SmokeMe0987
Member
Something seems off with my plant
Ph levels? Low! Help!
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Probably ph. Need more details about your grow
SmokeMe0987
Member
Well it’s a death star clone that I have in geown tent with 500 w led light.
I got some compost tea ima about to put in.
my ph reader says 7 I know it supposed to be at 6 so I guess the ph level to high I’m new to growing
Yeah... too high... and you should just use basic nutes... you'll have nonidea where you are at with compost tea as a beginner....
Get some ph down and correct that shit before you do anything
SmokeMe0987
Member
other then being a new grower y is it bad to use the tea it’s for blooming stage only but I understand what u mean about the ph levels just seeing what to use to bring it down
Ph down... its hydrochloric acid
SmokeMe0987
Member
Thanks a lot
No, don't use hydrochloric! PH down is normally food grade phosphoric acid. Sulfuric and Nitric acid are also used. Sulfuric will add some sulfur and Nitric adds nitrates, I imagine hydrochloric adds chloride/chlorine, not good.
Just look for ph Down.
"The acid formulation uses food grade phosphoric acid to lower the pH to the proper level. Widely recognized as a consistent and reliable product."
pH Down (Liquid)
The acid formulation uses food grade phosphoric acid to lower the pH to the proper level. Widely recognized as a consistent and reliable product.
generalhydroponics.com
A guide to different pH down options in hydroponics – Science in Hydroponics
scienceinhydroponics.com
The first group of pH down chemicals are strong acids. These are technically acids with very low pKa values, meaning they react instantly with water to generate at least one mole of hydronium for each mole of added acid. They offer the strongest ability to drop pH per unit of volume, which makes them more cost effective. However the fact that they often need to be diluted to make the pH addition process practical – because of how much the concentrated forms can change pH – can make their use more difficult than other forms of pH down. These are the most common options:
Phosphoric acid (from 20 to 85% pure): This acid doubles as a plant nutrient, meaning plants will be affected by the phosphorus added. It is commonly used in food – so food grade phosphoric acid can be bought cheaply – it also has additional deprotonations with strong buffering at a pH value of 7.2 with buffering capacity against bases getting stronger as the pH goes down all the way to 6.2. This is the most commonly used acid by hydroponic growers.
Sulfuric acid (from 20 to 98% pure): This acid is commonly used in car batteries and offers the largest pH dropping ability per unit of volume among all the strong acids. It is however important to use food grade sulfuric acid in hydroponics as normal battery acid can include some heavy metal impurities – from the fabrication process of sulfuric acid – that might negatively affect a hydroponic crop. Food grade sulfuric acid is safe to use in hydroponics. A big advantage is that plants are quite insensitive to sulfate ions – the nutrient provided by sulfuric acid – so adding sulfuric acid does not really affect the nutrient profile being fed to the plants.
Nitric acid (from 30-72% pure): This acid also provides nitrate ions to plants, so it also contributes to a solution’s nutrient profile. It is however more expensive than both phosphoric and sulfuric acids and more heavily regulated due to its potential use in the fabrication of explosives. The acid itself is also a strong oxidant, so storage and spillage problems are significantly worse than with phosphoric and sulfuric acid. Although this acid can be used in hydroponics, it is generally not used by most growers due to the above issues.
6 would be for hydro. For soil it's more like 6-7 and many use tap water at over 7.5.
SmokeMe0987
Member
How long does it take for the ph levels to drop
a PH of 7 doesn't sound so bad so i wouldn't rule out other issues. But hard to help with limited information. What light are you using and how far away the distance? temperature? humidity? Nutrients used? etc
visajoe1
Well-Known Member
PH isnt the issue, throw that PH meter in the trash. They are useless. Dont add your tea. By now though, its probably too late. Looks like you're in soil, so you'll probably need to flush it with water if you added stuff to it
Leaves curling down look like signs of overfeeding or overwatering. Where are the fan leaves? Try to leave them on if you can, they will tell you if you have nutrient excess/deficiencies. Soil is great to learn how to grow in, just give water until you see deficiencies, then correct it. Always easier to add then take away.
Running LED may need more CA/MG; can add Dolomite Lime to soil to keep CA/MG levels up. Also helps regulate PH in proper range.
Best of luck!
Leaves curling down look like signs of overfeeding or overwatering. Where are the fan leaves? Try to leave them on if you can, they will tell you if you have nutrient excess/deficiencies. Soil is great to learn how to grow in, just give water until you see deficiencies, then correct it. Always easier to add then take away.
Running LED may need more CA/MG; can add Dolomite Lime to soil to keep CA/MG levels up. Also helps regulate PH in proper range.
Best of luck!
SmokeMe0987
Member
Thanks this information is very helpful