 3 gal flush. After the 3 gal flush I waited another 3 days then fed her RO 1 gal with a 700 PPM feed. Its been a couple days since that feed. I am thinking about doing another flush as the PPM run off was still pretty hot but on the last gal I pour in I will add some CalMag and 1/2 strength nutes!

Thanks again bro!

Peace

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Originally Posted by DreadedHermie

it would take Mike Nelson to actually drown a plant in most of this stuff.

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Who is Mike Nelson :wtf:

Hey GodBud,

One more comment on flushing.. So long as you get a decent flow out the bottom of your container, I like about 25% run off. Just let them dry out in between... They like it.

Peace,

Farmer Rich

Thanks Farmer! Will do. Thats about what I am getting 25% runoff!

Anytime..

For upping your Ph, I just use the stuff from the hydro store, which is about $5 a quart.. I never need it unless I over do it on Ph down. You'll get pretty good at dialing it in after a while.

Farmer Rich

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Originally Posted by GodBud

Who is Mike Nelson :wtf:

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"By now, my lungs were aching for air..."
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Haven't you heard the expression, "Don't 'Lloyd' the 'tank'?" :D

LOL funny