pH questions

[norkali]

So......I had some pH problems at the end of my first indoor grow....

I was using an el cheap-o pH soil meter that cost me $10.00.

How should I measure my pH in the most efficient way?

The soil? The water? (before it goes into the soil? after runoff?)

I'm just a bit confused. I know that I'll be in soil so I'm looking for 6.5-6.6, but at what point?

What do you guys do? What meters do I need to buy? Any advice about pH'ing your water? pH'ing your soil?

Edit: Thanks in advance.

norkali Reviewed by norkali on 09-07-2007. pH questions So......I had some pH problems at the end of my first indoor grow.... I was using an el cheap-o pH soil meter that cost me $10.00. How should I measure my pH in the most efficient way? The soil? The water? (before it goes into the soil? after runoff?) I'm just a bit confused. I know that I'll be in soil so I'm looking for 6.5-6.6, but at what point? Rating: 5

[whatsthatsmell]

There are different types of pH meters out there. What i have seen most people do on here is flush the plants and test the run-off water. The ideal way to flush is 2-3x amount of water to soil. So if you have a 3 gallon pot then you want to flush with 6 - 9 gallons of water and then test the run-off.

Hope that helps.

[blink_inc]

I use PH test strips.
Cheap as hell and give a decent reading so I at least know if it is 9 or 4.

[BobBong]

Test the water to know what your base pH is.
Test the water after you add anything to know exactly how that product affects your water ( you should only have to do this once )

Then test your water after you've added all of your nutrients and additives.

If you want you could also use the soil tester but realistically the water and medium should be about the same pH.

Depending on your medium of course...

hope this helps,
Bob

[Opie Yutts]

My understanding is (and I hope this is right because this is how I do it) you flood the soil in a pot with neutral PH water (7.0) and immeadiatly test the run off. Should be close to 6.8.

[norkali]

Thanks all.

If you want you could also use the soil tester but realistically the water and medium should be about the same pH.

Depending on your medium of course...

Soil. FF Ocean mix.....

so should I get a pH water meter and some soil test strips? Which pH is *the* "official" pH? The water reading? Or the soil reading? Or the runoff afterwards? I hope that makes sense.

Also, I suppose *the* pH reading is supposed to be based on whatever the plant is using exactly to retrieve the nutes (the water) and not so much the grow medium (the soil) .....right?

[PharmaCan]

Hey Bob - great to see your toothless grin again. I hope this means you won't be leaving after all. :thumbsup:

PC :smokin:

[whatsthatsmell]

as your plant uses the nutes in the medium and salt is added your pH of the medium will be changed. The flushing of the medium will remove those bad intoxicants and you can see that by the run-off water. This is more of a personal pref to do soil or water. Most people find that the water run-off is the best way. I personally have a couple of testers that i use. I have one that is water and i have another that will test the pH of the soil as well as test for N, K, and potash. This will tell me more of what the plant needs.

Hope that helps

[PharmaCan]

Put another way, you control the pH of what goes into your pot; your plant controls the pH of what comes out of your pot. You and your plant need to work together to make sure that the pH of the soil (The runoff is going to be just about the same pH as the soil) stays within the prescribed parameters. This is accomplished by providing the plant with proper nutrients in a properly pH'd solution.

If the plant starts reacting negatively to its growing conditions, primarily what you are feeding it, the pH of your soil will change. Inversly, if you screw up the pH of the solution you are feeding the plants, the plants' health will suffer. So, if the pH in your pot is off, you have to determine who is causing the fluctuation, you or the plant. Once you determine the cause of the problem, then you take remedial measures to correct it.

The entire pH issue is much more complex than this, but I hope this gives you kind of an overview of how it works.

PC :smokin:

[PharmaCan]

For some more pH info, check out this thread.

http://boards.cannabis.com/basic-gro...ph-levels.html

PC :smokin: