In an organic soil grow is runoff water pH a concern?

[MisterEd]

After recently transplanting my seedlings to gallon pots I have noticed the runoff water ph is high, as in 8.0. My rainwater I am applying is around 6.5. Is it recommended in an organic grow to adjust your water by its ph or what comes out out of the pot as runoff?

 

[Glookies1]

Oh boy. You’re gonna get varying answers to this one. Lol

I grow organic water only, and here’s my take.

If the soil is true living soil with a healthy bio load, you should be fine as long as your
water stays around 6.5 going in.

In fact, I never water to run off. Run off in true organic living soil just flushes nutrients out of the soil.

The big question is what’s the source of your soil? Make your own? Pre mix?

 

[Emilya Green]

Hi MisterEd and welcome to the forum!
in a true organic grow pH is not even an issue. The microbes dont care as long as you aren't frying them at either extreme of the scale. The only reason we adjust pH is for nutes. If you are using nutes in an organic soil, then it is not an organic grow technically, and pH is important to you. Always measure the pH of every incoming fluid to hit your soil, and adjust it to 6.3 for maximum availability of salt based nutes.

also, in soil, runoff pH is absolutely meaningless and is a waste of time to measure... the pH will change depending on the amount of runoff you produce, just like coffee gets weaker in a percolator, the more water you push through it.

 

[Glookies1]

Hi MisterEd and welcome to the forum!
in a true organic grow pH is not even an issue. The microbes dont care as long as you aren't frying them at either extreme of the scale. The only reason we adjust pH is for nutes. If you are using nutes in an organic soil, then it is not an organic grow technically, and pH is important to you. Always measure the pH of every incoming fluid to hit your soil, and adjust it to 6.3 for maximum availability of salt based nutes.

also, in soil, runoff pH is absolutely meaningless and is a waste of time to measure... the pH will change depending on the amount of runoff you produce, just like coffee gets weaker in a percolator, the more water you push through it.

I agree with all of that. Lol

 

[MisterEd]

I

Oh boy. You’re gonna get varying answers to this one. Lol

I grow organic water only, and here’s my take.

If the soil is true living soil with a healthy bio load, you should be fine as long as your
water stays around 6.5 going in.

In fact, I never water to run off. Run off in true organic living soil just flushes nutrients out of the soil.

The big question is what’s the source of your soil? Make your own? Pre mix?

I made my soil from essentially equal parts of my garden compost pile, perlite, some Fox Farm Frog and Dr. Earth.

I hope to acquire the skill to water just the right amount to where the soil is evenly moistened but not running out. Practuce makes perfect hopefully.

 

[MisterEd]

Thanks.

Hi MisterEd and welcome to the forum!
in a true organic grow pH is not even an issue. The microbes dont care as long as you aren't frying them at either extreme of the scale. The only reason we adjust pH is for nutes. If you are using nutes in an organic soil, then it is not an organic grow technically, and pH is important to you. Always measure the pH of every incoming fluid to hit your soil, and adjust it to 6.3 for maximum availability of salt based nutes.

also, in soil, runoff pH is absolutely meaningless and is a waste of time to measure... the pH will change depending on the amount of runoff you produce, just like coffee gets weaker in a percolator, the more water you push through it.

Thanks. I will take your advice and not worry with ph except for ensuring my rainwater is in the "zone." I hope to avoid chemical nutes. Happy New Year btw!

 

[Emilya Green]

I hope to acquire the skill to water just the right amount to where the soil is evenly moistened but not running out. Practuce makes perfect hopefully.

Let me please invite you to read my signature work,
The Proper Way to Water a Potted Plant (in soil) - STICKY (100k+ views and Counting)

 

[Deketx]

Thanks.


Thanks. I will take your advice and not worry with ph except for ensuring my rainwater is in the "zone." I hope to avoid chemical nutes. Happy New Year btw!

Good move the cannabis Sherpa is usually spot on.

 

[Autofacade]

Next grow if you dont want to worry too much. Get yourself some echo thrive soil. They tell you to water but to never have run off. It's an add water only soil. Me and my friends have had amazing results! Just with the help of some little added extra compost teas along the way. Suits me down to the ground. My current grow is in echo thrive.

 

[SmokingWings]

Oh boy. You’re gonna get varying answers to this one. Lol

I grow organic water only, and here’s my take.

If the soil is true living soil with a healthy bio load, you should be fine as long as your
water stays around 6.5 going in.

In fact, I never water to run off. Run off in true organic living soil just flushes nutrients out of the soil.

The big question is what’s the source of your soil? Make your own? Pre mix?

I used to agree with you about never watering to run-off or run-though. After giving it a lot of thought I realize that it does just flush nutrients out of the soil. But, outside Nature does it all the time. How often depends on the climate and the frequency of heavy rains but it does happen. Heavy rain and as the water percs through the soil it picks up nutrients and naturally occurring salts and ammonia and carries it further down into the soil. Eventually the water will hit an aquifer. Eventually the water can come out of the ground at a spring and flow into a stream to a river to a lake or the sea. Nature waters to run-off all the time. Just something to think about.

After recently transplanting my seedlings to gallon pots I have noticed the runoff water ph is high, as in 8.0. My rainwater I am applying is around 6.5. Is it recommended in an organic grow to adjust your water by its ph or what comes out out of the pot as runoff?

I figure that the pH of what comes out of the pot as runoff is just that, the pH of the water that comes out. It does not mean that it is the pH of the soil or of the water that is still in the soil in the pot. So as long as there are no increases in factory and industrial areas up wind of your location the rain water should remain at about 6.5 give or take a touch. As @Glookies1 says, you should be good to go.

 

[Glookies1]

I used to agree with you about never watering to run-off or run-though. After giving it a lot of thought I realize that it does just flush nutrients out of the soil. But, outside Nature does it all the time. How often depends on the climate and the frequency of heavy rains but it does happen. Heavy rain and as the water percs through the soil it picks up nutrients and naturally occurring salts and ammonia and carries it further down into the soil. Eventually the water will hit an aquifer. Eventually the water can come out of the ground at a spring and flow into a stream to a river to a lake or the sea. Nature waters to run-off all the time. Just something to think about.

I figure that the pH of what comes out of the pot as runoff is just that, the pH of the water that comes out. It does not mean that it is the pH of the soil or of the water that is still in the soil in the pot. So as long as there are no increases in factory and industrial areas up wind of your location the rain water should remain at about 6.5 give or take a touch. As @Glookies1 says, you should be good to go.

Also in nature, there is a constant re supply of nutrients to the soil. Decomposing vegetation. Bird and critter poop.

In an indoor pot, no natural replenishing of nutrients occur.