PH Question + REP for help

CdnBud

CdnBud

Well-Known Member
Hey,
When I add nutes and water to my soil less medium, I always check my PH and adjust it if necessary.It is usually at around 5.5 - 6.
When I check the runoff of the water when it comes out of the pot, it is around 7. If I want the PH of my medium to be 5.5-6, should I be lowering the ph of the solution when doing my watering?
 
wallimaster

wallimaster

Well-Known Member
stick to what your doing, unless you see a problem with a P.H. flucuation. the runoff out doesn't count to what goes in. im afraid if you try to lower you P.H. goin in your gonna burn your plants overnite. 5.7 - 6.3 no more no less is my rule..
 
wyteboi

wyteboi

Well-Known Member
CdnBud said:
Hey,
When I add nutes and water to my soil less medium, I always check my PH and adjust it if necessary.It is usually at around 5.5 - 6.
When I check the runoff of the water when it comes out of the pot, it is around 7. If I want the PH of my medium to be 5.5-6, should I be lowering the ph of the solution when doing my watering?
Click to expand...
There is no accurate way of reading the ph of your medium. (well there is but not with a ph meter)
what medium are you using? almost all soil/soiless mediums have a buffering quality that will keep them in whatever range that soil holds.
for example: lets say your soil really is 7.0, then if you water it with a 4.5 or even a 9.0 , that soil will buffer itself back to 7......and most of the time this happens in a matter of a few minutes or a couple hours.
very rarly can you tell anything by reading the runoff. (the water thats running off has not had time to buffer)


wb:joint:
 
purrrrple

purrrrple

Well-Known Member
I wouldnt be so concerned with the runoff pH. Generally the pH and PPM will be a little higher running off than when it goes in. If you find things severely out of whack (like 4.0 or 9.0 or 2000ppm coming out when your putting 6.5 and 1000ppm in) a flush might be in order. Other than that for the most part just disregard your run off numbers. If you insist on checking the pH in your soil get a good meter that you can stick in your soil, not a water meter. I will try to find a good link and post it back here.;
 
Silky Shagsalot

Silky Shagsalot

Well-Known Member
wallimaster said:
stick to what your doing, unless you see a problem with a P.H. flucuation. the runoff out doesn't count to what goes in. im afraid if you try to lower you P.H. goin in your gonna burn your plants overnite. 5.7 - 6.3 no more no less is my rule..
Click to expand...
thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! exactly correct! as long as you ph "everything" you put in/on your plants, ph should never be an issue. i don't think the incorrect ph is gonna burn the plants, just lock out some nutes.....
 
wyteboi

wyteboi

Well-Known Member
You cannot get the ph of soil right just by ph'ing the water you feed them. It does not work that way. if you did put too much lime in then you could water with a ph of 4 all day and tomorrow that soil will be right back up to where the lime wants it. now the lime will wear out quick if it is constantly buffering. Most peat holds a very low ph, and you cannot change that by adding ph up. when i was using earthjuice it has a ph of around 4 , and i used it for along time with no lockouts? Thats because within an hour the ph of the soil was where it wanted to be. im not sayin use a fuckin acid like i did for water , but your medium (if its a pot medium) will fix it if you do.

stick a ph meter in your water, now put that water into a cup of your medium and let it sit for 1 hour and dump the water out and test it again. now try it again with 4.0 or 9.0 and watch the same results.
 
Silky Shagsalot

Silky Shagsalot

Well-Known Member
wyteboi said:
You cannot get the ph of soil right just by ph'ing the water you feed them. It does not work that way.
Click to expand...
i don't think getting the ph of soil correct is how it works. what you want to have properly ph'd, is the water/feed/foliars. this directly effects the soils ph, along with other things. if you were always checking your run-off (in soil) you'd be in a constant battle to get it right on 6.5, or whatever ph you use. when the plant begins to display a def, then you respond. but, you do what works for you. there's more than one way to peel a banana.
 
wyteboi

wyteboi

Well-Known Member
Silky Shagsalot said:
i don't think getting the ph of soil correct is how it works. what you want to have properly ph'd, is the water/feed/foliars. this directly effects the soils ph, along with other things. if you were always checking your run-off (in soil) you'd be in a constant battle to get it right on 6.5, or whatever ph you use. when the plant begins to display a def, then you respond. but, you do what works for you. there's more than one way to peel a banana.
Click to expand...
the ph of the soil is the only way to grow in soil. if your in a constant battle to get a runoff of 6.5 then your gonna be there for awhile for no reason.
The water you feed your dirt has little to no short term effect on the ph of the soil.
i think i explained it pretty clearly and even showed you how to do your own test. (if i did not then let me know)
If you are using an inert medium (hydro) then yes you want to use your ph meter for the water ALL the time.......now in dirt i wont say throw it away because it can help you if things are way out of wack. in dirt the ph meter can help to test, but will not help if the ph is way out of wack. the only way to fix that is to change your medium or add buffers to the dirt.

most of the time the runoff goes right down the side of the pot and out the bottom. how can you test something thats only been in contact with the dirt for 3 or 4 seconds?


wb:bigjoint:
 
richiesworld

richiesworld

Well-Known Member
wyteboi said:
the ph of the soil is the only way to grow in soil.... The water you feed your dirt has little to no short term effect on the ph of the soil... i think i explained it pretty clearly and even showed you how to do your own test
Click to expand...
say what? huh? you explained what clearly? maybe you didn't express yourself in your previous post(s) the way you thought it up in your mind beforehand...

CdnBud... here's an explanatory page about PH from what appears to be a WAY more knowledgeable source...
 
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