I need to raise the soil from 6 to 6.5

Hello:

Can someone tell me the best way to raise the soil ph in my soil bin? I have a 35 gallon trash can full of fox farm ocean forrest and roots organic along with sunshine mix #4 all in equal proportions. It was just fine last grow but has been sitting in the trash can for 3 months without a stir. I also had added some roots organic root powder stuff about 2 months ago and slightly watered the soil and mixed at that time. Well...the ph is now 6.0 in the runnoff when I tested it in a empty pot. I plan on doing 5 gallon pots and need to add something to each pot to raise the ph to 6.5. Can someone tell me what to add to each pot of soil? I have dolomite garden lime and also have epsoma organic solution garden lime (non hydrated lime....its pellits like dolomite)

Would 2 tablespoons mixed in do the trick? I was stoned when I made up the 5 plants I have flowering right now and have been fighting ph issues all along and the yeald is gonna suffer. I want to correct my soil so I can sink another 5 clones in 1 gallon pots tommorow. I have thought about just going and buying new soil and saying screw this soil but hate to waste like 4 bags of premium soil.

Also...has anyone tried the new blackjack soil? Im getting tired of buying foxfarms recycled bark chips...which is what I got the last 2 bags...: (

Thanks and sorry for such a long post for my first threads here on growkind but hey I help when I can....I need some help today...

Nationwide

 

use the dolomite lime but use the powdered stuff. the pellets take too long to break down

 

So thats the hydrated lime I think....like in the sea of green video...

 

The pH of runoff is not a true indicator of a living soil pH.


But as the fella's said.. Dolomite is a pH buffer.. Safe..


I use crushed oyster shell as it seems to do more for providing calcium than all others.


You will find crushed oyster shell in feed stores ( for chickens and such ) and it is often much cheaper than store bought dolomite.


Add a bit here and there but the run off? Who started that dumb test? It's an example of bad cannabis folklore.


Organic living soil often balances itself when reasonable organic decay is happening of reasonable balanced organic materials.

 

I just recently bought dolomite lime for the first time ever. It seems the store was always out of it or I wasn't looking for it or something. But, now I have some and I'd like to add it to me soil mix.


I use FFOF and 40% perilite.


How much dolomite lime do I add to a full sized bag od FFOF?


about the hi-jack . . .:alienwink:

 

1 ton per acre = 45 lbs per 1000 square feet ...


It is a pH Buffer so it is rather safe from what I understand.


Keep feeding the soil..

 

Yea, I re-read the prior post and it was right there.


I was in the process of tilling up my yard to mix some Dolomite Lime, although I am short of a full acre.


:rofl6:


:alienwink:

 

I do about a handful and a half per 5 gallon pot, but that is more of a guess. The only real problem with adding way too much is your soil ends up this sandy mess. If this happens, add more soil!

 

I have a 1.5 cubic foot bag of FFOF(the big bag), so that means I'd use 1 1/2 cups per bag, right?


From the sounds of it, I won't need to worry about it being alittle off.


Thanks for the info LionLoves420, ResinRubber and Joe Gardener.


:alienwink:

 

I am available to help those who need math help..


Just Holla! A = B and A/z = B/z works for me.


also it is more important in the upper layers of soil where the bacteria and the oxygen are that is why it isn't listed in cubic feet.


Just a comment..


asssit:

 

So, I shouldn't mix it into the soil throughly?


Just mix it into the top 2/3 of the soil?


I'm pretty good at math, I use it frequently. But, often times directions for acreage is different than directions for potted plants. No math issues there.


420247365 x 1 =

 

Isn't growers pride just the silliest.


Yeah sure you can mix it in.. Won't hurt at all.


What I was with, with what I said is in feeding the soil organic materials. I may have not considered a liquid feeding program if that is what you are getting ready for. Then yes mixing in is much better.


I fine grind materials and sprinkle on the soil surface so, I add crushed oyster shell to the mix I grind up fine to offset acidic pH and to feed calcium to the soil. By the way Calcium creates soil aggregates and sodium breaks them up.


friends if I seem argumentative. I am half here and half in the realm of the next Legalization Initiative.


I'll be opening up California2012.org tomorrow hopefully and I hope all of California can come and learn about and debate Cannabis Re-Legalization.


Ernst

 

Your all good here, Joe Gardener.


I was just being funny.


I have to powder type of Dolomite Lime and I'm mixing it into FFOF soil.


Do I just sprinkle it over the top?

 

Same here, though I do start adding it to the tea/fert mixture a few times a week into flowering. I am not sure if this is actually helpful or not, but it certainly has never hurt anything.

 

I'm pretty new to MJ cultivation, but I've been around the block when it comes to my lawn and flower beds. Just thought I'd help clear up this misconception, which is one so prolific and widespread it amazes me.


Dolomitic limestone (calcium magnesium carbonate) is NOT a pH buffer. It is often touted as one here, and can be used as one. Then again, so can hydrated lime, or anything else that raises or lowers pH. These agents are only pH buffers in so much as you apply enough of it to counteract the ongoing, pH modifying, effects of other substances.


EX: You decide to mix cottonseed meal in with your soil the night before you transplant into the soil in question. You know cottonseed meal acidifies the soil, and at a hypothetical rate of X points of pH per Y unit of time, for a total of Z pH drop. You do the math and add dolomite lime, at the same time as the cottonseed meal, because dolomite lime will RAISE the pH of the soil X points of pH per Y unit of time, for a total of Z pH increase.


In this regard, it is not a buffer. Your pH IS actually changing, the lime is just changing it back at (ideally, although not empirically) the exact same rate.


The biggest and most important reason for pointing out that dolomite lime is not a pH buffer, is that buffer implies a passive quality. Dolomite is active, not passive. What I'm getting at, is that if you add too much lime such that (following the example above, and assuming the soil in the above sample began at a neutral pH of 7) it will provide an increase in pH of Zx(.2) - that is to say, 20% more than the value of Z in the above example - the lime WILL make your soil alkaline.


The point is this: lime does not just sit around picking wedgies until the pH goes a little acidic, then rectify the situation. It is another active ingredient, and if you add it to your soil heavy handedly, you will soon surely suffer Zn, Mg, Mn, Fe etc. etc. lockout due to soil alkalinity.