Foxfarm Ocean Forest and pH

[Alistair Young]

I'm getting ready to transplant. My seedlings were started in FFOF and I will transplant into FFOF. Yesterday, I did a test. I pH adjusted the water for one plant by adding vinegar. I lowered the pH from about 7.1 to about 6.5. I then watered this one plant with the pH adjusted water, while the other seedlings were watered with water at about 7.1 pH. I tested the pH of the soil of the plants after watering. Well, the soil pH of the plants was right around 6.8 or so. This was the case for the one plant that was watered with the pH adjusted water as well as the others that weren't pH adjusted. The results tell me that the pH buffer in FFOF works well.

If FFOF is pH buffered why add dolomite limestone or oyster shells in order to buffer the soil? I saw one post from sometime ago from one of our moderators and he he said that he added oyster shells to FFOF soil.

So, what's the general consensus on adding dolomite lime or oyster shells to FFOF?

Alistair

[Roken]

Wassup AY,
FFOF has oyester shells in it, you shouldnt have to add anything but maybe a lil more perlite. The P.H of FFOF should be stable enough as is without any ammendments. Oyster shells are rich in calcium, which is good for anyone using distilled water, if using tap water you shouldnt need to add extra calcium or magnesium. Hope this can help out, peace and love!!!!
Roken.

[Alistair Young]

Thanks Roken,

I use RO water, I'd never use this tap water. Yeah, I'd have to say from my little experiment that FFOF works well to buffer the pH. So far all I've done is watered them with no fertilizer. I wonder how good FFOF soil is at buffering when ferts are added to the water?

Alistair

[Roken]

It does great actualy, after the first 3 weeks of growth i start adding nutes at a small dose and gradualy increase at it gets used to it. I would still flush your soil once a month just to make shure you dont have any salts built up, but i think fox farms ocean's forrest is one of the best organic soil's out there. Peace and Love!!!!!!!
Roken.

[Alistair Young]

Yeah, I like FF. Yeah, once and awhile I use a product called Clearex. If there's a lot of salt in the soil Clearex will make it precipitate on the surface. I used it about four times in the past and only once did I notice salt on the surface. I haven't used it for this grow yet, but there's been no need for it. I'll probably do it in about one month or so from now; I just transplanted.

FF tries to maintain a soil pH between 6.3-6.8 So, keeping that in mind, as well as the aforementioned experiment I did, I wonder if it's even necessary to adjust the pH of the water before watering unless the pH is really off? What do you think?

[Roken]

Yeah its always good to adjust the ph of your water to about 6%, i do mine a lil low since some nutes raise the ph a lil and after the soil drench it seems to climb some to so i aim low and usualy end up with a soil tets of 6.8 to 7%p.h. I also use clearex and it is a great product, you should use it every 30 days to make shure theres no salt build up. I like clearex because its got an isotonic based mixture, this means it binds with other salts and extra excess nutrients and clumps them together so they become heavier particals which makes them easier to rinse away. Peace and love!!!!!!
Roken.