First Time Growing

[PK]

The only thing that effectively brings air down to the core of the rootball is letting the water table fall all the way to the bottom. Squeezing it is just going to create voids around the edges... and that will make the next watering very difficult.

Stop even thinking about soil pH. You still have not realized that your soil has a different pH depending on where in the container you try to measure it. The only useful soil pH reading is doing a slurry test in a vacuum to determine where the base pH is... or the pH that your soil reverts to when dry. Your soil probably has a base pH near 6.8pH. This is exactly where it should be to allow an upward drift when you water at 6.3 pH. There is NOTHING that you should do to your soil. NOTHING.

Got ya!! So, the soil is almost fully dry. i pushed down the moister checker in few different spots and it is giving me dry readings. When should i water it and any effective tip?

 

[PK]

Keeps mine perfect temp

Ever since the switch with the AC and taking the heater away has made the temps more stable. I also have my carbon filter in place and set as an exhust fan. As soon as it hits 30c the carbon filter fan turns on.

 

[Skunks]

Same as mine I got mine set to 28 then it all kicks in

 

[Emilya Green]

Got ya!! So, the soil is almost fully dry. i pushed down the moister checker in few different spots and it is giving me dry readings. When should i water it and any effective tip?

use the moisture meter to find out where the water table is. when you determine the height of the water table, watch it over a couple of days to see how it drops as the plant uses the water, and when the top of the water table is in the last inch or two of the container, only then is it time to water. By watching the rate that the water table drops, you can make a good guess days ahead of time when this will be and you will have a very good idea how fast your plant is using water.

 

[Pennywise]

It’s a good light you’ll like it.

 

[PK]

use the moisture meter to find out where the water table is. when you determine the height of the water table, watch it over a couple of days to see how it drops as the plant uses the water, and when the top of the water table is in the last inch or two of the container, only then is it time to water. By watching the rate that the water table drops, you can make a good guess days ahead of time when this will be and you will have a very good idea how fast your plant is using water.

Not sure what your refering too when stating "water table"

So, i put the moister checker in different areas of the pot. regardless of the depeth of the soil, it showed that its dry.
I sticked my whole fingure in the put and it is dry as far as my finger went.

I am currently spraying the soil outside edge and taking 5min brakes in between.
I am looking to get in the green zone of the moister checker.
When in the green zone, the plant takes water every 2nd day. However, I will keep an eye on it and see how it playes out.

Temp/humid of tent 24/40%

Water mixture:
PH 6.3
220 ppm

 

[PK]

Question @Pennywise

I am 200% sure the plant is leaching nutr. How do i stop it from doing so?
Should i take it out of the water mixture and just leave it in distilled water only?
Was cutting the mature leaves a good idea or not?

The root system looks nice and clean and white.
current ppm 250 ph 7.5 (ph rises very slowly now)
temp/humid 24c/41%
res temp 23.3c

 

[Pennywise]

7.5 ph is way to high, your plant isn’t feeding right now. Ph should be 5.8-6.2

 

[PK]

7.5 ph is way to high, your plant isn’t feeding right now. Ph should be 5.8-6.2

yes, but it keeps rising. I am constantly adding TNB down and it keeps rising

 

[Pennywise]

You may have to adjust it daily, 7.5 ph your plant will die. Start it at 5.5 and let it rise from there.

 

[PK]

You may have to adjust it daily, 7.5 ph your plant will die. Start it at 5.5 and let it rise from there.

i've been doing that since last week when you mentioned it.
yesterday the water mixture was good until the plant was added

 

[Pennywise]

The plant will change the chemistry yes.

 

[PK]

do you have this problems as well with your hydrol?

 

[Emilya Green]

Not sure what your refering too when stating "water table"

any water that is suspended in the soil, because of gravity, has to fall to the lower part of the container, and it forms a virtual lake inside of that container. After you water, the top surface of that lake, the water table, is right at the top of the container... you have filled the soil all the way to the top. As the plant begins to use that water, the water table begins to drop. The top surface of that lake is what acts to form a suction, that pulls oxygen deep down into the soil. Your goal with the moisture meter is to determine where to top surface of that lake is, and then to wait until it falls down into the last inch of the container.

 

[PK]

this tank is 6 years old and never once i've had ph issues
live plants with co2
ph 6.5
200ppm

 

[Pennywise]

Usually rising ph with stable EC and water level calls for an increase in EC

 

[PK]

Usually rising ph with stable EC and water level calls for an increase in EC

correct. However, Mine is static, rising, rising
hence why i thought just having it in Distilled water would do me good.
I have lowerd the ph but have not done anything else. Just trying to figure this out

 

[Pennywise]

Use tap water, RO will just cause you headaches in hydro.

 

[PK]

any water that is suspended in the soil, because of gravity, has to fall to the lower part of the container, and it forms a virtual lake inside of that container. After you water, the top surface of that lake, the water table, is right at the top of the container... you have filled the soil all the way to the top. As the plant begins to use that water, the water table begins to drop. The top surface of that lake is what acts to form a suction, that pulls oxygen deep down into the soil. Your goal with the moisture meter is to determine where to top surface of that lake is, and then to wait until it falls down into the last inch of the container.

this might sound noobish, but i only spray the soil with the feeding mixture. I spray until i get the moister checker in the green zone and i do take few min breake between each spraying.

Yesterday i sprayed the feeding mixture and the needle of the moister checker was at 6{green zone}
I checked the needle of the moister checker today and it was at 4.
I will be watering it when it gets to 1. Normally speaking every 3/4 days i feed it.

I've aslo took your tip on trying to find and see where the lake is in the soil. But regardless of where i stick it too it gives me the same reading.

The plants are currently in the same stage as before. Leaves downwords.
water mixture at 200 ppm. Ph 6.5

I am waiting for the soil to dry up from yesterdays watering. Once the soil is dryer i will check the ph of soil and get back to you. I youtubed ph testing slurry method and it seemed pretty simple.

 

[PK]

@Emilya i took out some dirt from the put. I did try to get more of the bottom of the dirts with out disturbing the roots as much as possible. I put some disstilled water in the glass and stired the mixture for 10 min took a break and than agian for 10 min.. did this 3 times. than i waited about 30 min and i did a ph reading.

i'm not sure how correct the reading would be without the proper mixing of the water and soil.
buy i got about 6.65 to 6.69

the soil is still moist so i didn't feed it. One of the plants is looking slightly better.