PH A Basic explanation

[MIMedGrower]

My pH meter is incredibly flaky, has me pulling my hair out more often than not my ppm has been my freind with no issues.

If you are phing the dehumidifier water which is basically distilled water any ph up or down additives will instantly swing the ph far with very little input.

 

[MIMedGrower]

So watering at 3pH is ok, I tend to get this:

when I go searching so I get conflicted. I've been loosely following the ratios of the Dyna-Gro feed chart at about 1/4 rate I got a small bottle early so I had it to use, had read a little goes a long way so I kept the ratio pretty low.

When you add protect it should go up and foliage pro down. Read the ph at those steps. Then adjist as needed.


And that video has much misinformation and conjecture. What is the water alkalinity? What kind of nutrients? Are they in the water or soil? What about lime buffering the soil? Etc.


The answer is yes the water alone is fine cause it cant affect the medium. And no not if you mix in nutrients. You will likely have to adjust unless the protekt and foliage pro balance each other in the proper range.


And here is an article that explains although has some detail.

MYTH Series: Water pH Relates to Medium pH | PRO-MIX

www.pthorticulture.com

 

[Glassdub]

As long as youre solution is between 5.5->8.0 in soil and you have good base youre PROBABLY going to be okay.

Well that's what I generally go for but I keep hearing that he waters pH does not matter unless very high rather than low it seems.

 

[Glassdub]

If you are phing the dehumidifier water which is basically distilled water any ph up or down additives will instantly swing the ph far with very little input.

Distilled water has a pH of 6.5-7 whereas this water is mid/high 3 range pre mixed or 3 more or less with additives.

 

[MIMedGrower]

Well that's what I generally go for but I keep hearing that he waters pH does not matter unless very high rather than low it seems.

Its 6-7 for soil and 5.5-6.5 for hydro.

And if tap water is very high or very low in ph it indicates a problem but distilled or ro water have been stripped of all elements and can not change the medium ph. Even soft to moderately hard tap water cant unless there is a component or impurity that can.

 

[MIMedGrower]

Distilled water has a pH of 6.5-7 whereas this water is mid/high 3 range pre mixed or 3 more or less with additives.

Its starting ph doesnt matter. It has no elements to buffer so it instantly takes on the ph of what it contacts.


I dont know why your dehumidifier water is so low. Maybe its not pure and it gets contaminated. I sure wouldnt use mine. Mold develops in the tank even with regular cleaning.


But if it isnt harmful and is stripped clean as it should be it can not change the ph of the medium. Honestly it takes so little ph up to get it in range it likely doesnt matter. But you are putting 300 ppm carbonate in. That is not good.

 

[Glassdub]

When you add protect it should go up and foliage pro down. Read the ph at those steps. Then adjist as needed.


And that video has much misinformation and conjecture. What is the water alkalinity? What kind of nutrients? Are they in the water or soil? What about lime buffering the soil? Etc.


The answer is yes the water alone is fine cause it cant affect the medium. And no not if you mix in nutrients. You will likely have to adjust unless the protekt and foliage pro balance each other in the proper range.


And here is an article that explains although has some detail.

MYTH Series: Water pH Relates to Medium pH | PRO-MIX

www.pthorticulture.com

It seems that given this you would want the water to be as acidic as it could be within reason.

 

[MIMedGrower]

Distilled water has a pH of 6.5-7 whereas this water is mid/high 3 range pre mixed or 3 more or less with additives.

Try the recomended 5 ml protekt and 5 ml foliage pro and see what it reads.

1 or 2 ml is t going to do anything. Isnt going to feed the plant either

 

[MIMedGrower]

It seems that given this you would want the water to be as acidic as it could be within reason.

No. Why do you say that?


And are there any ppm’s in your dehumidifier water?

 

[Glassdub]

No. Why do you say that?


And are there any ppm’s in your dehumidifier water?

Because it seemed that anything more than acid would drive the medium pH up, last I checked it was about 20-5 ppm.

 

[Glassdub]

Try the recomended 5 ml protekt and 5 ml foliage pro and see what it reads.

1 or 2 ml is t going to do anything. Isnt going to feed the plant either

Well it definitely has, I'm so often told that less is more & that it is better to under than overfeed so I've gone by that.

 

[MIMedGrower]

Because it seemed that anything more than acid would drive the medium pH up, last I checked it was about 20-5 ppm.

i wonder if something acidic is in there. Even a little would swing the ph easily. My ro water always read 6.5 initially like you said.

If the water is safe from contaminants I stand by my comments.

I would try adding 5ml each and see where you are. Still a light feed.

And if you use it for water only and nothing bad is happening that could be from contaminated water there is no need to adjust in potting soil.

If you actually see a calcium or magnesium deficiency then i would use cal mag made to re mineralize tap water.


And shoot for 150 ppm if you continue the carbonate to be safe. Maybe even just 100. That cant hurt anything.

 

[MIMedGrower]

Well it definitely has, I'm so often told that less is more & that it is better to under than overfeed so Iive gone by that.

There is not enough nutrients in that low dose to grow a plant to potential. Maybe as a supplement to nutrient charged soil. You have almost more calcium carbonate than all the rest of the nutrients.


But do what works. I was just trying to help. We all go through these learning curves and many methods seem to work fine so just find yours.

 

[Glassdub]

i wonder if something acidic is in there. Even a little would swing the ph easily. My ro water always read 6.5 initially like you said.

If the water is safe from contaminants I stand by my comments.

I would try adding 5ml each and see where you are. Still a light feed.

And if you use it for water only and nothing bad is happening that could be from contaminated water there is no need to adjust in potting soil.

If you actually see a calcium or magnesium deficiency then i would use cal mag made to re mineralize tap water.


And shoot for 150 ppm if you continue the carbonate to be safe. Maybe even just 100. That cant hurt anything.

Well, even the Dyna gro feed chart (which I assume is high) lists 10 at late veg but of course that's with 2.5 of Mag-Pro in the mix. I'd be fine with upping the Foliage-Pro but I'm pretty gun shy with Pro-TeKt as I over did it with that early on, which I largely blame for my rough start & subsequently being about a month behind.
I'm doing at least 150 ppm, if not a bit more now minus the buffer the feed chart lists 5ml at about 345.

 

[Glassdub]

There is not enough nutrients in that low dose to grow a plant to potential. Maybe as a supplement to nutrient charged soil. You have almost more calcium carbonate than all the rest of the nutrients.


But do what works. I was just trying to help. We all go through these learning curves and many methods seem to work fine so just find yours.

This is true, I really didn't like adding it but I didn't think it was wise to go straight with the native pH being in that 3.5 range, you said above, & that generally what I hear, 6-7 for soil & that's what I was aiming for, in the end 5.8-6.1ish.

 

[Glassdub]

This was interesting, I have to water today maybe I will go straight & see how it goes.

StackPath

 

[Aqua Man]

I didn't know cal mag was a buffer, I know I'm pushing the limits (300 being that), but the water is pretty acidic running the mid 3 range.

Cal mag may or may not be a buffer it depends on the source of calcium in it. Most are calcium nitrate which will actually lower pH. If you look for one that has has calcium carbonate then it can be used as a buffer

 

[Aqua Man]

Distilled water has a pH of 6.5-7 whereas this water is mid/high 3 range pre mixed or 3 more or less with additives.

You should disregard the ph value of any water lacking carbonate or bicarbonate. It will have no alkalinity and therefore the ph is moot because it is easily influenced by anything acidic or basic. This is why we need to either add a buffer for hydro or add a buffer to soil such as dolomite lime that contains carbonate. With such an unstable and easily influenced ph it is not reliable to go by ph value until we add a buffer. Ppl in hydro often see huge ph swing when using RO water and no buffer added for exactly this reason. Alkalinity is just as important as ph and often overlooked

 

[Glassdub]

Cal mag may or may not be a buffer it depends on the source of calcium in it. Most are calcium nitrate which will actually lower pH. If you look for one that has has calcium carbonate then it can be used as a buffer

I stand corrected about Pro-TeKt it indeed drives the pH up almost a point per ml, I upped the dose to 2ml Pro-TeKt, 4ml Foliage-Pro, 1 ml Mag-Pro, pre average straight water about 3.5, post 4.4, given that link I posted in the safe average ppm pre 31.1 post 408.5.
I'll see how it goes...

 

[Aqua Man]

I stand corrected about Pro-TeKt it indeed drives the pH up almost a point per ml, I upped the dose to 2ml Pro-TeKt, 4ml Foliage-Pro, 1 ml Mag-Pro, pre average straight water about 3.5, post 4.4, given that link I posted in the safe average ppm pre 31.1 post 408.5.
I'll see how it goes...

Yeah silica will. You need to mix it in order. Silica first then ph down to 6.2-6.4 ish then add the rest. If you add silica first check the ph after it will be pretty high and can cause things like iron and calcium to precipitate out of the nutrient solution.