Hello all. I'm getting ready for my first grow. We have very hard water with a 198 PPM. I know that with hard water comes alkalinity, and I'll have to PH down. Will the hard water have any effect on my plants as far as nutrient uptake or anything else?
Technical Issue Hard water issues
- Thread starter cnw1970
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198 PPM isn't too hard, but not optimal - if you are concerned try to get an analysis of your source. All depending on that. Most of the time theres just a high n and Ca level. You may be able to tune it in mostly with adding the right amount Mg to Ca ratio and sub some N from your recipe...perhaps just cut with some RO water...if you plan on growing seriously and not organic, you should go for a ro filter for better control.
I wouldn't use a RO filter for water under 200ppm. Some of that 200 ppm is good stuff that will need to replaced with nutes. I had to use a RO filter when my tap h2o was 360ppm. 
Thanks all for the advise. I live in the central US most of our hard water is calcium and magnesium. I'm going to ph it down (currently at 7.8) and give it a try. Will be growing in promix hp and using Homegrown Cannabis Co. nutes.
Depends on your nutrients and growing medium.
My well water ranges from 450- 500 ppm and 7.5 ph.
I grow in ProMix HP with either Mega Crop one part or MaxiGro/MaxiBloom.
I do not ph down and I don't add Cal/Mag.
Both the medium and nutrient lines are ph buffered.
Gorilla Glue #4 auto, 15.6oz.
Cheers
My well water ranges from 450- 500 ppm and 7.5 ph.
I grow in ProMix HP with either Mega Crop one part or MaxiGro/MaxiBloom.
I do not ph down and I don't add Cal/Mag.
Both the medium and nutrient lines are ph buffered.
Gorilla Glue #4 auto, 15.6oz.
Cheers
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My buddies water is from a well with similar ph and TDS as yours, he usually "cuts" his tap water with distilled 50/50, he also uses one of those "zero" water filters on his tap water as well when he doesn't have distilled. I would rather do that than use straight tap water.
That is a beautiful plant!! I'll be growing in Promix HP and I'm using Homegrown Cannabis Co. nutes
You probably don’t need to do anything with levels like that. Using the Hanna scale 198 ppm is only 0.4 EC. At least 0.2 EC is a good thing to get the minerals your plant needs and up to 0.6 (300 ppm Hanna) shouldn’t cause any problems.
As demonstrated by @chuckeye you can grow plants with much harder water as long as you take steps to get the PH and nutrients dialed in.
Good water is essential of course, but don’t overthink it. I think your water is probably good without needing to do anything, but getting a water report is always good.
As demonstrated by @chuckeye you can grow plants with much harder water as long as you take steps to get the PH and nutrients dialed in.
Good water is essential of course, but don’t overthink it. I think your water is probably good without needing to do anything, but getting a water report is always good.
I live in a small town in a state that is not cannabis friendly. So I was trying to avoid going to city hall to ask for a water report. Don't want the attention that might bring. However, I forgot I was friends with the former city water manager and he likes weed. So I called him up and he said most of the dissolved solids in our water are calcium and magnesium with the sediment being on the low end. So I'm going to go ahead and see what happens using the water. Been super nervous about everything as this is my 1st grow, I think I'm overthinking everything at this point. Will be glad to just get started, and probably find out everything I am worrying about will end up being no big deal. Is being this nervous about your 1st grow normal??? lol
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