Do You Let Your pH Fluctuate or Hold Constant?

EagleEyeHamThrust

EagleEyeHamThrust

Active Member
I've noticed on a lot of nutrient availability by pH charts, there is no magic number that satisfies all nutrients. My question is do you you let your pH fluctuate and from what to what?

I run an NFT / Aero system and my pH ranges from 5.8-6.0 on average with rare spikes of 5.5 up to 6.3. I ask because I get what looks like either Ca / Mg Deficiency or nutrient burn. I theorize that it could be a bit of both, a deficiency caused by a pH lockout, and the over-availability of other nutrients.

As most of us know, pH typically goes up as nutrients are consumed. Based off of this chart,

View attachment 1270320

I'm considering lowering my pH to 5.0 and not bringing it back down until it hits 5.5. Thoughts?
 
Medi 1

Medi 1

Well-Known Member
in hydro run at 5.5., yes its ok to let it swing slightly. some go from one end to the other and is wrong. try to keep it as tight as possible to obtain max uptake. all you are concerned about for pH is the N/P/K. the micro elements are chelated and makes for a iwder pH window....avail at a wider range. its to expensive to chelate the macro elements.
those charts are for perfect water sources not tap water to. like 7 ph and 0 ec/ppm. if there is anything in your water then it will make th pH different
 
Gixxerboy

Gixxerboy

Well-Known Member
Yes let your pH fluctuate not all plants are created equal and like to absorb nutes at different PH levels and at different strengths.I'm DWC and like to set mine at 6.0 on a new batch and let it drop to 5.3 or so and then bring it back up.Letting your PH fluctuate ensures your plant receive a proper range of nutrients.Here is another chart for ya.

View attachment 1271165
 
EagleEyeHamThrust

EagleEyeHamThrust

Active Member
Thanks for the input. Seems like I've been holding my pH at 5.8 based off of some bad information I read a long time ago. Hopefully this lowering allows more mojo to take place.
 
Medi 1

Medi 1

Well-Known Member
ya ill stock to what our bio chemist says to keep it tigtht as he makes and esigns the stuff so i think he actualy knwos what happens in there with pH. think about it..let it go to 1 element or other more than the other one and now 1 will starve and 1 will be stronger. and block the weeker out. keep it tight and this wont happen. it does mean to find the happy pH level and keep it there. when they show ther scales those dont mean let it go from one end to the other. but theres always someone that thinks they know how to use nutes more than the ones making it. just trying to clear up forum miss information
you can adjust it to allow a certain element in more if you see a deff in 1 or the other. or to go to flower to allow more potasium near the end.



Ph Nutrient Availability Numbers

Hydro and Soil less Mediums

Nitrogen: gets locked out of Hydro, Soil less mediums at the levels of 4.5-5.0.
Nitrogen has the best absorption rate at a ph of 5.5 to 8.0
(Wouldn’t recommend having a ph over 6.5 in hydro and soil less mediums.) Best range to have Nitrogen is: 5.0-7.0. Anything out of that range will contribute to a nitrogen def.

Phosphorus: gets locked out of Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 6.0-8.5.
Phosphorus is absorbed best in Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 4.0- 5.8. (Wouldn’t recommend having a ph over 6.5 in hydro and soil less mediums.) Best range for hydro and soil less mediums is 5.0 to 6.0. Anything out of the ranges listed will contribute to a Phosphorus Deficiency.

Potassium: gets locked out of Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 4.0-4.5, 6.0-6.5.
Potassium is absorbed best in Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 4.7-5.3, 6.7-8.5. (Wouldn’t recommend having a ph over 6.5 in hydro and soil less mediums.) Best range for hydro and soil less mediums is 5.0 to 6.0. Anything out of the ranges listed will contribute to a potassium deficiency.

Magnesium: gets locked out of Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 2.0-5.7
Magnesium is absorbed best in Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 5.8-9.1
(Wouldn’t recommend having a ph over 6.5 in hydro and soil less mediums.) Best range for hydro and soil less mediums is 5.0 to 6.0. Anything out of the ranges listed will contribute to a Magnesium deficiency.

Calcium: gets locked out of Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 2.0- 5.3
Calcium is absorbed best in Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 5.4-5.8 (Wouldn’t recommend having a ph over 6.5 in hydro and soil less mediums.) Best range for hydro and soil less mediums is 5.0 to 6.0. Anything out of the ranges listed will contribute to a Calcium Deficiency.

Zinc: gets locked out of Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 5.7-8.5
Zinc is absorbed best in Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 4.0-5.5 (Wouldn’t recommend having a ph over 6.5 in hydro and soil less mediums.) Best range for hydro and soil less mediums is 5.0 to 6.0. Anything out of the ranges listed will contribute to a Zinc Deficiency.

Iron: gets locked out of Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 2.0-3.5
Iron is absorbed best in Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 4.0- 6.0 (Wouldn’t recommend having a ph over 6.5 in hydro and soil less mediums.) Best range for hydro and soil less mediums is 5.0 to 6.0. Anything out of the ranges listed will contribute to an iron deficiency.

Sulfur: gets locked out of Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 2.0-5.5
Sulfur is absorbed best in Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 6.0- 9.5 (Wouldn’t recommend having a ph over 6.5 in hydro and soil less mediums.) Best range for hydro and soil less mediums is 5.0 to 6.0. Anything out of the ranges listed will contribute to an Sulfur deficiency.

Manganese: gets locked out of Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 2.0-4.5
Manganese is absorbed best in Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 5.0-5.6 (Wouldn’t recommend having a ph over 6.5 in hydro and soil less mediums.) Best range for hydro and soil less mediums is 5.0 to 6.0. Anything out of the ranges listed will contribute to a manganese deficiency.

Boron: gets locked out of Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 2.0-5.0
Boron is absorbed best in Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 5.0-6.0(Wouldn’t recommend having a ph over 6.5 in hydro and soil less mediums.) Best range for hydro and soil less mediums is 5.0 to 6.0. Anything out of the ranges listed will contribute to a boron deficiency.

Copper: gets locked out of Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 6.5-9.0
Copper is absorbed best in Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 2.0-6.0 (Wouldn’t recommend having a ph over 6.5 in hydro and soil less mediums.) Best range for hydro and soil less mediums is 5.0 to 6.0. Anything out of the ranges listed will contribute to a copper deficiency.

Molybdenum: gets locked out of Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 2.0-5.5
Molybdenum is absorbed best in Hydro and Soil less Mediums at ph levels of 6.0-8.0 (Wouldn’t recommend having a ph over 6.5 in hydro and soil less mediums.) Best range for hydro and soil less mediums is 5.0 to 6.0. Anything out of the ranges listed will contribute to a Molybdenum deficiency.

Nickel: is required by plants for proper seed germination
Though Ni deficiency symptoms are not well documented. Symptoms include chlorosis and interveinal chlorosis in young leaves that that goes down to plant tissue necrosis. Other things are poor seed germination and decreases in crop yield.​
 
BeaverHuntr

BeaverHuntr

Well-Known Member
I do DWC bubbleponics and every res change I set it at 5.8 and let it go up to 6.0 I rarely will get a spike higher than 6.0 all I use is General Hydroponics brand
 
J

Japanfreak

New Member
Medi 1 said:
but theres always someone that thinks they know how to use nutes more than the ones making it.
Click to expand...
Kind of like a race car driver knowing how to drive a car better than a mechanic? I know that it's easy to put your faith in books but in the growing world I'll always ignore the books and just watch people who get monster yields. More times than not you'll see that they do things a little different than how you are "supposed" to.
 
Serapis

Serapis

Well-Known Member
You'll go nuts trying to maintain an exact PH without an automatic system. I strive for anything between 5.1 and 6.1 in my hydro set up. I only measure and adjust once per day. KISS
 
Medi 1

Medi 1

Well-Known Member
well if those that get great yields do it tighter then its would be even better. most dont have the right rez size for plant counhts is why it goes all over.

and we do final product testing to see iof the bio chemist is on his game or not and watch our food useages to get these resul;ts. maybe those guys get great COMMERCIAL yields but shit quality and use way more food to achive the same as others that run the right ph do..they arent as fussy as its a game of get it out the door and get paid fast. we are after yield along wityh quality and less food needed. thats what ph can do if you run it tighter.
 
J

Japanfreak

New Member
I know people who have 50 X 1k light grows who love their pH drift and shame most people's yields out there, easily breaking the 1.0 gpw. So what is your yield when you keep it "tighter"? That's the difference between hearsay and experience.
 
BeaverHuntr

BeaverHuntr

Well-Known Member
Serapis said:
You'll go nuts trying to maintain an exact PH without an automatic system. I strive for anything between 5.1 and 6.1 in my hydro set up. I only measure and adjust once per day. KISS
Click to expand...
Same here in DWC once I set at 5.8 or close to I will let it go up to 6.0 dont even sweat it. As you get good at growing you can start to just look at your plants and know what they are lacking.
 
mountaindude530

mountaindude530

Active Member
In my experience, I've done best by setting the pH at 5.8 and then if it goes above to 6.0 I counter to 5.6 for balance and then try to get back to 5.8.. I understand the drift for catching the the variety of elements.. but IMO the more important aspect here is BALANCE, which is where the 5.8 came from so long ago: an even balance of all the elements remaining soluble.. Letting the pH drift is a cool idea but only if you can manage to balance it on both sides as equally as possible...
 
Medi 1

Medi 1

Well-Known Member
again ill say there is commercial grows that dont care what amount of foods they need to use to chasde that buk and there is us quality guys that get top quality but use way less foods. its not about weight to all us. im after top quality with minimal costs. thats what ph does...less food used to get same end result...and a swing of .2 is what i mean by running tight. im talking thsioe that go from one end of scale to the other and think thats how ph works...its not

right there...50 1k lights isnt quaolity its commercial. we test end results for potency and when we run it tight we always always get better thc and so on numbers. but for those that dont...thx for more bizz buyin nutes from us.

for me on average under the lights i had when i was teasting efficacy was just a 430 hps from seed to chop and average yiled dry was 2 to 3 oz per plant and all under 2 foot tall. next time was a 1k and 6 plant and got 22 0z dry and again. max hight was 2 foot inc 2 gal pots.
i dont think is to bad being in soil


mountaindude has it right
 
Medi 1

Medi 1

Well-Known Member
no offence bud but no thyat isnt what ive been saying..rigjht back to the begining i said not to go all over the scale...not stick to 1 number,.,,,run as tight as we can. 1 number is impossible.
so yes to the keep it tight as we can makes better QUALITY weed for less nutes used...ya i sure do stand behind that and so does Dr Hornby that testas my stuff.
and again we at the nute co thank all you for not doing that and spending more on foods than is needed...thx for comin out.
 
J

Japanfreak

New Member
I don't care who you work for, doesn't have much to do with the conversation. Experienced growers like the drift more, usually more like a .5 drift and it's not very hard to do at all depending on which nute line you use.
 
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