Fed up with PH meters

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
While fox farms ocean forest (my preferred soil) is buffered, it is still important to PH the water, as ultimately the soil will adapt the ph of the water running through it.
What? Not unless it's dead and even synthetic's in soil still don't need to have the pH monitored if you care for it properly!

Still 100% vital to a successful grow.
Abso - fucking - lutely NOT!!!
Look dude, I never pH any soil grow! Even synthetic runs. pH in soil works like this. You water and the pH makes a "swing" in one direction. As the soil dries out. it swings back to where it started. This is nature at work, making available in effective amounts, the nutrients being used by the plant (Nutrients {different ones} are most available to the plant at differing pH levels).

pHing soil can not be very accurately done with out lab quality pH meters costing in the 1000 dollar and up range......There are methods to use test strips that are time consuming and pretty accurate but, the overall accuracy now depends on when you sample and that's related to when you water and how close everyday you sample to the same time.....Remember that the pH is changing all the time from watering and drying....

If you maintain living bios and simply (don't really have to) pH all ingoing to 6.5....You will never have a pH problem.

Doc
 

Kronicle420

Well-Known Member
What? Not unless it's dead and even synthetic's in soil still don't need to have the pH monitored if you care for it properly!



Abso - fucking - lutely NOT!!!
Look dude, I never pH any soil grow! Even synthetic runs. pH in soil works like this. You water and the pH makes a "swing" in one direction. As the soil dries out. it swings back to where it started. This is nature at work, making available in effective amounts, the nutrients being used by the plant (Nutrients {different ones} are most available to the plant at differing pH levels).

pHing soil can not be very accurately done with out lab quality pH meters costing in the 1000 dollar and up range......There are methods to use test strips that are time consuming and pretty accurate but, the overall accuracy now depends on when you sample and that's related to when you water and how close everyday you sample to the same time.....Remember that the pH is changing all the time from watering and drying....

If you maintain living bios and simply (don't really have to) pH all ingoing to 6.5....You will never have a pH problem.

Doc
Massive difference in a grow that has been ph monitored and one that hasnt. Ive learnt that from experience. Huge difference in the quality of the bud and the volume at the end. If youre so confident try it as an experiment and show us the results...
 

althor

Well-Known Member
Massive difference in a grow that has been ph monitored and one that hasnt. Ive learnt that from experience. Huge difference in the quality of the bud and the volume at the end. If youre so confident try it as an experiment and show us the results...
No.
I stopped using ph meters years ago, if there were a difference I would have gone back to using them.
 

Greenhouse;save

Well-Known Member
Yea like doc said IF you no your waters fine ..............and I leave mine's open for 48hrs and I live in a country known for its fresh water then imo theirs no need.......to give you an idea of when I last used a meter here's a pic of my TOP OF THE RANGE lol PH METER.........£300 for that fuker........lmao.......
 

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pdxfarmer

New Member
I was working a science position and had to deal with pH probes extensively. I'm not familiar with this type, but all the probes I've used in labs require very specific storage conditions, otherwise they're ruined quite easily. That and they require significant calibration time (we used 3 solutions with calculated activity coefficients--maybe that's not so important, pH was very important for out thermodynamic-driven reactions).

I'd also advise just grabbing the pH up and down with the indicator solution if you're seriously concerned. My friend was doing that grow and he was used to hydro; the only time we had to change the pH of our water was when adding nutrients (obviously the salts will ionize and change the pH). We were able to adjust 5 gallons of water in less than 5 minutes with it.
 

GrowUrOwnDank

Well-Known Member
I've bought 3 PH meters now, granted I got the less expensive digital ones, (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LNSEZH2/ref=s9_cartx_gw_d8_g328_i6?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=0VAMSDPD6DTRPDM2K70V&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2118394622&pf_rd_i=desktop) and another by Elekticity.

They've all pretty quickly quit working properly, even with regular calibration.
It seems like a total bitch to keep having to replace them
So I then decided I'd buy a good one (thinking on this unit)
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003PD2N8Q?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=A2UF33ZOMUKZ9G)
but it seems like the electrode is still prone to failure.

I'm sick of having to constantly calibrate and fuck around with my PH meter, I just want one that works, that will work for atleast 6 months without having to replace pieces....

What do you guys do? Why do PH meters suck so bad?
Double check your battery. I use $12 meters from eBay, have a couple of them, and I'm always leaving it on over night. Then they get all jumpy cause the battery is weak. If you use cheap, get two. Calibrate fairly often and you should be gtg.
 

skunkd0c

Well-Known Member
Yea like doc said IF you no your waters fine ..............and I leave mine's open for 48hrs and I live in a country known for its fresh water then imo theirs no need.......to give you an idea of when I last used a meter here's a pic of my TOP OF THE RANGE lol PH METER.........£300 for that fuker........lmao.......
Not owned a PH meter myself since around 1997-98

CANNA Aqua Flores

CANNA Aqua Flores is a complete nutrient for plants, containing all the essential elements for optimal flowering. Aqua Flores is used inrecirculating systems, such as NFT or ebb and flow systems.
Advantages of Aqua Flores
  • In the plant’s exuberant generative (blooming) phase, it is vitally important that all necessary nutrients are available directly and in the right quantities. Aqua Flores stimulates the growth of fruits and contains all necessary elements that are required during the blooming phase. For example, the plant requires less nitrogen during the blooming phase. However, the need for potassium and phosphorous is greater. Aqua Flores is rich in these elements and special chelated trace elements allow direct absorption resulting in a perfect bloom.
  • Aqua Flores stimulates the fructification and provides every plant with its characteristic flavour.
  • Aqua Flores is easy to use, dissolves directly and is extremely suitable for growing with re-circulating hydroponic systems. It contains pH-stabilisers, so there is no need to adjust the pH.
  • Aqua Flores nutrition also contains silicon, humic and fulvic acids.
Why A&B nutrients?
CANNA Aqua Flores nutrients consist of two parts, an A part and a B part. We separate these parts for a reason. As it happens, if some of the elements in part A and B are thrown together at the same time, they clog together. The plant cannot absorb this. That's why you should first add the A component and then the B component.


Directions of Use
User Instructions
  • Shake bottle well before use
  • Fill nutrient reservoir with water
  • Add Aqua Flores to the nutrient reservoir with the dilution ratio 1:333 (30 ml A per 10 litre of water and 30 ml B per 10 litre of water)
  • Add Aqua Flores A. Stir well, then add Aqua Flores B. Again, stir well and let mixture stand for some hours
  • The EC of Aqua Flores dissolved in (tap) water varies between 1.3 - 2.1 mS/cm2 (= the solution EC + the water EC)
  • Due to the special composition of this nutrient it is not necessary to adjust the pH levels after setting it initially


many of the nutes around today are pretty much the same as canna, so as long as the water is stable
which accounts for pretty much all tap water in city/town areas etc
rural areas or coastal areas etc may not have such good tapwater for weed growing

the acidic nutes will bring the ph down to around 6 to 6.5 or so
the ph can be left to fluctuate between something like 5.5 to 7.0 without any issues here

peace
 

Cobnobuler

Well-Known Member
So, given that; If my soil is already in range and my water is consistently 7.0 it sounds like I don't need to worry unless I'm using heavy nutes, which I don't.

(Looks around for affirmation because I'm a nervous newblet)

This place is the best.
If you want to worry, worry about the trap most all newbs will fall into and thats overdoing it with the nutrients thinking that more is better. Go easy with whatever it is you use especially when its time to flower. Water them only when they need it. If the pot is light to pick up, it probably needs it. Keep your room temp in range and get fresh air into it. Throw as much light at them as you can without burning them.
These basics and some others are every bit as important as is worrying about what a PH meter is telling ya.
Oh and...keep it fun !!! You'll make mistakes along the way. Learn from them.
 

skunkd0c

Well-Known Member
i did think of another reason to own a ph meter

Some guys n perhaps even girls like to put on a lab suit before they water their plants, matching latex gloves to boot
i assume this makes them feel like scientists (owning a ph meter would perhaps follow on from this "mindset"



if your ph is off by 0.1 it might have 0.00012 % less N available
this could decrease your growth rate by 0.02%
unless you have a ph meter you would not know this
so i would also assume some hold the belief that having a ph meter and knowing this kind of information makes you not only a superior grower but a superior person/scientist in general

Peace
 

Estrange

Member
Just get a bottle of ph indicator solution... No calibration necessary and will last for much longer than your wanted 6 months
Think I'm going to give this a go! Thanks for everyone stopping by,
seems like the general consensus is there aren't any infallible ph meters,
and monitoring ph is going to be a mega bitch.
 

Estrange

Member
i did think of another reason to own a ph meter

Some guys n perhaps even girls like to put on a lab suit before they water their plants, matching latex gloves to boot
i assume this makes them feel like scientists (owning a ph meter would perhaps follow on from this "mindset"



if your ph is off by 0.1 it might have 0.00012 % less N available
this could decrease your growth rate by 0.02%
unless you have a ph meter you would not know this
so i would also assume some hold the belief that having a ph meter and knowing this kind of information makes you not only a superior grower but a superior person/scientist in general

Peace
Wait what the fuck?
My tap comes in around 7.2 and I need to maintain about 6.0 PH, also I'll add nutrients that aren't ph'ed. I'm not some elitist grower, I've just seen my plants experience deficiencies due to them being outside of the optimal PH range.
 
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