Overlimed soil Help!

So I used too much dolomite lime in my soil mix. The pH of my water runoff is 7.8, yikes! I'm two weeks into flower, plants look good for the most part but I'm noticing a few issues that are definitely being caused by pH lockout.

Should I top dress with a soil acidifier to bring down the soil pH? Or should I lower the pH of my water when I feed? I'm concerned the former will do too much and I'm worried the latter won't do enough!

lowering the Ph of the water will help to dissolve the dolomite. acidic things will dissolve the dolomite lime. Just like a light hydrochloric acid solution will cause calcium in an egg shell to react and dissolve.

when i was using dolomite lime in my grow, and feeding with bottles, i would water in at 5.8 ph because i knew the dolomite would dissolve more, and bring the ph to a stable level.

watering with a low ph might help you out a lot... it might not do anything... but it's a logical thought and i wouldn't rule it out.

I'm hoping it will help, it seems like it should. I'm just gonna bring my reservoir down to 5.5 and water it like that until I see a change in pH of the runoff water.

Wait, WHAT!?

The plants look good, but you're going to *fix* them anyway because of runoff pH, a useless measurement?

Just how much lime was added to your mix? I've grown stuff in pure crushed limestone, in an emergency. but aside from shitty drainage, nothing was harmed or damaged.

Wet

Wetdog said:

Wait, WHAT!?

The plants look good, but you're going to *fix* them anyway because of runoff pH, a useless measurement?

Just how much lime was added to your mix? I've grown stuff in pure crushed limestone, in an emergency. but aside from shitty drainage, nothing was harmed or damaged.

Wet

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I said they looked good for the most part. They aren't perfect, and I'm a bit of a perfectionist. Albiet a lazy one. I didn't check the pH of my soil mix before adding lime, I just assumed I needed it because of the peat moss I used so I used the recommended amount but obviously didn't need too. I've got some micronutrients being locked out because of my high soil pH. Just wanted some pointers on the best way to bring it down.

Wetdog said:

Wait, WHAT!?

The plants look good, but you're going to *fix* them anyway because of runoff pH, a useless measurement?

Just how much lime was added to your mix? I've grown stuff in pure crushed limestone, in an emergency. but aside from shitty drainage, nothing was harmed or damaged.

Wet

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What is a more useful way to measure my soil pH? Every time I go to buy a soil pH tester someone tells me it's useless and just to test my runoff.

Rasta Roy said:

What is a more useful way to measure my soil pH? Every time I go to buy a soil pH tester someone tells me it's useless and just to test my runoff.

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my bluelab soil ph pen is awesome

http://www.bghydro.com/bluelab-soil-ph-pen.html?utm_source=google_shopping

Rasta Roy said:

What is a more useful way to measure my soil pH? Every time I go to buy a soil pH tester someone tells me it's useless and just to test my runoff.

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Without being glib, checking pH in an organic mix is kinda a fools errand. It changes constantly as the microbes do their thing.. BUT!!!! If you must check, do the bit of mix in distilled water and then check the water. There are detailed instructions on how to do this somewhere in the RIU site, or google. I have a very nice Milwaukee SM-101 meter that hasn't been out of the box in over 3 years.

If you added the recc amount of lime (1 cup/cf of mix), you're pretty much GTG with the pH. Peat is acidic and becomes more so as it breaks down. Most organic stuff tends to be acidic and gets more acidic as it breaks down. Lime and pH buffering is essential with our growing. Many try to avoid lime or minimalize it and then wonder why they have problems.
Anyway, *I* think your lime amount is fine. If you added more than 3 cups/cf that might be a bit much, but around 1 cup, you're golden.

Wet

I have never checked ph in soil ever hell coco either that matter

Thats never ever

water with 5.5-5.8 water been there done that. raise your light to hit em all.

Velvet Elvis said:

water with 5.5-5.8 water been there done that. raise your light to hit em all.

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Use a lower pH when watering with plain water, feed at the recommended pH for your medium. Like @Velvet Elvis said, raise those lights. there is an awful lot of dark shadowy areas on those plants. =)

I never check ph, and neither should you. besides, I doubt you overlimed. lime takes a long, long time to break down. you're two weeks into flower. it wont be an issue.

elephantSea said:

I never check ph, and neither should you. besides, I doubt you overlimed. lime takes a long, long time to break down. you're two weeks into flower. it wont be an issue.

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i have to disagree with this comment as far as the lime actually working. as soon as i started using dolomite lime in my garden it corrected my soil ph when i was using age old organics products. i was having problems with the dolomite in the sunshine #4 mix not lasting long enough and my ph was going below 6 by the end of flower. started using the lime @1/4 cup per cuft and my soil ph was perfect all the way through (sometimes too close to 7!) but it WORKED.

you can't deny chemistry. an acidic solution will dissolve dolomite. which is why i would water in at 5.8 every time. just like i mentioned above, you can add just a drop of HCL to a little bit of water and get it to start to dissolve an egg shell, which is relatively insoluble in straight water. Just my .02

i'm considering doing a dolomite mix side by side to oyster shell flower. i just want to see what all the hubbub is about with the dolomite. it worked for me before really well... but i know this living soil is a different ball game!

I gave my girls some water ph'd at 5.5 and they seem to love it. They're reaching up to the light, looking super green. However you'll see in the last picture some discoloration and leaf curl. That's coming from the bottom portion of one of my guano fed girls (I'm doing a meals vs guano experiment).

On the real those this is my best looking girl and she is growing in nothing but straight mushroom compost and perlite, with some azomite. I did top dress with worm castings to reinstall microbial life (mushroom compost/or substrate is sterilized). Took the picture in the dark so the bulb wouldn't ruin the shot. A little more node spacing than I'd like to see but not bad for seeing what some mushroom compost can on its own as a medium and a fertilizer!

5.5 might be a little too acidic for your microlife.... but i dont know for sure. i would stay closer to 5.8-6.0 range. but either way the lime will correct the ph. i know it works, i've used it I have a bluelab soil ph pen and it works amazingly. if you do invest in one, i recommend their products. they have a meter that lis like 250$ but you can swap the soil ph electrode, and the liquid ph electrode tips on them, and read off the same unit. pretty sweet.

Word, I won't let it hang so low next water. I've got a blue lab pH tester for water, but it doesn't have the swap tip capabilities unfortunately. I'll have to invest in one, or maybe I'll drop some hints to the wife about it as a Christmas gift! Lol

In living soil. Ph is a symptom. Just sayin

elephantSea said:

In living soil. Ph is a symptom. Just sayin

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Sooo could you be a little less cryptic and let me know what you mean?