PH high to thrive

Wondering why i need my ph slightly above 7 to keep plants alive inside in soil...wasnt that way in flood and drain buckets..kept at 5.8 ph.... for 2 years i couldnt keep a plant alive in soil longer than a month or so...and this is after doing it with years of success...then i figured out high ph was key in soil...abnormally higher than usual...slightly green on the ph drops test ...which reads 7.3 on a meter ...always used to target 6.4 ph in soil with good results....using botanicare atm pro grow ..working well as long as i use ph up every time...any ideas why the change? tested my tap water yesterday with a new meter and it read 6.6 ph ppm 100..
i might have high iron in my water as my pump switch plugs off with rusty looking content about once a year ...

chemphlegm said:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/302170401341?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

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im 46 years old..started when i was 20...had all that stuff lol...was super good at growing untill lately..something has changed ...dont get me wromng...my plants are healthy as long as i stay above ph 7....just makes no sence as i always use 6.4 ph with super results in sunshine 4...i use the co0lor drops for testing ph ..find it more consistant...used to keep it amber color now have to keep it green

no offense, somethings up for sure. I'd start with a digi ph meter and compare results first.
I use my spring water, dont ph for years since switching to promix/organicare.

jssyjames said:

im 46 years old..started when i was 20...had all that stuff lol...was super good at growing untill lately..something has changed ...dont get me wromng...my plants are healthy as long as i stay above ph 7....just makes no sence as i always use 6.4 ph with super results in sunshine 4...i use the co0lor drops for testing ph ..find it more consistant...used to keep it amber color now have to keep it green

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Whats the "soil"?
Change anything?
Iron could be a factor in color response..

Real "soil" self pH's.....It drops by like a point when you water and then raises back up as it dries.

My soil sets it's pH by the plant in it (in the end)- as long as I have enough Ca in it.

I haven't pHed in years!

j [QUOTE="Dr. Who said:

Whats the "soil"?
Change anything?
Iron could be a factor in color response..

Real "soil" self pH's.....It drops by like a point when you water and then raises back up as it dries.

My soil sets it's pH by the plant in it (in the end)- as long as I have enough Ca in it.

I haven't pHed in years!

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soil is sunshine 4 ...nuts botanicare pro gro...i cant kep roots white...even

soil is sunshine 4....havent changed much over the years but food and genetics.... love the botaicare ..most consistant canopy color ive ever had...beautiful ...i just dont feel its thriving in the yeild department like it used to...hence high ph ...but if i let it drop..they fail quick ...took me 2 years to figure out the ph trouble as it seems so high ...had yellowing plants and one day gave them extrem high ph ..dark green on the dropper test...next day they were coming around nicely...good green color to leaves...was blming it on thrips ...would see odd tiny grub in root zone ...cant seem to keep roots white for long either even tho plants are green .. in my bucket ebb n flow stuff thrived...snow white root mass and vigourous growth...same water at ph 5.8 ...got tired of failing pumps and timers on that system tho ...

jssyjames said:

soil is sunshine 4....havent changed much over the years but food and genetics.... love the botaicare ..most consistant canopy color ive ever had...beautiful ...i just dont feel its thriving in the yeild department like it used to...hence high ph ...but if i let it drop..they fail quick ...took me 2 years to figure out the ph trouble as it seems so high ...had yellowing plants and one day gave them extrem high ph ..dark green on the dropper test...next day they were coming around nicely...good green color to leaves...was blming it on thrips ...would see odd tiny grub in root zone ...cant seem to keep roots white for long either even tho plants are green .. in my bucket ebb n flow stuff thrived...snow white root mass and vigourous growth...same water at ph 5.8 ...got tired of failing pumps and timers on that system tho ...

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Hmm. very odd....
Sunshine 4 is not a "real" soil. It's a basic soilless mix.....It's a neutral media and contains no nutrient value.
The high Ph part is odd as it's a peat based media. They tend to get acidy....It may well be it's over limed...
Ph's that high, usually limit P,Ca and Mn uptake!

I wonder what the pH of the media is?

Next question: Are you using the PURE soil bloom? Or the regular? In soils that 1 for N is too low!

You might try the KIND line! I'm seeing some amazing results from others in my area. I just got a set and Si Blast and the new rhizo (whatever) as a sample to test out for fun (I'm organic home built soils).

I hear you on the hydro thing.....I got so tired of all the cleaning and sanitizing and replacing.....Dumping spent nutes.....Back to soil I went....(58 and closing in on my 43rd year)......Then back to organic.....Still, with what I see the KIND doing.....I gotta see what I can do with it...