8.8pH run off

[Species0113]

Hopefully someone can help. I started some plants in the only soil available to me at the time which was Black Gold which had time release fertilizer incorporated in it. I am pretty confident the plants are in lockout so the other day I ph'd the runoff and it was 8.8. After flushing a 5 gallon pot for 30 minutes with approximately 20 gallons of 7.0ph tap water I was still getting 8.8 runoff. My question is since flushing is not going to help can I just start watering with a lower ph water like around 4.0ph until I get the runoff desired?

 

[Species0113]

This plant is a almost 7 weeks old. I did take off the top 3 nodes a while back to keep it from getting tall but it definitely isn't growing like it should.

 

[improvise]

sounds bad idea. the slow release pellets take time to dissolve away to nil i would imagine. maybe re-pot with fresh different mix. regards

 

[improvise]

what makes u think there is nute lock? looks ok to me. likeley topping it made it slow down growth initially but it will bounce back stronger. regards

 

[Species0113]

what makes u think there is nute lock? looks ok to me. likeley topping it made it slow down growth initially but it will bounce back stronger. regards

It's been 3 weeks since I topped it. If I'm getting 8.8 runoff I can't believe its taking nutrients as it should..

 

[Dwight Monk]

What kind of gauge do you have to read PH? And if a meter type have you calibrated it to make sure it is even in the ballpark? What makes you think a nutrient is locked out? Kinda hard to tell by that pic but the leaves look pretty uniform in color from what I can see. Personally I water with 6.0-6.5 PH water (PH'ed after nutrients are mixed in), and I don't really care or check what the water is coming out of the pots as if in soil it will buffer itself for the most part. Watering with a 4.0 will more than likely really lock it out, as the way PH scales a 4.0 is really really low. Also with time released crap in the soil it can get too much or not enough of something and have nothing to do with the PH of water going in, as you have no control over when it releases (major problem with that stuff, but folks have had successful grows with it but just probably have better luck when able to control it more).

 

[Species0113]

sounds bad idea. the slow release pellets take time to dissolve away to nil i would imagine. maybe re-pot with fresh different mix. regards

How would I repot a 5 gallon rootball? Can I submerge the rootball, knock off all the soil from the roots while submerged and replant it in co co?

 

[Dwight Monk]

what makes u think there is nute lock? looks ok to me. likeley topping it made it slow down growth initially but it will bounce back stronger. regards

Some Strains don't like to be topped/trained via LST, so they will go into shock similar to when you transplant them and take a week or so to bounce back.

 

[GrizzWald]

Water at pm Dwight suggested and don't try and grow using your runoff

 

[Species0113]

Thanks for the replies. Im probably just overthinking everything. I did take off half the plant and then defoliated again about a week later. All that probably shocked the crap out of it. This evening when I got home and checked her the leaves are looking darker green and there is some new growth. So. Until my next freak out, you all have a pleasant day.

 

[Dwight Monk]

Thanks for the replies. Im probably just overthinking everything. I did take off half the plant and then defoliated again about a week later. All that probably shocked the crap out of it. This evening when I got home and checked her the leaves are looking darker green and there is some new growth. So. Until my next freak out, you all have a pleasant day.

Yeah overthinking it (or trying to micro manage it) will much of the time bite you in the backside more often than if you just ride it out. It's a learning process to say the least, never ending it seems but just takes time