Roots Organics soil PH

Hey guys I am aware that Roots Organics has a soil and soiless mix. However it sounds like the only difference between the two is the soil mix has peat in it. My question is are you supposed to Have the soil ph at 6.5 or 5.8?

6.5 for soil.

Its not technically soil though, its a coco based media. You might want to rock the ph a little lower than average as is recommended for most coco based products. Maybe just a pinch over 6.

I worried about the low PH with RO products also. Don't. Reluctantly I ignored the PH on advice from a knowledable friend. I added a little epsom salts when the leaves yellowed at about three weeks old, other than that it's been RO nutes at full strength and she's three weeks into flower and looking fine. It goes against common knowledge, but likeDank said, it really not soil and probably closer to a Hydro setup with you doing the watering.

If the soil hosts fungi and bacteria, then no need to try and adjust pH. I found the Roots Organic good to work with, and I do not feed bottled ferts.

I had a lot of problems with roots. If your going to use it, I would stick to the high side 6.5. Check the run off. Mine was way too low!! tried to fix it for 2 weeks! Big waste of time.Switched to Ocean Forest. Great Results!!!

I stand by my original opinion regarding RO soil and nutes. Because a few people can't seem to get the learning curve down does'nt make it a bad product. My MK is budding like crazy at a couple of weeks and all the leaves are a dark emerald green. I germinated and planted her directly into RO soil. After an initial shock she took off. I kept her under a true 125 watt cfl and a couple smaller cfls during veg and now she's under a 600 watt hps blowing up like a champ. Other than a little epsom salts for mag adjust I did'nt do anything. The nutes I use max dosage. My last post was a few weeks ago and since something seems to have changed as I can't seem to post pics now. Soon as I can I'll post some.

Cooter@666 said:

Please explain the learning curve? Isn’t Roots supposed to be a superior soil formulated to grow cannabis? So why should the end user need to add amendments to the Roots to correct what the Roots is lacking? Shouldn’t this product be 100% ready to use straight from the bag?

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With what you quoted for cost, it should water itself, manicure the finished buds and wipe your butt also.

For that amount of $$$$ it shouldn't be lacking for anything.

LOL, everytime I see your avatar, I start humming the "Welcome back, Kotter" theme.

Wet

I'm considering recycling my Roots-based SS after this round. Light amendment with Compost and EWC. Maybe a cover crop of clover. I will not till it. Might still be too hot for younglings. The thing is, that a good draining stable soil can simply be re-amended and re-used. Soil gets better with age and cost per grow drops to jack shit. I have compost about ready. Still buying EWC, though.

Please excuse the hijack

Rrog said:

I'm considering recycling my Roots-based SS after this round. Light amendment with Compost and EWC. Maybe a cover crop of clover. I will not till it. Might still be too hot for younglings. The thing is, that a good draining stable soil can simply be re-amended and re-used. Soil gets better with age and cost per grow drops to jack shit. I have compost about ready. Still buying EWC, though.

Please excuse the hijack

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How long are you composting the spent soil? Sannie and E$cobar are having great success recycling soil…I recycle my soil but it ends up in my veggie garden. I’m interested in recycling it for the girls but I’ve never had the onions to try it….perhaps I should!

Cooter, you can look around at "no-till" soil grows. Ideally, you chop off the harvested plant right at the soil level. Then cut a slice in the soil right next to the old stalk and replant immediately. The already established fungal network will already be in full swing from the previous plant and will immediately turn it's attention over to the seedling. It's a real jump start for the seedling.

So no mixing, no tilling, only a bit of compost and EWC are added. A bit of ACT Tea in soil and foliar. Some molasses on occasion, etc. The soil is all paid for and the natural amendments are cheap, especially if you have a compost pile.

Cooter@666 said:

Please explain the learning curve? Isn’t Roots supposed to be a superior soil formulated to grow cannabis? So why should the end user need to add amendments to the Roots to correct what the Roots is lacking? Shouldn’t this product be 100% ready to use straight from the bag?

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Yes it should be. I planted straight into my RO soil. The 707 formula is designed for less drainage, why? I don't know unless it was meant to amend soil for outdoor growers or something. I won't pretend to know. The RO potting soil I use has excellent drainage. I've added nothing to the soil. I'd thought of using using dolomite for PH and cal/mag issues but that was'nt necessary. I've since found out that the soil is closer to hydro. The soil buffers the PH. Unless I'm an exception to the rule RO works for me.

Cooter@666 said:

How long are you composting the spent soil? Sannie and E$cobar are having great success recycling soil…I recycle my soil but it ends up in my veggie garden. I’m interested in recycling it for the girls but I’ve never had the onions to try it….perhaps I should!

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I saw a youtube video where a guy is reusing his soil and he had side by side comparisons and they were eye opening. We've been talking or heatedly discussing RO soil here. lol From what I've read alot of the ingredients improve with time and would be a good choice for reuse. The green sand for example.

The soil gets an old growth forest quality

Cooter@666 said:

How long are you composting the spent soil? Sannie and E$cobar are having great success recycling soil…I recycle my soil but it ends up in my veggie garden. I’m interested in recycling it for the girls but I’ve never had the onions to try it….perhaps I should!

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You really should. Mine eventually ends up in the veggie garden, but after ~3 years when the peat finally gets too broken down.

I haven't done the *no Till* thing yet because for the first go round I grow Alliums (Garlic, Shallots) to get the mix going. Since they have to be dug up for harvest ..........

I do have better results with the recycled mix than fresh mixed. The mycos and BB are well established and not much in the way of re amending is needed. Cost is probably less than $1.50/cf to re amend the depleted stuff.

Wet

slonez47 said:

From what I've read alot of the ingredients improve with time and would be a good choice for reuse. The green sand for example.

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Exactly!! The greensand, Azomite, rock dusts and so on take forever to start breaking down. Way longer than the life cycle of cannabis.

That's why I really like growing the garlic and shallots to *break in* fresh mix. The grow cycle for garlic is ~8 months and shallots a bit longer. Supposedly, it takes 4 months for myco's to become established, but I really don't know.

All I know for sure is, the mix is better the second time around.

Wet

In my opinion guys want to fuss and tinker. Use upgraded products, look for the secret way, the new technology. It's in our genetics. The problem is, that the best way to grow is the way plants have evolved to grow over millions of years. Soil does it all, and the less you fuck with it, the better it gets. Assuming you start with a quality composite with good physical properties.

Hell, many "weeds" actually make good companion plants for MJ. Help fix more N, keep the AM Fungus happy, brings up nutrients from as deep as 30 feet.

Historically, we started getting away from traditional manure fertilizing, and along came the early chemical fertilizer companies touting their improvements over nature. Then of course these expensive chemicals weakened the microbes and left the plant and soil open for predation and infection. Fortunately, the same chemical companies were right there to sell us more chemicals to spray the shit out of our food crops. The only upside is that all these chemicals add a nice background flavor and crunch to everything.

Thank God along came Monsanto to also patent a fucking ear of corn, which miraculously allows it to survive the hebicide Roundup. So Monsanto now makes billions selling us the corn seed, the Roundup, the fertilizers, the fungicides, and the insecticides. They make billions, while the poor farmer has to mortgage the farm just to get the equipment to dispense all this shit. And he can't even use his own goddam seeds for fear of jail. What in the fuck has become of us???