Once you get your Ph meter, make sure to adjust the ph to where you want it slowly. When I got mine and noticed that my water I had been using was at like 7.9 PH, I immediatly adjusted down to 6.0. Just about killed my plants. Step it down slowly to where it should be. Of course, you may want to bounce that off the rest of the community, as I am also doing my first grow right now, and by no means an expert. Keep the pics coming!
1st grow White Rhino - cfl / hps - help much appreciated
- Thread starter sullymonster
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- #22
sullymonster
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DAY 28
the soil ph tester arrived and the soil has a ph of 7.5.
what is the best way to lower it to 6.5 ?? can it be done by just watering with ph adjusted water??
cheers
the soil ph tester arrived and the soil has a ph of 7.5.
what is the best way to lower it to 6.5 ?? can it be done by just watering with ph adjusted water??
cheers
mix a little white vinegar (a few drops in a water bottle) with some water. then add a small amount of that to the water youre going to give your plants and check the ph, just keep adding that vinegar/water mix to your feeding water until you get the ph you want, try around 6.5 to get the soil lower, might end up with 7.0 runoff or around there. but do that and keep an eye on the ph every time you water. and just keep adjusting your water and nutes like that until your get where you want and then just adjust your water and nutes to keep it stable. only adjust it a little bit at a time. a few days at 7.0 is better than going from 7.5 to 6.0 at once
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- #24
sullymonster
New Member
thanks rc - will give your method a go
just to clarify - you add the vinegar water to the feeding water ( 6.0 ph ) then feed ??well doesnt have to be exactly 6.0 just something to help get the soil lower than it is
but no 4.0 or 5.0
but no 4.0 or 5.0
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- #26
sullymonster
New Member
thanks pal will give it a shot
edit - is the vinegar water actually needed if the feeding water has a 6ph ??
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- #27
sullymonster
New Member
is the vinegar water actually needed if the feeding water has a 6ph already ??
If the water you use to feed already has a 6.0 PH, you should be fine. The question is what your final PH is after mixing with the soil. Test the runoff after watering, or put some of the soil into a glass of your water and mix and then test for PH. If your soil is at 7.0, and your water is at 6.0, then I would imagine that combined you will be around 6.5, which is fine. You would need to use vinegar if your combined was higher than 6.7 or so. My water is at 8.4. My soil is at 5.4. I lower my waters PH using PH down solution to about 6.7 - 6.8. My runoff after watering with PH adjusted water comes in 6.0, which is just fine for me. Took a couple tries to figure it all out, but the plants love the consistent PH. I agree with everyone else as far as changing PH, better to have slightly wrong ph then to change it to quickly. Good luck, you are doing fine! 
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- #30
sullymonster
New Member
DAY 30
i have included some photos taken today - 1 month old
my run off water has a 5.6ph - thats with feeding water at 6.2ph ( with nutes - only started using today for the first time - 1/4 strength ).
does the run off waters ph need to raised ?? and if i need to raise my run off ph should i raise the feeding water to say 6.5ph ??
biocanna suggest that optimal ph level is 5.2 - 6.2, so i didn't want to go over 6.2. If i was to use say 6.5 feeding water for the next few feedings would this adjust the run off sufficiently to return back to 6.2 feeding water ??
the plan for the next few days is to slowly let the plants get used to the nutes and then hopefully by tues/weds i was going to put them under the 400w hps on 18/6 to start proper vegging.
again thanks to all for stopping by
i have included some photos taken today - 1 month old
my run off water has a 5.6ph - thats with feeding water at 6.2ph ( with nutes - only started using today for the first time - 1/4 strength ).
does the run off waters ph need to raised ?? and if i need to raise my run off ph should i raise the feeding water to say 6.5ph ??
biocanna suggest that optimal ph level is 5.2 - 6.2, so i didn't want to go over 6.2. If i was to use say 6.5 feeding water for the next few feedings would this adjust the run off sufficiently to return back to 6.2 feeding water ??
the plan for the next few days is to slowly let the plants get used to the nutes and then hopefully by tues/weds i was going to put them under the 400w hps on 18/6 to start proper vegging.
again thanks to all for stopping by
Looking great! looks like all they needed was some leg space. Pus rep for turning them around.
Ooohhh! They are looking so much better sully! Amazing how much abuse these plants can take 
Personally, I think that your runoff water is a little bit too low. I would adjust your Watering PH up like you were thinking, maybe even a 1/10 point more (over time). I think the lower PH's that your nutes suggest are for growing hydroponically. I thought the same thing until someone told me that 6.5 was a more reasonable level for soil grow. My nutes are crazy on my PH. I start with 8 + PH water, add nutes, and then check and the water is PH 6.2 to 6.5. Saves me from having to use too much PH down solution. Out of curiosity, why aren't you gonna get a MH conversion bulb for your veg period. They are cheapish. Is it the money, the time, or just not interested? Anyway, I have watched grows that people have done with HPS lights, and they have turned out just fine so I am sure you will be ok either way. Again, way to go on this one, and Plus Reps for the big turn around.
Personally, I think that your runoff water is a little bit too low. I would adjust your Watering PH up like you were thinking, maybe even a 1/10 point more (over time). I think the lower PH's that your nutes suggest are for growing hydroponically. I thought the same thing until someone told me that 6.5 was a more reasonable level for soil grow. My nutes are crazy on my PH. I start with 8 + PH water, add nutes, and then check and the water is PH 6.2 to 6.5. Saves me from having to use too much PH down solution. Out of curiosity, why aren't you gonna get a MH conversion bulb for your veg period. They are cheapish. Is it the money, the time, or just not interested? Anyway, I have watched grows that people have done with HPS lights, and they have turned out just fine so I am sure you will be ok either way. Again, way to go on this one, and Plus Reps for the big turn around.- Thread starter
- #33
sullymonster
New Member
cheers fellas 
happynow - your probably right in that they may be hydro guidelines, the next watering i will try raising the watering ph to 6.5. what ph do i actually want the run off water to be ??
im using canna's bio range - it doesn't affect ph/ec of the water
BIOCANNA :: The Bio Solution for growth and bloom :: BIOCANNA Tips
im not going for a mh conversion bulb as im done with spending any more money! this setup has come to just under £1000 and im not looking to spend anymore ( maybe only on some pk 13-14 ). most of my pals use the hps for both veg/flower and it seems to be fine. i might invest in one down the line though.
happynow - your probably right in that they may be hydro guidelines, the next watering i will try raising the watering ph to 6.5. what ph do i actually want the run off water to be ??
im using canna's bio range - it doesn't affect ph/ec of the water
BIOCANNA :: The Bio Solution for growth and bloom :: BIOCANNA Tips
im not going for a mh conversion bulb as im done with spending any more money! this setup has come to just under £1000 and im not looking to spend anymore ( maybe only on some pk 13-14 ). most of my pals use the hps for both veg/flower and it seems to be fine. i might invest in one down the line though.
Well, I have been shooting for a run-off Ph of anywhere from 6.0 to 6.5 ... That being said, maybe a long time grower will step in and give some more knowledable advise. Understand completly about money. I am about $3500 US in right now, and the list of things I still want is large. I was looking through the thread about biggest newbie mistakes, and one of them was to spend too much on the first grows. There ya go, I nailed that one right on the head. I am really wishing that I had not wasted $1100 on the LEDS. I am however gonna give them another chance soon, and maybe they will prove their worth in the long run, or I will sell them on ebay... Either way, just keep doing what you are doing. Your plants looked really good in those last pics!
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- #35
sullymonster
New Member
DAY 45
VEG - 12 DAYS
Hi quick update, have been on 18/18 for 12 days now and growth has been quite rapid. Plants are between 10-12" tall with fan leaves as big as my hand. When is the right time to go 12/12 ?? i was thinking of switching on day 14 of veg. should i wait for the pistils to show before switching ?? or do they show after switching ??
could anyone enlighten me to the benefits of PK13-14. I was think of using it ( in small dosages ) combined with BioBOOST ( stimulator ).
VEG - 12 DAYS
Hi quick update, have been on 18/18 for 12 days now and growth has been quite rapid. Plants are between 10-12" tall with fan leaves as big as my hand. When is the right time to go 12/12 ?? i was thinking of switching on day 14 of veg. should i wait for the pistils to show before switching ?? or do they show after switching ??
could anyone enlighten me to the benefits of PK13-14. I was think of using it ( in small dosages ) combined with BioBOOST ( stimulator ).
Sully,
Looking good... I assume when you say 18/18 what you mean is 18/6. When to flower is a personal choice, but I have heard many people say to wait until the new nodes at the top of the plant come out not together. Origanally the plant will always put two nodes out at the same hieght and opposite each other. The plant is considered "mature" when its nodes start to alternate instead of being together. I beleive that you start to flower first, pistils second. Great job!
Looking good... I assume when you say 18/18 what you mean is 18/6. When to flower is a personal choice, but I have heard many people say to wait until the new nodes at the top of the plant come out not together. Origanally the plant will always put two nodes out at the same hieght and opposite each other. The plant is considered "mature" when its nodes start to alternate instead of being together. I beleive that you start to flower first, pistils second. Great job!
Hey Sully, if I remember correctly the rule of thumb is flower when they hit 12" tall if you have enough room for another 2' while it flowers, Most Indicas only grow about 3' indoors from what I have noticed. They look pretty fat and healthy, great job sir.
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- #38
sullymonster
New Member
Officially run out of growing space !!
BIG PICTURE UPDATE
WEEK 8
12/12 - 9 days
PLANT A --- 18" tall - run off 5.7
BIG PICTURE UPDATE
WEEK 8
12/12 - 9 days
PLANT A --- 18" tall - run off 5.7
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- #39
sullymonster
New Member
BIG PICTURE UPDATE
WEEK 8
12/12 - 9 days
PLANT B --- 17.5" tall - run off 5.8
this would be the least healthy plant out of the five. me being the clumsy stoner that i am decide to move the the extractor fan, which slipped and landed on this plant. thought it would have died, but it has regained its health slightly. the other plants seem to have crowded this one out, with the lower leaves receiving a lack of light ( pic 2 & 3 )
WEEK 8
12/12 - 9 days
PLANT B --- 17.5" tall - run off 5.8
this would be the least healthy plant out of the five. me being the clumsy stoner that i am decide to move the the extractor fan, which slipped and landed on this plant. thought it would have died, but it has regained its health slightly. the other plants seem to have crowded this one out, with the lower leaves receiving a lack of light ( pic 2 & 3 )
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- #40
sullymonster
New Member
BIG PICTURE UPDATE
WEEK 8
12/12 - 9 days
PLANT C --- 18" tall - run off 6.1
WEEK 8
12/12 - 9 days
PLANT C --- 18" tall - run off 6.1
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