Calicode
Well-Known Member
Guess the one that I bought isn't calibrated correctly. Smh I'll just use the drops for now because it doesn't need to be exact just around 6-7 correct?
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
can you calibrate it? some will have 1 or 2 small screw to calibrate.
soil should be close to 6.5
newguy123
Well-Known Member
If you know how much your nutrient mix will lower the PH of your water, you can put the PH up or down at first.
Here is how I do it.
The PH of my tap water is 7.5 and I want 6.0 because I am in hydro during flowering.
I know that my nutrient mix will raise the PH by 2. So 7.5 + 2 = 9.5
I want 6 so I need to lower the PH by 3.5
I lower the PH of my tap water by 3.5, It goes from 7.5 to 4.
I then ass my nutrient mix that raises the PH by 2. So it goes from 4 to 6.
I added the PH first so it didnt harm the nutrients and it all worked out.
TCH
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure how it harms the nutrients, but ok. You still have to know what the nutes do to the water before you know how your pH will be adjusted. You got it dialed in and now add the adjustment first. I don't think it matters technically what goes in first, but if you don't know what your nutes and water make, then mix them first and then add it to get it correct.
I was reading your method as make the water the correct pH and then mix nutes. If that was the case it would be ridiculous. Now that you explained it, I smell what you're stepping in and I think itll work just fine.
Calicode
Well-Known Member
Thanks I'll look when I get
Thanks I'll take a look when I get home
Calicode
Well-Known Member
Thanks
MichiganMedGrower
Well-Known Member
No need indoors in peat/perlite/ limed potting mix either. The calcium in the soil will keep the ph in range. Adding un needed ph down causes acidic mediums.
Unless you have very alkaline source water. But I would prefer to mix with ro water to dilute rather than add acid.
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drsaltzman
Well-Known Member
You don't need to PH your water if you have good healthy soil.
If you start seeing signs of PH lockout, then you can try to adjust.
Otherwise your soil is your buffer.
If you start seeing signs of PH lockout, then you can try to adjust.
Otherwise your soil is your buffer.
Calicode
Well-Known Member
I'm using fox farm soil. I used 2ml of ph up after mixing nutes with distilled water and brought it up to 6.3
drsaltzman
Well-Known Member
It's not really gonna hurt, but it's not neccessary.
I grow organically in soil and my tap is 7.8 usually.
Have never PH'd my nute water. If I'm adding just plain water I put a pinch of food grade citric acid.
It takes care of itself in the soil.
Foxfarm is good soil. You likely don't need to PH.
Certainly not until the plants tell you to.
Calicode
Well-Known Member
Yeah that's the problem. The plants were telling me too. I started using bloom after not using nutes due to using fox farm soil because of (checkout pic). Thought maybe a cal mag problem... The plants started looking better in about two days. Now the plant in the back looks lighter than the one in the front. Ph was at 5
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Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
Some good answers here.
Nobody touched on the "rule" as to why to add pH UP products FIRST.
Up products are generally made with a healthy dose of potassium silicate.
Potassium silicate or better yet, all forms of silica will react with Ca to form a precipitate. This reaction between the 2 compounds will, in effect, cancel each other out and make them useless in that solution.
You should, when needing to use an UP product. Mix your full solution - nutrients and supplements and pH the solution. Now add the UP product (you can try and do this while stirring if you want to attempt to use this solution. If you get a "cloudy" formation - toss it out) till you hit your needed pH value. You know know how much pH up to add to get to your required pH value.
From now on. Add the pH up first, and stir/mix the pH and water well. THEN add your nutrients and supplements and use the solution safely!
Down has no real problems with nutrient reactions, when added to well stirred/mixed solutions before adding it.
Nobody touched on the "rule" as to why to add pH UP products FIRST.
Up products are generally made with a healthy dose of potassium silicate.
Potassium silicate or better yet, all forms of silica will react with Ca to form a precipitate. This reaction between the 2 compounds will, in effect, cancel each other out and make them useless in that solution.
You should, when needing to use an UP product. Mix your full solution - nutrients and supplements and pH the solution. Now add the UP product (you can try and do this while stirring if you want to attempt to use this solution. If you get a "cloudy" formation - toss it out) till you hit your needed pH value. You know know how much pH up to add to get to your required pH value.
From now on. Add the pH up first, and stir/mix the pH and water well. THEN add your nutrients and supplements and use the solution safely!
Down has no real problems with nutrient reactions, when added to well stirred/mixed solutions before adding it.
TCH
Well-Known Member
@Dr. Who
I have been adding pH up last for the last 4 weeks or so. I haven't had any cloudy solution or sediment at all that I could see. Did I get really lucky or is this a freak deal or something? I use botanicare PBP grow, liquid karma, and CalMag Plus. I believe the pH up is GH. I haven't noticed any problems from this method at all but I have also never seen this advice either. I mixed up 2 gallons last night and they looked great this morning.
I have been adding pH up last for the last 4 weeks or so. I haven't had any cloudy solution or sediment at all that I could see. Did I get really lucky or is this a freak deal or something? I use botanicare PBP grow, liquid karma, and CalMag Plus. I believe the pH up is GH. I haven't noticed any problems from this method at all but I have also never seen this advice either. I mixed up 2 gallons last night and they looked great this morning.
Calicode
Well-Known Member
Sounds good. But you provide the difference between adding the ph up first rather than adding it last?