Colombian Andes Greenhouse SIP CBD Auto Grow

[CBDMed]

Making sure you follow the directions to the letter in order to eliminate the river water as a variable. There must be a reason they include that or no reason to mention it.

Well, I suppose I could hypothetically make some time tomorrow to look for demineralized water, but I am not really sure there is a need--because how come straight-up urine reads no N?

No N in the pee, no P in the P, and no K in the K? Sounds like either a test issue or a water issue.

I'm a noob, but if straight-up urine reads deficient in N, then how can the test be accurate?
Because isn't urine concentrated (1:10)?

So, doesn't it have to be a test kit issue?
(Or am I missing it?)

 

[cbdhemp808]

Hmm, things are pointing toward the test kit giving bad results.

I will buy one of those at my local hardware store tomorrow, and test urine. I'll also test my current soil mix... that'll be fun.

 

[CBDMed]

Hmm, things are pointing toward the test kit giving bad results.

Whoosh!
So I need to see if it is possible to send a soil sample in to the university (even though the highway is out).
I wonder how long that will take???

I will buy one of those at my local hardware store tomorrow, and test urine. I'll also test my current soil mix... that'll be fun.

The university was supposed to open back up the end of last week (saying hello again), so maybe they will actually be back at work this week.
So I will see about a soil sample.

 

[InTheShed]

So, doesn't it have to be a test kit issue?
(Or am I missing it?)

Your missing the instructions! The results can't be trusted if you don't follow the instructions.

pH tests aren't accurate with tap water no matter how much you want them to be.

 

[cbdhemp808]

Your missing the instructions! The results can't be trusted if you don't follow the instructions.

Instruction say use bottled [drinking water] or distilled water.

But I'm having a hard time accepting that creek water mixed with urine would show zero N.

 

[CBDMed]

Hi Shed!
Sorry if I did not signal my turns well.
Did you see where Azi asked me to run a test with straight-up dog water (urine)?

Can you run straight up dog water?

So that was that last test. It was straight-up urine, and still the NPK test registered zero or super-low N.

Making sure you follow the directions to the letter in order to eliminate the river water as a variable. There must be a reason they include that or no reason to mention it.

Right!
And I get that with a soil test (because you use demineralized water to moisten the soil).
But I still don't understand a reading of "zero anything" with straight-up non-diluted urine.
Because I could hypthetically drink the demineralized water, but still it will come out as urine.
And still I cannot understand an NPK test registering zero N with undiluted urine.
D'you know what I mean?

 

[CBDMed]

Instruction say use bottled [drinking water] or distilled water.

Yeah, but it is hard to get bottled or distilled water to come out the dog water tube, if you know what I mean.

But I'm having a hard time accepting that creek water mixed with urine would show zero N.

Yeah... sorry if I did not signal my turns well.
I decided to test the test.
First it registered a at-or-near-zero with my normal fertigation water (1:10 urine, PLUS 1 tablespoon of PK-13/14 concentrate, PLUS 1 tablespoon of BioNova Veganics GROW liquid fertilizer. (And any one of those components should have given a reading.)

Then Azi asked me to run straight urine, and it also registered at-or-near zero with straight urine.
A "No N" reading from straight urine???
(I don't believe.)

 

[InTheShed]

Did you see where Azi asked me to run a test with straight-up dog water (urine)?

So that was that last test. It was straight-up urine, and still the NPK test registered zero or super-low N.

Sorry, I did miss that. Must be the tests then, or you drink your dog drinks a heck of a lot of water!

 

[CBDMed]

Sorry, I did miss that. Must be the tests then, or you drink your dog drinks a heck of a lot of water!

 

[cbdhemp808]

I bought the RapiTest soil test kit today... results coming tomorrow.

 

[cbdhemp808]

Here's the test kit results...

Full strength urine. Looks to be above N4.

Urine to water ratio 1:5. Looks to be around N2.

I'll try to do a test of my soil tomorrow.

 

[CBDMed]

I'll try to do a test of my soil tomorrow.

hahaha!

 

[CBDMed]

Here's the test kit results...

Very informative. Thank you.

Full strength urine. Looks to be above N4.

Urine to water ratio 1:5. Looks to be around N2.

So, 1:5, then?

I'll try to do a test of my soil tomorrow.

hahaha!

 

[cbdhemp808]

So, 1:5, then?

Just provided to compare with 100% urine, in terms of test color variation.

 

[CBDMed]

Just provided to compare with 100% urine, in terms of test color variation.

Ok, but if 1:5 tests "adequate" (and not even "sufficient"), then how is 1:5 "sufficient" for fertigation in veg?
Not understanding.

 

[cbdhemp808]

Ok, but if 1:5 tests "adequate" (and not even "sufficient"), then how is 1:5 "sufficient" for fertigation in veg?
Not understanding.

Well, I'm not addressing that, at this point. All I'm doing is showing that this test kit does work. So, it looks like the powder in your capsules maybe have gone bad. I happen to have some old capsules, too, so I could do another test with them (at least a couple years old). Were your capsule contents still powdery, or did they harden?

 

[CBDMed]

Well, I'm not addressing that, at this point. All I'm doing is showing that this test kit does work. So, it looks like the powder in your capsules maybe have gone bad. I happen to have some old capsules, too, so I could do another test with them (at least a couple years old). Were your capsule contents still powdery, or did they harden?

They were still powdery. They looked fine.
We could not coordinate a soil sample this week, so we hope it will be this next week.
They lost a large chunk of Interstate 5 (the Panamericana) this last week, and so shipments are all messed up.
I am almost out of PK 13-14, and will be using Azimuth's Banana Tea soon. It seems to work, but smells awful. I am sure the neighbors will all wonder what is going on, hahaha! ("First it smells like weed, and now it smells like a horse stable with weed!")

 

[cbdhemp808]

They were still powdery. They looked fine.

From Amazon customer comments:

"Since we only used 3 of the 10 capsules, I carefully stored the remaining ones in an airtight container in our hall closet. We recently took the kit out to repeat our testing of soil and were dismayed and disappointed that there was no reaction in any of the four tests. Levels of nutrients are supposed to be indicated by color but the samples were all clear. // I called customer service and was told that the shelf life for this item was 12 to 18 months—I had purchased this set 13 months ago. Customer service rep told me that I could purchase additional supplies which is true, but the cost to do so would exceed the cost of purchasing another kit.. "

So, maybe you got a test kit that was a year old or more. Maybe they even expire before a year.

We could not coordinate a soil sample this week, so we hope it will be this next week.
They lost a large chunk of Interstate 5 (the Panamericana) this last week, and so shipments are all messed up.
I am almost out of PK 13-14, and will be using Azimuth's Banana Tea soon. It seems to work, but smells awful. I am sure the neighbors will all wonder what is going on, hahaha! ("First it smells like weed, and now it smells like a horse stable with weed!")

Yeah, if you can't get a new soil test kit, then maybe a university lab is the best bet.

If you order something from Amazon, can you still get it, but just delayed?

 

[cbdhemp808]

Ok, but if 1:5 tests "adequate" (and not even "sufficient"), then how is 1:5 "sufficient" for fertigation in veg?
Not understanding.

For fertigation in veg, I use 1 or 2 qts. per 5 gal. water. (I usually use 2 qts.) That's what I've been using, for fertigating my pots containing my custom soil mix. I may experiment with a higher ratio. So, 1 qt. per 5 gal = 1:20; 2 qt. per 5 gal. = 1:10.

 

[CBDMed]

From Amazon customer comments:

"Since we only used 3 of the 10 capsules, I carefully stored the remaining ones in an airtight container in our hall closet. We recently took the kit out to repeat our testing of soil and were dismayed and disappointed that there was no reaction in any of the four tests. Levels of nutrients are supposed to be indicated by color but the samples were all clear. // I called customer service and was told that the shelf life for this item was 12 to 18 months—I had purchased this set 13 months ago. Customer service rep told me that I could purchase additional supplies which is true, but the cost to do so would exceed the cost of purchasing another kit.. "

So, maybe you got a test kit that was a year old or more. Maybe they even expire before a year.

Yeah...and no mention of an expiration date anywhere on the package...
I did my duty to leave a warning in the reviews.

Yeah, if you can't get a new soil test kit, then maybe a university lab is the best bet.

It is the only other option I see at the moment, but we will have to wait a week before we can even start the process, and I am not sure how long it will take, with the freeway out.

If you order something from Amazon, can you still get it, but just delayed?

Yeah, usually Amazon takes 3 weeks, but this time it took 5.
And usually you pay an extra 50% for shipping.
Other than that, it is the same grid.