Testing Runoff from Soil

Thank you for being so welcoming, as has everyone else. I really appreciate the help as it relieves the anxiety of thinking I’m doing a horrible job :joy: I’ll be updating my journal throughout the rest of my grow from their current stages.

Do you have a journal for current grow listed under grow journals. If so tag me in. I’m following a bunch of journals sometimes I have trouble finding some. LOL.

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There’s the link to my grow journal :grin:

My apologies, I got lost between my two posts and thought this was the grow journal :joy:

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I hear you, same thing here. :slightly_smiling_face:

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I tested a new grow bag with 50/50 FFHF and FFOF yesterday. @Shatter indicated I should run water through the soil a few times over a few days to unlock the microbes in the soil. I have a second WW Auto just about ready to go. I tried out my brand new Apera EC60 PPM meter, and also PH conditioned the tap water to 6.2. After three good soakings of the soil over three days, this last one tested 6.2 going in, and 6.3 coming out. The PPM count was around 375-380 going in, and around 175 coming out. is this normal? I am also confused as @BornHigh420 with his feeding schedule and the high runoff PPM count

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I’m a little pressed on time heading out the door. I had issues with apera TDS20. I will link info on my journal. Link takes you to where I figured out what was happening. If you scroll up from there you can see where it started. Hopefully this helps.

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I know the BlueLab Guardian is a little pricey, but well worth it :ok_hand:t2: It’s what I use

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Thanks, I will go look

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@jetlag you can buy beneficial microbial solutions on amazon or ebay, or even your local garden center. Amending the soil with these products (as directed) will form the right colonies for a healthy symbiotic relationship, some form a branching network that effectually set up a nutrient exchange nearly doubling the root system’s effective capacity.
Read up on it and I’m sure you’ll be sold. It’s basically bacteria poop the plants enjoy! I’m glad it’s not on my dinner plate! .

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I picked up some Orca Mycorrhizae on Amazon, and it literally made my roots go bananas. If using these myco amendments, make sure that you only use them once they are in their final growing pot, or you will rapidly approach becoming rootbound in something as small as a solo cup.

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on the way to Amazon, thanks

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Ordered, thank you

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Was [quote=“jetlag, post:18, topic:41155”]
The PPM count was around 375-380 going in, and around 175 coming out. is this normal? I
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Did you get a chance to look at link. You’ll see on journal that readings were confusing. I finally figured out that ppm on ph20 only went to 999. After that it would start reading for example 1050 would read 1.05
So if that’s not what’s happening then I’m like you a little confused about it. It sounds like you were flushing. My understanding of flushing, is the main reason you would want to do it is to raise or lower ph level or possibly remove salt buildup in soil. As far as activating microbes, I’m not disagreeing with shatter I’ve just never heard that was necessary with FF soil. I use FF Bushdoctor Microbe to help with this issue. If your water has chlorine it will kill off microbes in soil.

Hi, no have not looked at it yet, busy day. I did leave it up on the computer to look at later today. My PH20 is strictly a PH meter, no EC or PPM. The new EC60

does those… Yeah I guess I was flushing but not really trying to do that, only to awaken the bugs in the soil, lol. I bought the Orca product suggested by @BornHigh420. Sounded good enough. I may be trying it as well on my tomatoes and peppers once planted for the summer. And I am pretty sure our water is chlorine free.

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Pictures of the girls today. First three are the WW photos. Next the WW auto with the red tag, and then her sister that did so poorly initially, now doing great and about to move to the grow bag I was “flushing”. Next two bay WW autos coming along, and last is the mystery seed from a friend. All he knows is that it is a photo and his grew to 7’ tall.

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My math was off. First two pictures have the WW photos

And this is my PH meter

Ok, mostly finished with your journal, wow!!! Lots of stuff over my head, lol. I will ask you about your PPM readings and why are they so high? You were not adding any nutes, yet your numbers were very high. When I “flush” as you said, and its only soil, no plant, I never get above 375=400. And please educate me on Cal Mag. I bought some but have no idea when or how to use it.

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@jetlag You’re going to life the Orca, like I said though, keep in mind that you only use it once your plant is in its final pot. Good luck! :grin:

Thank you, I will keep it in mind, only once lol. Can’t wait to see what it does to my tomatoes and peppers