pH?

[NorCAKnowYourGrow]

I know there are a ton of threads on this but I can’t find one that gives me the answer I need.

I am growing in fabric containers. Outdoors.
Used 75% 420 potting soil with 25% another organic potting soil.
I’ve used Fox Farm Big Bloom 2x plus another Big Bloom/Grow Big feeding.

I have a combo moisture/Light/pH meter but it’s a cheap one and I’m not sure what to think now that I’ve read about all these Uber expensive pH meters.

My soil is consistently testing 7-7.3. So too alkaline. Of course now I wonder if it’s correct. I’d like to add something to acidify my soil but I’m concerned I’ll stress the plants. I’m already in recovery on 5 of them from a stressful day.

Would love some recommendations. Other than buy an expensive meter...I don’t have the $ for that this year. :-(

 

[LiberalThinker]

You could get a chemical pH test kit for a few dollars.

 

[NorCAKnowYourGrow]

Good idea YellowBelly. I’ve looked into them but the ratings seem all over the place. Have you used any specific brand?

 

[Rucifer999]

Usually you would add a soil acidifer when before you transplant. Mix it into the soil they will go to and test the ph until you are at desired. Hydro and coco I can't speak for but from experience indoor only 6.4-6.5 seems to be the best that my girls like.

You could always top feed also.

 

[LiberalThinker]

Good idea YellowBelly. I’ve looked into them but the ratings seem all over the place. Have you used any specific brand?

That's probably because the people using them are all over the place.

 

[NorCAKnowYourGrow]

Usually you would add a soil acidifer when before you transplant. Mix it into the soil they will go to and test the ph until you are at desired. Hydro and coco I can't speak for but from experience indoor only 6.4-6.5 seems to be the best that my girls like.

You could always top feed also.

Still learning. Didn’t know to add something first and then add the plants. Next time will do that for sure.

What do I use to top feed that’s gentle yet effective?

 

[Rucifer999]

I have a few Ph meters but a hardware store in the garden area carries a digital prong one for soil. cheap and I always resort back to it.

 

[LiberalThinker]

Still learning. Didn’t know to add something first and then add the plants. Next time will do that for sure.

What do I use to top feed that’s gentle yet effective?

You could try sphagnum moss peat. Put an inch on top and water in. The peats acidity will percolate down to the roots.

 

[Weaselcracker]

If you’re talking about this sort of meter...

Don’t f’n bother.jpg

• Weaselcracker
• May 6, 2019

They're actually specifically designed for measuring the ph of landfills and only work when buried under several feet of garbage. I suggest you go ahead and use it that way.

 

[Rucifer999]

If you’re talking about this sort of meter...

Don’t f’n bother.jpg

• Weaselcracker
• May 6, 2019

They're actually specifically designed for measuring the ph of landfills and only work when buried under several feet of garbage.

No the one I have is a digital orange one. I've had one like you posted in the past and ended up buying the orange one.

 

[Weaselcracker]

I’ve seen slightly different orange versions of that green one that were also complete crap. Honestly I wouldn’t worry about your soil ph unless your plants look like they’re suffering and you have good reason to believe there’s a ph problem. Any decent soil will probably have lime in it and be very unlikely to be too alkaline. Pretty well all fertilizers are acidic and may slowly bring the overall ph down but it generally takes years.

I’m confused who I’m talking to now...

 

[Emilya Green]

Let's get some common sense flowing in this thread and talk some truth about soil and pH. First of all, unless you did a slurry test using distilled water and an equal weight of your soil, IN A VACUUM, you have no idea what your soil pH really is. It might indeed by up near 7 or even higher, but who has convinced you that this is too alkaline? You must realize that soil is designed to be buffered up to that level on purpose.
There is no need to adjust your soil pH. In a closed container soil grow, you WANT the pH to drift upwards through the usable range of 6.2-6.8 every time you water. This does not happen by magic or by accident. If you water correctly at 6.3 pH with every fluid that hits that soil, the upper drift provided by the buffers in that soil do exactly as they were designed to do. At the moment you water, the soil and that column of water you suspend in there has no choice but to be the pH you adjusted that fluid to. As the water table drops and the soil starts to dry out at the top and sides, the pH in those areas begin to slide upward toward the base pH of the soil... exactly as designed.
Do not attempt to "acidify" your soil. If you did manage to do away with the upwards drift with your adjustment, your soil would at that point would not work very well in growing this plant.