ph question.

Ok I went and got a ph tester. I didn't have one for my first grow. Only a trial to see if I could get one to grow. After I got that I found out that my tap water runs a ph of higher then 8.5. Bad I know. How often should I test the water in the gallon jugs and how often to test the run off water??

I went and put the water in my jug down to a 6.5 knowing that you lose some of the ph when it goes into the soil. Should I go and test the run off water every time I water my girl.

I started a blueberry for my second grow. I got a bag of blueberry about a year ago. Kept them sepret just for this reason I knew I would start growing soon. what is a good ph, temp, and humidty for them.
I have read from one person that blueberry likes it a little colder then normal. normal in my closet is about 75 degrees with a mid humidty level.

I am running 1 42 watt, 1 26watt cfl 1 4 foot fluro full spectrum, and one 18 inch soft white fluro with a 18 inch grow lux for a little more red for flowering......... this is in a closet that is 3 foot x 4 foot. my big light just bearly fits in there...... I am going to try to move them into a cabnet when I can get one......

you don't say what kind of pH tester you are using ... I say this, because the $15 'mechanical-type' testers are a joke (the ones hardware stores and nurseries sell, with the spike to stick in the ground and a cheesy-looking meter) ... I've bought 2-3 in the past, and they all test tapwater at 7.0 ... that would be OK, except they also test battery acid and chocolate milk at 7.0, also :wtf: (I know, I tested them,lol) ... best to use a liquid chemical tester, or as I do, litmus paper strips ... if you didn't spend a good bit of money on your tester, it probably sucks for accuracy ... :smokin:

it is a liquid tester. just put the drops in. I didn't have much money to spend on it. I got a deal in a hydro store that they had the liquid test and ph up and down for 16$. Thats funny testing chocolate milk. never thought of that...:)

I have it going in at around 6.5 to 7 and its comming out at 6 from what I have tested.

I was going to just get a bloom fert when I was up there but I have had this in soil for almost a month and its only about a inch and a half tall now. I know I have enought light for what I am tring to grow. Thats why I just got the tester. I have never had problems with the ph of tap water before I moved to where I am now ...... had a friend with tester in my other place and it was a good 7 when it got tested but he moved out of state so I couldn't get my tap water tested when I moved here and I have had nothing but problems here. thanks for any info that you can give. Oh yea I am useing a 20-20-20 for veg and av 9-14-8 for flower....... they get fert every 3 week when she gets big enought .... I have a nother plant from a diffrent bag (not blueberry) just to have a little more yeild at the end......... sorry for the long ass post....thanks

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by personal growth

it is a liquid tester. just put the drops in. I didn't have much money to spend on it. I got a deal in a hydro store that they had the liquid test and ph up and down for 16$. Thats funny testing chocolate milk. never thought of that...:)

I have it going in at around 6.5 to 7 and its comming out at 6 from what I have tested.

I was going to just get a bloom fert when I was up there but I have had this in soil for almost a month and its only about a inch and a half tall now. I know I have enought light for what I am tring to grow. Thats why I just got the tester. I have never had problems with the ph of tap water before I moved to where I am now ...... had a friend with tester in my other place and it ywas a good 7 when it got tested but he moved out of state so I couldn't get my tap water tested when I moved here and I have had nothing but problems here. thanks for any info that you can give. Oh yea I am useing a 20-20-20 for veg and av 9-14-8 for flower....... they get fert every 3 week when she gets big enought .... I have a nother plant from a diffrent bag (not blueberry) just to have a little more yeild at the end......... sorry for the long ass post....thanks

---

your test method is fine, you have the right method ... your pH also sounds like you're in the ballpark ... I would definitely dilute both your nutes 50%, they're too strong ... you can always add more ferts, but correcting an over-nute problem can be a real bitch ... you're doing OK, sounds like ya did your homework :thumbsup:

yea I haven't started giving nutes yet that was going to wait untill they were at least 4 to 6 inches tall just to a make sure that I didn't burn them young. I did that once before. this is like the 3 or 4 grow that I have done... I read the faq's page as well as other pages just to make sure that I did it right the first time. I didn't want to kill my blueberry I only have 3 beans of it. I have been on here for a wile now I just never had a real question that I couldn't answer with the info that I have gatherd. :smokin:

it's great reading posts like yours ... you have done your research, and asked questions when you needed to ... the newbies that post for seedbanks and simple questions, that are answered over and over and over again, and easily found, are the annoying ones ... I for one, appreciate people that can read and research ... you're getting good Rep, and more importantly, respect :thumbsup:

Thank you for that. I had posted a question that had been answered more times then people would like to admit when I first joined but I got the understanding that some people will not talk to you if you ask the same question as every other noobie so I found the faq's and some e-books on it and went from there. I figured that if I didn't have the info that was needed for it then I should go and get it on my own cuz some one who has been doing this for a long time would not like to go into the same things over and over and over again........ just a little knolidge goes a long way:smokin: