watering

[1EZ]

When you get the overflow from watering, can you save it and add it to the new mix for the next watering ?

[Walty]

I wouldn’t do that. There’s a high concentration of salts in that runoff water.

[3Berries]

I just got the first bit of runoff from the latest plants. I saved it, the pH wasn't too bad at 6.3,ppm was 4400 though. This is Ocean Forest soil but I usually reuse the first run off, before any nutes added, after I adjust the pH no matter the soil I use. After that it goes on the flowers or garden outside.

[OldManGrower]

I truly would not recommend doing that. The runoff is a kind of low key flush. I contains things you do not want such as concentrated salts. I do collect the runoff from my tent but I use it on my outdoor flowers and shrubbery. In winter, we water decorative indoor plants. The ph should ideally be the same as your input water (it never is but you can come very close to it).

[3Berries]

it's the initial run off on a new pot of soil. What if I never water to run off?

[OldManGrower]

That is a potential mistake with possible consequences for your grow. If you cannot measure the ph in the run off, you have no idea of what the ph at the roots is. Residual salts and minerals in the soil will change the ph and you cannot tell without measuring runoff.

[3Berries]

I use to water to run off each time but quit figuring I'm wasting nutes. I check it about once a month now.

[UndergroundFarmer]

In living soil, you wouldn't want to water to runoff much. In coco with hydro nutes, I think it's a good idea to get a bit of runoff to guarantee that the coco is saturated and that salts are leaving the root zone.