ph a 100gal bed? does it rise when dry

2cent

Well-Known Member
any 1 noticed if ssoil drys out the ph rises in the soil#?? to like 7.3 and then through acidification drops when watered to 6.8ish?? any 1 got dry soil they need to water when they get home they wana ph test?

i believe my plants got so big i havent kept up with their demand for water and let them dry out in the medium leading to ph rise and mg lockout,


1 side of the bed is 7.3ph and this side that gets more water as near the door is 6.8
just watered heavy to fix mg def thisside but the far side showed signs today so i tested and its dryer and 7.3
 
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PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
any 1 noticed if ssoil drys out the ph rises in the soil#?? to like 7.3 and then through acidification drops when watered to 6.8ish?? any 1 got dry soil they need to water when they get home they wana ph test?

i believe my plants got so big i havent kept up with their demand for water and let them dry out in the medium leading to ph rise and mg lockout,


1 side of the bed is 7.3ph and this side that gets more water as near the door is 6.8
just watered heavy to fix mg def thisside but the far side showed signs today so i tested and its dryer and 7.3
Makes sense if you think about it. Since overwatering can lower soil pH. Underwatering is probably killing or causing a lot of the bacteria which lowers pH to go dormant.

I don't know. Just a thought. This is interesting though. Are you growing in organic soil?
 

McShnutz

Well-Known Member
Inherent factors that affect soil pH include
climate, mineral content, and soil texture.
Soil pH reflects the combined effects of the soil-forming factors (parent material, time, climate, and organisms). The pH of newly formed soils is determined by the minerals in the parent material.
Temperature and irrigation affect the intensity of leaching and the weathering of soil minerals. In warm, environments, soil pH decreases over time through acidification due to leaching from high amounts of irrigating. In dry environments where weathering and leaching are less intense, soil pH may be neutral or alkaline.
Soils that have a high content of organic matter are more resistant to changes in pH (higher buffering capacity) than are sandy soils. Although clay content cannot be altered, organic matter content can be altered by management practices. Sandy soils commonly have a low content of organic matter, resulting in a low buffering capacity and a high rate of water percolation and infiltration. Thus, they are susceptible to acidification. LONG ANSWER

SHORT ANSWER, you need more compost and organic parent material.
 

McShnutz

Well-Known Member
I use 400 gallon fabric raised beds.
Also, if your at maximum capacity of soil, you can alternatively opt for organic acids and monitor hydrostatic pressure to ensure no leaching. This retains the buffering ability. Even if you do dry back slightly, a pH drift past 7.5 is unlikely, and if so, the plants are less likely to experience an inability to uptake the needed elements. Upon the next irrigation or rainfall, pH will stabilize back to the sweet spot. Mulching helps tremendously.
 
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2cent

Well-Known Member
I use 400 gallon fabric raised beds.
Also, if your at maximum capacity of soil, you can alternatively opt for organic acids and monitor hydrostatic pressure to ensure no leaching. This retains the buffering ability. Even if you do dry back slightly, a pH drift past 7.5 is unlikely, and if so, the plants are less likely to experience an inability to uptake the needed elements. Upon the next irrigation or rainfall, pH will stabilize back to the sweet spot. Mulching helps tremendously.
thanks Man U gained a follow I love the depth you enter
Makes sense I noticed this since I did no mulch straw due to contamination and I didn’t cover crop this cause I was used to straw mulching I forgot I hoped the leaves off the plants would form the mulch faster but when you don’t want to pluck their beauty that doesn’t help
I have a mulch layer of sheep’s wool bracken compost with comfrey but that layer has only just hydrated up
I know from digging after watering that there are dry patches
The removed the blue at dropper probes too cause they was annoying to dial in hmmm

I think I will plastic sheet the floor after this water just to ensure evaporation is reduced and a humid environment that will encourage water to soak in rather than evap

I hope this will correct my issues yes I am totally organic soil, I’ll order my rye vetch and clover again for cover crops and spoit them under the sheet get the scissors out and trim em as they grow again makes my own straw contam free then

wow 400gal shiiit outside I guess??
15gal a week is my average guess they picked up at monsters and I didn’t says online a gal a day per plant so i am almost half watering bloody hell
 

McShnutz

Well-Known Member
thanks Man U gained a follow I love the depth you enter
Makes sense I noticed this since I did no mulch straw due to contamination and I didn’t cover crop this cause I was used to straw mulching I forgot I hoped the leaves off the plants would form the mulch faster but when you don’t want to pluck their beauty that doesn’t help
I have a mulch layer of sheep’s wool bracken compost with comfrey but that layer has only just hydrated up
I know from digging after watering that there are dry patches
The removed the blue at dropper probes too cause they was annoying to dial in hmmm

I think I will plastic sheet the floor after this water just to ensure evaporation is reduced and a humid environment that will encourage water to soak in rather than evap

I hope this will correct my issues yes I am totally organic soil, I’ll order my rye vetch and clover again for cover crops and spoit them under the sheet get the scissors out and trim em as they grow again makes my own straw contam free then

wow 400gal shiiit outside I guess??
15gal a week is my average guess they picked up at monsters and I didn’t says online a gal a day per plant so i am almost half watering bloody hell
I have 1 indoors, the rest are outdoors.
Each holds a little more than 1.8 cubic yards.

I don't hand water tho, everything is automated with blumat high pressure pump system supplied by a 350gpd RoDi with accumulator tanks, I keep the tanks pressurize at 125psi.

Is your bed resting directly on the ground or is it elevated with pallets or something else.
Fabrics do best elevated.

I will mulch my 30gal fabric pots with straw, my indoor bed is mulched with 3" of cypress fines. But a living mulch is the best. Make sure to propagate a very dense cover crop to minimize evaporation. The majority of microbes reside in the top 3-4", and consequently that the first to dry back without a mulch layer.
 

2cent

Well-Known Member
I have 1 indoors, the rest are outdoors.
Each holds a little more than 1.8 cubic yards.

I don't hand water tho, everything is automated with blumat high pressure pump system supplied by a 350gpd RoDi with accumulator tanks, I keep the tanks pressurize at 125psi.

Is your bed resting directly on the ground or is it elevated with pallets or something else.
Fabrics do best elevated.

I will mulch my 30gal fabric pots with straw, my indoor bed is mulched with 3" of cypress fines. But a living mulch is the best. Make sure to propagate a very dense cover crop to minimize evaporation. The majority of microbes reside in the top 3-4", and consequently that the first to dry back without a mulch layer.
im on a pearlite bed bro
my bluemats i took drippers off didnt think they was doin much and pissed everytime i had to undo them to get the bloody air outa em i they ran out
il get em back on
 

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McShnutz

Well-Known Member
im on a pearlite bed bro
my bluemats i took drippers off didnt think they was doin much and pissed everytime i had to undo them to get the bloody air outa em i they ran out
il get em back on
Oh shit, didn't know you have blumats. NICE!
Make sure to recalibrate everything after you hydrate the bed first. Wait about 1 hr for the hydration to even out, then crack open the dial to bleed the lines. Try to keep the flow from the 3mm line away from the cone. You can mis calibrate if your soaking the cone while dialing back. Any future alteration to the dial should be 1 notch mark either direction. Wait 1 day in between adjustments.
Once they're dialed in, its smooth sailing.
 
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