Ph Level Help!

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ogcush81

Member
i never looked at my ph, and ive had plenty of harvests. ive managed my lights and changed nuitrients. but never thought to check my ph or ppm. so what are my buds lacking? or are they getting too much? personally i just think my city has good water. but when i did finally analyze my ph of my water after adding nuits was well over 7.0. way over the recommended 6.2 to 6.8. oh ya by the way everything is in soil. so can any one tell me should i continue on my quest not checking the ph and going with the flow or should i balance it?
 
TaoWolf

TaoWolf

Active Member
ogcush81 said:
i never looked at my ph, and ive had plenty of harvests. ive managed my lights and changed nuitrients. but never thought to check my ph or ppm. so what are my buds lacking? or are they getting too much? personally i just think my city has good water. but when i did finally analyze my ph of my water after adding nuits was well over 7.0. way over the recommended 6.2 to 6.8. oh ya by the way everything is in soil. so can any one tell me should i continue on my quest not checking the ph and going with the flow or should i balance it?
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Just noticed this was an old thread - didn't mean to ignore your question ogcush. You should check the run-off pH if you want too. But if it ain't broke... don't sweat it too much. All the material and elements in soil basically act as a buffer for the pH of the water you are adding - so if the pH is a little off with your water (like a little too high), it won't have a big effect if the overall pH of the soil is decent (and it likely is).


NLNo5 said:
Now I've heard that vinegar (organic kitchen acids) works just as good as inorganic acids (HNO3, H2SO4, HCL).

Sombich told me that the vinegar looses its acidity due to breaking down in the soil? I think this is a little bit fetched because the protons will still stay in the soil causing the acidity.

Sombich told me that if you use nitric HNO3, the nitrate ions will contribute as a nitrogen nutrient. But I think adding a few ppm of nitric to get my ph down is not going to do much as a grow nutrient.

Sombich told me that H2SO4 will add sulfate to the soil. I know it's a damn good acid for downing you pH because it's a dual proton acid and kicks in really good. Also, I seem to remember that sulfate is a good trace mineral for the plants.

Sombich told me that HCL (hydrochloric, muriatic) adds chloride ions to the soil and causes it to get salty. I think its no big deal because its only a few ppm to change the pH and that will never cause a significant saltiness to the soil.

I'm using H2SO4. It's a very effective pH down and it's useful to put a little bit of sulfate in the soil. The only proplem is I get my H2SO4 from my lab at my university in a very concentrated form. (one drop in a gallon of water will change your pH by 0.5). You've got to use a pH meter with concentrated acids.

Following the same theory I use NaOH, sodium hydroxide to change the pH towards alkaline if I need it. I actually us the NaOH quite frequently because my nutes make my feed water about 4.5 pH. So I'm constantly raising it.
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But what did Sombich tell you about H3PO4? :mrgreen:
 
MMAFanatic

MMAFanatic

Active Member
I went to petland and got for 8.99 a PH Tester with ph up and ph down and it can test 250 times
Lowes Hardware had a ph meter for 7.99 for Dirt
 
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nexxtea

Member
I know this is an older thread but I've got a definition problem between soil and hydroponic, I know it seems simple but I'm getting the impression from reading around that just because it's "dirt" it doesn't mean soil. Is this true? I'm using Sunshine Mix #4 and I've been adjusting my PH to accommodate a soil level, between 6 and 6.5. I'm getting the impression that maybe I should be switching to a hydro style PH level because maybe Sunshine Mix #4 isn't considered "soil"?

Any thoughts please and thanks.
 
B

Bill C

Member
NLNo5 said:
I'm using H2SO4. It's a very effective pH down and it's useful to put a little bit of sulfate in the soil. The only proplem is I get my H2SO4 from my lab at my university in a very concentrated form. (one drop in a gallon of water will change your pH by 0.5). You've got to use a pH meter with concentrated acids.
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Auto parts stores sell battery acid (30% concentration H2SO4) for about $4 a quart.
 
willo12

willo12

Member
i am new to this ,, i am looking to grow my self i will be starting from seed then putting in my tent .. what ph level am i looking at and how long does it stay at that level .. :)
 
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sirmad

Active Member
In my years of growing. I have found that it is cheaper labor and money wise to grow plants that will accept what the PH is at your location. Out of the two plants that I chose to grow it apears that Indica can handle higher ph lvls than sativa. But both plants have a chance to live or die. I have a ph of 8 to 8.8 where I live and that is high I know. But i have found that if I will cull out the ones that look weak and clone only the strong plants. That it is less labor in the end than trying to adjust ph. Really almost 99% of the time I have a prob is when I screw around with the ph. I know some of you pros can and do change your ph levels and im sure you have the best smoke around.

Anyhow. This is just another thing to think about before you start to grow.

If you grow plants that are most likely to survive what water you have to use. I think you have a jump on the game.
 
303

303

Well-Known Member
sirmad said:
In my years of growing. I have found that it is cheaper labor and money wise to grow plants that will accept what the PH is at your location. Out of the two plants that I chose to grow it apears that Indica can handle higher ph lvls than sativa. But both plants have a chance to live or die. I have a ph of 8 to 8.8 where I live and that is high I know. But i have found that if I will cull out the ones that look weak and clone only the strong plants. That it is less labor in the end than trying to adjust ph. Really almost 99% of the time I have a prob is when I screw around with the ph. I know some of you pros can and do change your ph levels and im sure you have the best smoke around.

Anyhow. This is just another thing to think about before you start to grow.

If you grow plants that are most likely to survive what water you have to use. I think you have a jump on the game.
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Wow this thread has been dragged along since 2010. Sirmad, have you ever heard of a product called ph down?!
 
303

303

Well-Known Member
sirmad said:
Yes I used to spend money on PH down.
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So you suggest instead of using it find a city or different location if your current water out the tap isn't low ph? I'll continue buying 1 gallon ph down for $18, and pinpoint my ph where I want it. Don't you think that'd be a better plan? Or am I misunderstanding you? No disrespect intended.
 
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sirmad

Active Member
I am saying that people make plants live each and every day with tap water. Some plants can take high ph and some can not. If you have high ph and you have a plant that is ok with that fact. You know can live cheaper and with a bit more ease.
 
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sirmad

Active Member
Otherwise you start to try and adjust your ph with what nutes you use . Then as a human we have a chance to use to much or to little. Once we use something like PH up or down we have to start to think about a mess of othe rfactors. Dirt, temps, nuts etc,, the list goes on and on. SO my idea is to try a few types of plants and grow them with what you have to work with. Watch What girls love you and what girls dont. Only use the girls that love you to cut or seed from.

This plant has a way of changing to what it has to work with.

This is just one way of looking at things. I know some will try and make it tech. I am just a simple man with simple solutions.
 
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stinkyg

Well-Known Member
is it a cheap two prong soil tester ? if so they are crap unless your really lucky ! someone else might have already said but i never read through all of this just your Q. if in good quality soil like canna, bio-bizz or fox farms(ive never seen fox farms just read it) you should be ok as long as your nutes are added correctly in the right amounts. soil is a great buffer too really good !!
 
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logicaldreams

Member
would be good to know that, is true once your soil gets too acidic it's hard to reverse, and the plants can't uptake optimum food required for good growth?
 
bulastoner

bulastoner

Well-Known Member
I have been growing indoors for 4 years in soil with good harvests and never even considered ph level. My tap water is around 7 and most good soil corrects ph between watering. I understand that ph is very important for hydroponics however. Ph levels flutuate more in water.
 
M

Mastergardner

Member
I'm not short on cash but I still use white distilled vinegar and baking soda. I simply haven't used anything that works better.LOL Keep it green
 
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