who else gets confused with testing and adjusting ph?

Like the title says! how do i test and adjust my soils ph with a ph water pen? and why does it read in ppm? why doesn't my plan water have any reading? share your knowledge guys!

You need to do some reading, PH, PPM

I have done a tremendous amount of research! that's why I'm asking the community. clear explanations Will do fine.

A PH pen is to measure ph of a liquid. I use it to make sure what I feed my girls is at 6.5. A pen isn't meant for the soil. I have a cheapo soil meter from any hardware store. It isn't super accurate or detailed.

With a good soil mix if you feed at the correct ph then the soil should be fine. If concerned, you can test the runoff after feeding. So if I fed at 6.5 and runoff comes off close, I assume my soil is fine. Plus the cheapo meter comfirms it. Maybe I am wrong, but a little dolomite lime in soil and being religious with PHing everything they get fed seems to work for me.

Hope that helps.

Wouldn't know, I haven't had to pH anything in years....

Great advice! that's exactly what i do to a T just all kind of confuses me. do u adjust plan water between feeding to 6.5? I notice my lady's r great at telling me if any issues exist. why does my water meter read in ppm? thanks again man

Whatever the plant is fed is at 6.5. If just water, yes. If a water and nute solution, yes. If she going to drink it, I make sure it is at 6.5.

There are many who don't need to. Some say it is not necessary. I think it depends on your water and can say from my personal grow, it is necessary. Just talking my personal experience so not trying to debate it.

Your pen probably reads ppm, because it isnt a PH pen, it is a PPM meter. What make and model is it?

Thanks everyone for all feedback. i think it all depends on soil and nuts used. some nuts like tiger bloom build up more salt. i can't remember what pen it is. but a cheap one off Amazon!

An inaccurate meter certainly isn't going to help with anything.

With soil you do not have to adjust the pH of irrigation water or fertigation solutions, period (unless someone keeps putting lye or hydrochloric acid in your well). There is really no debating this, if you ask me. If anything, your soil/potting mix needs some garden or dolomitic limestone. Soil resists sudden changes in pH, due to something known as cation exchange capacity (or sometimes buffering capacity). CEC is essentially a measure of how well a soil or media can hold onto nutrient cations (via ionic bonds to soil particles). Many needed plant nutrients are only available as cations, which are positively charged atoms/molecules such as H+ (acidity), K+ (potassium), Ca++, Mg++, NH4+ (ammonium cation), Na+, etc. You can think of the CEC as a pool or a buffer, of both nutrients and acidity.

Humus/clay are the components of soils largely responsible for their CEC, while materials such as coco coir and sphagnum peat moss also have CEC, whereas rockwool, perlite and sand have virtually zero CEC/buffering capacity. This is one of the most important concepts you can understand as a soil/soilless grower.

http://www.spectrumanalytic.com/support/library/ff/CEC_BpH_and_percent_sat.htm

Wow is all i can say. i think i have a lot to learn, ill keep it simple and not worry unless an issue shows up. my lady's r super healthy so nothing is in need of change. thanks everyone!