Soil Ph or water?

Hello! first of all I hope everyone having a wonderful day :jointsmile:

I have a few dumb questions...
As far as growing in soil, how do you monitor the Ph? do you just leave your water set out to evap the chlorine, then test the Ph and adjust the water with whatever accordingly? Or do you have to do that on top of something else with your soil?

Hydro was the coolest thing in my mind until I read up on all the work and $$ it takes.... more the $$ because I'm a firm believer you need to work hard for good things.

I already have a Milwaukee SM802 meter which would have been perfect for hydro, but since that's prolly not the way this will go I don't know if that will still work. I mean it will for the water but I don't know about the soil (if that even has to be checked, and if so, how?)

Also what is the best soil? the stuff without nutes? I have heard to stay away from miracle grow and those kinds...right? but wouldn't have a clue as to mixing the right amount of nutes in soil.

Any help would be awesome! I know there are a lot of really smart ppl on here that know what they are doing. :D ie: Sticky for one ;)

When testing the pH of the water, you'll want to check the unadulterated water source that you'll be using...and you'll also want to periodically check the pH of the runoff that collects at the bottom of the pot after a soil-flush. These will give you the best indication of whether or not the soil and the water have a pH issue. As for leaving water sitting to evaporate chlorine, this is really a personal preference, and isn't necessarily a mandatory step. Many a good crop has been grown using water straight from the tap.

As for growing in soil, you'll find that many folks prefer growing in an organic soil when growing for personal consumption. Hydro setups have their benefits, but they're more appropriate for commercial grows, in my opinion. Where individual watering of numerous plants isn't feasible. Read through the various Cultivation forums & Organic Growing threads to find out what has worked best for many of the growers here. There's no one right answer as to the "best" soil available on the market.

Thanks Mr. Clandestine, that makes sense, now you said a soil flush...is this something you HAVE to do? or just for Ph testing purposes? if so would one just drill a hole or 2 on the bottom of the pot to do this, then just pour about a gallon or 2 depending on the size of pot and let it run out and test that water? if i am correct... also is it wise to have rocks on the bottom of the pot?
I have read a few things online etc but it never fails that something contradicts what I read so this is why I ask :)

thanks again everyone!

Here's a good place to start reading.
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Originally Posted by Twentyinches

Thanks Mr. Clandestine, that makes sense, now you said a soil flush...is this something you HAVE to do? or just for Ph testing purposes? if so would one just drill a hole or 2 on the bottom of the pot to do this, then just pour about a gallon or 2 depending on the size of pot and let it run out and test that water? if i am correct... also is it wise to have rocks on the bottom of the pot?
I have read a few things online etc but it never fails that something contradicts what I read so this is why I ask :)

thanks again everyone!

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First of all, no problem!

Secondly, you don't necessarily have to do a soil flush...but it's generally recommended to do one at least once a month or so. It will help to clear out some of the excessive fertilizers/salts that eventually build up in most soils, regardless of the quality. And yes, drilling a few 1/8-1/4" holes in the bottom of your pot would be more than sufficient for collecting run-off. But I was simply stating that this is a good way to test the overall pH of the soil. You can experience nutrient lockout and a list of nasty maladies from soil with an excessively acidic or alkaline pH, and many growers like to rest assured that their soil pH is at least consistent.

Adding rocks/gravel to the bottom of your pots will help drainage, but it's not a necessity. I like to add a small amount (less than half an inch) of perlite to the bottom of my pots, and mix at least 30% perlite into my soil to aide in aeration. This isn't always necessary, especially if you have a quick draining soil, but without it my soil would turn to mud pretty quick when saturated. It's really up to you, and you won't be making a wrong decision either way.

The internet is full of contradictions & varying ways to do something. I've found that this site is generally spot-on when it comes to good advice. There are a lot of growers here who really know what they're talking about...so rest assured that you can count on most of the information given by the consistent visitors and moderators. I've been here for less than a month, and have already uncovered a wealth of information that would have taken me years to discover from books, magazines, etc. For that reason, I have a feeling that I'll be hanging around for a long time to come.

Take care, and good luck with all of your future growing endeavors! :rastasmoke:

you shouldnt be growing in pots without drainage holes ,

use good organic soil with the ability too buffer ph swings

use good organic nutrients

dont fuck with the ph of the soil or water or feed unless your plants show symptons of a ph related issue . ph is important in hydro , but not so in soil . good soil or using lime in your soil will make the soil buffer any ph swings so you dont have to adjust anything . i use tapwater and bio bizz allmix and grow n bloom and havnt touched a ph test kit or metre or since i first started growing

thanks elstonite!
I guess i thought you had to make sure your water Ph wasnt too high so it didnt raise the Ph of your soil. And about the lime, where would one get that, or know how much to put in?

yeah , if ya tap water ph is too high and your worried , use bottled mineral water . the way i grow works for me in my situation , plenty of info on here about ph , sum ph , sum dont .

Growers who've been growing for a while shouldn't need drainage holes...they can usually tell how much is enough by lifting the pot and judging by the weight. But, for those who are having a hard time determining just how much is enough...drainage holes will keep you from overwatering, and possibly drowning your roots...or causing root rot. Might want to look that up, too...while you're at it...

thanks again Clandestine, but yeah thats def not me! I'm still in the learning phase, so I appreciate all the info you have given, better plan on using the skill to make some holes, better safe then sorry! :)

My pleasure, Twenty. Best of luck with your grow! :rastasmoke:

I would always recommend having your pots with drainage holes in them... advanced grower or not. In soil grows, you will want to periodically flush your soil to remove fertilizer salt buildup and it is much easier done with drainage holes.

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Originally Posted by Twentyinches

Hello! first of all I hope everyone having a wonderful day

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Why thank you, I hope yours is also a joy!

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Originally Posted by Twentyinches

As far as growing in soil, how do you monitor the Ph?

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It's easiest to monitor RUNOFF. When you flush, or even feed to the point where there's water coming out the drain holes, collect some and do a quick check on it.
You don't HAVE to evap off chlorine really.
Also it helps to start with a buffered soil with plenty of humus in it... link in my sig has info.

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Originally Posted by Twentyinches

I already have a Milwaukee SM802 meter which would have been perfect for hydro, but since that's prolly not the way this will go I don't know if that will still work. I mean it will for the water but I don't know about the soil (if that even has to be checked, and if so, how?)

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Oh oops I should have left this with the last bit of the question but any accurate pH meter will do since you are testing water either way- the soil pH meters are a bit cheesy....

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Originally Posted by Twentyinches

Also what is the best soil? the stuff without nutes? I have heard to stay away from miracle grow and those kinds...right? but wouldn't have a clue as to mixing the right amount of nutes in soil.

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Until the plnat has 5 nodes, NO NUTES from any source including soil. MG is pretty chemical-y but the MG organic is not too bad in a pinch if you add a bunch of perlite to it, because you ARE going to need to flush at some point.
Don't try to mix in ferts in the soil unless you have a commitment to an organic regimen- your whole approach will be quite different.

Thanks Sticky icky icky icky icky......icky! of the ickest! :thumbsup:
Def good info, if only everyone out there were herbal enthusiasts we would all be much better off... :stoned: