Soilless PH 5.8 or 6.5

wes2wright

wes2wright

Member
As the title says is Soilless mixes meant to be kept at what optimal level. 5.8 or 6.5??

I am running into some problems with my current grow. I am sure is a Ph lockout due to high levels. Water in 6.5 and runoff is 6.9. The dolomite i added is keeping it fixed around 7.

I understand this is high for but thought after a few waterings it would come down. I made the mix myself consisting of 50%peat 30% perlite and 20% vercimilite. I read online the ph should be kept like soil but i am thinking now it should be kept at 5.8 like hydro.

The 7 plants are fucked. I did manage to take 20 clones and are in straight perlite at the moment. I just want to confirm what PH i should keep them at before i put them in their pots. Really confused as there is a lot of conflicting info online. Seems people are running both but they cant both be right.And if 1 is wrong why arent they running into these problems too?
 
chuck estevez

chuck estevez

Well-Known Member
I think you mess up more playing with p.h, I put my ph pen away a long time ago and all those problems went away with it. Plants can take nutes in at all different p.h levels, it's when you eff with them that it all goes wrong. Look at this chart.
 
wes2wright

wes2wright

Member
@Grandpapy- You are using a peat mix?

@ chuck-Yes, you are right. This isn't my first grow but it is using this medium (previously soil). In the past my PH pen never got used. I just need to know what the correct PH should be for peat. If it is meant to be 5.8 then its the dolomite that's messing me up by keeping it near 7
 
smoke and coke

smoke and coke

Well-Known Member
i use a growing mix with around the same mix you use. i buy it by the bale and it already has dolomite lime in it. i do not test for ph so i do not worry about it. i use fox farms line with additional magical added.

imo if you did not add lime into the mix, then it may be a ph issue.
if you added lime when you made the mix, then it may be a cal/mag issue.

some pics of the plants will help people identify the issue.
 
wes2wright

wes2wright

Member
The plants were too far gone. Cut 20 clones and got them in perlite. I just wanna know if soilless (peat) is run like soil or hydro. Dont wanna mess the babies up too. Already wasted a month
 
PlantManBee

PlantManBee

Well-Known Member
In soilless, use Hydro values. 5.8 works for me. DON'T add dolomite to soilless as it keeps the pH at around 6.9-7.0. It's GREAT for soil however.
 
wes2wright

wes2wright

Member
I am thinking this too. I previously ran organic soil mixes. I assumed peat was like soil so added dolomite. I think it was this added dolomite that messed things up
 
wes2wright

wes2wright

Member
It says its PH levels when wet are 5.5 to 6.5 so it seems peat IS run like hydro. I will leave out the dolomite and things should be good. Thanks for all the help everyone
 
polo the don

polo the don

Well-Known Member
I run soilless(pro- mix with added perlite and dolo lime) and I pH to 6.0. My ladies are pretty damn happy. If you have the lime mixed in the mix and pH to around 6 or so( not exact) the lime will bring it up to around 7 so you kinda get a swing thing going on. Works for me.

Polo
 
Grandpapy

Grandpapy

Well-Known Member
wes2wright said:
@Grandpapy- You are using a peat mix?
Click to expand...
No, I use hugo blocks but just started re-using coco, the last three grows have been all hugo but it seems about 10% of the blocks will hold too much water even with a release agent, resulting in smaller yields.

I won't pretend to know how peat will affect your mix, sorry.
 
wes2wright

wes2wright

Member
I repotted the plants into fresh peat/perlite without the dolomite. This time keeping PH around 6. But still having issues. Even the clones i took are not showing some blotchy/mosiac light/dark green patterns. I just read something about TMV virus. It sounds like this.

I have twisted leaves, stunted growth, some light green mosiac patterns on the leaves. Hope it isnt this. I will upload pics soon
 
keysareme

keysareme

Well-Known Member
Hey. I asked the same, or a very similar worded question. What I was informed of is, it really is determined by what nutrients you are using.

For me, and this is just for example, the nutrients I am using are calcium based, so even though I am growing in a coco blend (suggested/recommended pH mid to high 5'a for soilless coco/blend) it was encouraged for me to keep pH 6.2 - 6.8 (all specific to the stage of plants life), to ensure best uptake of nutrients.

Calcium is best assimilated in the 6's, so even though I am rolling with some highly amended and awesome coco blend, watering in the low-mid to mid 6's is what's most efficient and healthy cause the nutrients are all sourced from calcium (calcium based). I understood this once I was informed of it works.

So the best pH for soilless coco style blends is really all based on what nutrients you are using.

It's great you too so many cuttings, and since you have a few you can see what might work best without having to try one way on all of them. Sounds like a win for sure.
 
wes2wright

wes2wright

Member
Only problem is the cuttings i took are in 100% peat. Water PH is 5.8. Every one of them rooted then i put into fresh peat/perlite and fed a low nute feed ph'd to 6 and they are stunted with the tops showing some mossiac pattern on them. WTF!! This is driving me nuts
 
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