New Grower FIRST GROW EVER- PINEAPPLE PUNCH AND DINAFEM CHEESE AUTO 180w LED

[larkyderry]

ok i have moved my light up and its now 3ft above the seedlings. my pineapple punch popped through as well so thats both of them up and looking for light, iv got my light on 18-6, should this be alright? still a little unsure of the watering situation, i have my tap water at 6.6, should i be watering enough to get run off at the moment? i have them in 11L pots

 

[larkyderry]

hey guys a bit of advice needed if you could help, i ph'd my water to 6.5 and gave my gals about 1L - 1 1/2L and checked the run off which was at 5.2 - 5.3, should i up the ph of the feed water to around 7 for the next feed? any help or info would be greatly appreciated thanks guys

 

[TaNg]

Hay man your runoff isn't to bad not anything to worry about but u have the right idea to up to PH of your water to offset the soil PH. I check my run off every week or 10 days. A good tip I learnt about watering was to lift the pot when it is dry to gauge the weight then in the future when you not sure whether to water just lift the pot up to tell.

 

[Muddy]

I think you're right where you need to be at 6.5. By the next feeding or two the readings should be about the same coming out as going in.

 

[larkyderry]

sorry jtang i put the wrong info in , my run off was 5.2 and 5.3, and i fed at 6.5, should i up it the next time i feed?

 

[Muddy]

That's a completely different story if it's still that low. Just raising the pH of the feed isn't going to raise it enough. Can you get your hands on some hydrated lime?

sorry jtang i put the wrong info in , my run off was 5.2 and 5.3, and i fed at 6.5, should i up it the next time i feed?

 

[larkyderry]

That's a completely different story if it's still that low. Just raising the pH of the feed isn't going to raise it enough. Can you get your hands on some hydrated lime?

is hydrated lime the same stuff that builders use? i should that this was my first feed since wetting the soil when i planted thanks for the replys

 

[Muddy]

Hydrated lime is calcium hydroxide and may be the same as what is used in making mortar. It's faster acting than dolomite but also can be caustic to the plants if used in excess, causing root damage. It can be an effective way to quickly raise the pH of soil. It is generally a fine powder, like flour, and can be mixed and fed with water. If you can find some, don't use it till you talk to me first. Here it is often sold in green house supply stores, nurseries and garden centers.

is hydrated lime the same stuff that builders use? i should that this was my first feed since wetting the soil when i planted thanks for the replys

 

[larkyderry]

thanks for the help muddy i will get back to you and let you know how i get on

 

[Nelson]

Another thing about dolomite lime besides as Muddy points out about hydrated being a little dangerous to use. Dolomite has a lot of magnesium in it. Magnesium is very good as plants need it or they start sucking aluminum out of the ground and aluminum is not very good for the plant. If you are juicing the leaf or eating the leaf in smoothies you sure don't want aluminum in your body.

Hydrated lime is calcium hydroxide and may be the same as what is used in making mortar. It's faster acting than dolomite but also can be caustic to the plants if used in excess, causing root damage. It can be an effective way to quickly raise the pH of soil. It is generally a fine powder, like flour, and can be mixed and fed with water. If you can find some, don't use it till you talk to me first. Here it is often sold in green house supply stores, nurseries and garden centers.