Rain messed up PH pretty BAD!

SO after days and days of flooding rain my plants are droopy as alll hell, I go and check the PH of my garden and I find its in the low 5s! Some places even 4.5!!! SO its safe to say I was hit with acid rain? This has been the worst season I have ever encountered. I cant hit them with my water to try and balance it back out bc the soil is so damn wet....ugh I dunno what to do.

Add dolomite lime.

Sunbiz1 said:

Add dolomite lime.

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to the top of the soil? This is unbelievable man. When the hell do we get rain with a pH so low?

JJ05 said:

to the top of the soil? This is unbelievable man. When the hell do we get rain with a pH so low?

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Yep, right on top. What was your ph before the rain?.

Sunbiz1 said:

Yep, right on top. What was your ph before the rain?.

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pH before the rain was always a steady 6-6.5 in the garden, was PERFECT....now its just.......FUCKED! I got some hydrated lime, think that will work?

JJ05 said:

pH before the rain was always a steady 6-6.5 in the garden, was PERFECT....now its just.......FUCKED! I got some hydrated lime, think that will work?

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That's for construction, you need quick release variety.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Espoma-5-lb-Garden-Lime-100047103/100581208#.UeAUYKzZvp4

Or any other they carry in the garden section. And while you are there, grab a few bags of aged humus/compost...mix it all up and top dress.

Sunbiz1 said:

That's for construction, you need quick release variety.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Espoma-5-lb-Garden-Lime-100047103/100581208#.UeAUYKzZvp4

Or any other they carry in the garden section. And while you are there, grab a few bags of aged humus/compost...mix it all up and top dress.

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Thanks man! Im going to get some and rewater, despite it already being soaking wet, im hitting them again!

JJ05 said:

SO after days and days of flooding rain my plants are droopy as alll hell, I go and check the PH of my garden and I find its in the low 5s! Some places even 4.5!!! SO its safe to say I was hit with acid rain? This has been the worst season I have ever encountered. I cant hit them with my water to try and balance it back out bc the soil is so damn wet....ugh I dunno what to do.

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Man, in only two weeks, my rain-water tanks went from pH 8.5, some rain then all the way down to 5.8, another rainy spell and now they're at 8.6 and climbing.

I live pretty far out. This planet's clearly in a helluva fix...

Mad Hamish said:

Man, in only two weeks, my rain-water tanks went from pH 8.5, some rain then all the way down to 5.8, another rainy spell and now they're at 8.6 and climbing.

I live pretty far out. This planet's clearly in a helluva fix...

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Dude! I KNOW how ya feel! What is going on with this rain water!? Why is it so acidic....NEVER have I experienced a season like this. Im off to buy some lime and humus.

I'd be curious to know about that rain too - maybe you could set out a small container to collect a sample next time it rains. then test the ph of that to ensure that indeed is the culprit, and not your soil.

forgot to ask how do your plants look - are the freaking out?

Sulfur hexafluoride is just one of the many chemicals that rain down... we pollute the air so much it lowers the pH of soil =\

i have never collected rain water pH higher then 6.3 in California

hoonry said:

I'd be curious to know about that rain too - maybe you could set out a small container to collect a sample next time it rains. then test the ph of that to ensure that indeed is the culprit, and not your soil.

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Yeah many things can affect soil pH, like perhaps runoff from somewhere?...

I cruised around outside and tested the pH of rain water collected in empty buckets that were chilling out my back door, so it didn't run off my roof or anything. Swear to gods, it was quite acidic the time before last that it rained, and last time it was 8.7 in the same buckets collected from the same spot, still clean and empty.

I was shocked. Getting it as acidic is bad enough, right, but now it VARIES? Acidic when blown in from the west, alkaline when blown in from the south or south-east...

I am investing in good carbon filters and starting to use water that ran through a wetland already. Tested it, and aside from the high silt content when it comes around where I can get it, it's the best untreated water I can find. Better than the rain :/

hoonry said:

I'd be curious to know about that rain too - maybe you could set out a small container to collect a sample next time it rains. then test the ph of that to ensure that indeed is the culprit, and not your soil.

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I plan to do that, the entire yard and garden is testing the same....something was in that rain.

GH drop stuff was just red once that is 4 or lower from collected rain water in a bowl not running off of anything at all

JJ05 said:

I plan to do that, the entire yard and garden is testing the same....something was in that rain.

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Pics would help, a lot.

You're somewhat fortunate to have had this occur early as opposed to September, b/c there is no quick fix for adjusting ph on contained plantings let alone in the ground.

At least you have a month or so before flower, by then you should be fine. Now is also a good time for a time released, low strength, organic, granule nute.

Peace

hoonry said:

forgot to ask how do your plants look - are the freaking out?

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Yes they are VERY droopy, I will get pics today as soon as I am done laying out this humus and manure and lime.

JJ05 said:

SO after days and days of flooding rain my plants are droopy as alll hell, I go and check the PH of my garden and I find its in the low 5s! Some places even 4.5!!! SO its safe to say I was hit with acid rain? This has been the worst season I have ever encountered. I cant hit them with my water to try and balance it back out bc the soil is so damn wet....ugh I dunno what to do.

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u must be in the south we had 10 days of rain

This is why you add gardening lime. To increase the ph to 6.5 ish and it stabilizes so it's harder for the PH to drop. My veggies are diggin this shit! 5 bucks for a 5 pound bag.

I am sorry to here of your woes. Rain like that must suck during growing season. But. Lesson learned. Get lime. ph up!