PH (soil & water)

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Positive Herb

Member
So, I got to a point where i was beginning to understand PH then I got thrown a curve ball...

Every watering I check the PH going in, maintaining a range of 6.2-6.5. Then I also measure the PH of the runoff, which has been consistent with the PH going in. I use both a PH meter and PH test kit (drops) to check my PH. Out of curiosity I bought a soil PH tester and to my surprise, the reading of the soil is 4.8-5.5.

What do these readings mean? Which PH reading should I be working with? Should I water with a higher PH to increase soil PH to ~6.0-6.5?

Novice Grower
Positive Herb
 
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Phytoplankton

Well-Known Member
Positive Herb said:
So, I got to a point where i was beginning to understand PH then I got thrown a curve ball...

Every watering I check the PH going in, maintaining a range of 6.2-6.5. Then I also measure the PH of the runoff, which has been consistent with the PH going in. I use both a PH meter and PH test kit (drops) to check my PH. Out of curiosity I bought a soil PH tester and to my surprise, the reading of the soil is 4.8-5.5.

What do these readings mean? Which PH reading should I be working with? Should I water with a higher PH to increase soil PH to ~6.0-6.5?

Novice Grower
Positive Herb
Click to expand...
What kind of Soil ph meter did you buy? If it’s a three in one (about $15) here’s what you need to do: Carefully place it on your garage floor, face down, then jump on it until it’s in pieces, those things are worthless and brutally inaccurate! (LOL). In any case, if you’re using almost any commercial potting soil, you’ll be fine. Are the plants showing signs of distress? Don’t chase ph in runoff in a soils grow, it’ll drive you crazy and accomplish nothing, except maybe screwing up your soil. Just keep ph’ing your input water (after adding nutes/ calmag) as you’ve been doing.
 
Budzbuddha

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
are you in soil ?

if you are - no real reason to. EVERY time you dump excessive amounts of water "to get enough runoff to check " you are basically leaching the medium - technically unbalancing it
 
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Positive Herb

Member
Phytoplankton said:
What kind of Soil ph meter did you buy? If it’s a three in one (about $15) here’s what you need to do: Carefully place it on your garage floor, face down, then jump on it until it’s in pieces, those things are worthless and brutally inaccurate! (LOL). In any case, if you’re using almost any commercial potting soil, you’ll be fine. Are the plants showing signs of distress? Don’t chase ph in runoff in a soils grow, it’ll drive you crazy and accomplish nothing, except maybe screwing up your soil. Just keep ph’ing your input water (after adding nutes/ calmag) as you’ve been doing.
Click to expand...
Ha...you are spot on. Its one of those, so I took your advice, however I didn't carefully place it on the garage floor!
thanks for your feedback
 
Budzbuddha

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Runoff PPM is meaningless in soil, especially a good organic soil that has been amended and alive with active microlife. Also, the PPM of your runoff also is dependent on how much you dilute it... are you going for 10%, 20% or very little runoff? Each variation would give you as a result a different PPM reading... so which one is the accurate one that relates somehow to something going on in the soil? The answer is none of them.
Lastly, you should not be watering to produce runoff in an organic living soil. What are you trying to do, wash all the nutrients and microorganisms out of there?? You should water just to the point runoff begins and then stop.

unless you are heavy handed with feeding causing excessive salt buildup or not ph properly , then its not needed.

What other plant needs this ?
 
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