8PH in, and 5.4ph out ... why, and how to fix?

"as advertised" with any marijuana brand is a total crapshoot. Most lack integrity.. it's the norm and not the exception. Are you seeing signs or a ton of major symptoms or just assuming there's a problem due to measurements taken? The measurement of runoff is not always accurate with what actually sorrounds the roots, which is all that really matters. Probably a good idea to keep adding alkaline balanced irrigation and fertigation. 5.4pH, which with all that water would be somewhere between what you added and what was present in substrate would have locked out Ca for sure, since it was even more acidic than 5.4 in more cases than not. If you don't have a bunch of rust spots, it's not getting locked out. if it's not causing major nute issues in leaves, it may not be an issue. If you want to hit the easy button, go soilless. Knowing exactly what is added and proper fertigation habits result in a consistent equilibrium of nutes at all times. simple adjustments to formula is all you ever need to do - no flushing or major efforts like that. buildup in substrate is impossible with 10% runoff. feeding too much is still a possibility, but it eliminates a lot of options when trying to diagnose a problem. Not that you'd see one that matters after 1-2 grows. If you want to figure out a no-till or mostly no-till substrate for an entire grow, you are better off learning to constitute it yourself rather than relying on some pre-packaged wonder soil. It may take several grow cycles before you get it optimized for an entire grow... even the best ones may need a little supplementation. There are a lot of esoteric nonsense beliefs out there and too many seem to own companies pooping out marijuana branded products, lol. i'd continue to ph-balance your irrigation and fertigation to be alkaline but focuse more on symptoms as far as doing anything beyond that.

Bem amigo, meu ver do seu problema, está como muitas bactérias, esquisito dizer isto mas seu solo esta bom de mais 😂. Bactérias desenvolvem muito rápido com condições certas. Isso é bom para o solo e sua decomposição, mas muitas dessas bactérias fazem descer o ph. Bem tem que deixar seu solo secar mais, assim suas bactérias vão morrer nas partes mais secas, propagar nas alturas de rega. Assim controla seu população. Bem também pode regar uma vez ou outra com água da rede, contem cloro serve mesmo para controlar bactérias, matando gande parte dela. Saudações

Heya, Its's pre-amended soil, meaning it got all the nutrients it needs for that grow already in the soil(Organic), you were 2 weeks into flower, so it is very possible what you were seeing was actually the reallocation of nitrogen to other parts of the plant, and not a nitrogen deficiency at all, it is a process called Senescence. When you buy buckets like that its carefully measured because in a perfect grow you actually want nitrogen to be depleted from the medium sometime during flower as N and K both share the biggest highways within the stems for nutrient transport, this way the plant will eat up all of its excess nitrogen(green) in the end this means less chlorophyll in your plant come cure time, but most importantly is responsible for other colors shine through like the anthocyanin or carotenoids. You do not want to add concentrates to organic grows either as it wipes out eco system, and unless you know what kind of nitrogen your mixing together as anything over 30% ammoniacal nitrogen can cause PH TO GO WILD. When you flushed, you flushed everything else out the plant entirely. 8ph water means its high in salt, what is salt but salt minerals, calcium, potassium, magnesium, Plant is ssucking all the salt minerals and nutrients from water leaving your runoff acidic. Honestly if you want to save her grab a small bag of "NPK RAW BLOOM" use 1"8th tsp every other watering, all she needs and way more. Breaking Down Nitrogen Forms & Their Impact: Forms of Nitrogen: Nitrogen, comes in three primary forms: ammonium, nitrate, and urea. Ammonium (NH4+) carries a positive charge, nitrate (NH3–)carries a negative charge, while urea ((NH2)2CO) carries no charge. Natural Processes in Media: Once these nitrogen forms are introduced into the growing media, natural processes kick in. Bacteria play a vital role, converting urea to ammonium or ammonium to nitrate. This latter conversion releases hydrogen ions, increasing media acidity. Urea Conversion: Urea undergoes rapid conversion to ammonium in the soil, usually within two days. Both urea and ammonium are often grouped together and referred to as ammoniacal nitrogen. When plants absorb nitrogen, they typically release a molecule with the same charge to maintain internal pH. This process can also alter the pH of the media surrounding the roots. pH Effects of Nitrogen Uptake: Ammonium (NO4) Uptake and pH: When plants absorb ammonium, they release hydrogen ions (H+) into the media. This increases the acidity of the media over time, decreasing the pH. Nitrate (NO3) Uptake and pH: Plants take up nitrate by releasing hydroxide ions (OH–). These ions combine with hydrogen ions to form water. The reduction in hydrogen ions eventually reduces the media acidity increasing the pH. Nitrate (NO3) Absorption Variations: Sometimes, plants absorb nitrate differently, either by taking in hydrogen ions or releasing bicarbonate. Like hydroxide ions, bicarbonate reacts with hydrogen ions and indirectly raises the media pH. Understanding these processes helps in choosing the appropriate fertilizer to manage media pH. Depending on the nutrients present, the media’s acidity or alkalinity can be adjusted to optimize plant growth. Risks of Ammoniacal Nitrogen: Plants can only absorb a certain amount of nitrogen at a time. However, they have the ability to store excess nitrogen for later use if needed. Nitrate (NO3) vs. Ammonium (NH4): Plants can safely store nitrate, but too much ammonium can harm cells. Thankfully, bacteria in the media convert urea and ammonium to nitrate, reducing the risk of ammonium buildup. Factors Affecting Ammonium (NH4) Levels: Certain conditions like low temperatures, waterlogged media, and low pH can prevent bacteria from converting ammonium. This can lead to toxic levels of ammonium in the media, causing damage to plant cells. Symptoms of Ammonium (NH4) Toxicity: Upward or downward curling of lower leaves depending on plant species; and yellowing between the veins of older leaves which can progress to cell death. Preventing Ammonium (NH4) Toxicity: When it comes to nitrogen breakdown of a nutrient solution, it’s crucial not to exceed 30% of the total nitrogen as ammoniacal nitrogen. Higher levels can lead to toxicity, severe damage, and even plant death. Ideal Nitrogen Ratio for Cannabis: Best Nitrogen (NO3) Ratio: Research shows that medical cannabis plants respond best to nitrogen supplied in the form of nitrate (NO3). This helps them produce more flowers and maintain healthy levels of secondary compounds. Safe Ammonium (NH4) Levels: While high levels of ammonium (NH4) can be harmful to cannabis plants, moderate levels (around 10-30% of the total nitrogen) are are considered most suitable. This level helps prevent leaf burn and pH changes in the media. Good luck.

A possible reason for your problem is decaying organic matter. If your soil has a lot of small/microscopic organic matter mixed into it, it can produce CO2. When CO2 gets in contact with water, it produces a weak acid called carbonic acid. Because you flushed the soil multiple times, the CO2 has enough water to produce this acid an beneficial bacteria got flushed out. Carbonic acid is around pH 4,8 - 4,9, which is very close to your 5,4 pH water out. It's possible that if your pH 8.0 water instantly gets in contact with CO2 in the soil, the water gets neutralized to around 6,2 - 6,5 which isn't as effective anymore. Maybe that's why the pH is so low and flushing it with pH 8.0 water does almost nothing. I'm no expert, but a simple way to fix this would probably be to lightly drench the soil 4-5 times a day with pH 9.0 (or even higher) water. That way, any possible carbonic acid would be neutralized to around 7.0 - 7.5 and your soil would return to normal pH-range.

Well that bucket is definitely no longer a 'just add water' situation. Best thing you can do now is just leave the plant alone for a while.

I don't understand why you have a pH nightmare. In a soil grow the plants and the microorganisms in the soil will take care of the soil pH. You want a suggestion so i will give you one. Stop trying to play God with your plants in a soil grow. I have done plenty of water only soil grows. The worst thing you can do is flush them with gallons of water.