ProMix... Is it considered hydroponics or soil gardening?
- Thread starter max316420
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Kassiopeija
Well-Known Member
Yeah I was thinking the same esp. it's pH is set to 6.3. But the manufacturer denies it, claiming it is very low in minerals. This is a soil for garden herbs, these chalk sensitive, and they grow in an environment like you would treat a hemp seedling.
Biobizz ammends this soil with worm compost + "Premix" (which is their own organic dry fertilizer mix) to increase the NPK from Lightmix 1200mg/L N, 200mg/L P & 200mg/L K (70% Peat 30% Perlit) to
All-Mix NPK 1700 1500 1500 (formulations vary sometimes, I have an old bag that showed 2200 1800 2000) and there, the bags state as ingredients 5% organic dry fertilizer, 10% worm casting, 30% perlit & 55% peat.
So it stands to reason if they would have used a nitrogen-rich dry ammend fertilizer to boost up the N of their lightmix they would have stated that, too. As so are our regulations.
But I don't see why? they could have just used peat for that nitrogen source. Yesterday I read everything I found about peat in my academic literature
Lehrbuch der Bodenkunde translated to English
soilchem.ethz.ch
it's not much but the entries make it clear that there are so many different forms of peat - more than 10, in various stages of decay. The book explains that the process of breaking down of plant material can come to a halt - due to the anaerobic nature of the marshs, and this does stop the freeing of nitrogen (and else) - which is then still resident as organic macro-molecules, fibre & proteins. Yeah, and then in your pot you generate an aerobic environment where bacteria can break down this matter thereby gradually freeing nutrition ions.
The book generally compares peat to low-nutrition compost.
And further says that there are major local differences depending on the water-influx: if it is only rainwater, the peat is not rich at all. But some marsh are "fed" by surrounding agricultural lands when farmers spray slurry from animals as fert and that can accumulate in marshes as well.
Even sea-water can be the reason why some marshes form and that has a pH of 8.2.
But ultimately, you are right when you state it's about Pro-Mix - which I don't have. But I know alot of growers here that treat peat-mixes like soil in both watering & fertilization practices (pH 6.5 + wet'n'dry cycle) so it works both way. And they water it neutral, even slightly basic as recommended by the manufacturer (but it's organics)
Biobizz Nutrients: Answers From Biobizz
Hello fellow farmers. I thought I'd share an email I got from BioBizz concerning different questions that seem to be popping up again and again so here we go. Question: Everyone knows that charts are just an avarage and every plant is different. But let's say the values given are indeed an...
www.thcfarmer.com
xox
Well-Known Member
id like to comment on this ive been using promix since i joined this forum in 2013, im by no means and expert. however from my own personal experience and discussions with the promix support staff over the phone. what i believe is the ph of the medium needs to be buffered to around 6.0-6.1 over time say you have a very long veg period say 3 months and then 2 months of flower the premixed lime will get used up so to speak as well as the peat is naturally acidic. i use a bluelabs probe for checking the ph of the medium. if the ph of the medium is to low you should add something to bring its ph up. it was suggested to me by the promix staff to use a liquid liming agent as it works faster however i prefer powdered dolomite lime. you are all correct you can water promix with whatever ph because within a few hours of watering the ph of your nutrient solution you watered in will swing over to whatever the ph of the medium is at you can see this by checking the medium with a ph probe.
M.O.
Well-Known Member
Yeah I was thinking the same esp. it's pH is set to 6.3. But the manufacturer denies it, claiming it is very low in minerals. This is a soil for garden herbs, these chalk sensitive, and they grow in an environment like you would treat a hemp seedling.
Biobizz ammends this soil with worm compost + "Premix" (which is their own organic dry fertilizer mix) to increase the NPK from Lightmix 1200mg/L N, 200mg/L P & 200mg/L K (70% Peat 30% Perlit) to
All-Mix NPK 1700 1500 1500 (formulations vary sometimes, I have an old bag that showed 2200 1800 2000) and there, the bags state as ingredients 5% organic dry fertilizer, 10% worm casting, 30% perlit & 55% peat.
So it stands to reason if they would have used a nitrogen-rich dry ammend fertilizer to boost up the N of their lightmix they would have stated that, too. As so are our regulations.
But I don't see why? they could have just used peat for that nitrogen source. Yesterday I read everything I found about peat in my academic literature
Lehrbuch der Bodenkunde translated to English
it's not much but the entries make it clear that there are so many different forms of peat - more than 10, in various stages of decay. The book explains that the process of breaking down of plant material can come to a halt - due to the anaerobic nature of the marshs, and this does stop the freeing of nitrogen (and else) - which is then still resident as organic macro-molecules, fibre & proteins. Yeah, and then in your pot you generate an aerobic environment where bacteria can break down this matter thereby gradually freeing nutrition ions.
The book generally compares peat to low-nutrition compost.
And further says that there are major local differences depending on the water-influx: if it is only rainwater, the peat is not rich at all. But some marsh are "fed" by surrounding agricultural lands when farmers spray slurry from animals as fert and that can accumulate in marshes as well.
Even sea-water can be the reason why some marshes form and that has a pH of 8.2.
But ultimately, you are right when you state it's about Pro-Mix - which I don't have. But I know alot of growers here that treat peat-mixes like soil in both watering & fertilization practices (pH 6.5 + wet'n'dry cycle) so it works both way. And they water it neutral, even slightly basic as recommended by the manufacturer (but it's organics)
Biobizz Nutrients: Answers From Biobizz
Hello fellow farmers. I thought I'd share an email I got from BioBizz concerning different questions that seem to be popping up again and again so here we go. Question: Everyone knows that charts are just an avarage and every plant is different. But let's say the values given are indeed an...
This is interesting as I never have much troubles at all with nitrogen except for adding too much at the start. I do add a small amount of soybean meal, worm castings and neem meal relying mainly on liquid nutrients.
The goal is to leave them with something longer term and lesson the liquid feed amount. I’ve stopped top dressing more though as it never seems needed and don’t need any extra liquid N either.
My random notes pertaining to this thread:
Late flower my only issues typically are magnesium deficiency brought on by lights too close. They sure seem to need some extra mag though.
Long runs I absolutely need lime late flower and use a liquid. My last 5 gallon run didn’t need much though and maybe could have just toughed it out.
The surfactant they use wears off too and I’m using something starting early flower just to make sure I don’t end up with dry pockets. Bigger the container the more I worry about this.
DrOgkush
Well-Known Member
Doing a ph fix on your water before watering into a Promix base media. Your just wasting your money. Promix does not need to be ph’d. my ph can be 4.1 after I mix my base.
and I still water to runoff. Green as can be. And growing rather rapid. So whoever’s claiming you must ph your water for that type of media is either a very mis lead. Or just a plain out liar. Because I know for a fact. My entire garden should not look the way it does if ph 4.0 was affecting it at all lol.
and I still water to runoff. Green as can be. And growing rather rapid. So whoever’s claiming you must ph your water for that type of media is either a very mis lead. Or just a plain out liar. Because I know for a fact. My entire garden should not look the way it does if ph 4.0 was affecting it at all lol.
Samwell Seed Well
Well-Known Member
The CeC rating of pro mix says its almost soil but still not
Chunky Stool
Well-Known Member
Peat will hold nutes and they can accumulate, even when watered to runoff.
Not a big deal, and can be advantageous.