Potting mix question please answer

[Grower2020]

Hi . Photos attached of changes made to the potting mix I have always used.
I never used to have a problem with the potting mix as I have used it for years.
But since covid apparently a lot of things that were used to make the product brand searles potting mix ( an Australian brand) aren't available to be imported in quantities big enough to provide the same old potting mix I've always known .they have declared that they are adding more coco peat to the mixture but I'm not sure what has been taken out of the mix to add the extra amounts of coco peat and extra wood .
I have encountered deficiencies This grow and haven't been sure why. The ph of the mix was 7 with a soil test kit I purchased. But I have been using ph nutes at 6.5-6.8 . With the added coco and peat they are adding should I be ph'ing my nutes to 5.5-5.8 instead ? Since it's now basically a hydroponic classed mix because it hasnt really got any soil in it ? It's the only reason I can think of that my plants aren't uptaking the trace element nutes and I'm coming Into deficiencies of calcium and magnesium mainly. And a little potassium deficiency showing up also. Which would mean the ph of the water is too high if it's a soilless mix is that right? So I guess my question is should I lower my ph when watering and treat the mix as a hydroponic soilless medium ?

 

[Bill284]

Hi . Photos attached of changes made to the potting mix I have always used.
I never used to have a problem with the potting mix as I have used it for years.
But since covid apparently a lot of things that were used to make the product brand searles potting mix ( an Australian brand) aren't available to be imported in quantities big enough to provide the same old potting mix I've always known .they have declared that they are adding more coco peat to the mixture but I'm not sure what has been taken out of the mix to add the extra amounts of coco peat and extra wood .
I have encountered deficiencies This grow and haven't been sure why. The ph of the mix was 7 with a soil test kit I purchased. But I have been using ph nutes at 6.5-6.8 . With the added coco and peat they are adding should I be ph'ing my nutes to 5.5-5.8 instead ? Since it's now basically a hydroponic classed mix because it hasnt really got any soil in it ? It's the only reason I can think of that my plants aren't uptaking the trace element nutes and I'm coming Into deficiencies of calcium and magnesium mainly. And a little potassium deficiency showing up also. Which would mean the ph of the water is too high if it's a soilless mix is that right? So I guess my question is should I lower my ph when watering and treat the mix as a hydroponic soilless medium ?

Hello @Grower2020 hope you are well my friend.
Here is a thought.
Your usual potting soil mix without "coco peat" would have dried out as normal soil.
Mixing in other ingredients changes the water retention.
Therefore soil you would normally have to feed every few days now takes longer to dry.
Are you lifting the pot? How are you determining when she is dry enough to feed again?
That extra time might be what you need.
I'm sure you have your soil cycle down pat? Feed/dry/water/dry/feed/dry/water/dry........
Also are you using the same pots as previous grows? Nutrients? Ph?
Small changes can make a big difference.
Bill

 

[Grower2020]

Hello @Grower2020 hope you are well my friend.
Here is a thought.
Your usual potting soil mix without "coco peat" would have dried out as normal soil.
Mixing in other ingredients changes the water retention.
Therefore soil you would normally have to feed every few days now takes longer to dry.
Are you lifting the pot? How are you determining when she is dry enough to feed again?
That extra time might be what you need.
I'm sure you have your soil cycle down pat? Feed/dry/water/dry/feed/dry/water/dry........
Also are you using the same pots as previous grows? Nutrients? Ph?
Small changes can make a big difference.
Bill

The pots dry out in 3 days even with the extra retentions because I am growing in diy pots made out of insect screen that you find on Windows to keep insects outside. They are great for aeration to the soil .
So the soil wetter isn't really affecting me. So I should feed..dry.. water...dry feed , dry, water, dry ?
But I'm still unsure if what I should be ph'ing my water and nutes to I'm this mix . Would you class it as a soilless mix ? And if so should I ph the nutes and water to 5.8 and not 6.5 as you would in soil ?

 

[Bill284]

The pots dry out in 3 days even with the extra retentions because I am growing in diy pots made out of insect screen that you find on Windows to keep insects outside. They are great for aeration to the soil .
So the soil wetter isn't really affecting me. So I should feed..dry.. water...dry feed , dry, water, dry ?
But I'm still unsure if what I should be ph'ing my water and nutes to I'm this mix . Would you class it as a soilless mix ? And if so should I ph the nutes and water to 5.8 and not 6.5 as you would in soil ?

If you have soil in the pot it buffers your mix.
6.4 I believe is optional in soil.
5.8 is for 100% hydroponic. With no soil whatsoever.
Your screen pots do you have a cover over it to keep sunlight off the roots?
Bill

 

[Bill284]

Oh and yes feed every other watering. Or water ever other feeding
And dry dry dry in-between.
Bill

 

[Grower2020]

If you have soil in the pot it buffers your mix.
6.4 I believe is optional in soil.
5.8 is for 100% hydroponic. With no soil whatsoever.
Your screen pots do you have a cover over it to keep sunlight off the roots?
Bill

I don't see any mention of any soil at all in the description of the potting mix I think it's all organic matter and just coco and peat. No they are exposed to a little light , all the roots on the edge of the pots are pruning . Shouldn't they see light ?

 

[013]

Roots love air but not exposure to light, I’m pretty well convinced that air pots & fabric pots do not air prune the roots but what is taking place is actually light pruning.

see pics & comment at post #191 Parrajarra light prune

 

[Bill284]

Roots love air but not exposure to light, I’m pretty well convinced that air pots & fabric pots do not air prune the roots but what is taking place is actually light pruning.

see pics & comment at post #191 Parrajarra light prune

@013 what do you think of the organic matter in his soil? Soilless ?
mix?
Ph at 6.4 still?
Thanks
Bill

 

[Roy Growin]

A tricky one, but this might help
I am doing a grow in LiteMix which is buffered pH 6.2 and EC 1.2 - great for seedlings with Bio etc
However by about week 3-4 it is practically inert so I have found that dropping pH to 5.8 - 6.2 and treating it as coco is working well. I am also now using generic (Gro-Sure!) chem nutes/CalMag/PK as they seem to be absorbed much faster
The organic matter is probably leaf mulch which releases nutes very slowly for a fast growing plant
Hope that helps

 

[SmokingWings]

.they have declared that they are adding more coco peat to the mixture but I'm not sure what has been taken out of the mix to add the extra amounts of coco peat and extra wood .

The Searles brand is a good one from what I have read about it.

As to your question I am wondering if the company is replacing peat moss with the coco peat and wood. There have been articles that some of the England peat moss producers have planned on stopping the harvesting from the peat bogs within a few years. That might be extending into the European peat bogs so maybe Searles is planning ahead since the pandemic's effect on workers has already contributed to a lack of some ingredients in the pipeline.

You could consider phoning, postal mailing or eMailing them to see what they say regarding your question.

 

[Roy Growin]

A tricky one, but this might help
I am doing a grow in LiteMix which is buffered pH 6.2 and EC 1.2 - great for seedlings with Bio etc
However by about week 3-4 it is practically inert so I have found that dropping pH to 5.8 - 6.2 and treating it as coco is working well. I am also now using generic (Gro-Sure!) chem nutes/CalMag/PK as they seem to be absorbed much faster
The organic matter is probably leaf mulch which releases nutes very slowly for a fast growing plant
Hope that helps

 

[Sueet]

Seeing both 6.5 and 6.4 pH here, but it is my understanding that we actually aim for 6.3 in soil. I know it seems tiny, that .1 or .2 difference, but .. it's exponential, so . tiny as they are, those numbers are huge.

 

[Roy Growin]

Seeing both 6.5 and 6.4 pH here, but it is my understanding that we actually aim for 6.3 in soil. I know it seems tiny, that .1 or .2 difference, but .. it's exponential, so . tiny as they are, those numbers are huge.

I'm not too fussy about it and let pH drift a bit - the plant will tell me if she's unhappy or lovin' it

 

[Sueet]

I'm not too fussy about it and let pH drift a bit - the plant will tell me if she's unhappy or lovin' it

The whole point of starting at 6.3 is so that it CAN drift ... that is the whole mechanic at work here, we start low and then the soil brings 'er back up again.

 

[Roy Growin]

The whole point of starting at 6.3 is so that it CAN drift ... that is the whole mechanic at work here, we start low and then the soil brings 'er back up again.

Fair enough, but OP has a peat/coco/bark mix - surely that doesn't really count as soil, ie compost/guano etc?

 

[Sueet]

Fair enough, but OP has a peat/coco/bark mix - surely that doesn't really count as soil, ie compost/guano etc?

Hum... while I'm no expert I consider compost to be soil, but I guess I haven't a clue what proportions are in there. It also has added fertilizers, minerals and those water crystals. I feel like even if this isn't technically soil, it seems designed to be treated like soil.

 

[Grower2020]

The Searles brand is a good one from what I have read about it.

As to your question I am wondering if the company is replacing peat moss with the coco peat and wood. There have been articles that some of the England peat moss producers have planned on stopping the harvesting from the peat bogs within a few years. That might be extending into the European peat bogs so maybe Searles is planning ahead since the pandemic's effect on workers has already contributed to a lack of some ingredients in the pipeline.

You could consider phoning, postal mailing or eMailing them to see what they say regarding your question.

I actually emailed them last night. Asked them basically if I am to feed the mix as hydro or soil. I'm feeling like this grow is just going to be a disaster as I just cant figure out why they aren't growing as they usually have with all my past searles grows. Only thing I can see different is the medium change on behalf of the company. I wish I had of known they were ramming anything they could find into their bags since the pandemic started . I would have done a coco grow instead. Now I'm lookimg at losing my plants possibly If I can't get it sorted

 

[013]

Thanks Bill284 - Apologies, had to step out so I’m late to the party!

Double Ditto on what Smoking Wings said - I think Searles may use ground coco husks and call it coco peat but I’m not sure. It would be nice to know since in North America coco coir is ground coconut husks and peat moss is decayed plant matter from bogs. It kinda sounds like soilless is the way to go

Mulch is very different from soil. If my understanding is correct - if the mulch isn’t well aged / properly rotten then it can suck the N up fast and uses it trying to decompose the wood chunks.

yes ph is logarithmic so the difference between 5.8 and 6.3 is ginormous, can you drop some better daylight pics?

 

[Grower2020]

I'm still confused although all comments seem to have some reasoning. Hopefully the company replies today with a legitimate response to fix the issue

 

[Grower2020]

Apologies, had to step out so I’m late to the party! I think Searles may use ground coco husks and call it coco peat but I’m not sure. It would be nice to know since in North America coco coir is one thing and peat moss is something else. But kinda sounds like soilless is the way to go

This is what I'm thinking also . And I guess it can't hurt to ph at 5.8 if 6.5 isn't working and the plants are still deficient even after adding trace minerals and checking soil ph which is neutral . Only thing left to really try after eliminating the other trials is to try soilless ph'ing