Ph is halved after adding Nutrients.

[NutNubie]

It’s not time to start adding my nutrients yet but I’ve been practicing creating the solution to assure I can create something viable.

What I’m experiencing is my original tap water ph of 6.4 go down as much as 3.0 pts after adding nutrients. I ran some individual test this morning to get a closer look. The nutrients I have are about 5 years old stored in a basement with pretty consistent temps. Nutrients testing: sensi bloom, B-52, Mother Earth super tea, sensizym, sensi cal/mag ultra.

What are the possible reasons the ph would have such a dramatic drop and how to correct it. I have tried Ph up however the TDS rose to about 3300ppm. Including a pic of this mornings test.

 

[Gmix]

Bottles nutes don’t last that long
5 years I reckon the make up has changed surprised they don’t smell bad.

I hardly use bottled nutes nowadays never really did tbf alought I have used them once or twice

I did have one my friend gave me i never used. I hadn’t opened it for two years then I did it and it stunk mind saying that I Also had a another bottle new again that I was given that didn’t smell but after two years I reckon it was done anyways

I still use Cali mg and ph up in bottles and notice as it gets older I have to use more that not to say use more just saying they don’t last that long.

Any dry Amendments may still / should be ok if like you say are stored In a dark dry place bottles not so much

 

[ArtfulCodger]

I agree that it's probably wise to avoid bottled nutes that are 5 years old. Also, take a look at the ingredients. Sensi Bloom, for example, lists monoammonium phosphate and MKP as its first two ingredients. Both are acidic in solution.

I'm not using the same nutes you are, but when I mix a reservoir using 9.5 pH tap water, the resulting solution is pH 6.4 before I adjust it.

 

[NutNubie]

Thanks… one note is that the cal/mag is brand new but also went from a Ph of 6.4 down to 3.3.

All solutions waited 30 minutes to test and stirred.

 

[BillyBanchan]

Do you have a way of measuring EC?

How accurate is your pH meter?

 

[NutNubie]

I have not measured EC. Guess I’m too alarmed at Ph.

Currently using a blue lab Ph meter, 4 in 1 meter for Ph check, and temp, and TDS meter which also has EC meter.

 

[Mothman]

Good. I’ve found the no name Chinese $10 stick meters are good until they aren’t. And they don’t announce when they aren’t.

So I finally bought a $50 Apera ph tester. Took me a while to get religion!

6.4 seems low for tap water. Is it well water? I think municipal tap is usually slightly alkaline.

 

[N1ghtL1ght]

I suspect your pH meter is dysfunctional. pH 3 is like pure acid. also usually municipal water should be around 7.5-8

 

[NutNubie]

Just a Question, I’m sure none of these testers are absolute in any way, but do you think a blue lab ph tester, a cheap Chinese 4 in one tester, and a chemical color water test can all read the same +\~ .3 (with the exception of the color test…no points there lol) and still be called dysfunctional? Personally I’m leaning more towards nutrient age/expiration even though 1 reference, don’t remember where, stated that nutrients don’t expire. The same effect from the newly bought cal/mag throws me off as it did have the same results. I’ll be ordering a new nitrogen based solution to test this out. Any suggestions?

 

[Mothman]

Just a Question, I’m sure none of these testers are absolute in any way, but do you think a blue lab ph tester, a cheap Chinese 4 in one tester, and a chemical color water test can all read the same +\~ .3 (with the exception of the color test…no points there lol) and still be called dysfunctional? Personally I’m leaning more towards nutrient age/expiration even though 1 reference, don’t remember where, stated that nutrients don’t expire. The same effect from the newly bought cal/mag throws me off as it did have the same results. I’ll be ordering a new nitrogen based solution to test this out. Any suggestions?

I’m slow. Are you saying you’ve tested nutes and water all 3 ways and they’re within a half point all 3 ways? ‘Cause my old cheap stick (two actually) failed me by way more than 0.3 pH.

Can you borrow another tester?

 

[NutNubie]

I did use all 3 tests as I’m boggled with the results. I’m sure it’s possible for them to be wrong especially a subjective chem color test. If I was more than a nubie I would up my blue lab ph tester but I’ll try new nutes first.

 

[BillyBanchan]

I did use all 3 tests as I’m boggled with the results. I’m sure it’s possible for them to be wrong especially a subjective chem color test. If I was more than a nubie I would up my blue lab ph tester but I’ll try new nutes first.

You'd be extremely unlucky for all three to be grossly out of tolerance.

Could you have messed up the amounts to be mixed?

 

[NutNubie]

I used a 10 ml syringe measuring out 1.5 ml the first round of testing and 1 ml the second round of testing cleaning the syringe in tap water each time and between nutes. I ran the complete test a second time because I thought maybe I didn’t shake the nutes enough so I did it vigorously the second complete test. All values relatively the same.

I’ve been gardening for almost 20 years but never gave much thought to this much testing. Seeded Blue Cindy in outdoor pots with fox farm ocean which is staring to pop. I’m not in a rush but I do want to get it right and something is definitely not right. I imagine I have 10-20 weeks to figure this out.

 

[Mothman]

And the water alone? That was consistent, too?

 

[N1ghtL1ght]

I’ve been gardening for almost 20 years but never gave much thought to this much testing.

You should be able to tell whether your freshwater is at its stated pH - and EC - as given in the water analysis sheet from your community (if they do that in your place). This is usually the first step in mixing a nute solution - filling up a bucket with water. Put the pH & EC meter in, in order to check if there isn't some unwanted stuff in the water. These tests usually also reveil if a meter fails on you and its probe needs to be exchanged.
Then the other steps, like mixing some nutes in, it's always the same procedure. And if any of the used materials have gone south/foul - you'll notice it immediately. So that is how you do it - step by step, and the numbers one can usually keep in mind after a few days. My tapwater for example is pH 7.9-8.0 - always. Whenever it did read differently, the stick was old, even using pH 4.0 - 10.0 etc to readjust it wouldn't help.

 

[NutNubie]

I have been meter testing multiple taps for the garden for weeks now and it fluctuates between 6.3 and 6.7. Online reports for the county states 7.1 ph levels along with a lot of scary shit lol.

 

[NutNubie]

None of the nutes smell horrible. They all have that nature emulsion smell. Nothing that will wake you up after a night of Jack. I am deciding on what to get new other than the new cal/mag currently using. Some people are saying to stop stressing get some fish emulsion and call it a day.

Tap water tests at 6.3-6.7ph. When the nutes are added it drops to a ph 3.x. Is that normal? Ph up gets me close but needs so much that TDS skyrockets to 3000+. Is that normal?

 

[BudgetGrower]

I used to adjust the ph level after i mixed in the bio grow, bio bloom etc, thinking back, the plant food effected the ph level.
Its like add honey in late flower, don't know if many grower add but that has a very low ph.

 

[N1ghtL1ght]

How much ppm has your tapwater?

 

[N1ghtL1ght]

Ph up gets me close but needs so much that TDS skyrockets to 3000+.

Your pH+ is Potassium-hydroxide? If so, 3000ppms would just totally break any sane nute formulation.