Soil Nute Lockout

[Blazer420]

My buddy and I were talking last night and we ran into something that we didn't/couldn't find an answer for.

He is doing his first run not only in soil (VermiFire) but also using organic nutes - Roots specifically.

his ph has been slowly and steadily rising. Now he is at the point where I believe he is having some micro-nutrient lockout. His plants are showing signs of a boron, iron, magnesium deficiency. There might be some other macro lockout happening as well.

We started talking about how to bring his ph down, and one thing came up that is making him wait to correct the problem until he can get a good answer. If he truly does have a ph induced nute lockout, when he corrects it, what happens to the abundance of nutes that have been building up in his soil? Are they suddenly all available to the plant and might cause a nute burn?

In hydro the answer seems a bit more simple in that a res change and a ph adjust would be just fine, but its not like you can just go swapping out soils.

Thanks for your help,

B-

 

[JJ Bones]

You think the soil pH is off? How long has it been in the vermifire?

 

[BigIrishDoode]

If your right, I would think a good flush would help, organic nutes don't exactly build up in the soil,if the Ph is off that much I imagine the microbes are not doing very well and may be mostly dead, that will cause defencies due to inactivity, like jj asked how long has this soil been in use?, organic nutes are unavailable till the soil life/mykos digest it,usually at the request of the plant communicating with the microbes thru the rootzone ritosphere (spelling) symbiosis and all, the Ph climbing is very unusual in soil and I have heard nothing but good about vermifire, was there anything added to the soil? It may be you need a nice heavy dose of microbial tea after some flushing, the Ph should adjust it's self if it's happy, need little more info I guess

 

[Blazer420]

You think the soil pH is off? How long has it been in the vermifire?

4 weeks veg and now into second week of flower - so about 6 weeks or so.

 

[JJ Bones]

Is it soil pH you're talking about?

 

[Blazer420]

If your right, I would think a good flush would help, organic nutes don't exactly build up in the soil,if the Ph is off that much I imagine the microbes are not doing very well and may be mostly dead, that will cause defencies due to inactivity, like jj asked how long has this soil been in use?, organic nutes are unavailable till the soil life/mykos digest it,usually at the request of the plant communicating with the microbes thru the rootzone ritosphere (spelling) symbiosis and all, the Ph climbing is very unusual in soil and I have heard nothing but good about vermifire, was there anything added to the soil? It may be you need a nice heavy dose of microbial tea after some flushing, the Ph should adjust it's self if it's happy, need little more info I guess

All he & I have used since it came out is VermiFire straight from the bag and so have many of my friends. I really can't say enough good things about it - but that's another topic.

The plants have been in there about 6 weeks give or take a few days (also in 7gal Smart Pots). Nutes are Earth Juice done exactly as printed on the bottle/website for the "basic" method. Watering is every 3-4 days depending on soil with feedings every 3rd watering. All waterings/feedings get about 3 Tbs worm casting compost tea to the RO water.

Tested ph is right now at 7.3

Thanks!

B-

 

[Blazer420]

Is it soil pH you're talking about?

Yes.

 

[JJ Bones]

Did you inoculate with any microbes? Any compost teas? I would recommend this so you get the microbes going to work for you.

 

[Blazer420]

Did you inoculate with any microbes? Any compost teas? I would recommend this so you get the microbes going to work for you.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but would watering with compost teas (like he is doing) and the Catalyst component of EJ be doing that already?

B-

 

[Rollin]

I had that happen if I could do it again I would have thrown them out and started over, I tried to do a lights ripening stupid idea cut my yield caused nut lock, the leaf came out, and if you followed the finger there was a part in the middle of each finger where there was no leaf only as skinny stem then the leave end were normal, I will search for the picture.l.i used borax soap and epson salt, in the watering, it cleans out the plants system, but it adds time, so I recommend unless it's the super bomb, and enormous, to yank and start over. Works for humans too, not brave enough to bath in borax, but if I lived in lake co. I'd swim in borax lake. LOL...note humans can soak in epson and absorb mg through the skin, do not ingest it..

 

[Rollin]

You changed food when started flowering, it's not the soil you would have seen a reaction in fourth week of plants life. If not sooner...Nut lock happens when a dif.. Get way out of hand, or an over dose that causes a dif. Chalated iron epson salt and borax soap....for a few waterings.

 

[JJ Bones]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but would watering with compost teas (like he is doing) and the Catalyst component of EJ be doing that already?

B-

Of course, I did not know he was using compost tea, thought it was only the EJ however in the first post it was Roots (roots organics?) ??

 

[Blazer420]

Of course, I did not know he was using compost tea, thought it was only the EJ however in the first post it was Roots (roots organics?) ??

Um, yea. My error. It is Roots Organics. <palm slap to my face>

We grow very similar and I just got it confused. I use EJ he uses Roots.

Sorry about that.

B-