Nutrients Need some help refining my nutes. Just got an reverse osmosis system.

[SweetSkunk]

Hi guys and gals. I have just finished a grown using Tangs easy feeding schedule. I haven't been testing pH and just added to tap water that's been left for 24 hours.

Plants have come out ok but after some discussions about some sick plants I had, I got a reverse osmosis system. My tap water is extremely hard and has a lot of CaCO3 (calcium carbonate).

I'm not sure what my pH of my water or soil is yet (awaiting meters). But what additional chemicals do you thing I will need to make my RO water just right? Will I now need cal mag and how much would I use?

In terms of pH, when I test the water and soil, what chemicals should I use to increase or decrease the Ph?

Also what should the pH of my water and soil be?

Many thanks,
Sweet

 

[Arthur]

I run ro... I run cal/mag every watering... other than that, I pretty much run as normal. If you really want to simplify, they have "remineralizers" that go inline to add back the necessary minerals. Honestly I don't know that you'd need to run cal/mag every time, but trying to get an accurate ph reading on clean ro can be difficult. And if your indoor under led, a little extra cal/mag doesn't hurt.

Basic ph up and down for control. There are household items that you can use, but I do this only as a last resort.

Soil ph 6-6.5 with salt based nutes.
Soil ph 6.2-6.8 running calcium based nutes.

I usually start my seedlings at the lower range and gradually work up to the top end mid flower. This helps to keep the correct nutes for stage of plant growth as well. N more available lower, and p&k at higher phs.

All is subjective! Soils are not equal. What works for me running dr earth organics may need tweaking for the amendments available in your soil.

 

[SweetSkunk]

I run ro... I run cal/mag every watering... other than that, I pretty much run as normal. If you really want to simplify, they have "remineralizers" that go inline to add back the necessary minerals. Honestly I don't know that you'd need to run cal/mag every time, but trying to get an accurate ph reading on clean ro can be difficult. And if your indoor under led, a little extra cal/mag doesn't hurt.

Basic ph up and down for control. There are household items that you can use, but I do this only as a last resort.

Soil ph 6-6.5 with salt based nutes.
Soil ph 6.2-6.8 running calcium based nutes.

I usually start my seedlings at the lower range and gradually work up to the top end mid flower. This helps to keep the correct nutes for stage of plant growth as well. N more available lower, and p&k at higher phs.

All is subjective! Soils are not equal. What works for me running dr earth organics may need tweaking for the amendments available in your soil.

Thank you very much mate. Sorry for the delayed reply.

Do you have more information on the inline mineral replacers? That may be a good route, as long as it adds the correct minerals

I use sensi advanced nutrients. Do you know if they are salt or calcium based? Or how I can find out?

What cal/mag do you use and is there any I should avoid? Also how much do you use each water?

My RO is a pain to get a pH reading on, your right! That will change when I add nutes?

Thanks again,
SweetSk