Hydro grower seeks dirt PH help

[Opie Yutts]

For various reasons I am trying to nurse some plants back to health that I had hidden out in the woods. I bought the most expensive potting soil that had no added ferts, and mixed it with some perlite and vermiculite. Occasionally when watering I add a few drops of hydro nutes. I figured this would suffice, since my wife uses my extra nutes to water her house plants about every 3rd watering, and they do extrordinarily well. My plants started yellowing and browning a little on the tip. I posted about this here: http://boards.cannabis.com/plant-problems/102207-yellow-tips-turn-brown-im-back-pictures.html

Did you know you cannot search dirt PH or even just "PH"? I guess PH as a word is too short. There is also nothing about dirt PH in the grow FAQs.

First of all, what's the best way to measure soil PH? Justaseed says that I can test run off after watering with water PH'd to 7. Has anyone else heard of this? Is it a good method?

Second, what is the best soil PH. Justaseed says its a little hight than 5.8 to 6.3. So, what's that? Like, 6.5?

I know hydro. I'm just interested in dirt info.

Thanks for any help.

[JackdaWack]

if you search soil ph u will find so many answers to your question, we dont use "dirt" its soil... 6.8 is the ph for soil, read the back of your nutrient bottles, they have dose's for hydro and soil just look.

[Opie Yutts]

if you search soil ph u will find so many answers to your question

Uhh, thanks much for your help, but I think I just said you cannot search dirt ph, which also means you cannot search soil ph, becasuse ph is too small of a word.

So what's the difference between dirt and soil?
Dirt: loose or packed soil or sand : Earth
Soil: the upper layer of earth that may be dug or plowed and in which plants grow

According to the english language and Merriam Webster, it's pretty much the same. Or is there some weed farmer definitions I am supposed to be using?

Anyway I appreciate the help. Is that the consensus people? 6.8 PH for dirt, uh, I mean soil? I also wondered something else about the run-off method for testing. Do you need the soil to be wet, dry, medium, or it doesn't matter (before starting the test)?

[Opie Yutts]

JackdaWack: cool signature

[Scarlet Sky]

http://boards.cannabis.com/basic-growing/94493-kps-cannabis-college-cannabis-issues-facts-guide.html

[Tokudai]

As long as you catch the run off quickly, it is a good solid way to test the soil ph. If you wait too long, then it will be a mis-reading skewed by the high levels of freshly ph'ed water. Since you test when watering/feeding, the soil should be fairly dry in the first inch or so of the container. Make sure whenever you do water or feed though, you water "through" the container - My rule of thumb is to allow around 1/4-1/2 the container volume to flow through the container. This helps flush any nasties and makes sure all areas of the pot are watered and aereated. Its from this runoff (the very beginning) that you get your sample to test ph.

Soil ph should be anywhere from 6.3 to 6.8 , which is slightly higher than you are used to with the hydro setup - shoot for 6.5 and its all good

Good luck!

[GaGrown]

Opie! Sup? I have found that with hydro the root system is smaller than it is in soil.Seems that the plants want to produce more roots when grown in soil.Just be sure to keep it no higher than 6.8.. The meter will help alot.Just like the above post reads time is of essence! Read the run off as soon as.... You get a better reading and you can adjust better from a correct reading.

Ga Grown!

[9KtuFK]

Hey Opie Yutts, I just wanted to thank you while I have your attention for your Pest Strip solution to spider mite â?¦ Iâ??m now free of these little devils because of you and your persistence in convincing even the toughest critic (for instance Garden knowm â?¦ This guy is like my hero around here so I figured if you could convince him it was worth a shot !)

It really works !

http://boards.cannabis.com/hydroponics/64107-spider-mites.html

Anyways, Thanks for the help,

9KtuFK

[Opie Yutts]

9KtuFK: No problem. I am extremely happy that I could help you. It was also kind of fun trying to win that debate. Now that I think about it though, it may have been the beginning of a bunch of events that led to my getting banned twice. I don't feel that I did anything wrong. I just stood up for what I believed in and some mods didn't like that. I'm not the kind of person that can back down when I know in my heart that I am right about something.

Anyway I digress. I saw that I helped a few people and that is more than enough reward for my troubles. Thanks for believing.

[divestoned]

try this.

[Opie Yutts]

Oh man, I feel stupid now. I forgot that I downloaded that chart 6 or 8 months ago for some for the hydro info, and forgot that it had soil advice too. The answer to my question was on my hard drive the whole time. Divestoned, have a rep point or two.