ph questions, advice

Hey people, just had some questions on my ph issues..... FINALLY got a new ph meter---http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004G8PWAU/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00

but anyways i just transplanted one of my seedlings to its 2nd stage container and the run off was reading 6.2-6.3 which im guessing for soil is on the low end

I also tested my regular water i use which is distilled and it reads 6.8-7 (meter acc is around +/- .1)
my fish emulsion(5-1-1)/ distilled water mix was about 3.8-3.9
and my micro nutes and distilled water was around 4.6-4.8 which is very odd since its just micro nutes and distilled...

some of those number are pretty discouraging and not sure if i should mess around with the ph lvls (hv ph up n down) or just wait for my next feeding and test there run offs...

Pretty odd if those numbers are true and i think they are...how and why my plants are growing pretty well (besides an early seedling that died might be the cause of his perishing. REALLy wish i had a soil ph tester since my main plant got a feeding a couple days back and still seems pretty heavy.

Dang... Mine was 7ish off tap n distilled..and my 5.1.1 brought it down to 6.4.. At 1/3rd strenth...one thing I can help I on. At lowes I picked a soil ph meter for like 10/20$..

Leave it alone if soil it should be fine.


Beech

k thanks beech ill let it go for now...ya the lowes one i had before and it was hardly accurate and screwed up alot soo i figured id make a good investment in a decent one.. my buddy got this one and has had it for almost a yr and loves it.

If you have a good soil it should buffer.
Whats really the runoff gonna tell ya.......


Beech

They make digital ones for soil?

please advice me some good ph meters, which meters ph in soil not in water...and not very expensive...

I recommend ph adjusting after you add nutes to the water. Get it to 6.5 and you'll be fine. Diff nutes have diff impact on the ph.

Any gardening store has a cheap soil ph meter but they are not wonderfully accurate.

GrowinDad said:

I recommend ph adjusting after you add nutes to the water. Get it to 6.5 and you'll be fine. Diff nutes have diff impact on the ph.

Any gardening store has a cheap soil ph meter but they are not wonderfully accurate.

Click to expand...

yes I know but when I am watering plants with ph 6.5, the water comes out with ph 8.5...what can i do with this problem?

I don't worry about run off but that doesn't make sense. If peat is acidic it should lower ph, right?

I just worry about the ph of everything going in since that is under my control. In my mix, I use cheap potting soil, perlite, vermiculite and peat moss. plus some lime.

IMO PH meters is for the Hydro guy/gal`s safe the money and buy good quality soil with the right PH to start with

in soil you really don't need to do much, if you have the right soil to begin with, and run off wont really tell you much, as it just pass all your soil and whats in it, at best it tell`s you if there is a changes if you monitor it

if you really want to check your soil (IMO no need, look at the Bag it take longer then a grow to mess that up) you need either a soil probe/tester or a cheap drop test kit (like them for water) to accurate know what it is

I tried that once:



came out exactly as what the Bag said, between 6 and 7

I have really clean water (live in a green part of Denmark) you can drink it right out of the tap, and no chlorine (by law) but its ground water so its stand in Lime stone and is a bit high in PH (according to my water plant 7,4 in the last 3 months test there is online) but my plant`s really don't seem`s to care, I completely stopped PH anything, other then Im careful with the Lime in my soil mix (get plenty in the water)

when I water its right out of the tap in to a can and in to my pot`s, tho I do let it stand for 5-10 minute`s so temperatures can get up a few to 15-20C (18C is what you should aim for) as too cold water can chock the root`s and to hot cant keep much oxygen, witch is important for your root`s to avoid overwatering