Appreciate your reply you really know your stuff! I think you are spot on with excess micronutrients and the tea's. I'll cut back on the watering also I have been drowning them in one go instead of giving little bits of water at a time, would you recommend using rain water or tap water declouranted ? Again many thanks for your help you were bang on
Happy to help, just a guy that's learned a lot the hard way is all.
"Heavy" watering is something that was often recommended back in the day for "soil" grows using synthetic nutrients. For peat moss/living soil, watering heavy is not what we want to do. The reason being peat moss itself is very hydrophobic. Once it goes dry, you
will have dry spots regardless of how heavy you water. So, by the time we "heavily water", parts of the soil will become hydrophobic and will remain dry until the plant is harvested and we are able to freshly "rehydrate" the soil/peat.
With peat moss based living soils, the time for heavily watering is soaking the medium prior to planting anything. The soaking of the soil prior to planting ensures that 100% of the medium is moist. This way, future waterings is simply maintaining moisture/oxygen levels, and not actually "watering", if that makes sense.
The water should constantly be fresh. This is why 30-40% drainage is recommended; the water and, by proxy, oxygen levels for the plant will always remain fresh. Stagnant water is water that has sat for so long is loses it's oxygen, resulting in anaerobic conditions that not only choke your plant's roots out, but bring about many bad guys as well.
What I'd do in your shoes?
tl;dr: Keep track of the moisture levels, and only water to keep proper moisture levels, and no more than that. I would also eliminate teas and kelp meal entirely. The teas especially, as they tend to harm more than help. At best, the teas are a temporary band aid that helps a grower ignore a bigger problem with their soil. Kelp meal is good stuff, in moderation, but tends to lead growers to problems when used in excess.
More info on water:
As for water? Regardless of it being rain or tap,
you will need to know what's in it. My vote would be for tap water, but only because you can look up your "Municipal Water District" and get a "Water report" from them on the tap water. Testing the rainwater will take time. And let's say you
do test your rainwater, that doesn't mean this batch of rainwater will be the same as the next. A storm blowing over from another state will have different things in the water than a storm brewing exclusively in your town.
I would eliminate the use of teas, and even kelp meal entirely. I don't use rainwater because it isn't consistent, and I cannot guarantee what is in March's rainfall will the the same as August's rainfall. I use whatever is on tap because it is both convenient and consistent. Not to imply I'm talking shit on anyone for using rainwater or RO water, just pointing out how it isn't as convenient nor consistent as simply using the tap water is.
Rather than working
against what I have, I find a way to work
with it. If I get rainfall, then great, I don't have to water for a while. But I do not rely on rainwater, nor do I store it, but I will certainly use it if it is available.
Most of the soil recipes you see account for people using RO water. The understated part about using RO water is that the RO water has zero minerals, so nothing to fuck with your soil.
Most living soil grows fail because many of the recipes you see assume the user is using RO water. But let's be realistic, not all of us use RO water.
The first order of business before growing is to look up your water source and know what it has in it. If your water is alkaline and high in minerals? You may not want all of that rock dust and will want to take it easy on the liming agent, if using one at all. I've had water so alkaline I didn't even need to use lime in my soils to buffer the pH. I've also had water so devoid of anything, I needed to add micronutrients to my soil consistently. It depends on the water source.
If your water has minimal minerals, you will want to supplement your soil with minerals in the form of rock dust and/or kelp. Use your tap water on your next watering, and eliminate the use of teas and kelp meal and see what happens.
A top dressing/application of most micronutrients can be effective on a plant within 24 hours, so there is zero need for us as growers to be so vigilant. It is easier to add something than to subtract it.
All the best, and hope that helps.
