flush water ph, how low can you go?

[Twentyinches]

Hello fellow enthusiasts! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday :thumbsup:

yea...i've read as much as I can about flushing etc, but how low can you go with the pH of the water you flush with?
I'm asking because it seems to not be working. It comes out at like 7.7 after a couple rounds... wayyy high, and the water going in was 6.5...then I lowered it again to 6, and flushed a couple rounds through it, and the lowest I've got it to is 7.5-7.6 what the hell is the deal? (This is in compost poop w/hummus .5.5.5)

It's making me frustrated to the point I just want to flush with 2 pH acid water lol

any help on this would be awesome! :jointsmile:

Twentyinches Reviewed by Twentyinches on 03-28-2009. flush water ph, how low can you go? Hello fellow enthusiasts! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday :thumbsup: yea...i've read as much as I can about flushing etc, but how low can you go with the pH of the water you flush with? I'm asking because it seems to not be working. It comes out at like 7.7 after a couple rounds... wayyy high, and the water going in was 6.5...then I lowered it again to 6, and flushed a couple rounds through it, and the lowest I've got it to is 7.5-7.6 what the hell is the deal? (This is in Rating: 5

[Rusty Trichome]

What are you using to test runoff?

Those color-coded test strips are basically useless if the liquid being tested isn't clear. (colored or tinted water skews the color-coded result)

[Twentyinches]

What are you using to test runoff?

Those color-coded test strips are basically useless if the liquid being tested isn't clear. (colored or tinted water skews the color-coded result)

Hey Rusty, nope it's not those it's a Milwaukee SM802...

[Rusty Trichome]

Hmm. I know temps can swing it a couple points, but not that much. I've got a Milwaukee ph pen too, and it's been pretty consistent. :thumbsup:

Well then...is compost poop with hummus a brand name, or a home concoction? If homemade, did you add anything to buffer the ph? (dolomite)

Better yet...do you have any commercial soil mixes available? They are fairly consistent and once you get used to it, it's soooo much easier.

[Twentyinches]

Hmm. I know temps can swing it a couple points, but not that much. I've got a Milwaukee ph pen too, and it's been pretty consistent. :thumbsup:

Well then...is compost poop with hummus a brand name, or a home concoction? If homemade, did you add anything to buffer the ph? (dolomite)

Better yet...do you have any commercial soil mixes available? They are fairly consistent and once you get used to it, it's soooo much easier.

Yeah I even re-calibrated it and it's good to go! hmm...

About the poop, lol It's stuff you can get at menards or lowes in a 40lb bag, American countryside brand.. it just says compost manure w/hummus .05.05.05. something Stinky had suggested. I had tried FF ocean forest but ended up with leaf problems as if it were MG. And in all honesty, they don't seem any better in this stuff, so at $20 bag for FF compared to $2.50 for the compost that seemed like a deal...well, did.

I just want to find the right stuff or mix, and be good to go ya know? even if it's homemade, as long as it works really good it's all I want. You say commercial soil mixes, what kind would you mean?
And would anything from a nursery be good?

It's sooo discouraging never getting it right, there always seems to be a problem...and hydro isn't something I want to experiment with just yet..

lastly, thanks for helping me Rusty, it's much appreciated! :jointsmile:

[Rusty Trichome]

Almost any commercial potting mix will do. There is no trick to it. But you can screw-up a commercial potting mix by adding shit just to add shit, too.

Even MG soils (which I first learned to grow cannabis in) are fine if you adjust your nutrient schedules to reflect those additional nutes.

IMHO, compost isn't potting mix. It's an outdoor soil ammendment. Chicken compost, horse and cow compost, mushroom compost...none are any good on their own, but under the right conditions, are a good addition (component) to the soil.

Regardless of the potting mix you chose, I'm sure we can talk ya down from taking the hydro plunge. (where all you'd have to change...is everything)
I'd go get some potting mix, and try again, with a little help from us along the way. :jointsmile: