I would have to disagree, If your PH is fluctuating to much it could harm your plants just as badly as if you over fert. them. A reasonable cheap electric PH meter on ebay will go sell anywhere from $15 to $90 dollars.I always try to keep my PH between 5.7 and 6.0.I guess it depends on how serious you want to be about your grow and i'm to much of a perfectionest to not keep track of it I'm growing Nirvanas Wonder woman right now, and they seem to be healthy enough.

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I hear what you're say dude, but if the PH is not at the correct levels, it can easily lock out essential nutes, especially nitrogen. The trick is the get the PH to a level that allows the nutrients bond to the roots and become easily available for the plants to consume...

But I'll tell you what, I will try what you've mentioned. I will set up one my clones when it is big enough they way you do. and I will not mess with PH until I see the plant telling me that it is unhappy.

-Snut

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SmokePot

yes, exactly right tommy359. I'm with you on that. I've learned that PH balance is so very very very important when it comes to the plants being able to get the nutes they need. early on I had a PH lockout problem. My PH meter was out of calibration and reading 1 point high (e.g. a reading of 7.0 was really 8.0). It really screwed things up for me until I cal'd my meter. Now it works fun and i trust it.

Another thing is Petrol420, some plants do indeed like to run at different PH levels. But a general rule of thumb is this: No less than 5.3 and no higher than 6.0 if you're running a hydro system. At least that is what I've seen, been taught, read at this site, and so generally believe...

Right now I'm running a test where I bought purified water from the store and am using it. My thought process on this is that my tap water may be too hard. If that's the case, it can also cause nutrients to bond to trace elements in it, and therefore rob my plants of essential nutes that they need as well. I'll run a thread about this once I see some results.

-Snut

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SmokePot

I've been using my tap and the micro for hard water, my pH has never waivered from ideal range. I don't even bother to check it anymore.

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I've heard good things about that Micro for Hard water, especially when it comes to PH levels. I've heard the same thing you just said: People using it are not having to bother adjusting their PH. I've read it has something to do with the hard water Flora Micro nutes. They are PH balanced, but since it's designed for hard water, it continually drives the PH levels down to an acceptable level.

I'm going to buy a bottle of the hard water micro. when I have a chance down the line, I will run an experiment with it as well.... In general, I am trying to learn what will work best for me, and delver best results. It's gonna take some time and a lot of effort....But I love growing. It's the best hobby I've started since playing guitar, brewing beer.

-Snut

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SmokePot

I think by nature that the PH is going to fluctuate wildly no matter what you do. As I scan these message boards and a PH topic pops up, its always about not being able to stabilize the PH and its driving the grower crazy.

Any mad attempt at trying to stabilize the PH in a marijuana grow is entering into OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) territory. But if that's you and everybody else who tries to stabilize the PH in their grow, more power to you because to each is own.

All I was trying to do was tell people to relax and not freak out if your PH goes from 5.2 to 6.5 because if you leave it alone and check it 2 hours later, it'll probably be 5.8 and 2 hours after that, it might be 7 and etc... That's why I say let your plant tell you there's a PH problem but again, if that's your thing, more power to you.

And wouldn't you identify a PH problem by wilting and yellowing leaves even though you have the plant well watered and fed?

That is the worst PH advise Ive ever seen given in a hydroponics forum. It is very obvious that you have never grown hydroponically.

It is simple to stablize PH and it is very important. Best bet is to keep it under 6 and above 5.5

Get a ph meter or at least a cheap PH test kit. Generally PH rises as the plants use nutrients. If you have nothing to knock it back down, use some lemon juice. White vinegar will work in a pinch too. When adjusting PH you do it a little at a time. You should get some proper PH up and PH down solutions from your hydro store.

If you ignore PH you will pay the price.

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Lucas Formula - Hydroponic Grow Journal

Sorry Petrol, but I have to agree with greenthumb on this one!! Number one, I too have seen posts here where people talk about bad ph fluctuations, but I think that is more with soil. Number 2, With hydro, it is pretty easy to get your PH where you want it, and get it to stay there for the most part. yes, it will fluctuate, but not as wild as you stated. Maybe a tenth or two of a point each day. But that is so easily managed with very minimal amounts of PH up and PH down liquids.

Again, I can not stress how important having your PH levels correct in a hydro system. Too high or too low will cause nutrient lock out, which will cause grief beyond grief.. It's as simple as that.

I won't go in to this much more as there are MANY threads talking about this, which is where I learned how to control my PH levels, and why they are so important.

-Snut

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SmokePot

Well actually my PH by nature doesn't fluctuate wildly an there are no mad attempts to stabilize. I check my Ph daily and have since I started hydroponics, I then write it down along with PPM.My PH after nutrients goes from a 5.7 to 6.0 in seven days. Never had a problem with Ph going from a 5.2 to 6.5 and IF I did I would damn sure know about it before it got insanely out of hand and started to hurt my girls.

Let me ask you this snutter, did you actually have ph problems where your plant was suffering before you started to monitor your PH as closely as you do?

I ask this because I know how easy it is to get caught up in getting too paranoid about our plants and it takes the fun out of growing.

Do you not agree that in Hydro that you see problems pretty quickly but you could fix them pretty quickly as well?

I feel that if you have been growing your plant one way the whole time and it was doing fine but suddenly the plant started yellowing and wilting, then I would assume that there is a nutrient lockout due to a PH imbalance or a salt buildup in the medium that would require flushing. This would be a quick fix, then you could go back to playing Xbox or something.

I think when you're growing your own, it should be an enjoyable experience, unless it's for profit. When you try to monitor everything and make changes too quickly, I feel it takes the fun out of gardening and makes it feel as if you're at work.

I'll tell you what. GreenThumbSucker said it's obvious that I've never grown Hydro for which he is correct. So far, I've successfully finished a veg stage where I hardly monitored my PH level at all and the 2 mother plants that I grew came out great. I'm almost in the flowering stage because I'm waiting for 7 more cuttings to root. I'm going to continue my grow without monitoring the PH on an OCD level and at the end, which should be around January, I'll let you all know what problems I had during the flowering stage.