I am a little curious about your 5.6 ph... I have always thought the proper range in soil was 6.3-6.8, and I have always tried to go at the low end so I can up the magnesium uptake. I have never once measured my soil ph or the runoff ph... I just worry about what I am putting in each time, and it seems to work for me. What kind of soil did you start with? I get good results from Miracle Grow 6month, although I realize there are fancier soils out there.