Help me understand pH and organic growing

[MeefChief]

I have been growing roughly a year now and have used nothing but synthetic nutrients (Advanced). I have gotten fairly decent hauls, but noticed a chemical taste on a few plants that I cut short on flushing. I'm looking to do a side by side experiment for my own personal sake. I tried a bit of organic grown marijuana on my recent trip to Colorado, and it was extremely tasty and all around phenomenal smoke.

SO, this brings me to where I am confused. I have always pH'd pH'd and pH'd. Have an issue? Check pH. Everything I have read about growing organically say NOT to pH (which I understand). Here is where my issue lyes... My tap water here is terrible. I have a filtration system that removes chlorine and sediment, but my pH usually varies from 8.2 to 9.0 which is a complete pain in the ass to deal with sometimes. SO, having dolomite lime in soil can only buffer so much. My intentions are to use ProMix and BioBizz nutrients. I have a fear that the ProMix will not be able to buffer 9.0 feedings. Can I use organic methods to pH my water beforehand, then mix nutrients to make it within a tolerable 6.0-7.0 ballpark? Or will this still kill microorganisms?

I tend to over think things, but I would prefer to be a bit "over prepared" than jump into something blindly or "trust what so-and-so said on the internet".

 

[FullDuplex]

I know how pH is important, and i can tell you that not only the feed water can be amended like most soils. Like you said the problem is limes and other items can only buffer so much. It leads me to believe that most have to work in harmony. Something in the soil and something in the water. I think that the reason that most say not to ph the water is because most of the time the stuff used is some sort of acid. Which in turn is s chemical of some sort. So what do we do then? We have to resort to something that will receive the same and yet hold. From my experience its hard as hell to find something non chemical based to keep water ph in check. I have the same issue you have, but i have the wonderful immobile element fluoride in my water on top of the other fantastic crap that comes from my tap here. R/O is the only way to get that shit out other than distilling it and sometimes even the R/O does not get it all out of the water, and who has time to distill it.

So i usually go to the local store and fill a 5 gal jug from their filter system and keep that on hand when i am doing feeds, flush i never really worry about it. The water from their system comes out around the 6.0-6.5 area so i dont have to do much to it, and when i add other ferts i usually get right on the nose. This is all beside the point though, what i really want to say is there are things out there with a natural acidic content.

Lemon juice has always worked for me, no too much but that is something that can be added to the water right at a feed and keep the feed at the ph you want, and if you are looking for something for the soil, coffee grounds will do it too. Thats how i drop the pH of the soil for my peppers, that and starving them of water tends to make them a little hotter, but dont miss conceive that starving will help its just for the peppers.

The thing is that most are a temp fix, you'd have to amend your soil with the coffee grounds to keep the base in there. I always like to think of keeping the bacteria in the soil, the good kind, happy and they will buffer it for you promoting a healthy and happy environment for the roots.

 

[Eyes on Fire]

yeah thee biggest issue with simple buffering and PH'ing of soils and water are inherently a chem styled grow technique actually and as any good Living soil (TLO) grower will tell you chem and organics dont mix literally AND figuratively as well,meaning thew techniques and such for chem grows are nto compatible.most chem growers tend to fail when swapping right away since its a totally different understanding of the symbiotic relationship is all. I agree with using bought water from like wal mart in the 5 gallon jugs. I saw one a few weeks ago where Im at and it was a few cents per gallon of filtered water,a smallest dusting of azomite or a small drop of cal mag and mixed with rain water either or all of them techniques work if you use a lil baking soda or a small bit of acid to swing not literally PH it exactly,swing it close..like mid 7 or something to that effect and add some extra lime Pellet and sweet powdered lime and that;'' buffer your soil enough for a full auto ride. id save rain water and mix it 1:1 with filtered water imo would be your best approach with a small small bit of swinging adjustment for your OH but Im betting with the right activity and amounts in a richly produced soil since My well water runs high in winter and I never have PH issues..EVER! thats how id approach that one imo.

 

[MeefChief]

So, I filled a 5 gallon bucket of filtered water yesterday and tested it at 8.2 pH. I checked it today 24 hours later and it is now at 7.7 pH. I intend to check it again tomorrow (48 hours) and see where it is at. I'm also wondering if the BioBizz nutrients will change the pH after being mixed? Do you think 7.7 is too high to be buffered?

 

[Eyes on Fire]

i know my soil dont have any issue with my water seasonally that runs higher right around that mark within or just outside a full point typically is workable fairly easily.

 

[MeefChief]

 

[JMQ]

Meetchief
You have more grow experience than I do but thought I would add my thoughts.

I am currently on my first grow. I have used Biobizz Fish Mix and Bloom. Hazy's schedule under Biobizz knowledge base under the organics heading. Top dressed with EWC and Roots organics soil 50/50 when flowering started.
I am using 5 gallon fabric pots and layered my soil about 25% straight Roots organics soil on the bottom of my pots with 75% remainder of Roots organics 707.
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I haven't ph'd my water once. I do let my water sit out for about 24 hours to burn off any chlorine and additives. Other than that I water/feed every 2 days for my outdoor grow. Other than calmag throughout the grow and now molasses 1x a week during flower, that's it.

I live in WA state where like Colorado rec weed is legal.
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And like you I tasted organic buds which are available and decided that I wanted to try to grow that way for the taste.

 

[MeefChief]

I have used Biobizz Fish Mix and Bloom. Hazy's schedule under Biobizz knowledge base under the organics heading.

What page are you seeing that?

 

[JMQ]

I believe it is on page 4 Meefchief
Hazy only summarizes it in a short paragraph but his documented grows are really impressive and he does get into greater detail there
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here is a copy and paste of what I have been doing

"Great thread Si Cool Let me throw my feeding guide into the mix, using Fish Mix and Bloom. in plagron light 6-8 days after germination 1ml Fish-Mix then next feed 2ml next 3ml, they should show sex around day 15-20, you must pay attention to this because this will tell you when to introduce bloom nutes, becuse the switch should be made around 10 days after showing sex. So we're about day 25, now it's 1.5ml Fish-Mix and 3ml Bloom. then a couple of feeds later 1.5ml Fish-Mix 4ml Bloom. then toward the end to give a pk boost i drop the Fish-Mix to 1ml and increase the Bloom to 5ml...if you follow these guidelines you should be bringing your plants in on the advertised times, usually 70-75 days.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I also add half a teaspoon of Epsom Salts to the first three feeds of Fish Mix."

Quotes for emphasis that this is Hazy's schedule
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I just started a DP Think Different and was scared to blow it up but started it day 10 with 1/2ml of Fish Mix and calmag, after the first week of feeding I moved it up to 1ML
I have seen him do it both ways to start. Since I was a cared newbie I went with 1/2ml to start.

I have 5 other auto's that are between day 50-60 and they love it so far.