Are pH Fluctuations Good or Bad?

[Gingerbeard]

This is a trick question. I'm posting a quote I came across some time ago that goes against a lot of what we post for a particular issue. But it makes sense.
If you know where this came from, please don't say.

"Why is it a good idea to let the pH cover a range instead of always adjusting to the exact same pH number? Some nutrients are better absorbed at slightly higher pH readings, while others are absorbed better at lower pH readings. Not having to try to pinpoint an exact number also saves a lot of unnecessary frustration."

[DW2]

Howdy Gingerbeard , I agree with that statement about the fluctuating pH levels. It makes since that as nutrients are taken up by the plants, the pH level should change. I mix up the water and nutrient mix to a pH 0f 5.75 to 6.0 and check the drainage at the next feed, usually the pH willl be around 6.35 to 6.5. The plants seem to do well with this.

[Ckbrew]

That is how I do it. Don't know where the quote is from but it sounds familiar. In coco I drift the Ph from 5.8 to 6.2.

[TOKABIGONE]

Sorry man, I don't pH anything. I have a small army that handles it no problem. LMAO, if I build an auto water system I won't have to open the tent for 5 months!

[Gingerbeard]

I agree with the statement, as well. But so much of our advice to folks is there's a pH fluctuation. When a constant is met, no more leaf issues.
Does anyone up or down their pH between vegetation and flowering?

[Farmbuck]

I lowered it during veg by .5 but during flowering I kept it the same as my tap water level of 7.0. Before it was a constant adjustment between feeds. Maybe autos are not that hard to grow.

[Gingerbeard]

I'm looking at your grow info for your medium and nutes. Does any of that take care of it? I know when I first started growing I was using the GOBox supplements. They adjusted the pH for me.

[TOKABIGONE]

I believe if you establish a healthy microbe population you can avoid pH issues no matter your medium. I've proven it to myself!

[Gingerbeard]

Farmbuck I did a few dabs and decided to look at your Fafard. The gist is (especially) Canadian peat moss has a very low pH. Do a Ctrl+F to find 'Sphagnum' on the page. Or however you search for words. The word appears three times in the same paragraph, nowhere else, if that helps. Under 'Decreasing the Soil pH.'
I can probably find this answer on GWE. But here I am. Here we are. How does SPMoss mix with coco and perlite? It also makes me think about other folks who don't down pH when it's high from the source, or if it drops dramatically at run-off.
Two more dabs, rig master!
Soil pH in The Home Garden | Horticulture and Home Pest News (iastate.edu)

[Gingerbeard]

Also found this about banning peat moss compost in the UK.

[TOKABIGONE]

Yeah, it's a rapidly dwindling resource that's why. Only a few years supply left in the world! No more once it's gone. Coir is in good supply and is renewable. I think coir is better overall as Moss is very acidic.

[Gingerbeard]

Remember I'm high, TOBone. Isn't there a lot of human detritus in those bogs? Sacrificed mummies? Living conditions? How will that effect archaeological digs and explorations and museum stuff? Maybe this will open a market for the depletion of another country's peat resources for import. Black market bog.

[gbauto]

When I run my RDWC system, I will let the ph drift from a start point of 5.5 and it will usually drift up towards 6.5 over the course of the 10-14 days between system dumps.
On coco and soil, I just ph the feed solution for the medium and then let the micro-biome do the rest.

[bboyfromwayback]

I only have one grow from a reservoir under my belt but a gradual drift seemed to be ok. The plants didn’t mind if ph started off at 5.8-5.9 and drifted up to 6.3-6.5 in 10-14 days. However, they did not like a fast change. When I started off I ran the pump too often and ph would go from 5.8-6.4 in a couple days which showed in the leaves pretty quick.

When I hand watered I never ph’d the same. Nute days I’d go
lower and keep ph higher with plain water. Seemed to work

[LemonBud]

So if you have it at a certain ph how will the other nutes be taken in. You can only feed so much.

[MagicMike66]

I only grow in coco and I feed between 6-6.3 and always seems to work for me.