Biobizz soil with very hard water... how to fix it?

**artcore** · 29-01-15, 05:06 PM

Received today my TDS meter (HM AP-1) and after calibrating it did some tests, my tap water is 260 ppm (pH 7.6), in my last grow had some problems, mag pH lock down from week 2 using light mix soil (biobizz)... now started my new grow with light mix soil and want to avoid the same problem, I have 8 autoflowers with 3 days in biodegradable pots that will transplant in one week, I think the magnesium pH lock down was caused by my hard water, from what I have read is a common problem when using biobizz soil and hard water.

What can I do to avoid the same problem?... I have no alternative to tap water... can I mix any product with the light mix soil to avoid the problem?

**Solo Quin** · 29-01-15, 05:54 PM

I use soil as well best for flavor I don't have a ph meter never I use bottled buxton mineral water peat water you can pick whatever brand you like look for one with a ph of 7.4 the plants prefer it and you can chuck the ph meter the soil will balance the ph just right. I use terra canna pro soil from seed to chop with great results molasses + bat guano tea for feed its cheaper plus organic, organic black strap molasses £7 bat guano £11 mineral water £20 should last you a long time.

I hope this helps good

**artcore** · 30-01-15, 01:31 AM

I have a ph meter, ph down and up, calibration solutions and the TDS meter to use in my second grow, used drops in the first grow... tested a guano and humus tea at my last grow with good results and I will test feed some plants from start to finish with teas.

Tested the mineral water I buy for drinking and seems to be perfect:

. pH 6.6
. ppm 75
. Sio2 62 mg/l
. ca2 1,5 mg/l
. Na 26 mg/l
. Cl 22 mg/l
. HCO 49,6 mg/l

This water is good for the girls?... do not have too much sodium?

**Solo Quin** · 31-01-15, 01:06 AM

My advice mate just put the ph ec meter away you dont need it cause you are growing in soil you just make the job twice as difficult messing with ph in the soil if you fuck that up you going to have worse problems getting right again. You want to look on the back of the bottle at the ph 6.4 is crap pick mountain peat still bottled water just mix feed leave the ec and just feed soil will balance the rest for if you looking for a tea recipe looking in the organic section at the top under molasses there are one or two written down in the thread.

**artcore** · 02-02-15, 04:57 PM

That was what I did in the first grow with terrible results, read in several forums that did not need a pH meter because the soil had buffer capacity, that I only needed a TDS/EC meter to hydro grow...

I think that this advice is terrible and I can not understand how experienced growers say it, one thing is to say:

. if we use good soil we do not need to adjust the water pH

or

. if we use good water and good soil we do not need to adjust the water pH

Two very different sentences!

I followed the first advice, started the grow without ph/tds meter, 2/3 weeks after my plants stopped growing, were frozen in time,so I tested the water pH with GH drops, my water pH was 8,0, probably my plants were not growing because the soil pH should have risen to 7/7.5, right?... wrong!... the runoff water was 5/5.2, weird, plants drink water with pH 8.0 but the soil is pH 5.5... only after receiving the TDS meter is that I understood what happened. Water with high pH/ppm have high calcium levels, over calcium causes a pH lockout and the plant stops growing, is frozen in time, do not eat, salts begin to accumulate and soil pH falls, when this happens with autoflowers in which the plant does not have time to recover from the stresses can result in a failed harvest caused by a good advice that is incomplete making it a terrible advice lol

**Solo Quin** · 02-02-15, 08:08 PM

The information that I have given you is correct bottled water is a better alternative than tap water. From what I have read and from my personal experience there is no lock out when growing with organic nutrients the only thing that causes these problems is hard water from the tap & over feeding bottled nutes.

I have read the same information as you every works fine but I don't mess with the ph in my soil.

**Bud goode** · 23-04-21, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by Solo Quin

The information that I have given you is correct bottled water is a better alternative than tap water. From what I have read and from my personal experience there is no lock out when growing with organic nutrients the only thing that causes these problems is hard water from the tap & over feeding bottled nutes.

I have read the same information as you every works fine but I don't mess with the ph in my soil.

Bottled water = very little calcium. You will need biobizz calmag on stand by in case of deficiency. I didnt and it cost me highly in yield.