PH while growing in Coco and Perlite - Ugh!

[Foodeefish]

I have been watering my 4 day old plants and I have been using just water with a PH of 7-no nutrients. I am growing in 70% Coco and 30% perlite. When I measure the PH of the runoff coming out of the bottom of the pot after watering, it is showing a PH of 6.2.

My temperature is 78-80 degrees, humidity is between 54 and 60%, Inline fan is on top blowing out, and I have installed an open hose on the floor for cooler fresh air. Two small fans blowing for circulation.

Should I change the PH higher or lower in the water I use to water them which is PH 7?

How do you all water these small seedlings without the seedlings almost floating away each time till the roots get longer?

My seedlings are 1 inch high at the most right now but that may be because I started the seedlings in a 5 inch round pot.

No Nutes till 2 weeks old- correct?

Anything else I should be doing?

Thnx

 

[Antics]

Re: PH while growing in Coco and Perlite--UGHH!!

I just asked this same thing a few days ago, from what I was told, and from what I've read in other similar topics, the runoff PH isn't as important as what goes in. Just keep PH'ing to 5.8, and everything should be fine.

Feeding them water with a PH of 7 is way off. Coco is a soilless medium, and should be treated like hydro. Water with water/nutes with a PH of 5.7-5.9. Preferably 5.8 every time.

You should also be watering at least once a day, twice is better, three times is even better than that. Water each time until you have a good amount of runoff, and always with PH 5.8 water/nutes.

I give nutes 2x a day with my waterings. And yeah, roughly 2 weeks before you start nutes, and when you start feeding nutes, you should start with a diluted mix, 1/4-1/2 strength or so until they can handle it.

Try slowly watering to prevent the plant from being uprooted. I use a bottle from bottled water, drilled a bunch of small holes in the cap, and this creates a light shower onto the coco.