Does this spring water contain too much sodium?

Hey, so I just finished my second run of LSO I'm mid-cure. Last time I tried to burn a joint to check the process of my cure i got a dirty black ash and harsh smoke. I'm hoping that the cure process needs more time but it was nearly 3 weeks into cure after a 15-17 day hangtime.

Anyways my kitchen faucet recently sprung a leak from a stress fracture and I'm unable to connect my RO from the lack of pressure. While waiting for my slum lord I began using this bottled spring water. The only concern I have is the sodium I don't think anything else could be causing the issue. Does 10mg per 1 1/2 cups not sound a little on the higher side or am I crazy?

Edit: Am I allowed to also post this in general growing?

I know I've seen rollitup folks who said they used baking soda as pH Up and claimed no apparent ill effects. "In general sodium starts to be worrisome above 5 mM which is around 120 ppm which is the point where it can start to significantly affect yields and growth. However sodium even at 12 ppm can start having some micro-nutrient like effects, but these can be mostly beneficial in flowering plants like tomatoes and peppers, even increasing fruit quality when given in moderation (see here).

0% sounds safe

What were your drying temp and humidity?
Any pics of ripe plant before harvest?

That’s like 3ppm I wouldn’t worry about it, get a lumber moisture meter for your dry, dry to 12% bet that fixes your burn problem

Or my maths off and it’s 30ppm I’m kinda high, in which case just run it through a brita or something. There a reason you’re using RO water in soil? In most cases that’s unnecessary and kinda wasteful really.

Only i issue i see with your “ water choice “ is that most bottled water spring or whatever can at times run alkaline ( 8’s even 9 ) most try to keep a neutral balance for human benefits but take that with a grain of salt.

Tap water is fine as most municipal water is good enough for outside plants / shrubs / dog bowl. No need to give any plant “ boutique water “.

As far as black ash - does it irritate your lungs or throat / give you headache etc. ? If so there was probably left over fertilizer or other contamination.

You got pics of buds ?

Budzbuddha said:

Only i issue i see with your “ water choice “ is that most bottled water spring or whatever can at times run alkaline ( 8’s even 9 ) most try to keep a neutral balance for human benefits but take that with a grain of salt.

Tap water is fine as most municipal water is good enough for outside plants / shrubs / dog bowl. No need to give any plant “ boutique water “.

As far as black ash - does it irritate your lungs or throat / give you headache etc. ? If so there was probably left over fertilizer or other contamination.

You got pics of buds ?

Click to expand...

Deer Park runs 6-6.5 & I don't think it has any added sodium etc. I love Deer Park though, so this is not an impartial suggestion

So my tap water is running around 800+ppm which is why I'm using RO and spring.

Drying temps were 68f, 55%rH for 3 days, followed by 64f, 58%-60%rH (temps did rise to 70f on hottest days). Got good stem snaps on day 15-17, although some were still bendy.

Does full senescence have to occur in order to get a clean ash in soil? It was purple haze with a flower time of 8-9 weeks and I pushed it to 10 weeks and 3 days, although it did not seem to start dying off, no purples, very little, next to no yellowing.

I've ran salt nutrients and had no issues with my ash after a good flush and cure. The one plant may have been slightly over fertilized but I can't see that being much of an issue for the other.

Lenin1917 said:

That’s like 3ppm I wouldn’t worry about it, get a lumber moisture meter for your dry, dry to 12% bet that fixes your burn problem

Click to expand...

Im hoping this is the issue, I think I've been burping my jars in 60-65% rH, should I run my dehumidifier getting down to 55% rH before burping?

Some of the jars are slightly too moist I'm sure of that, I should note that I havnt tried even half the jars just 1-2 which seemed the dryest.

Edit: I'm using 3 models of hygrometer that will fit into a jar 2 are giving me BS readings but the 1 that seems to be most accurate is giving me readings of between 63%-65%

TrentSteel said:

Im hoping this is the issue, I think I've been burping my jars in 60-65% rH, should I run my dehumidifier getting down to 55% rH before burping?

Some of the jars are slightly too moist I'm sure of that, I should note that I havnt tried even half the jars just 1-2 which seemed the dryest.

Edit: I'm using 3 models of hygrometer that will fit into a jar 2 are giving me BS readings but the 1 that seems to be most accurate is giving me readings of between 63%-65%

Click to expand...

Dump jars out - break apart clumps - air dry them for a little bit in ambient temps . Say an hour or so. Re-jar , add hygrometer inside jar / seal / monitor settled rh in jar after a few hours.

Doing this will help “ step down “ jarred rh. Most look to 62% for common storage rh but can be good down to 55% . I find my fav being 58%.

You can check a hygrometer in an empty jar with a boveda pack inside. Most of those little cheap hygrometers drift a points + or - , so you can still find the range you want even if hygrometer is a couple points off. Also if jars are getting too dry - add a fan leaf in jar. Easy peasy.

Black ash is due to incomplete combustion which has nothing to do with some sodium in spring water or nutrients left in the buds.

I don't smoke bowls to the point of white ash. There's also brown and sometimes even green in my ashtray.

Joints always drop white ash.

I have never understood why anyone connected ash color to growing technique. Read about it. Haven't seen anything that makes sense or corroborates with experience. Meh.

xtsho said:

Black ash is due to incomplete combustion which has nothing to do with some sodium in spring water or nutrients left in the buds.

Click to expand...

Do you not agree that chlorophyl will cause black ash either?

Is it not these minerals and compounds left in the flower that would be causing the incomplete combustion in the first place?

And sodium could cause lockout of other nutrients which is more where my concerns lay. Excess phosphorus will throw your smoke off no?

GenericEnigma said:

I don't smoke bowls to the point of white ash. There's also brown and sometimes even green in my ashtray.

Joints always drop white ash.

I have never understood why anyone connected ash color to growing technique. Read about it. Haven't seen anything that makes sense or corroborates with experience. Meh.

Click to expand...

I don't always directly connect ash to the burn quality, but 90% of the time the ash is off I notice the smoke could be smoother. I don't pay quite as much attention with organics as long as it's smooth. But if I see a black ash your damn right Im paying attention to the smoothness of the smoke.

I did say it was burning harsh and I'm guessing if the ash cleans up so will that issue and if the ash is dark when it's dry I bet money it will burn for shit.

How can it not be connected to a "growing technique" if certain craft producers are putting out non stop creamy white ash. They're just getting lucky? Or you implying it's more of a cure/dry issue?

Budzbuddha said:

Dump jars out - break apart clumps - air dry them for a little bit in ambient temps . Say an hour or so. Re-jar , add hygrometer inside jar / seal / monitor settled rh in jar after a few hours.

Doing this will help “ step down “ jarred rh. Most look to 62% for common storage rh but can be good down to 55% . I find my fav being 58%.

You can check a hygrometer in an empty jar with a boveda pack inside. Most of those little cheap hygrometers drift a points + or - , so you can still find the range you want even if hygrometer is a couple points off. Also if jars are getting too dry - add a fan leaf in jar. Easy peasy.
[/QUOTE

Click to expand...

Thanks, I have done this once but think that I will do it again and take the opportunity to give them a closer trim. Im pretty sure my preference is right at the 60%rH mark.

TrentSteel said:

I don't always directly connect ash to the burn quality, but 90% of the time the ash is off I notice the smoke could be smoother. I don't pay quite as much attention with organics as long as it's smooth. But if I see a black ash your damn right Im paying attention to the smoothness of the smoke.

I did say it was burning harsh and I'm guessing if the ash cleans up so will that issue and if the ash is dark when it's dry I bet money it will burn for shit.

How can it not be connected to a "growing technique" if certain craft producers are putting out non stop creamy white ash. They're just getting lucky? Or you implying it's more of a cure/dry issue?

Click to expand...

All I have is anecdote, rudimentary science knowledge, and a passing familiarity with the Ash Hypothesis.

Certainly how wet cannabis is will have an impact on how it burns. So will its density, shape, etc. Also its makeup (oily, fibrous, leafy, etc.). How wet it is will be determined by the dry technique. Its overall makeup will be determined by genetics.

Now I'm not against the idea that different growing techniques can also affect the ash color/texture (all other conditions being equal). It's just I have yet to see any compelling evidence or observation to solidify it as fact or compel me to look further into it. It doesn't pass the smell test with me. And it's never been so important to me to track down the truth of the matter.

All this considered, it has the look and feel of bro science. But I have an open mind. I'm happy to learn.

GenericEnigma said:

All this considered, it has the look and feel of bro science. But I have an open mind. I'm happy to learn.

Click to expand...

Haha, Yea I feel that. Not sure when science will clear that up but many people do consider drying/curing more of an art than science

There's many controversial theories within this hobby, but if there's one I feel is not as controversial as people make it seem it would be the ash.

Yes, you CAN produce a clean smoke with a black ash (so people tell me) , but I've yet to see it and I smoke 30-50 strains a month for years now from growers all across Canada. So I guess anecdotal is all I need.

I have a bad habbit of not smoking the same strain 2x in 1 day I find it keeps things interesting.

TrentSteel said:

Haha, Yea I feel that. Not sure when science will clear that up but many people do consider drying/curing more of an art than science

There's many controversial theories within this hobby, but if there's one I feel is not as controversial as people make it seem it would be the ash.

Yes, you CAN produce a clean smoke with a black ash (so people tell me) , but I've yet to see it and I smoke 30-50 strains a month for years now from growers all across Canada. So I guess anecdotal is all I need.

I have a bad habbit of not smoking the same strain 2x in 1 day I find it keeps things interesting.

Click to expand...

I keep a few strains around and bounce between them. Helps keep the tolerance down and the highs interesting. Sometimes I'll prefer one high over another for that day. It's a great way to go about it for me - and it sounds like you as well.

For drying, I keep that simple. I just hang everything in a tent and lock the RH at 60%, trying to keep temps near 70. It's done and jarred in 15-20 days.

If you don't have those resources and must jar cure, it becomes somewhat of an art form - but it's still just a slow dry to a good moisture content, ya?

Seems like a long time to dry? back in the 90's i dried at around 72 degrees 55% humidity for about 10 days, burned great, joint would keep burning and left a light grey ash, and stunk like a dead skunk... curing just made it smoother and tastier and stinkier