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Soil PH

E

Ejay

New member
1st ever grow here. I have a question about soil PH. I PH the water to 6.5 after nutes, when I test my run off water it is at 6.0. I have a soil PH meter in the soil that is reading a PH of 8. Do I need to do something to the soil itself to bring the PH down, or as long as my intake PH and run off PH are good it is all good?
 
All is good Ejay - don't worry too much about soil ph. I don't - never even tested my runoff, but I'm lazy. I just worry about what's going in - cuz at the nutrients stage I have already grown my roots properly to make them happy, which makes for a productive plant.
 
I am using General Hydroponics PH up and Aqua Chem PH down (I always have the Aqua Chem granular on hand for my pool water) My probe is a 3 way water/light/ph soil probe from local hatchery. My PH meter for water is a cheap Amazon buy, seems to work correctly.
 
Those soil probes are not really accurate. Also if the water going in is good and runoff is good then your good.
 
Depending o the type of soil, you likely don't need nutes for the first few weeks anyways. The soil overall acts as a buffer so the run off may or may not be accurate. Best thing to do is remember that the PH tester needs to be properly calibrated. I never assume they are "factory" calibrated so i do it myself. Most of them come with a couple of pouches of calibration powder. all you need is some distilled water to test with and you're golden here is a good video on it GrowAce.com - How to Calibrate Your PH Meter for Hydroponics and Nutrients - YouTube

Just make sure when you PH test the water that you mix the nutes in first which it sounds like you are doing.

I wouldn't bother with a soil PH meter because only the expensive ones seem to work...
 
Thank you, I will just set the soil tester to moisture then. I do have the 2 pouches of powder for calibration, went ahead and mixed them both in appropriate amount of water (in small mason jars, labeled). I am thinking with the jars being sealed that I can reuse the mixtures for calibration.
I am about 35 days into veg now. I think they look pretty good for first timer with a black thumb. I'll try do add some pics later.
 
I am thinking of adding a Mars SP 250 to my 4x4x80 tent, have 2 Kingled 1200's in there now, overkill? Or are the KingLed ok for 3 plants? I've read mixed reviews on the KingLed's, but with wife in my ear I went cheap.
 
Day 35. I have trimmed the crap out of them and have been trying to spread them out for light penetration. Hopefully I haven't trimmed them too much.
1 GG#4
1 Wedding Cake
1 I have no friggin idea
 

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Forget the probe. Sorry. I have one of those, too. I've never been able to get a reading lower than 8.
I only used the things in high school chemistry. But next time I need to do any pH checking, I'm buying litmus strips.
I don't know from different types of pH products. Is using a swimming pool product for growing okay?
 
It seems to work well, takes very little to lower the PH. I just make sure it is mixed/dissolved well.
 
I did a quick google (pool pH for cannabis) and got nothing but 'no's' for using pool products. Pick your own site. Something about salts.
 
Sorry to keep being a bummer. Only get pH up if your water is usually low pH. Get the one you will use the most. You can dilute with more water. I found that the pH down tang (orange bottle) can be extremely strong, half a drop brings pH down to 3.5, one time. Same source of water the next time and it takes 2 ml.
I'm saying all this because I've been down your road. I got away from pH'ing altogether with the nutes, as I mentioned. They are a supplement more than fertilizer. They are low N-P-K so I can use them every other day, or three, without nute issue. I'll be upping them for this grow because of the low N-P-K thing.
 
Not being a bummer at all, I am a total Noob! Smoked for 30+ years, never grown.
If I use my filtered water (brita filter) the PH is low. My tap water comes in just about 6.8
 
That's pretty good for tap, compared to where I am, as well as my machine water. Personally, I'm not sure I would do anything to it. Maybe change things when you get to flowering?
Leave tap water out before using it. It helps off-gas chlorine.
 
My water has chloramine which does not gas off, not all water plants use chlorine, so check with them as to whats in your water.
 
I used one of those for moisture, never again! I was sticking it into an area that held water/moisture, the rest was dry. I know lift the pot to determine moisture content, if its lite I water, if its not I dont. I have not used this probe in a long time.
 
That’s why I just went with living soil. No worry about ph. Just worry about watering the plant. And training. Leave the rest to the plant and soil to work it out.
 
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