what's this

@groweraua ... here’s a good example. These clones were reading 4.5ph 48 hours ago. I fed in at 12 ph feed. As you can see, 12 didn’t move it much. I will do it again at 12 ph when they dry out. The next reading should be around 6.1-6.3. AFTER I monitor it, they should stabilize with continuous 7.3 feedings to maintain the mid 6’s.A8B97A01-F379-4B1E-91BD-E85D45BDF1DB.jpegCAD0FDDA-EAF0-4C8B-BF05-7706166A68BF.jpeg
 
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this is ridiculous. you dont need a $400 ph meter to read soil. fox farm is ph to 6.5 already. if you want to check it scoop up some soil in a cup and pour a little bit of water in and stir it up. youll have a slurry cup stick any old ph meter in and it will tell you the ph of your soil. fox farm is good for 3 weeks of veg you don't have to add anything just give it plain old tap water. Its when you switch to flower that you've flushed out all the nutrients and you need to start adding bloom nutes. if you go past 3 weeks of veg you need to add veg nutes. just make a slurry cup and youll know what you ph and ppm levels are when to start adding nutes.
 
Tib420 said:
this is ridiculous. you dont need a $400 ph meter to read soil. fox farm is ph to 6.5 already. if you want to check it scoop up some soil in a cup and pour a little bit of water in and stir it up. youll have a slurry cup stick any old ph meter in and it will tell you the ph of your soil. fox farm is good for 3 weeks of veg you don't have to add anything just give it plain old tap water. Its when you switch to flower that you've flushed out all the nutrients and you need to start adding bloom nutes. if you go past 3 weeks of veg you need to add veg nutes. just make a slurry cup and youll know what you ph and ppm levels are when to start adding nutes.
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No you don't, and my apologies for assuming everyone's budget. I was just trying to share my experience on the cause and affect of harsh PH swings/corrections. BTW, the last 5 bags of FF I stabbed read 5.1
 
DoubleAtotheRON said:
No you don't, and my apologies for assuming everyone's budget. I was just trying to share my experience on the cause and affect of harsh PH swings/corrections. BTW, the last 5 bags of FF I stabbed read 5.1
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That is a valuable bit of info on swinging the ph, I never would have thought the plants would tolerate such a swing. I've had drift happen on my first few grows from 6.1 to 7.6. I am phasing out dolomite lime and replaced it with ph neutral gypsum and Epsom. I am going to try and swing the existing soil for next round with your method but the opposite direction.
 
Bignutes said:
That is a valuable bit of info on swinging the ph, I never would have thought the plants would tolerate such a swing. I've had drift happen on my first few grows from 6.1 to 7.6. I am phasing out dolomite lime and replaced it with ph neutral gypsum and Epsom. I am going to try and swing the existing soil for next round with your method but the opposite direction.
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Never done it the other way around, but I don't see why they wouldn't take it. Think about it, if you were starving for oxygen and someone gave it to you, you'd feel better right?.. So I suppose if you you where so oxygen rich, that you were about to pass out, you'd appreciate some fresh air.... I've not lost a plant so far doing double PH's, and I have seen some plants is such bad shape, it'd never thought they would have come back, but they did, and finished strong. And keep in mind that this is just an "adjustment" to get to a stable PH. Once you get there, you're on cruise control till you choppy choppy.
 
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Bignutes said:
That is a valuable bit of info on swinging the ph, I never would have thought the plants would tolerate such a swing. I've had drift happen on my first few grows from 6.1 to 7.6. I am phasing out dolomite lime and replaced it with ph neutral gypsum and Epsom. I am going to try and swing the existing soil for next round with your method but the opposite direction.
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It works the other way around too. I have a similar issue that I've been slowly fixing. My pH also wants to rise. I figured out it was because all the Ca amendments I was adding, plus my 7.2-7.5 well water already has a little Ca. I've cut a lot of that out, and have been feeding with more acidic water.

I'm not trying to do it super quick though since I'm doing a living soil, and I'm not sure how some of the critters would appreciate a super acidic solution. So I've been using liquid organic nutes or epsom salt to help bring it back down slowly. I haven't gotten the soil pen I need to really know for sure, but I get an idea testing the runoff, just not a great one, lol.

My best advice would be to listen to @DoubleAtotheRON or @Renfro. These guys know some shit, lol.
 
It works either way, I have done it both ways. Had a batch of sunshine after they changed peat suppliers, it was high.

Nothing beats having the tool to see what the pH is doing in the root zone. Once you know whats going on you can use it to your advantage.
 
I think by what these fellas are saying is it needs to be a large swing to be effective otherwise your soil is so well buffered it won't have much effect. I'd say if your shooting for 6.5, rip the band aid off get the ph corrected quickly like by a ph difference of maybe 4 or better. Save some original soil so you can reinoculate the microbes once the ph is corrected.
 
Would be nice if someone made a peat based soiless mix that was right at 6.5 and stayed there. All this fighting the pH is a waste of time and energy but at least it will save a crop.

I have used Pro Mix HP, Sunshine 4, Berger BM6 and they are all problematic.
 
Renfro said:
Would be nice if someone made a peat based soiless mix that was right at 6.5 and stayed there. All this fighting the pH is a waste of time and energy but at least it will save a crop.

I have used Pro Mix HP, Sunshine 4, Berger BM6 and they are all problematic.
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You know it man!... I just don't know how manufacturers would produce something on site, and have it stable with so many components involved that can change composition with temps, RH, and break down of those substances within. Seems impossible. Do they make a synthetic soil?? LOL!
 
Bignutes said:
I think by what these fellas are saying is it needs to be a large swing to be effective otherwise your soil is so well buffered it won't have much effect. I'd say if your shooting for 6.5, rip the band aid off get the ph corrected quickly like by a ph difference of maybe 4 or better. Save some original soil so you can reinoculate the microbes once the ph is corrected.
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The reason I'm not doing it like that is because my worms and shit wouldn't be happy. They freak out when I get most dry amendments on them, and so after I top dress anything I make sure I'm ready to water right away. But now that I know that, I usually mix the dry shit with some vermicompost and pumice to make it easier on them when I add it. It's even better if I make a top dress mix and let it sit moist for a few days or more. Then its a lot faster acting.

Here's what I mean.

pH of Your Worm Bed

Learn about the pH of your worm beds and soil. Learn how to change it.
wormman.com
 
This is why a good tool is so important.... my 7.6 PH well water is kinda hard. My soil comes in at 5.1, my nutes crash my PH, my soil crashes my PH. With so many variables, why would you not want to know where you truly stand day by day?
 
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