What do you use to control PH?

Hey everyone... just wondering which specific items ppl use to control their PH levels? Do you use a premade brand PH up and down formulas or do you make your own, or what?

I see a quart of each of the UP and DOWN formula sells for about $27 total on ebay. Just wondering if they're cheaper items out there for this, or a better way to go about it.....?

Help a mofo out.... Thanks!

I use PH up and PH down from htgsupply.com I also use the ph tester that requires you to take a sample and drop 2-3 drops into the tube and compare the color to a chart.

General Hydroponics pH Up / Down Quart Size FREE SHIP! - eBay (item 120332211320 end time Nov-17-08 20:11:47 PST)

Anybody sell a set like this cheaper?

I think this one comes with the sample tube as well,,, doesn't specify any chart but I'd assume they include one...

hey man if you have either a petsmart or fish store they sell ph up/down way cheaper than what your looking at... or u could use lemon juice or vinegar to lower your ph and baking soda to raise the ph...

Vinegar is a BAD idea *if* you have chlorine of any sorts. (and not great if even with no Chlorine) Vinegar & Chlorine creates bad gases. vinegar also creates an acid (forgot the exact, but roots don't like it. Maximum Yield mag just did a good article on pH)

Use lemon juice instead.

(I'll use the GH stuff or fish tank stuff)

Citric Acid from any wine/brew shop, and baking soda... So cheap, so effective.

AdvancedNutes down and tap water for up

I use vinegar to lower the pH.

Go to a pool supply store. you can get products to adjust ph and calibrate ph for a quarter of the price you'd pay at a hydro store.I use the kit from my outdoor pool and it works just as well as the $30.00 kits the hydro stores sell

You can use the fish tank stuff? Sweet! I have a huge aquarium and all the kits for ph, including ph up and ph down.

Do you just test the run off water? Dumb question, but how do you keep the soil in the run off from altering the color of the water in the tube? I thought about straining it through a paper towel or coffee filter something but thought the chemicals in the paper might alter the reading.

I got about a 5 year supply of Earth Juice Natural Down for $10 at Texas Hydro. Good stuff.

rambler420 said:

You can use the fish tank stuff? Sweet! I have a huge aquarium and all the kits for ph, including ph up and ph down.

Do you just test the run off water? Dumb question, but how do you keep the soil in the run off from altering the color of the water in the tube? I thought about straining it through a paper towel or coffee filter something but thought the chemicals in the paper might alter the reading.

Click to expand...

anyone? I'm about to water my plants and I'd like to do a ph test, if possible, while I do it.

Can you use an aquarium ph testing kit for plants?

i've never heard of testing the run off water, i test my wet soil with a ph meter. i personally could careless what the run off reads just whats in my soil so them plants eat up those expensive nutes

but I don't have one of those. After near 4 months of unemployment, I finally got a job, but won't get paid for about 3 more weeks. Gotta use what I have instead of buying something and well, I have aquarium stuff coming out the ying yang.

Any way to test it with an aquarium test?

ok, how are your plants looking?

when i use vinegar i go 1/8 tsp per gallon of water. and i my area that makes the water around 6.2 i always like to go low because of two reasons 1. my nutes add ph, 2. in my exprience it is always easier to rasie the ph level of your soil than it is to lower it.

if were in your shoes i would feed and flush. or go get some dolomite and it acts to keep your soil at a constant 6.9 ph

Use a soil that is buffered, then add more garden/dolomite lime to the mix. Use RO water(pH'd or un-pHd) and buffered nutrients and never have to worry about it again.

All my plants are looking good except one. One of them has discoloration around the edges of the leaves. I'll research to find the problem first before I try and fix it.