What is the ideal soil water PH, straight, nute and run off?

[Guest]

Wow guys, I know your thinking, wow with a title like that he didn't search through shit. Fact of the matter is I searched this site and found so many answers. Not to mention no one clarifying hydro ph and soil ph which is extremeley different.

Well I have a slight problem. At first I thought it was a calcium deficiancy. So I treated as usually with some lime (that I didn't add to my soil mix in the first place). I thought this because EJ had no calcium in it.

Well it has been about 4 days since treatment and although spreading has slowed down, I am beginning to think there is a ph probem. So here are my quesitons.

1. My water come sout at exactly 7.0, is this too high? I usually bubble it for 48 hours then water when I use nutes, if it is just water, I use it straight out of tap at 7.0.
2. What is the IDEAL PH for soil?
3. What is the IDEAL PH for runoff (given your soil and nutes are in order)
4. What is better is there is such a thing, higher PH or lower PH?
5. After I add my nutes my ph goes to 6.2-6.5, what should the PH be WITH nutes?
6. After a PH correction how long does it take to see some recovery?

I have heard somke poeple like 5.8-6.0, some say 6.5 is perfect, other say 7.0 so I am looking for some consistancy in answers. If you answer any of them please give me the ideal PH of the water I should feed my ladies.

I have a little break here for the next couple days and need to seriously get this PH under control. So there is a good guidline for you to answer Thanks for all your guyses help.

 

[Guest]

bleh, got this

http://www.americanagritech.com/faq/faq.asp#1

anything wrong iwth that info let me know, cause this is what im goin by

 

[R00KIE]

Whats up fuzzy.... You should double check on what kind of line you put in there...
Make sure it was not hydrated lime cause that has a ph of 14....
Regular powdered dolomite is fine if thats what you used.... Personally I use the granule stuff.... I find it works well and I have never had a ph problem so far.....
What kind of soil are you using.... If your using a peat based with no nutrient you want your ph to be around 5.8 give or take a couple of points.....
If your using potting soil with nutrients already in it then you want a ph of high 6's ex:6.7-7.0 or so....
Your ph of your nute water should be basically whatever range you need to be in.... So if you are in soiless ph your water to 5.8-6.0 and soil ph it to the high 6's...
Normally when you do this the soil will adjust to the ph and take the same form....
The way to check your actual soil ph is to water you plants normally, after they're dry out of course... Let the runoff stop...
Then take 100 ml's of distilled water and pour through your pots...
Catch the runoff in another container and check the ph of that....
I think thats got most of your q's...
You should drop a line in the infirmary as well...
They can help you lots in there too....
clicky

 

[R00KIE]

Just checked that link, that ph is for soiless mix more than anything.....
Also don't go by that ppm chart...
Way too high... seedlings should not get 500 and a budding plant should normally not go over 1200-1400 ppm..
How much are you feeding them btw.. Could be that your nutes are too strong causing lockout....

 

[Guest]

Whats up fuzzy.... You should double check on what kind of line you put in there...
Make sure it was not hydrated lime cause that has a ph of 14....
Regular powdered dolomite is fine if thats what you used.... Personally I use the granule stuff.... I find it works well and I have never had a ph problem so far.....
What kind of soil are you using.... If your using a peat based with no nutrient you want your ph to be around 5.8 give or take a couple of points.....
If your using potting soil with nutrients already in it then you want a ph of high 6's ex:6.7-7.0 or so....
Your ph of your nute water should be basically whatever range you need to be in.... So if you are in soiless ph your water to 5.8-6.0 and soil ph it to the high 6's...
Normally when you do this the soil will adjust to the ph and take the same form....
The way to check your actual soil ph is to water you plants normally, after they're dry out of course... Let the runoff stop...
Then take 100 ml's of distilled water and pour through your pots...
Catch the runoff in another container and check the ph of that....
I think thats got most of your q's...
You should drop a line in the infirmary as well...
They can help you lots in there too....
clicky

No it is pulverized garden lime powder. I would have used the slow releasing granules but I am day 25 in flower and done trasplanting, so it would be hard to get that deep in the soil. But I will be mixing it in my soil next time believe me.

I have some very weak soil... and my nutes are def not that strong, I give them a reg dose every four days. I think my soil is peat based so I have minor nutriants... so maybe a 6.0-6.2?

I am pretty sure my PH was too high, I was giving them 7.0-7.2.

So your saying that 5.8-6.0 is good without the nutes but with the nutes it should be in the higher 6's? Couldn't I just keep the ph at say 6.0 or 5.8 for the nutes as well as regular watering?

Also does bubbling it then messing with ph still have some benefit or is it the same if I just take it and adjust it then give it to them?

 

[R00KIE]

Bubbling the water should have no ill effects...
So the soil you have is like potting soil?? If so you should keep your ph closer to 7, but if it is more like pro-mix you want to keep it a little lower, more like 5.8-6.2 or so...
On the nute subject and ph b4 and after, you want your water to be the same ph all the time... With nutes and without... So after mixing all your stuff and your ready to feed you want your ph to be right on... Same with plain water..
You should be feeding on a schedule more like feed, water, water, feed... So every fourth wastering your feeding... Helps with salt buildup... Which could be your problem...
Try watering the next couple of times with just plain ph adjusted water...
Old leaves that have already been damaged will never really get better.. So it may be hard to tell if she is actually getting better or not....
I'd say plain water with a ph of round 6 for the next couple of waters will hopefully clear things up...
If not your 1/2 way through, you could always just let em go and hope for the best, then fix the probs next run...
Biggest thing would be get good soil.... Oh and add lime when you mix.. 2tbsp per gallon of soil...
Hope she gets better...

Edit: when i was saying the ph differs with soil or soiless it's more with the nutes in the soil itself not what your feeding it.... Potting soil has nutes naturally in it but a peat based has little to no nutrients in it...
So with potting soil that comes out of the bag with some nutes in it needs to be a lightly higher ph than soiless like pro-mix or ocean forest soil...
The water you feed them needs to be ph'd to the proper range... Thats dependant on what kind of medium you have....
Sounds confusing but it's really not too bad...

 

[Guest]

yea that is pretty much my routine, feed water water feed, bsides the lime.

I think your right about the next couple waters. I am jsut going to get it to 6.0-6.2 then water. After a few waterings I'll bring it up to 6.5-6.7 and begin feeding again.

I am pretty far a long, its too bad I messed this up so much, there are so many things to fix... next tiem will be so much better!


thanks!

 

[sproutco]

Take a look at how to test soil ph below in my signature.

Hydro ph is 6 to 6.5 just like soil but a lower ph is used to discourage disease. So maybe 5.8

Next time you need to add calcium, use 1/4 teaspoon powdered gypsum per gallon of water. This will not change the ph like lime. You might should add 1/4 teaspoon epsom salts along with it to keep a balance of calcium to magnesium. The gypsum adds 60 ppm ca and the epsom adds 30 ppm mag. If your regular fert has some magnesium already, you might just add 1/8 teaspoon epsom instead.