Newbie grower continues to mess up pH

[90Gizmo]

My meter was sooo far out of calibration plus it had brown and black scuz around the bottom. Instructions say to clean it after each use and store it wet with distilled water. I'd just been putting it away dripping with that water from the runoff test. Got to follow instruction better. Okay. Four months is too long to go without checking calibration. Better luck next grow (which is just starting to veg.)

[OldManGrower]

Sorry to hear about your problem. Been there and done that. Most of what I now know is based on the screw ups I did previously. It's all a part of the process.

[DW2]

Howdy 90Gizmo, glad to hear that you found and fixed the problem. I do not use the pH test meters because of all of the problems with them. I have reverted back to my old school days and use, and rely on, the paper pH test strips. The test strips require no batteries, cleaning, calibrating, or special storage. The test strips do need to be kept out of bright light and/or sunlight though and they are accurate enough for checking the pH giving the results in 0.25 increments.
Good luck with your grow and I hope that your plants recover and finish out well.

[changeofpace2014]

meters are not cheap...I always have a bottle of distilled water and ph reference solution at the mixing station (sink).. Once the meter is calibrated I will use that solution to keep the probe wet or moist with the cap on..Put a piece of paper towel in the cap and soak it with your old cal solution...Always rinse it off with distilled water after every use. To be honest I just had an issue bringing my meters back in to service after 2 years off... The ec meter would not cal until I lost patience and excepted I was going to have to replace something else..(dam movers) any how it started working after I slapped on the counter..lol

[Ckbrew]

Take it from a retired lab rat, pH meters suck and are a pita to use even for retired lab rats. I use pH papers.

[DW2]

Well said! Ckbrew

[dilvish]

I'd flush the shit out of the big one. Looks like maybe nitrogen toxicity. Rinse out the soil real good with 3 times the volume and see if it recovers after letting it sit for about 4-7 days.

[90Gizmo]

Nitrogen toxicity was my first guess but I decided not because I'd only fed the plant twice... I flushed with a gallon and a half and maybe wishful thinking but seems like the leaves are picking up.

[Blowdout2269]

I finally decided to buy a BlueLabs pen. Not cheap, but I love it! It stays in calibration for a long time and reminds me to calibrate after so many uses. I'm super anal and paranoid about is handling, storage, and cleaning though. I do still use litmus paper on occasion. Mostly when I'm being lazy, lol.

[90Gizmo]

I'd thought that test strips wouldn't give accurate readings on runoff because of all the extra stuff in it. I think I'm reading that that's not the case? I'm not that good with colors but I did it when we had a pool. I like the pen because it's easier for me read but a like the idea of doing a regular sanity check with a test strip too.

[changeofpace2014]

I would read them in Day Light, because some lights will change the appearance of the color.

[90Gizmo]

Thanks for all the help! I've started looking for strips but came up with choice of buffered vs. Lo-ion types. Claims Lo-ion is better for water, one minute soak vs instant read. It convinced me. I ordered that (more expensive) type.

[Ckbrew]

What I use.

https://www.amazon.com/Hydrion-Chart-Dispenser-5-5-8-0-Range/dp/B00QLBVP74/ref=sr_1_21_mod_primary_sns?keywords=ph+test+strips&qid=1666553508&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjM0IiwicXNhIjoiNC4xNiIsInFzcCI6IjQuMTAifQ%3D%3D&sbo=GLaw0Fx56FiNH%2FiZ%2B6XKiQ%3D%3D&sprefix=ph+%2Caps%2C418&sr=8-21

[90Gizmo]

I liked that one but it kept saying "not for water." I got this other one same brand. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045I6G92...t_details&th=1

[Blowdout2269]

I use the same as Ckbrew.
Hydrion also has some low number ones that I use for canning as well.