testing PH

i bought a kit last year, but the way my plants were thriving, i didnt bother using it.. i want to do whats best for them and really start caring for little details like ph.

i am under the impression that i add nutes to my water, and then check the ph.. but when i do this, i cant really see the color properly.

so do i check the plain water... adjust to proper PH, then add nutes, and all is fine? that is what i have been doing.

Which nutes are you using?
You should still be able to see through them unless you are adding a bunch of dark additives..
What is your medium?

organic potting soil. will be transplanting to hopefully fox farm happy frog soil in the near future, in their final resting place...

i have the "general organics" starter kit. it has the bio thrive (grow & flower) and bio bud (bloom booster) which i used last year.. but also black diamond, bio weed, bio marine, bio root, CaMg+.... theyre all pretty dark. even the tiny amounts of each i put in the 2 gallon watering can, turns the water a light brown.. its tough to see the color when i test it...

Are you using the test drops? I grow hydro and believe those things are pretty much useless except for swimming pools, i recommend a digital reader for anyone using hydro. but as for soil its not as big of a deal. you can mix some dolomite in your soil to help keep it neutral. I ph my water then mix my nutes all the time. my nutes cause a temporary drop in ph but it comes back up as the nutes are absorbed. are you able to test your runoff or are they in the ground? testing the runoff is a good way to try and figure out what ph you should be feeding with.

this is from the infamous "earl" post...

These are the pH rules for tapwater,
or water over 50ppm and/or initial pH of near 8.

After you add nutes to your water,
the pH should be close to 5.6.

If your water is very hard, over 200ppm,
then you will need to add pH down
(Phosphoric acid, or Nitric acid)
to achieve 5.6.


so im guessing when i PH the water down to the desired 6.5 area, and then i add nutes, the PH goes even lower?? maybe i should just leave everything be(unless im not adding nutes)
, because it is about 8 right out of the tap.....

you mean the water coming from the bottom of the plant containers? thats a great idea and no i have not done so... they will be in the ground in a few weeks at most.

Hey bro,
do not adjust pH with that line of nutes. They say so right on the GH website. Yes, it mixes up SUPER low sometimes.. it is cool. they say never to adjust with those products.

just read this page:
http://www.generalhydroponics.com/blog/2009/07/15/the-general-organics-feed-chart/

"When using the GO line, pH adjustment is not necessary in a biologically active soil or soilless medium. When using Coco, it’s not a bad idea to inoculate with our SubCultures M & B to bolster microbial populations. The biological activity which comes from microbial life within the medium, consumes the food provided by the GO line of products. Once the microbial digestion occurs, exudates from the fungi and bacteria are ingested by the plant in the form of food."

"You can bring it up a little bit if it would make you feel better, but it really is not necessary. As soon as the microbes start to digest the ingredients in the nutrient, the ph changes. The plant and the biology in the soil create and maintain an ideal ph. From all of the tests we have done and all of the beta testers outside of GH the plants grow better when you leave the ph alone."


thanks for that link. i think ive found what im looking for.

pH TEST INDICATOR
Solution Tester
These GH test kits work well. They have for years.

"General Hydroponics pH Test Kits make pH testing easy. Simply fill a test-tube halfway with nutrient, add a few drops of pH Test Indicator, and observe the coloration of the liquid in the test vial. Many experienced growers prefer our pH Test Kit to expensive electronic meters because of its reliability and ease of use, which are important factors when the health of a valuable crop is at stake. Use 3 drops per 5mL of solution."


I prefer my
http://www.omega.com/pptst/PHCN37.html