Fox Farm nutes/soil pH problem

[herb84]

I just tried out FF Grow Big at 1/4 strength (1/4 tsp per gal) on one of my plants and it lowered the pH of the runoff water to 5. The original runoff was near 7 and the pH of the nute/water mix before I poured it on the soil (FF Happy Frog) was a little under 7...

I even tried pouring the same 1/4 strength nutes on brand new soil that I bought today and the runoff was still around 5.

I don't understand why this is happening... From what i've read so far on growing it seems that most people just adjust their water/nute mix to what pH they want and then just pour it in. Is there some sort of chemical reaction taking place between the FF Grow Big and the FF Happy Frog or is this just normal for most nutes and soil? If it's not normal then what am I doing wrong and how can I fix it?

 

[nickfury510]

im not sure i understand the question....just make sure your nute and water mixes are stabalized at 6.2-6.8 going on(i stay steady at 6.5-6.6) and you shouldnt have any problems

 

[herb84]

im not sure i understand the question....just make sure your nute and water mixes are stabalized at 6.2-6.8 going on(i stay steady at 6.5-6.6) and you shouldnt have any problems

I did make sure that my nute/water mixture was stable. It was around 6.8 before I poured it on the soil... But after I poured it on the soil and then tested the runoff pH it dropped down to 5. Even when I poured the nutes on brand new soil and then measured the runoff of that it still dropped to 5.

My question is basically this: Why is my soil alone causing the pH to drop like this? And yes, my soil is already pH balanced.

 

[nickfury510]

because your soil is very acidic....what kind of soil are you using

 

[herb84]

because your soil is very acidic....what kind of soil are you using

I'm using Fox Farm Happy Frog soil. I tested the pH of the soil before I poured the nutes on it and it was neutral... Like I said, everything was at a normal pH before the actual act of pouring the nutes into the soil....

It's so frustrating because it seems like no one else has ever had this problem... There has to be something I am doing wrong.

 

[nickfury510]

i dont know what to tell you bro. how is your plant doing? are you experiencing any problems right now or were you just testing the run off out of curiosity? ive never tested my runoff, in one of my rooms im running ocean forest soil and ff nutes tonight when i feed im going to measure the runoff........

 

[herb84]

i dont know what to tell you bro. how is your plant doing? are you experiencing any problems right now or were you just testing the run off out of curiosity? ive never tested my runoff, in one of my rooms im running ocean forest soil and ff nutes tonight when i feed im going to measure the runoff........

My plant is actually doing better. The leaves used to droop a lot and now they are recovering. Although there is some yellowing but that was present before I gave it the nutes.

I usually check the runoff every time I water. I dunno why, I think it's an OCD thing or something. Anyways, just did a pH test on my soil (not the runoff) and it was still 5...

I am using a dye indicator to test my pH. Could it be that it is giving false readings?
Wouldn't a plant like die instantly if it was in soil that had a pH of under 5?

 

[nickfury510]

My plant is actually doing better. The leaves used to droop a lot and now they are recovering. Although there is some yellowing but that was present before I gave it the nutes.

I usually check the runoff every time I water. I dunno why, I think it's an OCD thing or something. Anyways, just did a pH test on my soil (not the runoff) and it was still 5...

I am using a dye indicator to test my pH. Could it be that it is giving false readings?
Wouldn't a plant like die instantly if it was in soil that had a pH of under 5?

i see...the yellowing is a sign of nitrogen deficiency and it should clear up after giving it the grow big. it is possible you are getting false readings. check ebay, you can get a decent digital meter for $20-30 or so just stick to a name brand like hanna or milwake