measuring pH of teas/dark colored water

[master shake]

I want to start using molasses, but I don't know how I can measure pH after mixing it in. I'm cheap and use liquid test kit, just take a sample of water and add a couple drops of solution and compare color to a chart. Well since adding a TBS of molasses makes the water quite brown, I assume this will affect the color produced when adding the pH drops. Does anyone know the pH value of molasses? Or will the color of water not affect anything??

thanks for the help

 

[BurnOne]

pH isn't an issue in organics. Read the sticky at the top for beginners. And molasses alone isn't going to "feed" anything. Molasses provides carbohydrates to the bacteria that eat the organic matter and allows their wastes to feed the plant.
What's your method?
Burn1

 

[master shake]

pH isn't an issue in organics. Read the sticky at the top for beginners. And molasses alone isn't going to "feed" anything. Molasses provides carbohydrates to the bacteria that eat the organic matter and allows their wastes to feed the plant.
What's your method?
Burn1

yeah I'm familiar with the stickies, I know what molasses does. I'm keeping it simple, it's my first grow. I'm using ff happy frog soil, ff grow big and about to start using EJ Bloom. I know I should have, but didn't mix in any lime into the soil which is why I'm a bit concerned about pH. I had some problems earlier because the water I was using, tap mixed with spring, was way way to alkaline and showed effect on the plants. Since then I've switched to distilled water, pH of about 6 and adding the molasses and nutes I assume will lower the pH even more, and I don't want more pH problems now that they're in flowering. I have not yet fed anything, just water since switching to 12/12 about 9 days ago and I know they could use it.

thanks BurnOne!

 

[Guest]

Don't get caught in the PH game with organics. If you have a good micro-herd and lots of organic material you will be fine. It will work out. Have faith.
The guanos can be acidic and the kelp can go like 8.5 and .........and none of that matters once it hits the dirt.


Azeotrope

 

[master shake]

well since I've already had pH issues, minor, so I will worry a bit. I just want to know what my nuted and molasses water pH is without buying an expensive pH meter (at least not at the moment).

All I need to know is if the dark brown colored water will alter the displayed color after adding the pH drops, thus giving me a false reading.

 

[Guest]

Master Shake, I use Earth Juice Grow+Bloom and Molasses and I had crazy bad PH problems before like you(too Acidic). I am Very paranoid about PH problems and rightly so. Since I bought Earth Juice's Natural PH up and have been actually testing the tea I put in and the run off and calibrating them to 6.5 I have had crazy growth and no more damned spots!

PH might not be a concern for every organic grower but it was for me!
I use this method of testing...

I trust you use the same?

I suggest you get this...

and some plain old citric acid to lower it but I doubt you will have to lower your PH since Earth Juice is Crazy acidic.

Without the PH up my tea measures 4.5. In the RED!!!

Oh, by the way your question was can you test the PH of teas? The answer is absolutely! It works just fine! The color shows up very brightly with even muddy water. I trust you want Lime green(6.5)? Its all about the lime green huh?

 

[master shake]

Kaleem, thanks man that's what I needed to hear. Thats the same type of pH kit I use. Instead of the pH up product I can use spring water or tap water which has high pH. I'll also add some lime to the water which will help also.

 

[Guest]

add lots of lime and your straight .all you do is bubble the mix with a pump and air stone for like 24-48 hr.i like to do mine for like 2 days then feed some times i have shity leafs just on the bottom but ther are going to be just feed them every watering but light and thay will give you the best smoke.you got to love the guonos.

 

[Suby]

Lime doesn't dissolve well.
If you know your water source ph then work with it and don't worry about ph.
Your starting tap water is basic and EJ is acidic, skip the lime in your soil and use plenty of castings and don't fuss with the ph too much.
With a near neutral water source bubble EK as mentioned but remember distilled or similar are easily swayed in ph based on their very low EC.
Ph is a big debate it seems, I'm of the opinion that once you know your water source you don't need to test ph, the average newb grower does more damage than good fussing with ph.
The only time I've seem a proble are when the water's starting ph is high, these peeps need to skip lime and use plenty of fulvic and humic in their teas as well as to avoid things that mess ph badly like fish emulsion or wood ashes.

S

 

[Guest]

Suby -

Very well said! I couldn't agree more. So many people end up adding salts to their water to raise and lower the ph. If you have really high ph at the tap i'd bet you have a lot of calcium/mag or something else in there.

Azeotrope

 

[wickedpete66]

yeah I'm familiar with the stickies, I know what molasses does. I'm keeping it simple, it's my first grow. I'm using ff happy frog soil, ff grow big and about to start using EJ Bloom. I know I should have, but didn't mix in any lime into the soil which is why I'm a bit concerned about pH. I had some problems earlier because the water I was using, tap mixed with spring, was way way to alkaline and showed effect on the plants. Since then I've switched to distilled water, pH of about 6 and adding the molasses and nutes I assume will lower the pH even more, and I don't want more pH problems now that they're in flowering. I have not yet fed anything, just water since switching to 12/12 about 9 days ago and I know they could use it.

thanks BurnOne!

happy frog already has lime and oyster shells to control ph

 

[master shake]

cool thanks for pointing that out. I thought only the OF had the shells, thats cool the HF does too. I watered yesterday with some nute water that was about 4.5-5 on the pH and they are looking better than ever today. I did sprinkle 1 tbs/gal on top of the soil and watered in, but good to know there is already some in the soil.

I'll get some pics when they start budding and maybe postin a diary if anyone's interested.