SOIL PH Question

[ezmaarc]

So I'm in week 2 of my Tangie-matic. They look real good and are progressing nicely.
The soil was ready for new moisture and PH check was 5.8. A little low, but not too bad. So I mixed my low doses of Cal Mag, FF Grow Big and Neptune liquid kelp and balanced the PH to 6.6 with hopes to bring the soil PH up a bit and hoping for about a 6.2 or 3.

After feeding, the soil measured a PH of 3.8. Gave em some plain water at a 6.8 and it brought em up to about a 4.1, but I'm pretty confused by this and need to call on my GWE family for advice.

BTW - This happened last feeding about 3 days ago too. And scared the bajesus out of me. My daily soil PH testing had it rising of course to today's 5.8 prior to my feeding today.

So, can anyone sooth my soul? Or offer me some advice?

Funny how one day you think you're getting the hang of this growing thing, and the next day you're crapping your pants.

Thanks in advance,
EZ crapping his pants....

[Bluey]

You're likely getting erroneous readings.

I no longer measure runoff as it is imprecise and would have me killing my plants if I followed past readings.

Let your plants tell their story and feed at recommended pH for soil.

I never pH'ed my water for outdoor soil grows but I know it was likely 6.8ish given its source.

Try not to do runoff in a soil grow, it washes the nitrates out.

[Rwise]

Have you done a slurry PH test on the soil? My soil hit 7.4 with simple tests, but the slurry test gave 8.4PH.
Tell us about your PH testing, not all equipment is mint to use, some is mint only to sell. I had one of those 2 prong testers it was not accurate and has been trashed, replaced with a blue labs unit.
How bout a pic of the plant, reading the leaves can tell a lot.

[shadycon]

Do you check your water? Before and after mixing nutrients Those cheap multi testers are junk...

[ezmaarc]

Thanks for the replies and thats a good suggestion about the equipment (pretty cheap testers). I did indeed test the water before and after mixing nutes.
Even with the cheap testers it’s consistent though.
I haven’t tried a slurry test but thats a good idea. Due to PH arguably being the most important part of a grow, I may spring for more quality equipment.
Here’s a pick from this morning. Girls still looking real healthy and PH is again slowly creeping back up.

[Rwise]

Me Myself and I, would top dress with pelleted Dolomite lime (and wood ash) as PH+ buffers. The dolomite will melt with water and soak into the soil. As long as the buffers are available the plant will move them around and adjust the soil PH as it wants.

[ezmaarc]

LOVE this suggestion! Thanks Rwise!

[Going2fast]

Sounds like you're killing them with nutes this early on a soil grow. Plus your nutes lower the pH of your water. Lay off the nutes till they ask for it and ph to 7 for a few waterings. You want 6 to 7 all of the time in soil. And I recommend adding 1/4 cup of dolomite lime to the top 1" of soil for natural buffering as already suggested.

[ezmaarc]

Thanks Going2fast !

[Rootsruler]

What soil are you using? It should already have buffers in it. I still pH my feed solutions even in dirt. Old hydro habit.