.... A8 is a Control Wizard product; it's not a substitute for a pH meter, that's for testing liquids only; the A8 soil only,...
..follow the directions to the letter, including using RO/DI water only, not pH'ed on the final pour for collection...you want a "snap-shot" of what the soil is like under typical conditions,.. using pH'ed/hard water will skew the results....
..if you had brown, flaccid roots, likely they were rotted, and so a contributing factor to they rough start... I use larger, 32oz styro' cup for seedlings.. well insulated, easy to make holes in and tall so the roots can dive in deeper,.. 24's are okay too, but you'll need to transplant/tier sooner,....
... :smoking: yes, Roots makes good soil! 707 is what many fine growers here use, as it's mild; most add extra lime, Ag lime, oyster shell, or a fast acting man-made product,.. super fine dolomite is okay, but of all the limes, it's the slowest acting, needing weeks usually to start affecting things,.. if it's course grain, months! Great for longer term grows, not for auto's though! And no matter what soil you use, always check it's pH before anything else is done,.. shitty batches happen! I got fucked by a bad bag this season, from an otherwise excellent brand I'd been using for 2 seasons,....