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Does Anyone Have Experience Using Promix


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Sorry, one more question. I assume you water with distilled or RO water, do you add anything to it like cal mag, besides ph ing it?

 

 

Contrary to advice given in some "Grow Bibles", I have used soft well water for 3 years and I have had no issues with it. Plants thrive on softened water. However, I must add that I have used K.I.S.S. soil for most of this time and add dolomite lime to the ProMix BX. I think the calcium in the dolomite lime puts enough calcium in the mix for the plants. I also add organic nutes after the plants have been in the mix for 30-45 days depending on how well fertilized they appear. I sprinkle dry organics (Espoma or Jobes) over the top of the soil and mix them in. I add quite a bit and the plants have no issues. I stop putting the dry organics on 4-6 weeks prior to harvest. Also, I do not wet the mix 10 days prior to use as recommended so the soil isn't "activated". To compensate for this, I add nutes (currently Botanicare Pro Grow) for the first few waterings until the organics in the soil kick in. One more thing: Using mycorhizomes (Great White, Myco Madness, etc) really seems to help. I noticed a marked difference when I started using them.

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http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/42441-kiss-soil/

 

awesome

 

i can say without a doubt... since i switched back in October.... or so... this is by far the best and easiest method i have tried so far...

and it's totally organic..

 

the taste is awesome and the meds are strong...

 

thank you Mal and Cel...

 

the only thing i don't add is the Guinness because no one around here has it LOL

 

great recipe. 

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everyone one must remember on this thread and alot of have no clue- but if you use any soil/soiless medium and even organics if your mixing live micros into the soils and or promix bx or hp anything your using that contains all of those benificial micro's- you have to use ro water or some kind of refind water from a store becuase they have added chemicals in the water that instantly kills all of your bio benificials and micros in the soil . tap water-clorine-kills all and dont think about airing out your tap water becuase they have also added a chemical called cloramine which does not leave the water unless you have a small boy or a tall boy or any other type of water filtering system. 

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everyone one must remember on this thread and alot of have no clue- but if you use any soil/soiless medium and even organics if your mixing live micros into the soils and or promix bx or hp anything your using that contains all of those benificial micro's- you have to use ro water or some kind of refind water from a store becuase they have added chemicals in the water that instantly kills all of your bio benificials and micros in the soil . tap water-clorine-kills all and dont think about airing out your tap water becuase they have also added a chemical called cloramine which does not leave the water unless you have a small boy or a tall boy or any other type of water filtering system. 

 

You just have to let the water sit for 24 hours and the chlorine evaporates out.  That's why you have to keep adding it to a pool.  

 

I fill my jugs after I water.  That way they sit around for 4 to 5 days before I use them.  I don't have any problems and I don't know anyone else using the same method that's having trouble.

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You wont have problems, you just wont get the full benefit of the beneficials...no biggie. Plant success is awesome, i used great white for a while but the plant success is almost exactly the same for alot cheaper for the amount you pay for.

 

Well, as I've said several times in other threads, I had to dial down my plants because I was growing too much.  Now I harvest one plant a week for about 2 to 2 1/2 ounces. It's the perfect amount for my PTs and I.

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everyone one must remember on this thread and alot of have no clue- but if you use any soil/soiless medium and even organics if your mixing live micros into the soils and or promix bx or hp anything your using that contains all of those benificial micro's- you have to use ro water or some kind of refind water from a store becuase they have added chemicals in the water that instantly kills all of your bio benificials and micros in the soil . tap water-clorine-kills all and dont think about airing out your tap water becuase they have also added a chemical called cloramine which does not leave the water unless you have a small boy or a tall boy or any other type of water filtering system. 

 

If you live in the country and get your water from a well on the property, you will have no issues with chlorine, etc. Chlorine, et. all is added by municipal (city) water systems as a disinfectant. Country well water has nothing added but it usually is high in calcium and lime. Water softeners remove the calcium and lime from the well water. The usual problem associated with using well water for container growing is that the calcium and lime in un-softened water will build up in the soil and cause nutrient lockout.

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Getting ready to switch soil Saturday, never used pro mix before but I've read nothing but good about it!

 

Seems to be MJ compatible as it comes out of the container at the perfect pH. Which is fine by me cause I'm tired of fighting soils to get the pH into range.

 

Just wondering if I should use it as it is or is it okay to ammend it with fertilizer? I've read that some recommend you add dolomite lime because as it breaks down it becomes even more acidic. Just don't want to overdo it with too many nutes and other stuff and end up having problems again.

 

If anybody has any other tips as well I'm all ears, Thanks!

There are as many correct an incorrect answers are there are people in here. Most all in this thread are pretty solid. I'm not really sold on only using sunshine #4 through a whole grow (most soils can only hold about 30-45 days worth of nutes in it, depending on a bunch of factors, of course), and you get inbalances pretty easily depending on the cycle of the plant, watering schedule, etc.

 

As far a pro mix, there are many kinds of pro mix, some with more water holding agents (vermiculite, coco, etc), fungicide, or beneficial bacteria such as mycorrhizae. I personally like Pro Mix BX, cut with an additional 25% large size perlite. The large perlite helps with good air flow in the root zone, moisture holding, and drainage.  Nutrients- I wont get into because everybody has their favorites, and honestly, they all work if dialed in and used properly.  You will need to add nutrients to ProMix BX or HP (or a compost tea if you do not want to use bottled nutrients). Test run off water during your watering with a PPM and PH meter to get an idea where you stand with you nute levels, and pro mix will treat you well.

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If you live in the country and get your water from a well on the property, you will have no issues with chlorine, etc. Chlorine, et. all is added by municipal (city) water systems as a disinfectant. Country well water has nothing added but it usually is high in calcium and lime. Water softeners remove the calcium and lime from the well water. The usual problem associated with using well water for container growing is that the calcium and lime in un-softened water will build up in the soil and cause nutrient lockout.

Softened water = BAD! If you use a softener, be sure to run it through an RO unit.

If you do not want to use an RO unit, and your water is not treated with a softner, you can back off on your Calcium and Magnesium a little and be o.k. if your water is under 220PPM. You can also use various nute lines specifically esigned for hard water, like IONIC Hard Water, or GH Flora Hard water formula.

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There are as many correct an incorrect answers are there are people in here. Most all in this thread are pretty solid. I'm not really sold on only using sunshine #4 through a whole grow (most soils can only hold about 30-45 days worth of nutes in it, depending on a bunch of factors, of course), and you get inbalances pretty easily depending on the cycle of the plant, watering schedule, etc.

 

As far a pro mix, there are many kinds of pro mix, some with more water holding agents (vermiculite, coco, etc), fungicide, or beneficial bacteria such as mycorrhizae. I personally like Pro Mix BX, cut with an additional 25% large size perlite. The large perlite helps with good air flow in the root zone, moisture holding, and drainage.  Nutrients- I wont get into because everybody has their favorites, and honestly, they all work if dialed in and used properly.  You will need to add nutrients to ProMix BX or HP (or a compost tea if you do not want to use bottled nutrients). Test run off water during your watering with a PPM and PH meter to get an idea where you stand with you nute levels, and pro mix will treat you well.

 

 

You don't have to use teas or bottled nutrients, just the KISS system.

http://www.michigancannabispatients.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8

 

That's why it call it KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid.  It's the easiest way to grow excellent MMJ.

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Softened water = BAD! If you use a softener, be sure to run it through an RO unit.

If you do not want to use an RO unit, and your water is not treated with a softner, you can back off on your Calcium and Magnesium a little and be o.k. if your water is under 220PPM. You can also use various nute lines specifically esigned for hard water, like IONIC Hard Water, or GH Flora Hard water formula.

 

Soft water = BAD?? I have used nothing but soft water. My plants practically "glow" with health. What is it about soft water that is bad? Softeners remove calcium, lime and some iron from hard water. Why would you want to run soft water through a reverse osmosis system? What else do you want to remove?

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You don't have to use teas or bottled nutrients, just the KISS system.

http://www.michigancannabispatients.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8

 

That's why it call it KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid.  It's the easiest way to grow excellent MMJ.

Good God, whats simple about all of that? lol!  This is simple in my opinion: In Pro Mix HP with a little extra perlite, Flora Nova Bloom, Liquid Kool Bloom and a little cal mag if using ro water if your plants call for it.  That's it. 4-6 oz a plant with 1 week veg time. Quick and easy. For more weight, just extend veg time a bit.

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Soft water = BAD?? I have used nothing but soft water. My plants practically "glow" with health. What is it about soft water that is bad? Softeners remove calcium, lime and some iron from hard water. Why would you want to run soft water through a reverse osmosis system? What else do you want to remove?

Check your ppm after your water goes through your softner,  it creates salt due to the ionic exchange that occurs, which is bad. Running softened water through an RO unit will remove the salt, http://forum.growkind.com/showthread.php?t=26125#.Ueql7NLvtgg.  If your plants are thiriving with softened water, think of what they could do without the salt?  here is the basics of how a softener works- 

  1. It runs it through a tank of resin that exchanges positive ions (calcium and magnesium) for negative ones (sodium). The salt is simply used to clean the resin bed. The salt tank is a brine drum to hold salt and dissolve it to a brine rinse (salt water) that will remove the trapped calcium when injected into the resin tank) That being said the water in the brine tank would be fatally toxic if you fed it to your plants(TDS 15,000 ppm). The softened water from your faucets are not nearly as bad, but will still have elevated levels of sodium which not good.* (http://www.rollitup.org/aerogardeners/209432-water-softener-water-hydro.html)

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Check your ppm after your water goes through your softner,  it creates salt due to the ionic exchange that occurs, which is bad. Running softened water through an RO unit will remove the salt, http://forum.growkind.com/showthread.php?t=26125#.Ueql7NLvtgg.  If your plants are thiriving with softened water, think of what they could do without the salt?  here is the basics of how a softener works- 

  1. It runs it through a tank of resin that exchanges positive ions (calcium and magnesium) for negative ones (sodium). The salt is simply used to clean the resin bed. The salt tank is a brine drum to hold salt and dissolve it to a brine rinse (salt water) that will remove the trapped calcium when injected into the resin tank) That being said the water in the brine tank would be fatally toxic if you fed it to your plants(TDS 15,000 ppm). The softened water from your faucets are not nearly as bad, but will still have elevated levels of sodium which not good.*
     (
    )

 

 

According to the Water Quality Association (and others) :   http://www.wqa.org/sitelogic.cfm?ID=431

 

Water Quality Answers

 

Is the sodium in softened water harmful to people whose doctors have placed them on restrictive salt diets?

 

Much depends on and individual's medical situation and on the strictness of the diet itself since most drinking water, even when softened, would be "very low sodium" or "low sodium" as defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

 

Where the patient has been placed on a sodium-restrictive diet below 1,500 milligrams of total sodium intake per day, he/she should drink neither hard nor softened water.  Under these conditions, the patient should drink demineralized water, distilled water, water treated by reverse osmosis, or water known to be free of sodium for drinking and for the cooking of his or her foods.  Such patients are commonly hospitalized.

 

In establishing a restricted-salt diet for patients, physicians should not overlook the fact that even hard water may contain appreciable amounts of sodium.  To determine the amount, a complete analysis of the water is necessary.

How can the sodium content of a softened water be determined in terms of milligrams of sodium?

1.  First, determine the sodium content of the natural water.  Multiply the water's sodium content in grains per gallon expressed as calcium carbonate, by 7.86.   This will give you the sodium content of the water in milligrams per liter of water.

2.  Next, determine the additional sodium content of water as the result of ion exchange softening.  Here, multiply the total hardness of the water in grains per gallon, expressed as calcium carbonate, by 7.86.

3.  A simple addition of the results of both steps No.1 and 2 will give the sodium content of the softened water in milligrams of sodium per liter.  One to two liters (1 liter equals 1.057 quarts) is commonly accepted as normal daily water consumption.

Actually, the amount of sodium present in softened water is small when compared to the sodium present in foods.  Softening water with even 75 grains per gallon of total hardness adds less sodium than contained in "Low Sodium" beverages (as defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration food labeling regulations).

 

Water in my area has 25 grains of hardness. I have been told that 1 gallon of my water has about the same amount of salt as 1 slice of bread. Not much.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Pro Mix is neutral.

 

I use it because it's easy.

 

I know how to use a lot of other mediums, I just like the balance of the simplicity & the results.  Better flavor is possible, over traditional hydroponics.  It's closer to soil, and is about the same as growing with coco, flavor, cost and simplicity wise.

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Pro Mix is neutral.

 

I use it because it's easy.

 

I know how to use a lot of other mediums, I just like the balance of the simplicity & the results.  Better flavor is possible, over traditional hydroponics.  It's closer to soil, and is about the same as growing with coco, flavor, cost and simplicity wise.

Isn't "better flavor" a subjective proclamation? Ones honey is another's vinegar... I find that a good flush will do wonders for both hydro or soil, as well as not over doing it with nutrients and additives. Just my 2 cents...

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  • 1 year later...

Good God, whats simple about all of that? lol!  This is simple in my opinion: In Pro Mix HP with a little extra perlite, Flora Nova Bloom, Liquid Kool Bloom and a little cal mag if using ro water if your plants call for it.  That's it. 4-6 oz a plant with 1 week veg time. Quick and easy. For more weight, just extend veg time a bit.

4-6 ounces in one week veg time eh?

and how long is the 4 to 6 ounce plant flowering in the dirt?

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