crispypb840
Active Member
I was wondering what I should use (Organic) to raise my pH when mixing my feed. I use General Organics. Right now I have been using a powder I got at wall mart in the pool section. Is there anything wrong w/ the powder?
I personally would avoid adding anything solely for the purpose of adjusting pH, especially sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). I don't hesitate to pour on things like fish hydrolysate, even though the pH may be down around 4-4.5. A good living soil will have no problem buffering this, and you avoid adding unnecessary extra things like sodium.
A little silica (potassium silicate) is never a bad idea, but don't get caught up in trying to add the perfect amount for the perfect pH. The second the solution hits your soil, it takes on the pH of the soil. Adjusting the pH of your solution has VERY little affect on actual soil pH. In other words, it would take many repetitive feedings at low pH to cause any real shift in your soil.
What WILL start affecting your soil's pH (usually in a bad way) is repeatedly adding things like potassium bicarbonate or sodium bicarbonate in an effort to find that "perfect" number.
If your asking ME what I think would be better, I would say rain water WITHOUT adjusting pH.
The reason you "need" it when using rain or RO water is because the water has little to no buffering ability. In other words it has very little resistance to pH change, so it easily takes on the low pH of your nutrients. The well water has more buffering ability, so it resists pH change a little more.
Either way, healthy soil is much more strongly buffered than nutrient solution. When you pour it on, the solution takes on the pH of the soil, while the soil pH remains mostly unchanged.
I can honestly tell you from years of experience: STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE pH OF YOUR WATER OR NUTRIENT SOLUTION!!! Focus on maintaining healthy, living soil, through the liberal use of compost, and your soil pH will mostly take care of itself.
If your asking ME what I think would be better, I would say rain water WITHOUT adjusting pH.
The reason you "need" it when using rain or RO water is because the water has little to no buffering ability. In other words it has very little resistance to pH change, so it easily takes on the low pH of your nutrients. The well water has more buffering ability, so it resists pH change a little more.
Either way, healthy soil is much more strongly buffered than nutrient solution. When you pour it on, the solution takes on the pH of the soil, while the soil pH remains mostly unchanged.
I can honestly tell you from years of experience: STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE pH OF YOUR WATER OR NUTRIENT SOLUTION!!! Focus on maintaining healthy, living soil, through the liberal use of compost, and your soil pH will mostly take care of itself.
Acid rain would be about pH 4, but otherwise it should be quite a bit higher (like 6).
I'm glad I learned about this. I hate adding pH adjuster. What exactly is in the soil that buffer's it? I'm using Ocean Forest. I know that adding lime helps but more is there to it?