Measuring pH

Hi,

I have three jiffy pellets which have been under light for a day and seeds were placed underneath around 3 days ago. All three are showing a sprout. Throughout I have been using around pH 6 water.I have been doing this using a pH scale (by eye) and a pH measuring agent (add 2 drops to a 2ml sample of solution).


I have heard that I should be using a pH of 5.5 - 5.8. What colour should I be looking for on the pH scale since I don't have a digital pH reader yet.

Thanks again for the help!

DJR said:

Hi,

I have three jiffy pellets which have been under light for a day and seeds were placed underneath around 3 days ago. All three are showing a sprout. Throughout I have been using around pH 6 water.I have been doing this using a pH scale (by eye) and a pH measuring agent (add 2 drops to a 2ml sample of solution).


I have heard that I should be using a pH of 5.5 - 5.8. What colour should I be looking for on the pH scale since I don't have a digital pH reader yet.

Thanks again for the help!

Click to expand...

Sorry forgot to mention that my pH scale starts from 6 onwards, which of course isnt helpful for obtaining a 5.5 - 5.8 pH. Therefore I need to know what colour the tested solution should be so i can make do until i buy a digital pH meter.

Are you going to be growing in hydro or soil? For Hydro I try to stay at 5.2 and with my soil I try to stay at 6.3 as for testing till you get ph pen you could try using pond test strips .

DJR said:

Sorry forgot to mention that my pH scale starts from 6 onwards, which of course isnt helpful for obtaining a 5.5 - 5.8 pH. Therefore I need to know what colour the tested solution should be so i can make do until i buy a digital pH meter.

Click to expand...

6.8-7.2 ph for soil.
lower for hydro 5.5-6.1.
these pics will show you what nutes your plants are getting(in soil or hydro) with a ph of 6.8-7.2 anywhere in that zone is ideal for soil and between 5.5-6.1 for hydro.


The pH is a measure of how alkaline (bitter) or acid (sour) the soil is. The pH balance affects the solubility of nutrients, and helps the plant regulate metabolism and nutrient uptake. The scale for measuring pH runs from 0 to 14, with 7 assigned as neutral. A pH below 7 is acid; a pH above 7 is alkaline.
Marijuana grows in soils with a pH range from 5 to 8.5, but it thrives in nearly neutral soils. Relative to other field crops, it has high lime requirements, similar to those for red or white clover or sunflower. But it does well in fields where plants with medium lime requirements, such as corn, wheat, and peanuts, are grown.
The solubility of nutrients is affected by soil type as well as by the pH. In soils with a high content of organic matter, all nutrients are soluble between 5.0 and 6.5. Phosphorous, manganese, and boron are less soluble at pH values above 6.5. Acid soils are usually found in the United States east of the 100th meridian and along parts of the West Coast, and a deep topsoil layer. Marijuana does best in acid soils when the pH is adjusted to a range of 6.3 to 7.0. {Figure 58. Map of pH for US.}
Mineral soils in the dry western states may be slightly acid to highly alkaline. Most nutrients are very soluble in these soils, as long as the pH ranges from 6.0 to 7.5. Some of these soils are too alkaline (over 8.5); so their pH must be adjusted to near neutral to ensure healthy growth.