Tea/Soil/PH question

[NCDude]

My local garden store brews and gives away a 'compost' tea...I haven't tried it yet, but I have been doing a bit of research on different recepts.

I asked about the PH, the fellow said not to worry, it would be OK....

ALSO, I'm using Ocean Forest which has lime in it, but I still PH my water.

Whats the scoop? Do I need to PH my water using this soil? How bout with a compost tea?

 

[JJ Bones]

Re: Tea/Soil/PH question...

Typically anything that's truly organic doesn't require pHing or checking PPM (usually impossible to anyway)

 

[Icemud]

Agreed with JJBones, with organics and teas, the teas are there to provide healthy bacteria's/microbes to the soil. I won't go into detail but the microbes "eat" the dirt/rocks and minerals in your soil and are fed by energy of sugars,carbs and other things. Once they die they release these nutrients in usable form to the plant's roots. By adding PHup and Down, you may be killing off the microbes or drastically reducing there numbers which is counter productive. The bacterias/microbes work as a system with the plant and this is what keeps the ph in organic/natural soils and grows at the place the plant likes it..this is why you do not want to use ph up and down in organic grows with teas and watering... just let the plant/soil/microbes do the work and just watch what you feed them.

I would highly recommend the use of compost tea's, and plants love them!!!! You can also use them as a foliar spray which will help your plants grow even faster and healthier because it boosts microbe populations on the plant as well.. definitely a plus with soil/natural/organic grows.

What PH of water shouldn't matter with compost teas and organics, but the question is what kind of water are you using. With natural/organics or really any growing method, the less PPM in the water the better because it leaves room for the important nutrients and also doesn't contain as many salts. Another factor to consider if you are focusing on a natural/organic grow, if your using city water it may contain chlorine and possibly chloromines. Chlorine can be bubbled off in 24 hours, but chloromines cant. The purpose of these two chems added to city water is to kill bacteria, and so it would definitely not be the best choice in an organic/natural grow. Also if you are using city water, a lot of times it is PH adjusted into the 8+ range and so that also wouldn't be the best for the plants without adding some bio active materials and letting them bubble/adjust it down. Some use it with success and some may argue that its fine, my preference is Reverse Osmosis water with D/I filter so my water comes out at 0ppm. Then I add what I need instead of adding 400ppm of unknowns to my soil.

 

[NCDude]

Uhmmmm...now, the fellow at the store did say something like that...my tap water is in the high 7s/low 8s
thanks

 

[Outragedpluto]

Agreed with JJBones, with organics and teas, the teas are there to provide healthy bacteria's/microbes to the soil. I won't go into detail but the microbes "eat" the dirt/rocks and minerals in your soil and are fed by energy of sugars,carbs and other things. Once they die they release these nutrients in usable form to the plant's roots. By adding PHup and Down, you may be killing off the microbes or drastically reducing there numbers which is counter productive. The bacterias/microbes work as a system with the plant and this is what keeps the ph in organic/natural soils and grows at the place the plant likes it..this is why you do not want to use ph up and down in organic grows with teas and watering... just let the plant/soil/microbes do the work and just watch what you feed them.

I would highly recommend the use of compost tea's, and plants love them!!!! You can also use them as a foliar spray which will help your plants grow even faster and healthier because it boosts microbe populations on the plant as well.. definitely a plus with soil/natural/organic grows.

What PH of water shouldn't matter with compost teas and organics, but the question is what kind of water are you using. With natural/organics or really any growing method, the less PPM in the water the better because it leaves room for the important nutrients and also doesn't contain as many salts. Another factor to consider if you are focusing on a natural/organic grow, if your using city water it may contain chlorine and possibly chloromines. Chlorine can be bubbled off in 24 hours, but chloromines cant. The purpose of these two chems added to city water is to kill bacteria, and so it would definitely not be the best choice in an organic/natural grow. Also if you are using city water, a lot of times it is PH adjusted into the 8+ range and so that also wouldn't be the best for the plants without adding some bio active materials and letting them bubble/adjust it down. Some use it with success and some may argue that its fine, my preference is Reverse Osmosis water with D/I filter so my water comes out at 0ppm. Then I add what I need instead of adding 400ppm of unknowns to my soil.

Hey man I have been really curious about making my own tea. I only have a plant or two and can't make a lot at once. Are there easy ways to make my own teas in small amounts?? And when I use them do I use the tea water every use or just every couple of waterings. I'm trying to get my soil grow organic and am using fox farm fert right now and figuring out they are not organic just "natural" lol. Any help would be awesome man. Thanks all!!

 

[Icemud]

Hey man I have been really curious about making my own tea. I only have a plant or two and can't make a lot at once. Are there easy ways to make my own teas in small amounts?? And when I use them do I use the tea water every use or just every couple of waterings. I'm trying to get my soil grow organic and am using fox farm fert right now and figuring out they are not organic just "natural" lol. Any help would be awesome man. Thanks all!!

There is a ton of different threads here on 420 magazine so I wont go into detail about how to make it. There are tons of different recipies on here as well as descriptions of how to, what to put in, when and etc...here are a few good links to check out..you also can do searches for AACT or compost tea and should produce some good links. Unless you are trying to certify Organic I wouldn't worry too much about organic/natural. I just would stay away from any synthetics

AACT (actively aerated compost tea)

Trade Secret: Compost Tea Recipe

 

[NCDude]

Ok...I've been using OC+ for my nuits and Ocean Forsest soil...out of the kitchen, the water PH is high 7s/low 8s. So, I PH it down. If I add molasses, anything like kelp. or any blooom boosters like Hydoplex, the PH goes way down and I have to bring it up.

If I go organic, and use organic nuits and teas, I should NOT PH my water?



Is there different teas for grow & bloom?

Where I'm coming from: I'm thinking so much of the nuits out there, are harsh, and I'm almost insulted by the prices...I'm learning to feed the soil....

 

[Icemud]

if you bubble you nutrients when there low ph...let it rise naturally, if its like a 4-5 when mixed, probably will take about 18 hrs to get to around 6.4... I never ph mine, don't even check.

 

[Icemud]

Also read some of the high brix forums around here, you will find some very valuable info in them.