New Grower Overwatered or underwatered

[Delta9Heavy]

Well I did the slurry. I extracted a half tbsp from 3" down(as far as I could dig before the hole caved in) and added 30ml(1 oz) distilled water. I don't know about an oz of soil seemed like a lot 28g? My soil is dry on top half rn so it's light lol. And as far as the ppm readings go, I have the gbd mix in the bottom half of the pot, so I don't know if these are accurate representations of the nutes in the pot. I will check runoff next waterung assured. I did however top dress with the mix at day 35 both girls. Just a couple teaspoons.
3bog
Test 1-223ppm 8-8.5 ph. Dark green with slight blue tint
Test 2-116ppm 8 ph. Dark even green No blue tint
4assed monkey
Test 1-310ppm about 7.5ph even green
Test 2-251ppm about 7 ph even light green

I took two samples from each pot Opposite sides. Kinda makes sense being the 3bog looks a bit worse than the 4am. What would be a good course of action to lower ph?

 

[wwwillie]

Hey looks good, the PPMs look in range but the pH looks rather high. I would work on getting that down. I hesitate to recommend a method as I don't know how you are growing. I use NFTG's Olympus up which is basically liquid limestone, that and Herculean Harvest. But that fits my regimen.
As you can see from the chart you are prolly locking or starting too with the pH in that range.

 

[Delta9Heavy]

I was thinking next watering ph 3bog water to low 5's and the 4am mid 5's. Check runoff and ppm until I get an acurate 8. As far as buffering in the soil I didn't use dolomite lime this round. I had issues last round that I may have attributed to its incorrect use. Going heavy on the cal mg with the cobs. 3t/g they're up to right now. Maybee I'll learn how to properly wet the pot first with lime added and let it dry out before planting. I've been starting with out the bag soil and watering little amounts every day for the first 3 weeks

 

[Delta9Heavy]

I've also got about 3gal fine powdered dolomite lime and courser grade. Would top dressing with the powder help ph stabilization long term?

 

[Rev. Green Genes]

I was thinking next watering ph 3bog water to low 5's and the 4am mid 5's. Check runoff and ppm until I get an acurate 8. As far as buffering in the soil I didn't use dolomite lime this round. I had issues last round that I may have attributed to its incorrect use. Going heavy on the cal mg with the cobs. 3t/g they're up to right now. Maybee I'll learn how to properly wet the pot first with lime added and let it dry out before planting. I've been starting with out the bag soil and watering little amounts every day for the first 3 weeks

I've also got about 3gal fine powdered dolomite lime and courser grade. Would top dressing with the powder help ph stabilization long term?

pH is thought of as a long term change. In outdoors it can take 6 months for the lime to work it's magic outdoors, but likely a week or so potting soils.

Raising soil pH: small amounts of hardwood ashes or crushed oyster/egg shells will help to raise the soil pH. These things can be made into tea or incorporated into soil. Hydrated lime can also be used to raise the pH of soil. In containers, use no more than 1/8 cup of hydrated lime per cubic foot of soil (per application). Mix it into warm water, then apply the water to the soil, test daily and adjust again after two or three days. Also calcium products.

Lowering soil pH: small amounts of composted leaves, vinegar, cottonseed meal, or peat moss will lower the pH of soil. Also sulfur or aluminum.

When using organic solids to adjust pH it takes more time, and it is mediated by bacteria.

Best to adjust your soil ahead of planting, and adjust all feeds and water to your desired pH prior to application. Adding organic matter and microbes is the best possible buffer.

 

[wwwillie]

@green genes thanks for the input. I knew what to look for but not quite what to offer as an answer!

 

[Delta9Heavy]

Thanks that was helpful. I was assuming the roots original was 6.x out of the bag and thought ph adjusting my organic feeds would work with organics like it did with dyna gro on a previous plant. I am learning. There's really no buffering capacity to the roots original and I think my ph swings might have been caused by low microbe levels and/or watering issues?
So basically trying to correct my high ph by lowering the ph of my organic feeds will not work. I need to add an organic buffer to the substrate. I have seed starter-peat moss. Would I topdress the pots if so any idea how much? They're 3.5 g pots

 

[wwwillie]

Buffer, good observation buffering is very important. I'm sorry I don't have any good input for you at the moment.
This is where I would do what NTFG folks call a flush. Hitting the soil with a dose of their liquid bonemeal and pH down. The Ca in the mix is supposed to bond with the salts and "flush" them out... It also settles the pH and I assume adds a bit of buffering. I would also hit it with a dose of recharge, a potent mix of benes. I am interested in seeing what happens for you next.

 

[Delta9Heavy]

Thanks for all the input. I don't use nftg though too many bottles for me and I already have jacks classic, bloom booster, citrus feEd, and the dyna gro line up. If I use any bottled nutes I will most likely stick with what I have and give em a flush first then hit em with the juice. But I want to try and salvage this grow organically without bottled nutes. Just bottled additives and enzymes amino acids carbs etc. but I do appreciate your input mate. The nftg lineup has good reviews it's just real pricy for me

As for the girls I did some digging on google. I'm going to mix in about an 1" of jiffy peat moss seed starter mix into the top of the pots before next watering. And should I reduce the ph of the next waste ring with catalyst to 5 something? Would it hurt?

 

[Delta9Heavy]

Buds are building none the less! Day 43