Ph drops
- Thread starter Javed01
- Start date
Ammastor
Active Member
What are you growing in soil, hydro, coco? the PH needs to be different depending on which way you are growing.
How do your plants look? Nice and green or some problems here and there with the leaves.
PH will create problems if it is not correct. In most cases if the PH is to far off your plants wont feed or absorb the nutrients they need. and 4.6 is way to low. I always shoot for around 6. A little lower is better. But I always try to get around there. give or take.
How do your plants look? Nice and green or some problems here and there with the leaves.
PH will create problems if it is not correct. In most cases if the PH is to far off your plants wont feed or absorb the nutrients they need. and 4.6 is way to low. I always shoot for around 6. A little lower is better. But I always try to get around there. give or take.
Slipon
Well-Known Member
sounds like you use a lot, tell me first, what kind of grow medium are you using ?
my tap water come out around 7,5 and is normal perfect at 6,5 once I use max strength nuts in late flowering (if Im not using a organic soil witch I normal am) early on in veg when I don't use much nutrients I need to use some PH down to get it down around 6,5-7 you might need some PH up it sounds like, but do sound like you nutrients are making it drop a lot ? 4,6 is really acid, 100x more then 5,6, aso
my tap water come out around 7,5 and is normal perfect at 6,5 once I use max strength nuts in late flowering (if Im not using a organic soil witch I normal am) early on in veg when I don't use much nutrients I need to use some PH down to get it down around 6,5-7 you might need some PH up it sounds like, but do sound like you nutrients are making it drop a lot ? 4,6 is really acid, 100x more then 5,6, aso
Slipon
Well-Known Member
Nullis
Moderator
What nutrients are you using exactly? You mentioned they were organic. If you are growing in living soil like this you really don't need to use pH adjustment drops, biota will influence pH. They soil you are using also probably has lime in it, and I would suggest adding some to the soil mix before each transplant.
It isn't the pH of the fertigation solution that matters, it would be the pH of the soil. Most potting mixes have dolomitic lime or some form of calcium carbonate in them, which neutralizes acidity long term. Soil itself resists sudden changes in pH (buffering capacity).
It isn't the pH of the fertigation solution that matters, it would be the pH of the soil. Most potting mixes have dolomitic lime or some form of calcium carbonate in them, which neutralizes acidity long term. Soil itself resists sudden changes in pH (buffering capacity).
Nullis
Moderator
I always fail to understand why somebody would recommend using baking soda, of all things, over something like say dolomitic or garden lime (or oyster shell or egg shell flour; it's all calcium carbonate).
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. It has too much sodium and it doesn't supply any other nutrient. Additionally, it is water soluble and in soil it will not influence pH for very long. Calcitic lime provides Ca, dolomitic provides both Ca and Mg. It is also sparingly soluble in water; it will start to neutralize acids in the soil solution virtually immediately after it is applied - forming water, carbon dioxide and liberating Ca/Mg. The rest of the lime stays in the soil as precipitate and keeps neutralizing acids long term.
If you had to use very much baking soda so frequently, you risk sodium toxicity. Other common amendments used with soil may already have plenty of sodium: coco coir, kelp, Azomite, pyllosilicate minerals (Excelerite, Rare-Earth), even blackstrap molasses.
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. It has too much sodium and it doesn't supply any other nutrient. Additionally, it is water soluble and in soil it will not influence pH for very long. Calcitic lime provides Ca, dolomitic provides both Ca and Mg. It is also sparingly soluble in water; it will start to neutralize acids in the soil solution virtually immediately after it is applied - forming water, carbon dioxide and liberating Ca/Mg. The rest of the lime stays in the soil as precipitate and keeps neutralizing acids long term.
If you had to use very much baking soda so frequently, you risk sodium toxicity. Other common amendments used with soil may already have plenty of sodium: coco coir, kelp, Azomite, pyllosilicate minerals (Excelerite, Rare-Earth), even blackstrap molasses.