Understanding Effects Of Water With High Alkalinity

[jumpincactus]

with your city's water analysis you are fine. You are in a good range for alkalinity. And to answer your question this applies to all growers of all types of plants large and small ops. You need not worry about alkalinity with the readings they supplied you if they are accurate. :D

 

[jkpaw]

Wow that is great to hear! Been worried about high pH water too long! (The city issues quarterly reports, and, seeing no outliers, I have no reason to doubt them.) Maybe coir will be fine instead of peat.

As to my question, my feeble brain just couldn't understand why the author suggests that pH corrections should occur before adding nutes. It's the only place I've seen such a statement. But it's moot now, for me, if I no longer have to worry about high pH.

 

[jumpincactus]

anything 60 and below with hardness/alkalinity and your golden. your only a tad high. I deal with levels much higher and I use RO but with your levels I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[jkpaw]

Been meaning to update re my experiment (of not adjusting high pH -- see above).

During my current grow, immediately after I switched from distilled water to tap water (upon transferring my seedlings to dixie cups) most started to crinkle, some severely (different strains). I suppose it could have been something in my (mild) mix, but I decided to flush with pH-adjusted water and they all got quickly better. In fact, it's been a great grow so far (4 weeks into flowering) -- which I'll try to document in an organic/indoor thread one of these days. (I'm organic, except for the pH Down.)

So, maybe the city's alkalinity data doesn't apply to me for some reason -- or maybe there's another reason I'm an outlier -- but I'm pretty sure I'll be continuing to adjust pH in the foreseeable future. (I've actually switched entirely to pond water -- plus compost teas -- but the pond's pH is just as high as the city's.)

 

[diskokobaja]

I have a question.. My soil is 6.0 ph and I was giving them my tap water after sitting in bucket with airstone for 24h, I didnt lower my ph 8.6 until recently..
I use bio bizz ph down last three times I lover ph and yesterday my plants are showing def.calmag/phosphor type of def..
my question is could it be that my girls adopted tp higher ph levels, and npw they are lcoked confused? my ph ranged from 6.5 to 7 when I adjusted it last three times..

 

[Pippins]

I'm necroing this thread because I like the topic and have a question for the water experts who I'm sure are present. I have issues with high alkalinity-the tests for my town's water source I found on the internet show an average of about 150 mg/L alkalinity but they also show 185 mg/L bicarbonate. Shouldn't bicarbonate be included in that alkalinity calculation? That's question #1. #2 is, will reducing alkalinity by adding an acid reduce the formation of limescale and help prevent buildup inside of my drip system? Also, calcium 41 mg/L and Mg 10 mg/L, just in case that helps. Thanks guys let's get this alkalinity train back on the tracks and chugging along like Snowpiercer, one thousand and one cars long.

 

[PauliBhoy]

I'm necroing this thread because I like the topic and have a question for the water experts who I'm sure are present. I have issues with high alkalinity-the tests for my town's water source I found on the internet show an average of about 150 mg/L alkalinity but they also show 185 mg/L bicarbonate. Shouldn't bicarbonate be included in that alkalinity calculation? That's question #1. #2 is, will reducing alkalinity by adding an acid reduce the formation of limescale and help prevent buildup inside of my drip system? Also, calcium 41 mg/L and Mg 10 mg/L, just in case that helps. Thanks guys let's get this alkalinity train back on the tracks and chugging along like Snowpiercer, one thousand and one cars long.

#1 Total alkalinity is an aggregate of carbonate and bicarbonate concentrations converted into the standard carbonate unit. Bicarbonates are just half as effective at neutralizing acids as carbonates so it shouldn't be surprising this number is higher.

#2 Lowering pH is by far the best way to prevent limescale in your lines and drip system. Water softeners also do this by exchanging the Calcium or Magnesium with Potassium or Sodium but they don't get the water to the pH our ladies like.