Caught 2nd dose of root rot in RDWC over New Years 2018.

[Henry]

I think I did all the same research you're doing before I started using sm-90. I even saw that same negative article on the icmag and it kind of had me worrying a little bit.

I've been using sm90 now for about 4 years started off in Hydro. In Hydro I always used 2 mil per gallon and the plant growth was faster and more robust and of course I never had any root rot problems.

It's also an insecticide and was originally called spider mite 90. But labeling it as an insecticide ran them a foul of regulators in California. Plus spider mites on the West Coast United States are now like the Borg and you really have problems you don't kill him with simple plant oils anymore. I have used it to treat thrips and it does a great job.

I have never had a problem because of the high ph, and I never tested the pH. I can tell you it's really knockout deadly for powdery mildew and that's probably due to the pH.

I've never caused any plant damaged by using it and I do use it as a foliar spray sometimes just by itself if I think a plant just isn't looking totally happy.

The state of Washington declined sm-90 for use on cannabis for human consumption. If you ever want to do some interesting research look at Washington and Colorado approved pesticides for cannabis plants. The reason Washington gave for declining sm-90 is they did not disclose a plant hormone derived from Willows in Aspen's. It's a perfectly safe hormone and sometimes I would take chips off my willow tree outside and put it in the same water that I was rooting a clone in. Works quite well.

I suspect that sm-90 may impart a negative flavor on the plant if you don't have a three day flush. At least I suspect it's sm-90 that gives my bud a funky flavor if I don't do a three day clear water flush and again I'm in Coco.

I use reverse osmosis as my background water. It has a pH of about 6.2 starting out. by the time I mix in all my General Hydroponics nutes and my sm-90 and my armor SI which by itself is a very alkaline substance. I end up needing about 10 or 12 drops of pH Down per 5 gallons of nutrient mix. I buy 75% Tech grade phosphoric acid and I dilute that by half with my reverse osmosis water and that's how I make my pH Down. Very inexpensive and lasts a long time and plants need phosphorus.

So I guess that's even more stuff for you to think about.




Where I'm currently growing
Where I'll be Nov 1st

Thanks jingo, I always enjoy hearing the Back story associated with SM-90 use on cannabis and the politics. I was totally unaware that it was manufactured and labeled as an insecticide targeting spider mite hence the product name “spider mite 90.”

Got to respect the insects in many states, I have read that Mississippi is planning to upgrade fire ants to a new status there… Mississippi “State Insect” and you better not let anyone see you poison or pour Exxon gasoline on a fire ant mound either. Many pastures look like this now - http://bugmugs.org/2012/02/fire-ant-mounds-in-a-pasture/

I do like your recipe for your pH buffer.

 

[jingo]

Those fire ant mounds are crazy.




Where I'm currently growing
Where I'll be Nov 1st

 

[Henry]

Those fire ant mounds are crazy.




Where I'm currently growing
Where I'll be Nov 1st

Fire ants all sting and bite at the same time, upon some sort of mutually known signal, the bites and sting areas become infected within a couple days if not treated early. https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/fire-ant bites?excludenudity=true&sort=mostpopular&mediatype=photography&phrase=fire%20ant%20bites

When outside the house, always look at your feet when you stop walking for a moment, be sure you are not standing in/on/near/close to a fire ant mound (nest). Rural children learn this evasion technique early in life. This learning curve is often very steep and takes several lessons to imbed this into auto-memory. These ants eat free roaming barefooted kids if they will stand still a couple minutes in the fields.

Are you familiar with the “Crazy Ant?” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasberry_crazy_ant a chemical warrior for sure.

 

[Henry]

Hey jingo,

Do you have a recipe for elevating pH (buffer acid nutrient water) using Potassium Hydroxide and Potassium Carbonate that you would share with me? Thanks

 

[jingo]

Hey jingo,

Do you have a recipe for elevating pH (buffer acid nutrient water) using Potassium Hydroxide and Potassium Carbonate that you would share with me? Thanks

I don't pH Up. I would do it if I had to I would add the ph up to my water before I put any nutrients in. But when I used to use ph up in a bucket of nutrients I already mixed I always get a lot of my mineral settling out. That's part of the reason I switched to phosphoric acid as a PH down it's a lot more stable than things like vinegar and citric acid the people use. I've got things down now to where I never get my pH too low if I stop at 6.3,6.2,6.1 or 5.8 it's all good to me.




Where I'm currently growing
Where I'll be Nov 1st[/B]