Also ph problem, so high!!!

newbie187

Member
Hi RIU,

I had just finished another post when I remembered about my massive PH reading earlier.

I had only just got my PH pen and calibrated and went to work. I tested another solution, some labelled mineral water and then my tap water.

This was reading 8.4!!

I know this is too high from reading on here, I then went and checked the coco and this was mixed with a bit of water and read 6.8.

I'm worried now that I will start feeding nutes what will happen??

How about if I buy a filter that people buy in shops like a kettle? I can't get a RO atm and nowhere around me sells distilled water. Thus far I have used some mineral water and water from a kettle.

I'm using Coco Coir Professional Plus and intend to use Canna Coco A & B.

Please help guys!
 

mmmmbrownies

Active Member
yeah you might want to look into ph down ph up and maybe some calmag if you are using ro or distilled water
at least you are checking the ph :)
happy growing
 

spek9

Well-Known Member
What will happen? You'll have nute block ie. your plants won't be able to absorb the nutes.

Natural, common pH modifiers are lemon or lime juice to pH down, and baking soda for up.

-spek
 

stvitusdance

Well-Known Member
i'm confused. i might be missing the point. where is your water coming from? what is this kettle thing? you know lots of people grow successfully with tap water, they just let it sit out for a day or two so the chlorine dissipates. how are you calculating your PH? in the water itself? if so some local water and mineral water will be high PH. plus PH tends to drift so it's better to read it right after you fill your container. the other posters are right, it's fairly easy to adjust your water PH by using either a store bought solution or something like lemon juice or vinegar. i have a massive bottle of PH down that will last me the rest of my life. when i use it i just add a drop to gallon milk jug of my RO water and it works great.

make sense?
 

newbie187

Member

waterdawg

Well-Known Member
Never used vinegar or lemon juice but do use phosphoric (ph down) and sulphuric acid (battery) to lower Ph. And you better get some. You could also use ph perfect line of nutes but not sure if its used with coco. I do flood and drain.
 

JonnyAppleSeed420

New Member
First what did you do with your coco before you planted? Did you add rockwool croutons or perlite, did the block of coco require soaking, some brands do. PH down is the only way right now but if you didn't buffer your medium it may be a battle right to the end. If you already have plants in the medium then running 5.6-5.8 won't hurt but will not bring it into control, if you haven't planted yet then soak the medium in a 5.0-5.3 overnight, this may bring the ph down...JAS
 

tip top toker

Well-Known Member
Let the tap water sit out for a day or two the chlorine and other addatives will evaperate
A bit of a myth. water contains chloramine these days, not chlorine. Unless in sunlight, this will take a long time to dissipate.

for the OP: My UK water was pretty much the same as that when i grew. High ph and high ppm, very hard water. It never caused an issue. I just chucked ph down into it after adding nutes and all was fine.

You will be absolutely fine using ph down for growing weed. Everyone else seems to manage just great.
 

spek9

Well-Known Member
I have been told ph up/down is not good for plants. Especially baking soda/vinegar.
I was just using tap water straight out of the tap.
The filter is one of those £10 water filters. Looks like a jug/kettle.

https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/product/14384093707782209717?q=water+filter&es_sm=119&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.53760139,d.ZGU,pv.xjs.s.en_US.63KCSWWF6Aw.O&biw=1888&bih=1038&dpr=2&tch=1&ech=1&psi=s_lUUozPA6mN7Aa8pIDoBg.1381300659910.3&sa=X&ei=t_lUUoD-GuvZ0QWfqoHADQ&ved=0CI4BEPMCMAE
You were told wrong. I got a half pound from my last 3-plant crop where I used exclusively citrus acid and baking soda to manage my pH, and I have 15 new plants almost a month in flower, four beautiful mothers, and ~12 new clones in my cloner all which are under a lemon juice/sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) regimen.

Be careful of who's advice you take, and research everything you hear before you blindly follow.

-spek
 

lilroach

Well-Known Member
AAAAGGGGHHHHHH!

The dreaded PH myth. First, soil acts as a buffer to high PH. I have 8.2 PH and feed right from the tap to soil and have zero problems.

Ask yourself this: Do farmers adjust for PH? No. When you water your garden with a hose, do your plants do ok? Yes. Do trees, bushes grass, etc. etc. get the "perfect" PH? No.

As far as chlorine in tap water.....there's no proof that the level of chlorine in drinking water has any negative effects to soil or plants. I'll point to watering your garden with a hose as an example again.

Do professional pot growers monitor and adjust their PH? Yes as it's their focus on creating "perfect" growing conditions. But to point to PH as the cause of many of the maladies of plant problems is 9 times out of 10 the wrong advice....and while someone chases "the perfect PH" the plants suffer because the true problems are unresolved.

Look at any of my grow journals....you won't see nute burn or deficiencies, and you won't see yellow leaves either. My plants are as healthy as can be and I water right from the tap....high PH and all.
 

tip top toker

Well-Known Member
AAAAGGGGHHHHHH!

The dreaded PH myth. First, soil acts as a buffer to high PH. I have 8.2 PH and feed right from the tap to soil and have zero problems.

Ask yourself this: Do farmers adjust for PH? No. When you water your garden with a hose, do your plants do ok? Yes. Do trees, bushes grass, etc. etc. get the "perfect" PH? No.

As far as chlorine in tap water.....there's no proof that the level of chlorine in drinking water has any negative effects to soil or plants. I'll point to watering your garden with a hose as an example again.

Do professional pot growers monitor and adjust their PH? Yes as it's their focus on creating "perfect" growing conditions. But to point to PH as the cause of many of the maladies of plant problems is 9 times out of 10 the wrong advice....and while someone chases "the perfect PH" the plants suffer because the true problems are unresolved.

Look at any of my grow journals....you won't see nute burn or deficiencies, and you won't see yellow leaves either. My plants are as healthy as can be and I water right from the tap....high PH and all.
He is not using soil.
 
A bit of a myth. water contains chloramine these days, not chlorine. Unless in sunlight, this will take a long time to dissipate.

for the OP: My UK water was pretty much the same as that when i grew. High ph and high ppm, very hard water. It never caused an issue. I just chucked ph down into it after adding nutes and all was fine.

You will be absolutely fine using ph down for growing weed. Everyone else seems to manage just great.
Hmm that might be true in the UK but i live in Seattle Washington and the Seattle Public Utility website even states that they use Chlorine and not Chloramine, also there is TONS of ppl here that complain about the taste of Seattle tap water becuz they use Chlorine and Fluoride
 

Jbone77

Well-Known Member
Farmers do a soil analysis every year and ammend their soil accordingly so they most certainly do account for ph and hes in coco, not soil
 

lilroach

Well-Known Member
Farmers do a soil analysis every year and ammend their soil accordingly so they most certainly do account for ph and hes in coco, not soil

I didn't see that he wasn't growing in soil.....sorry about that. You are correct, many farmers have their soil tested for many things, and PH readings are included. I know of NO farmer that adjust PH in their soil though unless it's waaaay out of whack.
 
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