Water pH will not stay balanced

[joe76jm]

So I have two 50 gallon drums filled with water that have been sitting for about 10 days inside my grow area. I make my own soil so there have been no nutrients or anything else added to the drums. My problem is this. My pH was around 7.8 to start so I added some pH down and got it to around 5.9 to 6.2. A few hours later it was back up to dawn near 8.5. I am using tap water, which I have used in at least 6 other grows without a problem. I usually let the buckets of water sit for a few days so some chlorine can evaporate out, and then adjust the pH accordingly. Never had an issue. I will eventually hook up a reverse osmosis system, but right now its not in my budget. And neither is buying enough distilled water to water 24 plants in 7 gallon pots every cpl days. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[SmokerBwah]

You don’t need to evap the chlorine out the water that’s more work. Just get a little attachment that screws on your hose for 20 bucks that’s it

 

[sshz]

A pH drift is perfectly normal, I'm not sure what your concerns are. A lot of what's going on is probably the type of pH up/down you are using. I use a R.O. device and my container still drifts, after fertilizer is added. Just pH it to where it should be right before using, no big deal.

 

[joe76jm]

Thank you for your advice. My biggest concern was that the pH would drift in the soil and mess with the plants. My current pH down is just General Hydroponics. I know its not great, but its worked for me before. My local grow supply store said they have some much better for me

 

[MIMedGrower]

Contrary to popular forum belief tap water (unless extremely hard and even then takes a lot of applications) wont change buffered potting soil ph.

 

[sshz]

Most soils come with lime added......which helps keep the soils pH inline to where it should be. If you adjust the pH before watering, and you soil isn’t too acidic to begin with- your soil pH will stay in a proper range for the plants.

 

[joe76jm]

Thanks for the info man. I do add dolomite lime when I make my soil. And I know that the pH levels can change in a reservoir over time. I had just never seen it fluctuate like that in the course of a couple hours

 

[sshz]

Mine goes upward after just an hour or so and rises thru the night......normally from 6.2 after adjustment to 6.6-6.7 by the next morning. It's perfectly normal................

 

[SmokerBwah]

Make sure there’s no algae growing in there. That can change your ph too. Gotta have plenty of air stones too

 

[joe76jm]

Yeah I have all brand new airstones that work great. I'll keep an eye on algae. I usually cycle through the water every week and its not sitting in the sun so hopefully that doesn't become an issue

 

[Aqua Man]

As others stated don't fuck with the ph the soil will buffer it and the more you add the more you increase your chances of a negative outcome.

Your nutrients will usually lower pH of the water and the soil will do the rest. If you insist on phing never ph until after adding nutrients.

 

[Week4Bytch]

Here's the thing and someone already mentioned it here, if your water is too hard or high in alkalinity, it's gonna buffer the pH back up no matter what you put in it. In a large enough pot the soil should be the ultimate last say as to what that pH will eventually be. The water will evaporate. I use to RO and it was a chore, tried a few grow from tap (which is hard and high in alkalinity) and I found my 20 gallon soil pots had no trouble keeping the soils pH in balance, usually around 6.5 pH, I'd add the limestone but the hard water is already full of hard water deposits so maybe not that great of an ideal. If you ever come across potassium problems (lack off) then look to your water source (hard water) potentially blocking it. I'm flirting with using some Langbeinite to counter this, but that in itself is a whole other topic.