What happens when your soil is PH7 and you water with PH6.5
PH information needed
- Thread starter oldmaninbc
- Start date
PadawanWarrior
Well-known member
How are you testing soil pH? I doubt it's as high as you think.
But to answer the question, nothing will happen. The microbes should keep the pH pretty stable.
In hydro the soil pH will slowly lower until it's closer to the 6.5 coming in.
But to answer the question, nothing will happen. The microbes should keep the pH pretty stable.
In hydro the soil pH will slowly lower until it's closer to the 6.5 coming in.
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Put a soil sample in a small container, add a capsule of powder provided in the kit, add water and shake, compare color of water to color chart.
I had to change my soil medium this grow and trying a new medium. It's a work in progress.
I was almost thinking the PH might be even higher than 7 not 8
PadawanWarrior
Well-known member
Sounds like a type of slurry test. Did you use distilled water with it? Got a pic of the plant?
At this time it has nothing to do with a plant, I'm only interested in knowing about the relationship between a high PH soil and a lesser PH water.
Yes, I used distilled water we use with our steam cleaner.
Ca++
Well-known member
6.5 is an interesting pH number. It can be because the water is near pure, and offers no buffering that would ever add up to something. Pure would be 7, but is often seen as 6.5 due to carbon from the air being absorbed.
Both are numbers that might be coming off test papers to.
Both are numbers that might be coming off test papers to.
I'm taking tap water that is PH7 and using vinegar to lower it to 6.5 then watering soil that is a highPH7.
Wanting to understand how a lower PH water will effect a highPH7 soil
Wanting to understand how a lower PH water will effect a highPH7 soil
PadawanWarrior
Well-known member
Soil has buffers (like calcium carbonate) that keep the pH stable. Microbes help with that too.
Watering with lower pH water will use up the buffer faster but the microbes will still keep working to keep the pH in a decent range. If that makes any sense.
I doubt your soil is really as high as you think though. But if you have no plant in there it's hard for me to say what's up.
Depends what "Dirt' you're growing in...
What else is in the the water chemical makeup. It's pH 6.5 ok. What is the limiting factor in your water, the calcium or other additives from the water company that might cause an issue with some 'Dirt'.
Standard potting mix, indoors.. I wouldn't bother doing pH. Just Recycle it into the veg plot and get some fresh stuff.
I'll say something for pH. I've watched it for years..
More recently I've been growing it a modified NFT system and having good returns in coir and I've ran it all year and never done the pH.
Had no issues.
What else is in the the water chemical makeup. It's pH 6.5 ok. What is the limiting factor in your water, the calcium or other additives from the water company that might cause an issue with some 'Dirt'.
Standard potting mix, indoors.. I wouldn't bother doing pH. Just Recycle it into the veg plot and get some fresh stuff.
I'll say something for pH. I've watched it for years..
More recently I've been growing it a modified NFT system and having good returns in coir and I've ran it all year and never done the pH.
Had no issues.
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aCBD
Well-known member
A base ph of 7 in soil is not low nor high imo but watering with a lower ph level will bring it down, temporarily.
You will have some ph swings which isn't a bad thing.
Over the long period it depends on amendments in the soil that break down like dolomite lime or added fertilizer (guano, worm humus,kelp,..) which can also result in minor ph swings. The soil can swing to the ph you're watering with over time since the buffers get depleted but the bigger the size of the pot, the lower the risk of it happening.
What did you put in your soil?
What was your ph you started with?
Standard potting soil is often in the ph range of 5.8-6.2 and nice to work with. Writing down my recipe makes no sense cause you're already cooking BUT if you think your ph is too high, you can add a handful of worm humus/worm castings (stabilizes ph) or cocos to bring it down since they both have a low ph.
Sorry i drifted away..
You will have some ph swings which isn't a bad thing.
Over the long period it depends on amendments in the soil that break down like dolomite lime or added fertilizer (guano, worm humus,kelp,..) which can also result in minor ph swings. The soil can swing to the ph you're watering with over time since the buffers get depleted but the bigger the size of the pot, the lower the risk of it happening.
What did you put in your soil?
What was your ph you started with?
Standard potting soil is often in the ph range of 5.8-6.2 and nice to work with. Writing down my recipe makes no sense cause you're already cooking BUT if you think your ph is too high, you can add a handful of worm humus/worm castings (stabilizes ph) or cocos to bring it down since they both have a low ph.
Sorry i drifted away..
Ca++
Well-known member
pH7 water might be very low EC to begin with. Basically not enough dirt in it, to effect the amount of dirt in the pots.
Acetic Acid is rarely used, as it's got no staying power. Many people expect it to work on the soil pH over time, but I would want to see study results before believing that. For a better look at that, correct a cup of water today, and test it again tomorrow. Even in low EC sterile conditions, I don't think it will remain stable for long.
Acetic Acid is rarely used, as it's got no staying power. Many people expect it to work on the soil pH over time, but I would want to see study results before believing that. For a better look at that, correct a cup of water today, and test it again tomorrow. Even in low EC sterile conditions, I don't think it will remain stable for long.
PadawanWarrior
Well-known member
I never adjust pH in soil either. My soil is 6 years old now and whenever I've tested pH it's always right around 6.3. I water with well water that has a pH around 7.9.I use sunshine mix #5 and jacks pro and never adjust ph using tap water.
Have never adjusted ph and have always used tap water no matter where the grow was.
You can avoid the whole issue of ph should you choose to.
Low ph water has more hydrogen ions, so it fks with cation exchange like paddy mentioned mostly. Soil of 8ph don't bother plants...to get real advanced look into pwEC but it's just headache reading honestly. Soil dont need ph adjusting unless you really REALLY fkt up
Asking if I used distilled water...I went and looked again at the bottle I was taking distilled water from and realized there was 2 bottles and the Mrs had plain tap water in one of the bottles, which was marked on a piece of masking tape. I realized I was using the wrong water. I did the test over and it came out at 6PH, which makes a lot more sense to me.
One thing different from decades of growing is...for the first time ever I used a 30% addition of Sea Soil compost to my mix which has a PH of 5.5. When I initially blended my mix I failed to take into account the Sea Soil at 5.5PH. I need to add a bit more dolomite and it should be good.
Thanks for causing me to have a second thought about my PH test
I'm going into my 76th year and can think I'm doing something when I'm not or not doing something and thinking I am.
Zeta Reticuli
Well-known member
Nothing will happend,7.0 PH is great for organic soil grows,maybe you can use a little apple vinegar
when you give nutrients or just plain water,dont worry man.
when you give nutrients or just plain water,dont worry man.
PadawanWarrior
Well-known member
Glad you got it figured out. I had a feeling it wasn't as high as you thought.
OK im gonna go ahead and deep dive this,
There are alot more questions we should have prob asked
We talking in the ground or in a container ?
Real soil or a potting mix ?
Soil pH - Wikipedia
The main method is a saturated media extract (SME),
which tests the chemical contents of a water extract of the mix.[13][15]
Reference levels for potting mix by the SME method[13][a]
Potting soil - Wikipedia
Heres a few helpful links
Further id ask what problem your experiencing
Cannabis Nutrient Deficiencies & Excesses | Jorge Cervantes
Cannabis Nutrient Deficiencies & Excesses
jorge-cervantes.com
Here's a thread I spent way too muh time on
