Ph, and run-off. Whats the right answer?? Please Help

Im growing in SOIL ffof, i have a ph pen tester (a good one) This is my 3rd grow. I'm haveing what i think is cal/mag lockout do to incorrect Ph ballance in the soil. My run-off (water out of the bottom of container after watering) is 5.9 to 6.1, now, it was lower in the past few weeks, like 5.8 to 5.9 (run off NOT water going in, thats the ph of the water comeing out after watering. I was Ph'ing water and water/nute mix at 6.5 to 6.6 on this grow in the begining which i think was the Start of the problem, i think i should of been ph'ing water and water/nute mix at 7.0 ??? Ive read the GROW BIBLE and it says ALWAYS ph at 7.0 WHATS THE RIGHT Ph, water going IN the soil and waater comeing out as run off, what should that be?? Please someone give me a straight answer. I even went to the Hydro store again last night and the guy there, who i think is so STUCK on HYDRO grow actually told me i should be ph;ing my water at 6.0 Which i KNOW is WRONG for a soil grow and i told him MANY time diuring our conversation that i was growing in SOIL but he was so INTO HYDRO GROW he seemed to be stuck giveing me Ph levels for Hydro which i know are much lower then in soil. Hydro is i think 5.4 to 6.1 and SOIL 6.1 to 6.8 RIGHT?? PLEASE HELP. EXPLAIN IT TO ME.

The only pH that ultimately matters is that of the damp soil. The pH of the liquids you water with matter only because they will be part of the damp soil's pH. If the soil pH is off then it needs to be adjusted regardless of the pH of the liquids you're using.

Testing runoff isn't a good way to read pH. If liquid comes out the bottom of the pot, you don't know how much soil that liquid ran through on its way, if any. For all you know, the last water you gave it found a channel down the side of the pot and just ran straight out, so testing it would only give the pH of the water and not the soil. Even when the liquid runs through all the soil, the runoff pH still ends up being a value between the liquid's pH and the soil's pH instead of a precise reading of either one.

Ideal pH varies with growing mediums. Most soils do best at pH 6.5 and will grow healthy plants anywhere between 6.4 and 6.7. Hydroponics, coco coir and other soilless growing systems usually do best at a pH closer to 6.0.

It's always a good idea to have a backup test kit that doesn't go bad to make sure your meter is reading correctly. PH meters can go bad over time so they should be tested or calibrated once in awhile. Ones that can't be calibrated can have their results verified by testing the soil pH with a cheap capsule-type or other similar test kit.