I realize you are looking for improvements man but your leaves look very healthy! I’ve been watching you because I’m similar in some ways. I’ve been recycling the same organic soil for three years mostly amending Coots style but not no-til. I’m mostly water only in flower and happy with my buds but my leaves fade too early plus they’re nowhere near as shiny as those on your confidential cheese! But you’ve got me thinking I should check my pH... as a living soil grower it’s something I’ve never done... Supposed to just balance itself out in organic living soil right?! Sorry if you already talked about this but have you tested your soil? If so who?
Good luck in the pH quest ShLUbY, hope you get it dialed soon
Thanks elkamino
I agree, the leaves look amazing (especially the cheese, every time)...
but, that's been the most confusing part.... and I can only conclude that the mix starts out ok, and then gets slightly alkaline a few weeks into flower. I attribute this to the Sulfur in the gypsum neutralizing several weeks after putting plants into a recycle and re-amended soil, assuming the peat has been neutralized, because sulfur increases acidity in soils. So once the sulfur wears off, the soil starts to climb (kind of like the opposite of not having enough OSF or Dolomite in a fresh peat based mix). I hope I get it solved too man. I will say, the plants I transplanted in veg into one gallons, with a brand new mix... I haven't seen veg growth like that in several runs... so I think i'm onto something here. Also, maybe the organisms have enough ability to create acidic micro climates that are enough to get the plant most of what it needs, but not enough for it to go to full potential... that is another thing I'm attributing the good looking growth to... time will tell I suppose
I have never sent the soil out for a test/analysis but I'm starting to think I should with the stuff I just put into the recycle pile, but have not re-amended yet. I think it would be 30$ well spent. But for checking the pH of the soil, I have a Bluelabs Soil pH Pen, and I really like it. Breeze to calibrate, and instant readings without having to remove any soil from the container.
The plants I just put into flower, a recent run of pumice sips in a combination of 5 and 7 gal plastics, that have the old soil mix are going to be topdressed with fresh peat, and I'm just going to top water them once a week to help rinse the acidity into the container, and use SIP method the rest of the week. Hoping that will help me throughout this run. One plant is in a brand new mix, so that will be my comparison plant. I will be checking pH once a week and logging the data. So hopefully I will learn something through all of this
