Ph adjusting, help

Dank_Dundee

Dank_Dundee

Member
Hey guys, im a newbie i need help with some info on good ways to change my ph in my soil (organically of course). I have two bagseed plants going at the moment in some pots (im growing them in the mean time while i get my proper set up going and am using them to learn from by experimenting with different things, techniques etc (the joys of being a newbie haha). So the plants in the pots have a ph of lower than 4.5! (My ph meter doesnt show anything below 4.5, it just says low once its below that) and it was originally sitting perfect at around 6-6.5 but after a couple of weeks i checked it and its gone way down. Im still learning my way around the site and could someone help me out (i can post pics if needed of plants), if someone could even link me to a post showing organic methods of getting my ph back to the right zone that would be great because i had a bit of a look but i think it would be a great idea if someone could even make a detailed post about ph correction and stuff an sticky it (or if someone has made a post like that can someone please link it to me). I didnt want to make a whole new thread because im sure this topic has been covered before, but there is so much other info i have to filter through to get to what i need. So if someone is willing to do me a kindness and help me out that would be awesome! :D thank you
 
Dank_Dundee

Dank_Dundee

Member
Dank_Dundee

Dank_Dundee

Member
DonBrennon said:
Just a couple of questions...........how are you measuring the soil PH?..............and...........how do your plants look?
Click to expand...
Ok, well the plants were starting to go very light in the centre of the leaf but they have improved after i watered with some worm juice from my worm farm today, i thought it might be worth a shot to see if that would help and it did, but with the ph, i measured that with an electronic soil probe thing (bought it online), it shows light intensity and soil moisture level and temperature, are they good to use or if i do check ph should i use those ones with the dye stuff that makes it change to the colour representing what ph level the soil is at? But when i measured it, it started reading and went from 7 (it starts there then moves to what ph it is) and climbed down to 4.5 then showed "Lo" which means below , so i kinda freaked out and thought i would find out earlier rather than later about how to go about soil ph, so i made this thread. I read the link that joe blows trees posted and it was very interesting and made me think i may be worrying too much about ph but im still learnig, i decided i would try water with some worm juice and hoped that the microbes in the soil would do there thing and change it somehow (im still a newbie and i like to experiment with things so i thought why not and see what happens haha). I just went out and checked the ph and it is at 4.5 so its improved from being on "Lo" so its at least 4.5 so thats alright and the plants are seeming to look better, i guess ill see how it goes. Thanks in advance for any advice
 
DonBrennon

DonBrennon

Well-Known Member
I think that those probes are ok for a rough guide of soil ph. I feel that the test kits you describe give a more realistic guide to your soil ph level though, even if reading/comparing colors may seem a little vague.

Changing a soils ph takes a long time in situ and you may have to put it down to a learning experience this time. Hopefully someone more experienced in organics may know of a quick fix to help you. It's hard to say what's caused your issue without knowing what your soil is made up of and what you've been adding. The obvious advice would be to add more dolo lime or oystershell flour, but it takes time to break down and have an effect.

If you could pot up to a bigger pot, with lime amended soil to the correct ph, i feel this would probably be your best option.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Dank_Dundee said:
Also if i ever post in the wrong forum or something like that let me know, im still getting the hang of the forum
Click to expand...
also checking near any organic amendments will give you "false" acidic readings
what is in your soil?
checking your soil when it's habitually wet will also net you acidic results.
cool thing about re-using your soil is that cannabis root exudates are literally tuned in to the soil, if it's alkaline they produce either more hydrogen ions, or conversely hydroxyl ions to decrease the ph
in your case, it's the latter...
If your plants are growing fine, I wouldn't worry too much.
also important to note, you cant really improve your ph too much in one season, generally about one point is "correctable"
correctable in a safe/predictable way anyways.
Ph and organics are kinda cool, in that once you assemble a good soil and once it's loaded with organic buffering material, the ph is NEVER a problem past that
 
Joe Blows Trees

Joe Blows Trees

Well-Known Member
I've seen people add lime to their teas. Does it deliver the lime quickly to the soil, or does it take time to kick in as well? Don't want to suggest something that isn't worth it. Perhaps that also may depend on how active the soil is, as some may have more microbial life than others with a more diverse variety as well.

@DonBrennon @greasemonkeymann
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Joe Blows Trees said:
I've seen people add lime to their teas. Does it deliver the lime quickly to the soil, or does it take time to kick in as well? Don't want to suggest something that isn't worth it. Perhaps that also may depend on how active the soil is, as some may have more microbial life than others with a more diverse variety as well.

@DonBrennon @greasemonkeymann
Click to expand...
honestly I don't use d-lime at all, so I can't help much regarding that.
I would imagine a fine ground d-lime would be fairly soluble
 
outlier

outlier

Well-Known Member
What's your water source mate? Do you know the ph of that? Might be worth checking that to cover all bases in regards to ph issues. If you are on town water, the ph should be ok. If you collect rain or use dam/bore water, I'd double check the ph. Not sure how accurate your soil ph tester is in water, but you can get liquid ph test kits for about $5. Or do the vinegar and baking soda test to see if it fizzes. If water + vinegar fizzes the water is alkaline. If water + baking soda fizzes, it's acidic. No reaction to either means it's ph neutral. You could do this with your soil as well to check the general accuracy of your soil tester.
 
W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
Joe Blows Trees said:
I've seen people add lime to their teas. Does it deliver the lime quickly to the soil, or does it take time to kick in as well? Don't want to suggest something that isn't worth it. Perhaps that also may depend on how active the soil is, as some may have more microbial life than others with a more diverse variety as well.

@DonBrennon @greasemonkeymann
Click to expand...
As GMM mentioned, it depends on the mesh size (how finely ground it is). D-lime is ground up rock. Oyster shell flour is ground up shells. Neither are very water soluble We have limestone buildings that are centuries old and oyster shell mounds that are thousands.

You are more spot on with the microbial activity playing a big part than the water solubility.

I've never added lime to a tea, just seems to sink to the bottom, but add it to my mix and raised beds as a matter of course.

Wet
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Dank_Dundee said:
Also if i ever post in the wrong forum or something like that let me know, im still getting the hang of the forum
Click to expand...
you could also use hard wood ashes, although I have NO experience using those to counter acidity.
First off you want to MAKE SURE you are indeed acidic.
oftentimes people start correcting problems that aren't there, thus causing more problems
I haven't dealt with PH issues in literally over 15 yrs.. ironically that's how long I've been 100% organic..
funny how that works eh?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top