Help, can't figure this one out

[Johnei]

right, I think it's a buildup situation, over time.
Good luck man.
less is more.

 

[BoumGreen]

Thanks man. I'll be sure to post a few pictures in the future.

 

[Buba Blend]

No im using a PH pen, I do have a plastic tube kit but I've heard that that's not an accurate way of checking

The plastic tube kit, is that the npk and ph kit? The biggest mistake people who use it have is not using distilled water, you should not use ro. I have used them and had good results when having fresh soil to compare to the depleted soil.
Another way similar to what was described above is to take an 8 oz cup and add 1 part soil and 4 parts "distilled" water to where it is a bit over half full, stir occacionally while letting it sit for 24 hours. Strain the liquid and test. I tried it and the results seemed good but I didn't have a soil with a bad ph to compare. @im4satori When you had your PH problem I was going to ask you to try it but stayed out of the conversation.
Do you have the hydroponic drops that test between 4 and 8 ph. They can be handy too. Ph testers can fall out of calibration, the drops can be a good additional tool.

 

[Johnei]

The plastic tube kit, is that the npk and ph kit? The biggest mistake people who use it have is not using distilled water, you should not use ro. I have used them and had good results when having fresh soil to compare to the depleted soil.
Another way similar to what was described above is to take an 8 oz cup and add 1 part soil and 4 parts "distilled" water to where it is a bit over half full, stir occacionally while letting it sit for 24 hours. Strain the liquid and test. I tried it and the results seemed good but I didn't have a soil with a bad ph to compare. @im4satori When you had your PH problem I was going to ask you to try it but stayed out of the conversation.
Do you have the hydroponic drops that test between 4 and 8 ph. They can be handy too. Ph testers can fall out of calibration, the drops can be a good additional tool.

I thought of this when I wrote it, to use distilled only and not RO, but then said to myself, fuck it, I've heard this before, care to explain why when doing these little pH tests with soil ro is not good?
Thanks, I know I've read this before but I don't do many soil npk or ph tests so I don't remember.

--(I don't think you have to wait 24hrs for test results as you wrote here. That seems too long.)

 

[BoumGreen]

The plastic tube kit, is that the npk and ph kit? The biggest mistake people who use it have is not using distilled water, you should not use ro. I have used them and had good results when having fresh soil to compare to the depleted soil.
Another way similar to what was described above is to take an 8 oz cup and add 1 part soil and 4 parts "distilled" water to where it is a bit over half full, stir occacionally while letting it sit for 24 hours. Strain the liquid and test. I tried it and the results seemed good but I didn't have a soil with a bad ph to compare. @im4satori When you had your PH problem I was going to ask you to try it but stayed out of the conversation.
Do you have the hydroponic drops that test between 4 and 8 ph. They can be handy too. Ph testers can fall out of calibration, the drops can be a good additional tool.

I was mistaken, the PH tube kit I have is for swimming pools hahah but yes I have calibration fluid and I calibrate regularly.

 

[BoumGreen]

Ok guys, another question about PH... I've read some different stuff but what's the ideal PH for the water/nutrients given to the plant in soil? I've been aiming for 6.5 but sometime I let it slide at 6.2-6.3

 

[Johnei]

6.5ish sliding up to 6.8ish is better range in soil for our plants.
pH too low and high probability of calcium and/or magnesium type deficiencies on older growth
pH too high(which is less common because all nutrients are acidic) and high probability of having newer top growth have iron or zinc micronutrient type deficiencies.

Consider nutrients a slow release pH down in your soil

 

[BoumGreen]

6.5ish sliding up to 6.8ish is better range in soil for our plants.
pH too low and high probability of calcium and/or magnesium type deficiencies on older growth
pH too high(which is less common because all nutrients are acidic) and high probability of having newer top growth have iron or zinc micronutrient type deficiencies.

Consider nutrients a slow release pH down in your soil

Thanks, that's an excellent way of looking at it

 

[Buba Blend]

I thought of this when I wrote it, to use distilled only and not RO, but then said to myself, fuck it, I've heard this before, care to explain why when doing these little pH tests with soil ro is not good?
Thanks, I know I've read this before but I don't do many soil npk or ph tests so I don't remember.

--(I don't think you have to wait 24hrs for test results as you wrote here. That seems too long.)

I am not a scientist. Others may be able to help and I'd be curious to. I could only guess that it is because distilled water is usually a PPM of one or less where ro water can be five ppm's 10 ppm and higher. I believe the soil pH will more easily give an accurate reading in the distilled water. I had distilled water with one ppm that had a pH of probably five. Doing the soil test with that distilled water knowing that I had soil with a pH of seven. I did the test and the pH came out to seven.

 

[Buba Blend]

I thought of this when I wrote it, to use distilled only and not RO, but then said to myself, fuck it, I've heard this before, care to explain why when doing these little pH tests with soil ro is not good?
Thanks, I know I've read this before but I don't do many soil npk or ph tests so I don't remember.

--(I don't think you have to wait 24hrs for test results as you wrote here. That seems too long.)

Yeah! It may be way sooner than 24 hours. That's just how long I waited. I think I tested it sooner and got the 7 PH result each time.

 

[im4satori]

The plastic tube kit, is that the npk and ph kit? The biggest mistake people who use it have is not using distilled water, you should not use ro. I have used them and had good results when having fresh soil to compare to the depleted soil.
Another way similar to what was described above is to take an 8 oz cup and add 1 part soil and 4 parts "distilled" water to where it is a bit over half full, stir occacionally while letting it sit for 24 hours. Strain the liquid and test. I tried it and the results seemed good but I didn't have a soil with a bad ph to compare. @im4satori When you had your PH problem I was going to ask you to try it but stayed out of the conversation.
Do you have the hydroponic drops that test between 4 and 8 ph. They can be handy too. Ph testers can fall out of calibration, the drops can be a good additional tool.

ya
I was a bit insecure so I used the ph drop kit and I got an $80 soil probe to compare them

I stopped buying ph pens got tired of them going bad $$$

 

[im4satori]

im not sure that the ppm has any major baring on the ph test kit results

I think its more about using a starting water (distilled) that is ph7.0 and neutral

 

[tpc_mikey]

Believe it or not when you ph your mix down to that 6.2 to 6.3 range when you dump that in the soil it lowers the ph to around that mark for a couple hours so your plant will actually start to lock out some of the micro nutrients even if you have the lime in the soil, I always use a higher phd water like someone said around 6.8 to 7 and your soil will stay in the optimum range, and fyi the good old fashioned burpee probes for testing soil are pretty damn accurate i have compared it with all the other ways, hell buddy had a 300.00 digital soil tester and the 20.00 burpee one was almost exact reading. I check my soil ph weekly as the soil gets older it can drop but i amend with lime thats cooked before grow so i usually stay right at 6.8 to 7

 

[Buba Blend]

im not sure that the ppm has any major baring on the ph test kit results

I think its more about using a starting water (distilled) that is ph7.0 and neutral

That is interesting. I took pics of three waters with the drops. The yellow one is my distilled water. The middle one is my ro that came from the 8.0 tapwater and is a couple days old.The third is the tapwater that usually ranges around eight. The distilled water looks about a 6PH. My last bottle of distilled was about five pH when it was near the end of the bottle and it was still one ppm just for the record. . IDK. Can distilled water be a pH of five or seven ?

 

[Buba Blend]

That's interesting

That is interesting. I took pics of three waters with the drops. The yellow one is my distilled water. The middle one is my to that came from the 8.0 tapwater and is a couple days old.The third is the tapwater that usually ranges around eight. The distilled water looks about a 6PH. My last bottle of distilled was about five pH when it was near the end of the bottle. IDK. Can distilled water be a pH of five or seven ?

 

[Buba Blend]

I am going to do an experiment just to see the results. Pretty simple. Three plastic cups. Bottom line is the soil line. Upperline is the waterline. 9 ounce cups. One with ro water at about 7PH yesterday when checked it has a PPM of 19. My filter is two years old I keep it clean but it's about time to change the filter. The second with distilled water that had a pH of six yesterday and read one PPM just now. The third with tapwater. The pH is eight. The PPM's are 460 today. I'll check with the drops in four or five hours. I'll check again tomorrow morning. New FFOF soil. People have had problems with it. I guess I get the good stuff from California. My soil pH should be right about seven new from the bag. So any comments are welcome if anyone thinks the results should be a pH of seven In all three tests? Any speculations on what you expect from the tap water? I'll post results in 24 hours.

 

[Johnei]

(And I remember reading a few posts back you saying you're not a scientist.. HA.. I was going to say before, but now it is a for sure, you are a scientist bro, you just don't have that degree on paper. I like the way you think.)

 

[im4satori]

View attachment 3981967
I am going to do an experiment just to see the results. Pretty simple. Three plastic cups. Bottom line is the soil line. Upperline is the waterline. 9 ounce cups. One with ro water at about 7PH yesterday when checked it has a PPM of 19. My filter is two years old I keep it clean but it's about time to change the filter. The second with distilled water that had a pH of six yesterday and read one PPM just now. The third with tapwater. The pH is eight. The PPM's are 460 today. I'll check with the drops in four or five hours. I'll check again tomorrow morning. New FFOF soil. People have had problems with it. I guess I get the good stuff from California. My soil pH should be right about seven new from the bag. So any comments are welcome if anyone thinks the results should be a pH of seven In all three tests? Any speculations on what you expect from the tap water? I'll post results in 24 hours.

im up to follow a good experiment

 

[Buba Blend]

im up to follow a good experiment

What do you guys think the Vegas tap water will come out as?



I think both the distilled and the Ro Will be the same. Where I feel the distilled water is important is when I use the NPK tester and the pH tester in these kits. I follow the instructions. The difference for me is I will test fresh from the bag ffof and then test soil being used to see if there are any deficiencies. I think they are useful that way. I throw away the color charts. In recycle of course.

 

[im4satori]

no idea