First time grow please advise

[Harmanjit9]

I’ve noticed deficiencies when I used purified water. Like, it didn’t like the lack of calcium and stuff or something.

I'll just use tap water from now on. It cost money to filter anyways. I thought filter water was same as RO water. And isn't RO water better for plants than tap water? Thanks guys

 

[Olive Drab Green]

I'll just use tap water from now on. It cost money to filter anyways. I thought filter water was same as RO water. And isn't RO water better for plants than tap water? Thanks guys

People prefer to use RO water. As long as you don’t live in Flint, Michigan or anywhere with similarly unpotable water and your pH is within range, you actually should be good with the tap.

 

[Roger A. Shrubber]

ro water has had almost everything filtered out of it..tap water will have varying amounts of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc.....if you use ro water, you have to add more nutrients to make up the difference...especially calcium, and to a smaller degree, magnesium.
the only real reason to use ro water is if you are running beneficial microbes in your soil. the chlorine and chloramine in tap water will kill, or at least badly damage your micro herd. if you aren't running bene's, tap water is a better choice

 

[Roger A. Shrubber]

the only thing i see you did that i would change is starting them in such large pots. unless you're running autos, which are notoriously pissy about being transplanted, it's better to start them in smaller pots, and let them just start to get root bound before you transfer them into bigger pots. the roots take off quickly if they've been bunched up a little, so the plants start to grow quickly again, without that week of downtime most people expect when they transplant.
when you start them in a huge pot, they have to grow in staggered stages, the roots will grow out too much, then the top will lag, while it catches up to the roots....then the roots will continue to grow....repeat in small staggered steps till the pot is full of roots....then the top will finally start to fill out well, when the plant is almost mature

 

[hawse]

Agree with all, looks really nice, especially for a first grow. Yeah, nothing wrong with using those big pots to begin with, but you have to know how to water it right... Personally I wouldn't fill up the whole dang pot with water every watering until a few weeks even. Just used measured amounts like half gallon or something till you see how they react. It would be easy to actually underwater if you use too much because the soil will still be wet on the outside and you might not realize it's dry where the roots are if that makes sense... At least in my opinion.

 

[JohnDee]

the only real reason to use ro water is if you are running beneficial microbes in your soil. the chlorine and chloramine in tap water will kill

Well...that plus tap with high ppm.

I also agree that several up-pottings is better. A small plant in a large pot like that creates watering difficulties. Too long to dry out.
JD

 

[raggyb]

People prefer to use RO water. As long as you don’t live in Flint, Michigan or anywhere with similarly unpotable water and your pH is within range, you actually should be good with the tap.

I forgot to mention leave tap out to breath 24hr or more to get some of the chlorine out. That is better for organic.

I did a little bit check. Maybe carbon filtering isn't that bad. On the good side it removes Cl, radioactive and poison shit, but on the bad side it removes Ca ions and doesn't remove salts.

From https://www.livestrong.com/article/193977-what-do-carbon-filters-remove-from-water/

Activated carbon has a slightly positive charge so it can attract impurities, but block carbon has a higher contaminant removal ratio...
​

So it removes Ca ions

What Carbon Filters Remove
Carbon filters are very effective at removing a number of deleterious chemicals, reports the Home Water Purifiers and Filters site. These include chlorine, benzene, radon, solvents trihalomethane compounds, volatile organic chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides and hundreds of other man-made chemicals that may come into contact with tap water as it proceeds through the system. In addition, filters remove bad tastes and odors from the water.​

It does appear to remove Chlorine

...

What Carbon Filters Don't Remove
Carbon filters are not particularly successful at removing dissolved inorganic contaminants and heavy metals such as minerals, salts, antimony, arsenic, asbestos, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, fluoride, mercury, nickel, nitrates, selenium, sulfate, thallium and other contaminants, which may require a reverse osmosis system or distiller instead...​

Doesnt remove salts

 

[Harmanjit9]

Thank you all for your suggestion. Next grow I will transplant from solo cup > 1 gal > 3 gal > 5 gal. I also didnt know leaving tap water out for 24 hours removes chlorine. I love the tips! Definitely learning new things on here

 

[Harmanjit9]

Here's an updated pic as of today. The white widow in solo cup is dying

 

[Roger A. Shrubber]

Here's an updated pic as of today. The white widow in solo cup is dying

looks like you fed it, has clawing. maybe the soil was just hot. flush it out a little and give it some 100 ppm nutes, then leave it alone for a few days....bet it'll bounce back

 

[Harmanjit9]

Here's another pic of my biggest baby