would this work for a ph buffer? To raise it? It was all I could find locally and seemed okay but it has nutrients in it apparently.
I'm gonna wait to apply either way, the tips of the new foliage are burning back but don't appear to be spotting.
slightly yellow-orangish color (between 5.0 which is completely orange and 6.0 which is a yellow) i think you may be right in that the soil is acidic.
This whole thread there's no mention of your input pH, what is it?
Or your pot's volume, what is it?
How frequently is it getting watered and how much at a time?
I don't personally believe you need lime, if you're going by your waste or runoff. You can expect the output pH to be slightly lower than your input, in a peat based potting mix.
Maybe raise input pH slightly? I would personally keep it under 6.5
About 6 is ideal imo.
If you're really concerned, I recommend testing the pH properly.
And it's difficult to do so, because you can't easily take a good soil sample. It needs to be taken from several inches down, then tested. By making a slurry and determining it's pH value, via use of soil test kit or pH pen.
I recommend the kit.
They're cheap, affordable and arguably more accurate. And you sight the sample to a colour chart all the same.
As I suggested, I think your potting mix is holding a lot of water and you're watering too often.
You need to dry it out some.
I'm not suggesting you dry it back until there's droop, that's too far.
But there shouldn't be obvious dampness like in your 1st photo, and the pot should feel a lot lighter.
Important to remember, chronic overwatering and overwatering in general, can actually lower the pH.
Especially when there's a lot of sulphur, like in peatmoss based mixes.
Stagnant water + sulphur is a big no, no.
I think you need to bite the bullet and just wait until the pot dries, because it seems like you're chasing your tail.
Then decide where to go - water, or nutrient.
I'd go plain water, with good runoff, about 10%. And unless the water's pH is really high, don't mess with it. Honestly, plain water is fine.
Then dry pot again,
And commence nutrient, adjust pH and Ec as usual, with good runoff 10%+.
Dry pot again.
Apply nutrient at your own whim. But remember, you didn't add aeration, so your water holding capacity's probably a bit higher than desired. So it'd be safer to start off light, rather than heavy, to avoid build-up.
Must also say your 2nd photo looks a bit suss. I'm not certain what it is, but it doesn't look like any deficiency I'm familiar with.
And if you're finding the plant's dropping a lot of leaves, again it's probably from damp soil, not a deficiency.
Everything to me is pointing to lack of aeration / damp soil.
If you can give us an idea of pot volume, watering frequency and how much at a time, it'll be a good indication.
. Uhm. Buy me dinner first?