Hey, I’m with @BobbyDigital with this one. I’m in Chicago, so our tap water is pretty decent. I put a little Mycorrhizal Fungi in the hole for a little razzle dazzle 
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I’m gonna second you on that. pH meter damn sure isn’t the place to try to save money. I started my first indoor grow with a Vivosun pH meter and ended up with 7.8 coco at one point. Apera pH 20 or better for pH.
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Lol, think we all started there. Works well but requires constant calibration.
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Red cup with blue tape - Blind sample (I’ll have to figure out how to not know)
Fill up ziplock bags (or identical containers) with water, place in a cardboard box, close, roll/rotate the box on the floor or in hands several revolutions so the bags flop around inside, open box with eyes closed remove a random bag…
Amen, my sad story too.
Excellent Idea. That’s the kind of stuff I’m looking for. That helps a lot.
I’m sharing this experiment here mainly for new growers and vets who want to learn an easy way to test your tap water and or soil. Vegetable seeds cost a few pennies compared to ten to twelve dollars a seed for cannabis. This is an easy method that anyone can use without the use of any expensive equipment. I’m trying to show people the scientific method. Why not learn as much as you can for free? (Read the free guides and grow bible)
PH is very important. The best PH meter is a great investment. You should have the best tools you can afford. If the seeds come up and look healthy your PH is good. If you use liquid nutrients, you definitely need the best PH meter you can get. Growing in soil I not sure it is as important know your PH. I love an old reliable handheld tool. With all my expensive electronics on my boat, I still bring a compass. I know how to get home should thing go bad. I was surprised to find that people drink alkaline water. 9.5+ PH? what’s that about? Will that kill my seedlings? I know the PH is at least 9.5. Take an educated guess. That’s what makes it fun.
I don’t want to start yet another topic, but I have a question about SCROGing. One of my plants was taller than the rest. Someone suggested LST for my autoflowers. I read a bunch of posts here and have a pretty good grasp of the concept. I labeled and moved plants around so now they are all about the same height in each tent. Including the pots, the tops of the plants are 30" total. That leaves 30 to 35 inches of room between the canopy and the lights if I were to raise the lights all the way. This morning to my surprise the Banana Kush is flowering. (Day 30 today).
Should I start training now? Do I have time to order something from Amazon (2-3 days). Should I make my own? Everyone has a slightly different approach. What has worked for you?
It is readily available and convenient. I used FF OF several times (around a year). It never burned anything. If a plant got singed it was because I didn’t deplete the soil and started nutrients too early. Once I figured it out I made it even hotter by adding Purple Cow Organics Activated Compost, worm poo plus plus …
It was a worthwhile exercise and now my veggie and flower beds benefit from it. It terms of growing, I did a 180 and now use coco and Jacks. Hard telling what will come next.
It just seems pricey and so many people complain about it. I always had good soil in the garden. I just moved to the top of a mountain, Solid rock. I can’t dig three inches without hitting rock. I’m new to bagged soil. I never thought about analyzing the bags of dirt we use to pack night crawlers in. It’s dark sedge peat. I got real confused when I started seeing all the info on the web about pete. I thought, if there are no nutrients in peatmoss, how can worms live in it? It’s all clear now. We use dark sedge peat and there’s a big difference. Michigan peat does not sell to the public. Only to farmers and large-scale greenhouse operations. And bait dealers. Ironically on the back of the bag it states, warning, may contain sand. Do not use for nightcrawlers. You have seen the stuff if you ever bought a dozen worms. I’ve grown plants from seed to flower in that mixed with some worm dirt and castings from the container the worms come in. Another “fact” that I learned on the web is that if you put paper in your compost the worms don’t eat it. False! If you put 500 worms together with nothing to eat they will be dead in a week or two. They eat the paper and starch from shredded cardboard. Not everything on the Tube is true.
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OK back on topic. @DEEPDIVERDAVE @Hoppiefrog @beardless @beachglass @BobbyDigital @Spiney_norman @Meloco1980
8 cups were filled with 110g of promix with nothing added.
2 cups were filled with my full-strength soil I use in the seven-gallon pots.
To reduce the chance of cross contamination, I weighed the water samples .
50g of each sample was poured directly into their respective cups and left overnight.
The next day, the run off was poured back over the soil in each cup.
50g of water was added to each cup again and allowed to sit for three hours.
2 pole beans, 2 sunflower seeds and four to six radishes were added to each cup.
The experiment was placed in the grow room on top of the 5x5 tent for warmth and humidity.
Note; I created a blind sample of water by the method suggested by @mingleme . I’m not sure why I think I need a blind sample. I might find a reason I should have later and regret not doing it.
I have already learned “no sodium added” does not mean no sodium. Not harmful amounts for humans but toxic to seedlings.
Stay tuned.
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Also a newbie scientist. I left out some important information.
Two samples were added to the original experiment. I filled two cups with soil from my full strength mix that I use for final planting. I will water one with my well water from the kitchen sink. The other will be watered with room temperature Poland Spring from my water cooler. I hope to find out if my well water and/or Poland Spring can be used for direct planting.
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Day one and two. Nothing to report.
NOTHING, it’s what nobody is talking about. What they don’t want nobody to know. Do nothing before it’s too late…
I sow my seeds right in the soil no water/paper towel method and I still have 100% germination on bought seeds. I pop them in the medium and put a water bottle cut in half on them for a humidity dome and 2-3 days I got a sprout. The seeds I find in the weed I grow outside don’t always germinate like that. Could just be immature seeds tho. Find the method that works best for your situation and stick with it.
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In my situation, with my soil mix, it looks like I won’t get 100% germination.
The sample with my well water and full-strength mix has only 3 unhealthy radishes coming up. My well water with plain mix has all the seeds sprouting and looking green/white and healthy.
This is what this experiment is about. Finding what works best for me. “Purified water” can mean anything. What’s acceptable for humans may be toxic to my seedlings. Maybe your seedlings are struggling, and you conclude that it must be the water. So, you purchase some filtered water. They don’t list that sodium is added back in. Your good intentions made things worse.
Last night at lights out I noticed some activity in a few samples.
Here are some observations from this morning.
My well water with plain mix had the best results so far. All seeds sprouted and look healthy. My well water and full strength soil is not so good. 3 small radishes.
Poland Spring water and plain mix had 2 beans 1 sunflower and 2 radishes but they do not look healthy.
Life Water. PH 9+ produced 3 radishes that look healthy.
Pelligrino sparkling mineral water produced 1 bean and 4 radishes that look healthy. (surprisingly)
Evian - 2 beans 1 sunflower, 2 radishes all heathy.
Dasani - 2 beans 3 radishes all heathy.
Distilled water produced 4 radishes that look healthy.
The blind sample produced 3 healthy radishes.
I’ll let the experiment run for the week to see if anything changes or dies suddenly.
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