And part of why I am here for help is I’ve seen members provide one another. the community here is amazing. I lurked threads for 2 months before signing up. And read all of @Big123 grow journal twice.
I take what you are saying to be sincere advice to make a good harvest. I get that.
I’m gonna start on the pail and convince myself to not cheap out my meter.
You can get an inexpensive, yet quality meter for about $30. I use the Apera phb-3. It’s the most economical unit in their line, comes with a case, calibration solution, and a good warranty.
Other models in their line-up start at about $45. Great pH meters, all around.
Got my bucket done. Only had a 1/4 bit on hand so bored me out a little and added what I thought should be more than enough.
Dropped the recommened ph meter in my Amazon cart along with some sphagnum moss.
Both expected to be delivered today and since I am “working” from home. I’ll be here waiting and ready.
Wife has to run out to do real work. But hopes are she will be back shortly after my supplies arrive.
I’ll update a little later. Hopefully it won’t include pics of my plant on the ground and me in tears. Only reason i say that is my soil mix seem to want to pull apart quite easily. I suspect it’s all the coco fibers. Not sure though since I’m still such a newb.
Gah placed my order already. It’s cool though I can rest assured I will have at least one decent piece of kit now to start with.
I’d read, at some point, all the foam that builds up is from active microbes. If you bubble too long it kills the microbes and the foam subsides.
I think the sweet spot for me is around 40 hours. It’s when the pH rises and the foam builds. Less than 36 and the pH doesn’t change. Over 48 hrs and the pH drops and the foam disappears.
I know that bacteria does thrive in a more alkaline environment (5-9), while fungi thrive in a more acidic environment (2-7).
I think the root issue with bubbling and losing foam is likely due to Bactria or fungal die off from lack of food or air.
In the case of bubbling that may not be the issue (air starved). But more likely no sugars, they were all consumed.
Sounds reasonable.
If it’s out side and your watering on a schedule even when it rains thats over watering fosho
Schedule isn’t firm. I flex it around based on rain. Anything heavy however they are moved to covered porch.
Rule of thumb for me to water is dig down an inch or two once 2 inches is basically bone dry then I completely soak if 2inch down is moist even a c hair let her go if u have multiple plants like I do I ride em till the first plant shows a sign of thirst I hit em all you really want to catch just before the droop… That’s y I do 2inch rule it’s hard to not water not many other plants really react so drastically to over waterin so if you have any gardening before u went to weed its hard to break habits or really hone an over looked skill
This I will for sure keep in mind. I have, by this measure, for sure been overwatering.
I’m planning to getting it transplanted tomorrow and continuing to allow it to dry out.
I won’t lie this keeping hands off seems to be the hardest part of growing.
It’s tough but you must think of it this way when your plants are overwatered they can’t up take their nutrients that is available for them in the soil right before the soil dries out completely as when the plant up takes the most amount of nutrients so if you keep it moist constantly you’re in theory stunting your plant of its potential in fact you’re starving it by Drowning it
Also super wet conditions for their Roots promotes roof eating pests best to not make a habitable environment for such
I was actually looking at it the other way around.
What you are saying makes sense. And I have had run in with root worms previously. It’s all making sense now
Thanks!
Yea bro I had same issue in beginning my boss ,(old head ) came in as SOON AS HE SET EYES ON EM… He says your over watering and turned around and walked away your soil has a big role in this also u want god loose light soil good drainage yet light retention I don’t want to have to water everyday or once a week 1ce a week soil usually packs up to tight and stunts root growth spend the money on some fox farm soil don’t lusten to the negatives about its great soil it’s pre charged for plants forb2 weeks then feeding is needed 15 to 20 bucks will make you go ahhhh I CCC once I got fox farm ocean forest was peachy keen there on out now that’s all I think of using I’ve been holding out in doing clones because I’m out right now and I have a whole yard of kellogs organic it’s good soil but NOT FOR WEED such soil has a 7.8 pH strait out the bag severely messing up MJ uptake abilities above or below alotted pH range your plants will completely retard in one way or another other certain elements are only available to MJ in a certain range of pH .do pH research you will palm your forehead I swear when. Want to learn but don’t no where start do like anything in life build from the ground up literally.
I’ve used the FF soil before and liked them. Despite my killing all plants from lack of any gardening experience. Those were all just vegtables. So no big loss 
I’m still planning to use the FF line of nutes. Just seems I need to be aware of the salt build up.
Ask your local hydro person to get you into sfl 100 it does exactly what your talking about its for blocking slat buildups …good stuff I use this first grow I have no deficiency and everything is thriving no spots nothing salt build can make you think it’s deficient but for one reason or anothrt most likely pH your plant is not taking what it’s has available which causes buildup or if you’re supplying in excess amounts the Surplus stays behind and locks up every time causing to build up therefore if you throw a cap for 2 and with every 5 gallons of mix you make you won’t have this problem I use fox farm grow big but I went synthetic for the blue hydro guy sold me on that even though I tried to go organic he said you can’t beat this stuff Flora Nova bloom it’s a complete food it has all micros and all macros including calcium magnesium Cobalt etc etc
Got the recommended meter delivered late last night. Got up early and found my test files had leaked some but not tons. Does seem to have ruined the instructions, but, I see to have figured it out via the laminated insert.
Calibrated and tested:
Tap - 7.8 
Filtered - 7.8. I expected as much. But figured wth
So I tried a few drops of apple cider vinegar in my test sample and dropped ph to 6.4
That seems more reasonable and will do to lower ph until I get some proper ph’ing solutions.
Given I am in a 50/50 coco compost mix should I still be shooting for a soil ph range?
Once I get transplanted into the 5 gal should I flush with ph’water or just wait out a couple more days and simply water with clean ph’d water once dry enough?
Thanks in advance!
Just plain PH’d water should do you fine. Go easy on the watering and avoid a flush for now.
Take a sample of your soil, about 1/4 cup and mix with distilled water and let stand for ten minutes then take the PH of your slurry. That is your soil PH. Probably around 6.2 or so. If it comes in around the mid 5’s then you will want to PH to hydro values (5.5 to 5.8).
Apple cider vinegar works as does lemon juice. PH up using Baking Soda. None of these are ideal; it’s better to buy the commercial stuff.