I use Groteks liquid pH tester. The pool test kit is just for the ppm. I was using proper hydro pH down(never needed pH up yet), But lately have been using vinegar. I started when I ran out of pH down and relized my pH stayed stable longer with the vinegar.

I like Rhizome's idea, but I'm not sure what kind of filter I would pass the water through. I don't have pH up and can't get it for a bit, but I could get a shit load of baking soda and vinegar in town, would that work? And what kind of filter would I need?

It's raining alot lately around here, and I was thinking of throughing up a tarp across the back yard and collecting it to drain in barrels, but I've heard conflicting things about rain water. I live in central canada and our rain systems usually come west across Alberta and Saskachewan, the mountains keep the rain from BC in BC. This winter I was using melted snow and ice and my first batch of plants did very well.

I take it collecting water that runs off your roof contaminates it.

As for the RO I think I need to understand more about it first before I exclude it. I know how osmosis works within the body, and know that the water is passed through a membrane, and the minerals are moved out across the membrane by flowing water(the wastage), but do you really only get 5% of the water back out, and where does the rest of the water go?

I have so much to search read and do but only a 3 hour nap to keep my plants going till I fix this problem.