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Does low ph runoff need attention?

August_Westeros
August_Westerosstarted grow question a year ago
The ph run off of my plants has been consistently low, ranging from 5.5 to 6.0. Should I be concerned? The soil is Fox Farms Ocean Forest. The plants are OG Kush and Gorilla Zkittlez Autoflower. I’m feeding them straight tap water with a ph of 7.5-8.0.
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Week 6
Feeding. Other
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GrowingGrannie
GrowingGrannieanswered grow question a year ago
If you're only feeding them straight tap water, I wouldn't be concerned at all. If, as m0use rightly suggests, the pH is consistently falling, it USUALLY means the EC is too high and you'd need to back off on your nutrients... but if you're not giving them any nutes, there's nothing to back off from! If you're still feeding them (and why wouldn't you be?) the trio, I would suggest backing off the Grow by half... plants, in flower, don't need as much nitrogen as the Grow is giving them and this may be leading to a lockout of other nutes which your runoff pH is trying to tell you. But for me, if the plants are looking healthy (and they are), there's nothing to worry about... Good luck!
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supersea
superseaanswered grow question a year ago
5.5 to 6 runoff is perfectly perfectly perfect its in the perfect range for roots to grow. i would measure EC and PPM of runoff if its low feed higher other then that looks all nice and beautiful. Some soils and soiless require a ph of 5.7-6.2 like the medium i use so that runof is in the perfect range. i would be worried only if the run of was under 5.3 or over 7
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m0use
m0useanswered grow question a year ago
Are you measuring the EC going into the pots? A low PH can sometimes mean the EC is quite high and a flush is warranted. I would suggest investing in a EC pen and monitoring that. Checking the solution going into the pots and the one coming out of them is a great way to tell whats up in the medium. It very well could be the plants are just getting overfed and need some time with just water to find a balance. IMO there is no ideal rage for runoff in soil based grows as there should be no runoff. For me soil is prone to holding onto to much water, causing root rot and overwatering symptoms to the plant like wilting leaves. There is also the chance of compacting the soil to much with all the water if it is not done slow and low. Given that soil holds onto nutrients quite well it might be in your best interest to lower you feeding amounts if you notice any other probelms. FYI: We will not be notified of any reply or tag [@] in the questions part of the website, if you need to reach out with other information use your DM "direct mailbox" in the bottom right hand corner of the page. it looks like a little paper airplane icon. Best Of Luck!
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GrowingTranny
GrowingTrannyanswered grow question a year ago
High, Ideal pH ranges for run off should be between 6.0 – 6.5 in soil. However, any pH close to this range will be acceptable. If you test your run off solution and the pH deviates more than 1.0 from the ideal range, it's clear that your plants are outside acceptable ranges of nutrient uptake. For any pH value under 5.5, consider feeding your crop at higher pH levels, or, buffer your medium with pH neutralizing compounds like calcium carbonate, dolomite lime, or oyster shell flour. After amending your medium with a neutralizing agent, the pH of your root zone should become stable over the next few irrigation cycles.
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