doc111
Well-Known Member
That's pretty hard but not terrible. You should be alright with it but keep an eye out for problems. If you run into any, you may want to soften your water up a bit with some R/O or distilled. Happy growing my friend!
Water: The Most Essential Compound
- Thread starter doc111
- Start date
BlazedMonkey
Well-Known Member
Hey wanted to get an opinion.
My water looks like this
PH 7.7
Chloride 144
Alkalinity 136
Hardness 168
Calcium 40
Magnesium 16
Sodium 97
Potassium 5
Silica 10
Total Dissolved Solids: 474
Now 474 to my understanding is pretty high/hard. I saw some problems last grow and i suspect it could be because of Salt buildup. I used FFOF soil last grow.
I would love to go Hydro or similar however ive heard that its even more crucial to have good water.
What is the best/cheapest way for me to grow? Would i be better off running DWC and buying gallon jugs of distilled? Hempy and use my tap water and hope that the constant flushing will keep the salt levels below toxic? Should i pony up and buy a RO? (id really prefer not to buy an RO at this point)
What do you guys think?
My water looks like this
PH 7.7
Chloride 144
Alkalinity 136
Hardness 168
Calcium 40
Magnesium 16
Sodium 97
Potassium 5
Silica 10
Total Dissolved Solids: 474
Now 474 to my understanding is pretty high/hard. I saw some problems last grow and i suspect it could be because of Salt buildup. I used FFOF soil last grow.
I would love to go Hydro or similar however ive heard that its even more crucial to have good water.
What is the best/cheapest way for me to grow? Would i be better off running DWC and buying gallon jugs of distilled? Hempy and use my tap water and hope that the constant flushing will keep the salt levels below toxic? Should i pony up and buy a RO? (id really prefer not to buy an RO at this point)
What do you guys think?
mr. green thumb 01
New Member
can someone please tell me if its better to use a DI with your RO or no DI. I think I read if its for drinking its better no DI but what about for plants. I tried to shoot doc a pm but im so impatient..
trichomedome
Active Member
Comprehensive covering, very interesting read top notch doc 111 
mr. green thumb 01
New Member
Cool, he answered me! And just to let everyone know thats searching about RO reverse osmosis with or without a DI deionizer. ( I couldn't find a answer on my search) His professional opinion is that the DI is unnecessary and just the RO is fine.
doc111
Well-Known Member
That water is pretty hard but not impossible to work with. You could try a hardwater formula (GH makes Hardwater Micro for their 3 part line). Constant flushing SHOULD help. Your Ca and Mg numbers aren't what concerns me though. Your Sodium number seems a bit high to me. Believe it or not, plants actually need a miniscule amount of Na. Unfortunately, it builds up quickly and locks out other nutrients. Have you checked to see if a nearby grocery store has self serve water filter machines? Those use R/O filtration and the water is pretty cheap (usually around $.25/gallon). You can mix it with your tap to bring your TDS down, at least until you determine what is causing your problems and what the best course of action would be.
The small amount of Chlorine in tapwater isn't usually a problem for growers in any medium. Some organic growers claim it kills off beneficials. Plants, like all living things, require a small amount of Chlorine for normal growth, so a little bit is actually beneficial.
BlazedMonkey
Well-Known Member
Yah i figured it was the sodium. Last grow my pots didnt drain very well. Pretty sure theres an RO machine at the store so i might go up there and grab some if i need it or if i decide to go closed system hydro.
doc111
Well-Known Member
Please don't spam stickies.
plainjanename
Well-Known Member
To the "Water Guru" :
I have been experiencing yellow leaf tips at about week 3 on only new growth which I feel may be due to using hard water for the first 3 weeks, building up minerals and causing "lockout" of some nutrient. I have recently switched to store bought RO water. I have a thread and wondered what your opinion was. Thank you. Here is my thread https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/501103-yellowing-tips-new-growth-mag.html
I have been experiencing yellow leaf tips at about week 3 on only new growth which I feel may be due to using hard water for the first 3 weeks, building up minerals and causing "lockout" of some nutrient. I have recently switched to store bought RO water. I have a thread and wondered what your opinion was. Thank you. Here is my thread https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/501103-yellowing-tips-new-growth-mag.html
doc111
Well-Known Member
My apologies for the slow response.
I checked your pics and I don't think you are experiencing a Magnesium deficiency. I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you. Just keep an eye on it and if it worsens then you may need to act. Your plants look pretty good from what I can see and yellow leaf tips are not typically a problem (so long as it doesn't worsen). Some people claim that yellowing tips is nute burn. I have a couple of strains that get yellow tips no matter what I do, so it could be genetic. All in all, your grow looks pretty good. Happy Growing my friend, and don't hesitate to hit me up if it gets worse.
doc111
Well-Known Member
lol!
This is one of those questions that has no easy answer. IMO, "the best" water to use is whatever works best FOR YOU. Many people use bottled mineral/spring water with good results. The only way to know if it is too hard (which I highly doubt that it is) would be to use a TDS tester so you can get an idea of the ppm's. What is considered "the best" is always highly subjective. Everybody has their own opinion on what is "the best" nutrient, lights, strains, etc. It is no different for water. Best of luck to you my friend.
plainjanename
Well-Known Member
Hey, no worries, appreciate the response. It seems to be getting a bit worse on only a couple of the plants, but flower production doesn't seem to be slowed down at all. The newer growth seems to be coming out more solid green since the RO switch. I used pure RO for a watering, then mixed tap water with RO for the next watering. Its weird because all plants of the same strain aren't showing it, just a few, and I have treated them all in the same manner. Anyways thank you for your response. One question though if you could: If I mix RO with tap water would I still be required to add CALMAG to the water in your opinion?My apologies for the slow response.
I checked your pics and I don't think you are experiencing a Magnesium deficiency. I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you. Just keep an eye on it and if it worsens then you may need to act. Your plants look pretty good from what I can see and yellow leaf tips are not typically a problem (so long as it doesn't worsen). Some people claim that yellowing tips is nute burn. I have a couple of strains that get yellow tips no matter what I do, so it could be genetic. All in all, your grow looks pretty good. Happy Growing my friend, and don't hesitate to hit me up if it gets worse.
48martin
Well-Known Member
Wow.. Great thread! Used RO water from the grocery store machine on the last soil grow and it was great. IMHO
The one drawback was lugging those 3 gallon containers around. Any advice on what to look for in a small home (portable) RO system? Saw a few on Ebay around $100
Thanks and awesome thread!
The one drawback was lugging those 3 gallon containers around. Any advice on what to look for in a small home (portable) RO system? Saw a few on Ebay around $100
Thanks and awesome thread!
doc111
Well-Known Member
Thank you!
It depends on your needs. There are R/O units that sell for under $100 on ebay. Larger units with multiple membranes (which put out more Gallons Per Day), more efficient units that put out less waste water................it's all about what suits your needs.
doc111
Well-Known Member
It depends on the amount of Cal and Mag in your tapwater, the needs of your individual plants and the amount of Cal and Mag in your nutrients/grow medium. Many people mix R/O with their tapwater (usually REALLY HARD tapwater) in order to bring the ppm's into a more desirable range. Just experiment with different things and see what works the best.
doc111
Well-Known Member
Sorry, I can't comment since I've never used it and know very little about it.
