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from my understanding in soil your spose to bring the PH to around 6.4 after nutes are added, is this true? Also do you reccomend using dolimite lime in fox farm ocean forest soil? If so, how much? My tomatos are dying and I think it's a PH problem. In the beginning I never adjusted the PH after nutes, just before. I find out that after nutes are added it drops below 6, can this be cured with proper phing now, or am I fucked? Help Help
Someones gotta know a little sumthin sumthin about soil. I tried to search, but I get garden knowm saying 6.8, and justaseed saying 6.4 after the nutes?
Anyone, anyone... Bueler, Bueler
Ideally, your water, with nutrient added, is pH'd prior to being given to your toe-mah-toes.
Dolomite is fine...for keeping the pH closer to 7. Too close in my opinion anymore. Gauging how much to add to soil, and where to disperse it in the soil...unless done just right...the soil around and below (due to gravity) the lime will continually buffer the pH back toward 7.
ie...while you're pouring pH'd @ 6.2 water....soon as it hits the lime, it will have either a gradual raise...or jump right into being buffered at 7.
So while dolomite and other limes are good for auto-maintain a buffer zone that plants can live in...it will also make it difficult to create the buffer zone that plants thrive in.
How do you know the pH is dropping below 6?
Lime and powdered sulfur are always handy things to have
around when adjusting the pH level in your soil.
Lime to raise pH
Sulfur to lower pH
Yeah I use powdered sulfur to lower my pH.
I test my filtered water (which is about an 8!!!). Then I lower to it around a 6.5-7 using the powdered sulfur. I do not have a pH up because I can just add more water. I then add my nutes, which lower the pH about another 1 point or a little less.
I check my soil about once a week with just regular 6 pH water run through the pot and then I sift the runoff and test that water. If its low, I use a little higher pHed water, vice versa.
Ive been doing some minor tests. I kept 2 plants on 8 pH water while the rest got lowered. One of these plants, I eventually put on regular pH. The plants were about the same size. Its been about 3 days since I switched to the regular pH, and the plant has triple its growth rate. New growth is coming out at an alarming rate and its looking female. At this rate, it will be matching the rest of my babies in a few days.
So what PH do you all like your feed at? Right now I'm leaning towards 6.4-6.5.
Slowthestone- the RO water was around 6+/- and then after nutes it went down to under 6. I have a milwakee ph tester.