Ph Adjustment In Soil. Yes, No, Well, When Then!

[str8smokn]

Most bagged soil is not going to need to be pH'd as it most likely is within range straight out of the bag (If they are doing their job) but if you are mixing your own soil mix you may find a pH pen is very much a useful tool especially if you are growing acid loving fruit as well.

But after you mix and let it cook , it shouldn’t need balancing anymore would it?
It’s just the initial mix that’s ph Hott?
STR8

 

[Friendlyguy]

Alkalinity 240ppm
Hardness 20 grains per gallon
Ph 7.5
Tds 468

Is the water quality from what i can gather from the water report. Any input on adjustments to fert program based on the hardness and alkalinity that would be great!

Thank you guys for all your input...its a blessing

 

[kansabis]

Alkalinity 240ppm
Hardness 20 grains per gallon
Ph 7.5
Tds 468

Is the water quality from what i can gather from the water report. Any input on adjustments to fert program based on the hardness and alkalinity that would be great!

Thank you guys for all your input...its a blessing

Probably could just run it through any standard filter should suffice or run it as is. Without filter you shouldnt need any calmag lol

 

[Friendlyguy]

I'm thinking cut it with ro at 50 50...see how the ph buffers after adding fertilizer. Am i even saying that right? Should i adjust ph b4 addition of ferts or after....paul fisher says to do it b4. I think thats cause he's using synthetics. Wish i wasn't so new to this..lol

 

[kansabis]

I'm thinking cut it with ro at 50 50...see how the ph buffers after adding fertilizer. Am i even saying that right? Should i adjust ph b4 addition of ferts or after....paul fisher says to do it b4. I think thats cause he's using synthetics. Wish i wasn't so new to this..lol

Um cutting water with ro isn't going to buffer anything and it mite change ur pH but I doubt it's by alot,I've always heard to adjust it after mixing nutrients,unless ur sure you starting water is exact same pH everytime and your adding same type and amount of nutes each time to know how much it needs adjusted but if they are decent nutes they shouldn't really be needing much pH adjustment in my opinion,with the science and technology out there most of these companies should be putting out but lines for specific mediums that require little to no pH adjustment needed,organic or synthetic,and organic it really doesn't matter much,I've never used a pH pen in my life and I'm sure I've mixed nutes out of pH range and I know my tap is hard and higher end pH around 8 or so,ive noticed some lockouts,etc so Ive been running it through a our filter but honestly I haven't seen much difference yet.

 

[kansabis]

Edit-nute lines and Pur filter

 

[Homesteader]

But after you mix and let it cook , it shouldn’t need balancing anymore would it?
It’s just the initial mix that’s ph Hott?
STR8

For my soil mix I use a combination of peat and coco to balance my pH. Now that I know the ratios to use, I seldom use my pen.
If someone was buffering their peat with a lot of lime it may need more time to neutralize the pH but I wouldn't think it would take very long. ( a day or two?)

 

[Friendlyguy]

For my soil mix I use a combination of peat and coco to balance my pH. Now that I know the ratios to use, I seldom use my pen.
If someone was buffering their peat with a lot of lime it may need more time to neutralize the pH but I wouldn't think it would take very long. ( a day or two?)

Alkalinity 240ppm
Hardness 20 grains per gallon
Ph 7.51
Tds 468
What do you think about this water report?
I add my nutes to this and bam 6.5.
Should i adjust the alkalinity at all? Before addition of nutes or after?
If i do adjust. i'll use sulphuric acid. Municipal water is usually adjusted using it. From what i've read.
Container size plays a role and growth cycles are the two biggest concerns when it comes to container growning and dealing with alkalinity. Its a major concern....need a mum

 

[kansabis]

Alkalinity 240ppm
Hardness 20 grains per gallon
Ph 7.51
Tds 468
What do you think about this water report?
I add my nutes to this and bam 6.5.
Should i adjust the alkalinity at all? Before addition of nutes or after?
If i do adjust. i'll use sulphuric acid. Municipal water is usually adjusted using it. From what i've read.
Container size plays a role and growth cycles are the two biggest concerns when it comes to container growning and dealing with alkalinity

If it's 6.5 after you add your nutes then that's basically perfect,you don't need to do anything but water/feed your plants with it.

 

[Friendlyguy]

If it's 6.5 after you add your nutes then that's basically perfect,you don't need to do anything but water/feed your plants with it.

Heres the thing paul fisher and bill argo suggest to lower alkalinity before adding nutes. Is this because they are using synthetics and the proper acid/base balance is in the nutes already? Must be! If that sounds incorrect let me know! I have got to get a job in a greenhouse..lmfao!

 

[kansabis]

Heres the thing paul fisher and bill argo suggest to lower alkalinity before adding nutes. Is this because they are using synthetics and the proper acid/base balance is in the nutes already? Must be! If that sounds incorrect let me know!

Well are they growing in soil,idk why they would suggest lowering alkalinity but I think you really mean the hardness cuz the alkalinity is based on pH,above 7 is alkaline and below 7 is acidic,they are probably talking about the calcium and stuff cuz it might might mess with the nutes they are using or the way they mix up,imo your just fine with what you have orherwise if your gunna base everything off those peoples info then you will need to talk with them lol

 

[Friendlyguy]

https://www.thcfarmer.com/community...-effects-of-water-with-high-alkalinity.77509/

Reading this atm. May just answer alot of my questions....thanks fellas

 

[Friendlyguy]

Well are they growing in soil,idk why they would suggest lowering alkalinity but I think you really mean the hardness cuz the alkalinity is based on pH,above 7 is alkaline and below 7 is acidic,they are probably talking about the calcium and stuff cuz it might might mess with the nutes they are using or the way they mix up,imo your just fine with what you have orherwise if your gunna base everything off those peoples info then you will need to talk with them lol

Alkalinity is the waters buffering capacity. Its hard for me to explain....alkalinty in tbe carbonates and bicarbonates...the carbonate you worry about the most is CaCO3...also high akilinity in your water can wreak havoc in the long term. From what i've read....maybe im wrong...

Ph is how available the nutes are going to be in a given soil or solution

 

[kansabis]

Yeah after reading that I'd say your hardness is too high at 240ppm and you should use a standard carbon filter at least or invest in a ro filter but then you will need to add back the calcium and magnesium. Or possibly diluting it with ro as you earlier suggested will work,I'd try the 50/50 and test the hardness again if it under 100 ppm then your good.

 

[Seshlife]

so adding toxic chemicals to the plant is the same as what?I see what your putting on the ground but not quite picking it up.
were talking about changing the PH of the water you are adding to the soil.You cannot change the state of the soil by adding PH up or down to the dirt.the soil has a natural buffer.I can mix the water to 1.0 PH and water the plants.Its not going to make my dirt PH 1.0 end of story.
When i got soil samples for bean fields we were getting PH ranges in the 4's.If rain water is around 6.5 to 7 than why is the outside soil 4?
Only lime can raise the soil PH.Just because you PH down the water does not mean its gonna lower the soil PH.The soil ph will return back in a very short time.
This is the biggest misconception i see dirt growers make when growin in dirt.adding bottled PH adjusters is hurting your plants more than helping them.SOIL is not hydro or coco or any other non buffered medium.

You’re a fucking trip! Haha. You have no clue wtf you’re talking about. No one listen to this doofus.

 

[Seshlife]

Soil buffers pH that is correct and also over time especially in a relatively small container versus outside ground,repeated watering with really high or low pH can cause then pH of the soil to shift,it can be changed as well,up like or down with sulfur,other things out there too can change soil pH,but a few watering of a solution that isn't in the ideal pH range shouldn't hurt too much.

Indeed. That dude is tripping wrong.

 

[KeystoneHempNursery]

Im growing in dr earths pot o gold mix....i use ro water and add pwdered dolomite lime to ph 8 and 120 ppm. I add general organics bio thrive and the ph drops to 3.8...this obviously needs to be adjusted to get the opti ph of 6.4....i use pot bicarb to do it. But the ppm goes up another 300. This is irratating me as i think the k is causing a cl problem...i have tips turning yellow and look like they're dying. Lol...its only the lower tips too, not the meristems tip....if that all doesnt make sense let me know....first time grow here...fuck!lol

nitrogen deficiencies start from the bottom. Iron / sulfur deficiencies will appear lime green/yellow at the newer leaflets.

Stay clear of ph up adjusters that contain potassium silicate. It will create coagulation & binding issues…not compatible with a lot of inputs. It’s cheap that’s why a lot of companies use it.

I suggest a ph range of 5.8-6.2

irrigate before fertigate. See video below

 

[Seshlife]

nitrogen deficiencies start from the bottom. Iron / sulfur deficiencies will appear lime green/yellow at the newer leaflets.

Stay clear of ph up adjusters that contain potassium silicate. It will create coagulation & binding issues…not compatible with a lot of inputs. It’s cheap that’s why a lot of companies use it.

I suggest a ph range of 5.8-6.2

irrigate before fertigate. See video below

Thank you bro! Great tips

 

[totamus]

This thread is full of bad information. Based on my own personal experience, and what I still remember of my chemistry classes, of course adding ph adjusted water to soil will change the soil's ph. The question isn't IF it does, the question is how much does it change? That is where the "Buffering" part comes in - the more soil that you have, the harder it is to move the ph - that is all buffering means.

If you have 10 gallons of soil at a ph of 4, and you add a gallon of water at ph 6, you will NOT get a ph of 5 (in the middle of the two readings) because there is more soil than adjustment water. I measure PH at the roots with a calibrated probe, and then adjust with water at a ph calculated to bring the final where I need it. Then I check the roots again and see where it is.

Following this method I find that when I move the PH, it will stay there IF I make sure my nutes and water are PH adjusted when I put them in.

I found a PH probe that is reasonably priced and that works well. I wanted a BlueLab, but it was pricey. This one works as well (based on comparisons with a friends BlueLab Probe) and less than half cost.

LINK https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08XZ7P893/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you are using any cheap probe that does not have a method to calibrate, then you are shooting yourself in the foot. The cheap meters are often so far out that you are better off that you will chase your tail and hurt your plant!

Using this method I can adjust my soil and it stays there!