Nutrition+Water pH & ppm questions.

[zweibeir]

Hey fellas, Zed here,
I’m a newbie trying to figure out the importance of watering, nutrition, pH, ppm for my few Feminized normal plants that are in soil,
in small clay pots on the balcony.
I have a pretty good feeling for when & when NOT to water them. I’m trying to fertilize once a week, (Veg stage NPK 7-5-6) following the manufacture recommended dosage, and have always under dosed to be on the safe side, and have very satisfied results (lucky maybe too) Very luscious green growth.
After reading here what you guys are doing, and have accomplished, and sharing (good and bad) I have been blown away! Thanks so much!

I’ve learned to make Compost Teas, and the ladies really like it! I have decided to feed them tea once a week (1:10 dilution) ..not worrying about pH or ppm. I’m starting with RO water@ 6.57 pH with 40 ppm.
Q) More or less often? Only during Veg stage, or during the whole life cycle? Worry about final pH or ppm of the brew? Dilution 1:10 OK?

Last week I purchased a pH - EC PPM Meter and have started pH down adjustments using Apple Cider Vinegar (with mother)
of my normal watering days: arriving @ pH of 6.2-6.5
I’m trying to KISS (keep it simple stupid) for the most part, and not go out and purchase too much stuff (always been a peanut butter and jelly kid)
use what I can find, or source locally.

For Nute feeding once a week can I;
Q) Start with my RO water adjusted for pH, then add nutes until I reach my desired ppm?
(shooting for 700-800ppm, just began flowering stage)

I would appreciate any and all answers, ideas, and tips. Next year I plan on making a much better soil,
go with Autos and of course learning more throughout the rest of this season.
Zed

 

[St. Tom]

Yes making your feed with ro or any water add your nutes to it then do the pH afterwards also regarding teas ect @Bob's Auto's runs them but with biotabs

 

[zweibeir]

OK I will make pH adjustments after mixing nutes.
Thanks St. Tom

 

[Bob's Auto's]

Hey Zed

First of all to AFN!!
Loads of information to be found here, but I guess you already figured that out

Q) More or less often? Only during Veg stage, or during the whole life cycle? Worry about final pH or ppm of the brew? Dilution 1:10 OK?

When you brew a tea (don't know what recipe you are using) you introduce a megaload of bacteria to the liquid. The tea I brew, I can use undiluted. But you are better to follow what the recipe says. If they advise 1/10th dilution, you better follow that as it is probably very hot in nutrients. If you have to dilute in water (and I'll come back to that one in a minute) you will always have to readjust the pH, unless you are in a water only grow (see my signature for examples).

Last week I purchased a pH - EC PPM Meter and have started pH down adjustments using Apple Cider Vinegar

That is a very useful tool, just keep the pH meter calibrated. This means calibrate every month or so on the cheaper models to every 6 months for the more expensive ones. Also order/buy yourself Sulphuric Acid (Schwefelsäure). If not in the neighborhood of a growshop, just go to a swimmingpool supply store and buy pH-O-min (liquid and make sure it says sulfuric acid!!) and you are golden for a couple of seasons and it only costed you 7 or 8€

always been a peanut butter and jelly kid

Me to, even when it wasn't easily available, but that's not what you meant

Q) Start with my RO water adjusted for pH, then add nutes until I reach my desired ppm?

I said I was coming back to the water...I have a feeling you live in Europe and I know the strict regulation here, which makes it so that the water that comes out of your fossette should have a steady value. Your water supply company should have the values for your location on file. If we know what that value is we can even think about using just water. Making osmose water is very wasteful and if you don't have to...you get my drift.
Like Tom said...Water, then nutes, then pH adjustment, aerate for 24 hours and then readjust pH. Now your golden

I would appreciate any and all answers, ideas, and tips. Next year I plan on making a much better soil,
go with Autos and of course learning more throughout the rest of this season.

If you are looking to make a better soil and you are from Europe as I assume, have a look at BioTabs. This is a very easy and no nonsense nutrient line specialized in making the soil life doing the hard lifting for you. Forget the pH/EC meter and just give plain unadulterated tapwater and in flower once a week a Tee.
If you have any questions just give a holler and we'll try to help you in starting your new hobby


Regards,

Bob

 

[zweibeir]

Wow! Great, Bob, thanks for all the info! I have seen the Biotabs 10 liter basic kit video,
and it is on my radar for next year. Makes much more sense, x-nay the whole pH thang!

But for me at the moment with my soil, and for this grow, (I just hit the flowering stage….)
What type of a Tea feeding schedule? Once a week? During the lifecycle of the plant?
Alternate with nutes, or both? And the Biotabs….which product would I use in conjunction
with my compost teas?

I have had an RO system for years for house water, essential for good coffee, tea, and cooking
for me! My house water is relatively good; 7.5 pH 340 ppm, not a lot of crap in there, ie CL2
or FL.
Yes, I calibrate the pH meter once a week, usually before a Nute feeding.

 

[Bob's Auto's]

But for me at the moment with my soil, and for this grow, (I just hit the flowering stage….)
What type of a Tea feeding schedule? Once a week? During the lifecycle of the plant?
Alternate with nutes, or both? And the Biotabs….which product would I use in conjunction
with my compost teas?

Depends on what recipe of tea you're brewing. ie, If there's bat guano in the tea it will be high in fosfor...
If you could recite the recipe we can have a look and go from there

My house water is relatively good; 7.5 pH 340 ppm

Are you sure you are talking ppm and not µS/cm² (micro Siemens)? 340ppm is relatively high and I would understand why you have such a system in your house for drinking purposes. But if you are gonna grow with BioTabs the high ppm in the water doesn't matter as most of it will be calcium which will get converted to a usable form through the bacteria in the soil. Check the website from your water supplier for a detailed analysis of your tapwater. Always nice to know what's inside so incase something happens.

Yes, I calibrate the pH meter once a week

And do you see much drift after one week? If not you can extend the calibration to once every two weeks.

Oh, and have I told you already? We love to see pictures of your ladies

 

[zweibeir]

 

[LadySoil]

Hey fellas, Zed here,
I’m a newbie trying to figure out the importance of watering, nutrition, pH, ppm for my few Feminized normal plants that are in soil,
in small clay pots on the balcony.
I have a pretty good feeling for when & when NOT to water them. I’m trying to fertilize once a week, (Veg stage NPK 7-5-6) following the manufacture recommended dosage, and have always under dosed to be on the safe side, and have very satisfied results (lucky maybe too) Very luscious green growth.
After reading here what you guys are doing, and have accomplished, and sharing (good and bad) I have been blown away! Thanks so much!

I’ve learned to make Compost Teas, and the ladies really like it! I have decided to feed them tea once a week (1:10 dilution) ..not worrying about pH or ppm. I’m starting with RO water@ 6.57 pH with 40 ppm.
Q) More or less often? Only during Veg stage, or during the whole life cycle? Worry about final pH or ppm of the brew? Dilution 1:10 OK?

Last week I purchased a pH - EC PPM Meter and have started pH down adjustments using Apple Cider Vinegar (with mother)
of my normal watering days: arriving @ pH of 6.2-6.5
I’m trying to KISS (keep it simple stupid) for the most part, and not go out and purchase too much stuff (always been a peanut butter and jelly kid)
use what I can find, or source locally.

For Nute feeding once a week can I;
Q) Start with my RO water adjusted for pH, then add nutes until I reach my desired ppm?
(shooting for 700-800ppm, just began flowering stage)

I would appreciate any and all answers, ideas, and tips. Next year I plan on making a much better soil,
go with Autos and of course learning more throughout the rest of this season.
Zed

Hey I love your Apple cider vinegar approach to lower the ph I’m trying to budget grow also already spent a lot of money so far but this will replace one of my items lol save money!

 

[zweibeir]

I know now a few of the mistakes I’ve made, too many ladies in the same room together, no LST, these were meant to be grown outdoors in a field, but since we’ve had such a bad summer, no rain, they would have never survived. I’ve become a foster mother for this season. Which has aloud me to observe them, and learn more. Your comments are greatly appreciated!

 

[zweibeir]

Hey I love your Apple cider vinegar approach to lower the ph I’m trying to budget grow also already spent a lot of money so far but this will replace one of my items lol save money!

Look for Apple Cider Vinegar WITH MOTHER
I believe it has more nutritional goodies in it that my plants like