Soil PH 5.3 should I Ph up?

[zoneman]

Any help is appreciated, My well water is at 7.9 after mixing liquid nutrition is at 6.6 soil reading at 5.3 PH liquid nutrition feed. plain water soil is at 5.9 Should I PH up before feed or watering ? My potting mix is 3 part peat moss, 3 part cow manure, and 2 part perlite. Thanks in advance

 

[PurpleGreen]

To achieve a more optimal pH range for your plants, you can adjust the pH of your water or nutrient solution before feeding or watering. Since your soil pH is already on the acidic side, you may need to use a pH-up solution to raise the pH of your water or nutrient solution. Aim for a pH range of around 6.0 to 6.5 for soil cultivation

 

[TomH]

I’m only just scratching the surface of understanding soil, but that seems like a very acidic mix. Peat and manure both are acidic, if I recall correctly.
Maybe some lime in there might have been a good idea?

Just a thought.

 

[BigBlonde]

Do you have plants growing in that soil? If so, some pictures would be helpful.

 

[Harpua88]

Any help is appreciated, My well water is at 7.9 after mixing liquid nutrition is at 6.6 soil reading at 5.3 PH liquid nutrition feed. plain water soil is at 5.9 Should I PH up before feed or watering ? My potting mix is 3 part peat moss, 3 part cow manure, and 2 part perlite. Thanks in advance

How about some regular old soil in there for balance? Peat and manure should be the additions to soil, perlite for lightness and air.

 

[BudgetGrower]

I’m only just scratching the surface of understanding soil, but that seems like a very acidic mix. Peat and manure both are acidic, if I recall correctly.
Maybe some lime in there might have been a good idea?

Just a thought.

I use compost high in peat moss(low ph) so I can add garden lime and the soil becomes ph neutral.

understanding soil

Good luck, depending on the amount of water the soil is holding, this has a direct effective on the PH level and the EC.
water will dilute the plant food in the soil (ec goes down) and this causes PH to go up.

The room temperature will have a direct effect on humidity and the humidity will have a direct effect on the root mass, airflow also effects the root mass
If you have high humidity you need to grow in smaller pots(so they dry out quicker and release less moisture into the air) with 20% perlite or sand added to the mix
if you have low humidity, use larger pots, this will release some moisture into the air and help to increase the humidity under the canopy, reducing airflow will help.

 

[zoneman]

To achieve a more optimal pH range for your plants, you can adjust the pH of your water or nutrient solution before feeding or watering. Since your soil pH is already on the acidic side, you may need to use a pH-up solution to raise the pH of your water or nutrient solution. Aim for a pH range of around 6.0 to 6.5 for soil cultivation

Is there something I can add to the soil

I use compost high in peat moss(low ph) so I can add garden lime and the soil becomes ph neutral.

Good luck, depending on the amount of water the soil is holding, this has a direct effective on the PH level and the EC.
water will dilute the plant food in the soil (ec goes down) and this causes PH to go up.

The room temperature will have a direct effect on humidity and the humidity will have a direct effect on the root mass, airflow also effects the root mass
If you have high humidity you need to grow in smaller pots(so they dry out quicker and release less moisture into the air) with 20% perlite or sand added to the mix
if you have low humidity, use larger pots, this will release some moisture into the air and help to increase the humidity under the canopy, reducing airflow will help.

im using 3 gallon fabric pot, 70% full, hold about 2 liter water, ph is 5.3 after 30 minutes it’s too late to add lime in the pot to help with ph now. Should I ph up to 8.3 so after I can get something around 6.2 in the soil

 

[zoneman]

How about some regular old soil in there for balance? Peat and manure should be the additions to soil, perlite for lightness and air.

I will try that on my next run

 

[BudgetGrower]

Is there something I can add to the soil

im using 3 gallon fabric pot, 70% full, hold about 2 liter water, ph is 5.3 after 30 minutes it’s too late to add lime in the pot to help with ph now. Should I ph up to 8.3 so after I can get something around 6.2 in the soil

I would remove as much top soil as you can, add a little more compost if you have any, so it fills the pot about 85%
before adding the compost to the pots, mix 1tbsp of garden lime into the compost, mix it up really well in a bucket.
The lime will pull the PH back in range over a few weeks, you can top dress with 1tbsp every 2 weeks.
your ph is a little low, using ph up(8.3) might pull it the other way too fast and do more damage.
but you could use ph up in the water(6.5), so it raises the ph over the next 2 weeks.
you want to raise the ph slow in the root mass.

 

[TomH]

I would remove as much top soil as you can, add a little more compost if you have any, so it fills the pot about 85%
before adding the compost to the pots, mix 1tbsp of garden lime into the compost, mix it up really well in a bucket.
The lime will pull the PH back in range over a few weeks, you can top dress with 1tbsp every 2 weeks.
your ph is a little low, using ph up(8.3) might pull it the other way too fast and do more damage.
but you could use ph up in the water(6.5), so it raises the ph over the next 2 weeks.
you want to raise the ph slow in the root mass.

This seems like a pretty good way to get your roots back to a supportive environment.

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

Any help is appreciated, My well water is at 7.9 after mixing liquid nutrition is at 6.6 soil reading at 5.3 PH liquid nutrition feed. plain water soil is at 5.9 Should I PH up before feed or watering ? My potting mix is 3 part peat moss, 3 part cow manure, and 2 part perlite. Thanks in advance

I'm going to be blunt honest with you... All the "maybe" add pH "up" or garden lime responses are only going to lead you deeper down a path of distress. It's very difficult if not impossible to adjust the pH of soil that has a plant in it. This approach simply doesn't work.

Can you post pictures of this plant? It might be worth seeing to be able to judge if its save-able or not. If it's small enough to transplant without a ton of root damage, then consider transplanting the plant immediately into soil that pH's correctly.

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

I would remove as much top soil as you can, add a little more compost if you have any, so it fills the pot about 85%
before adding the compost to the pots, mix 1tbsp of garden lime into the compost, mix it up really well in a bucket.
The lime will pull the PH back in range over a few weeks, you can top dress with 1tbsp every 2 weeks.
your ph is a little low, using ph up(8.3) might pull it the other way too fast and do more damage.
but you could use ph up in the water(6.5), so it raises the ph over the next 2 weeks.
you want to raise the ph slow in the root mass.

Are you sure you don't mean dolomite lime?

Garden lime is quite reactive and all those tablespoons will end up being too much quite quickly in a 3 to 5 gallon pot. I still think the best thing would be for the OP to post some pictures of the plants. As @TomH was getting at ... the soil is quite acidic and isn't going to be suitable for cannabis. If the plant can be transplanted into a soil mix that pH's correctly, that would be what I would do.

 

[Harpua88]

I'm going to be blunt honest with you... All the "maybe" add pH "up" or garden lime responses are only going to lead you deeper down a path of distress. It's very difficult if not impossible to adjust the pH of soil that has a plant in it. This approach simply doesn't work.

Can you post pictures of this plant? It might be worth seeing to be able to judge if its save-able or not. If it's small enough to transplant without a ton of root damage, then consider transplanting the plant immediately into soil that pH's correctly.

I tend to agree that it's certainly difficult, and real fundamental soil Ph problems aren't easy to fix. But you might as well do something, at least to get through and finish a grow. I've had success adding finely powdered lime to water.......just enough to make a difference to soil that's just a little out of range, maybe by .2

 

[Harpua88]

Are you sure you don't mean dolomite lime?

Garden lime is quite reactive and all those tablespoons will end up being too much quite quickly in a 3 to 5 gallon pot. I still think the best thing would be for the OP to post some pictures of the plants. As @TomH was getting at ... the soil is quite acidic and isn't going to be suitable for cannabis. If the plant can be transplanted into a soil mix that pH's correctly, that would be what I would do.

Yeah, Dolomite lime is most likely best, you'll get some magnesium. It can help for minor Ph issues, but should be used minimally. It can take time, I've only used very fine/powdered lime, and in small amounts.

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

Yeah, Dolomite lime is most likely best, you'll get some magnesium. It can help for minor Ph issues, but should be used minimally. It can take time, I've only used very fine/powdered lime, and in small amounts.

Garden lime is for outdoor gardening. It's applied at x number of pounds per acre based on the lab results received when you the farmer had the soil tested .... So yes, garden lime has a place in gardening. It's just too strong for small container gardening. Indoors, dolomite is the answer. Even when miscalculated, it won't bring your soil pH up above 7.0. That's the beauty of using dolomite. The finer the powder, the quicker it can be broken down and used by your plants. Almost every place that sells plant food sells dolomite.

 

[BudgetGrower]

Are you sure you don't mean dolomite lime?

Garden lime is quite reactive and all those tablespoons will end up being too much quite quickly in a 3 to 5 gallon pot. I still think the best thing would be for the OP to post some pictures of the plants. As @TomH was getting at ... the soil is quite acidic and isn't going to be suitable for cannabis. If the plant can be transplanted into a soil mix that pH's correctly, that would be what I would do.

Well it has a good amont of calcium and magnesium and I would have thought the plants would use it in 2-3 weeks, I will soon find out, I have top dressed my plants with "Westland garden lime"(very fine powder)and dry plant food, there In 14ltr buckets

Top dress, day 14 in flower and again day 25, day 29 there looking ok but thanks, maybe I got lucky, I will cut the amount down to 1/2 tbsp.

My soil is 60 peatmoss, I have not tested the pH but it likely to be on the low side (5-6)

 

[zoneman]

I'm going to be blunt honest with you... All the "maybe" add pH "up" or garden lime responses are only going to lead you deeper down a path of distress. It's very difficult if not impossible to adjust the pH of soil that has a plant in it. This approach simply doesn't work.

Can you post pictures of this plant? It might be worth seeing to be able to judge if it’s save-able or not. If it's small enough to transplant without a ton of root damage, then consider transplanting the plant immediately into soil that pH's correctly.

The plant itself don’t look bad,

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

The plant itself don’t look bad,

You might be able to save that plant. Just don't stress it more by placing it flower until you get things straightened out.

 

[Spirit]

People worry too much about ph and such. Your mix with 1/3 cow manure likely contains all the nutrients the plant needs to complete its growth cycle including flower, with just water. But you are also using liquid nutrition. You are more likely to kill the plant with over fertilization than if you used plain water. The picture makes the pot look too small, unless it's an auto flower. If I were you I would just water with your plain ph7.9 water, and supplement once a week with 1/2 strength nutes. The plant pictured looks healthy, and already at it's max nutrient limit. If your plant is that healthy and has grown that much under your current system, you have no worries, except you may need to upgrade to a larger pot. As good as she looks, I'd use that exact mix you used with the first round, it's fine.

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

People worry too much about ph and such. Your mix with 1/3 cow manure likely contains all the nutrients the plant needs to complete its growth cycle including flower, with just water. But you are also using liquid nutrition. You are more likely to kill the plant with over fertilization than if you used plain water. The picture makes the pot look too small, unless it's an auto flower. If I were you I would just water with your plain ph7.9 water, and supplement once a week with 1/2 strength nutes. The plant pictured looks healthy, and already at it's max nutrient limit. If your plant is that healthy and has grown that much under your current system, you have no worries, except you may need to upgrade to a larger pot. As good as she looks, I'd use that exact mix you used with the first round, it's fine.

When the OP up-pots, that would be the perfect time to put the plant in a potting mix in the correct pH range. I still think that this would be best.

However, staying with what he has is going to be a better idea than trying to alter pH on the fly. It's the using chemicals part to alter things that has the potential for disaster.

Best practice in soil would be to start with a mix in the proper pH range. Both calcium and magnesium are best absorbed around 6.5 pH. Once the plant is put into flower the soil pH will show itself through calcium and magnesium deficiency in that acidic soil.