Adjusting pH

[harris7]

Hey, sorry for asking as i could probaly find it. But, the search on this website dosn't let you search such small words "pH" maybe someone should change this

anyhoo

I wana lower the pH of my water can I use viniger. or is there anything else i can use around the house so i dont hav to go buy pH down

thanks

[maik]

Maybe next time you could mix a little lime in with the soil before you plant in it.

I figure you're probably using some kind of peat in there?

Try a flush, then balance the feeding solution ahead of watering.

If you don't want to use pH down, and you're in the know of how much your pH is off, you sould use those Sodium Hydroxide pellets for cleaning the drain, be careful for yourself, and your plants! But it works.

[harris7]

hmm dont have any of them. i'll just pick up some pH down. thanks

and yes there is a little peat in there the pH is pretty bad 7-7.6 and i've got a pretty serious mobile defficency which i'm trying to work out.

[stinkyattic]

If you don't want to use pH down, and you're in the know of how much your pH is off, you sould use those Sodium Hydroxide pellets for cleaning the drain, be careful for yourself, and your plants! But it works.

Um, no... NaOH would RAISE the pH. And you should use a liquid pH up/down to avoid getting 'hot spots' in the soil where the pH is off. That will give you some funky symptoms that are hard to diagnose if you haven't seen it before.

And lime is also a pH up additive.

[stinkyattic]

Oh, and to answer the original question, yes, you can use vinegar. Add it to your water and adjust your water to where you want the pH to be.

[harris7]

and it is alright to use sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as a pH up when i' using vinegar as a pH down

[stinkyattic]

Never tried that. I have some liquid sodium hydroxide that I've used a couple times on the rare occasion that I've had to raise pH.... just adding it dropwise, mixing, and re-testing after each addition. But it's nasty stuff.
Honestly you should go pick up a pH up/down kit. It's simple and inexpensive.

[Winks]

lemon juice is my fav pH down.

my old place pH's at 7 I used to use about 5-6 drops of juice.

that got the pH down to 6 where my plants like it

good luck,

Winks