New Grower is soil ph 7.8 too high

[jokidd]

the soil ph is 7.8 im trying to get it down with ph down i just got it so i dont kno how long it will take i gave it 6.3ph with nutes once already. do i use ph down/up every time i water it?
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I just checked my soil soil PH again and it was still 7.8. is that bad enough to be concerned. my plant still looks very healthy

 

[Waximus]

Hi jokidd, Yes, 7.8 is a bit high. What are you using to test the pH? Meter, runoff, strips? Also, what is the soil you're using? Peace

 

[jokidd]

im useing a digital ph meter and my soil is just plain potting soil nothing else added

 

[Waximus]

Do you know if the meter is a soil meter(What make/model)? The soil meters I use are analog-little meter on the top.. My digital (Hanna) pH meter won't work in soil, only runoff water. Just want to make sure its not a misread due to meter. Where'd you get the potting soil? Brand?

 

[Trapper]

Ultimately, you want it around 6.2 to 6.7 for proper uptake of the macro and micro nutrients through the root system.
Unless I'm mistaken, Epsom salts in solution (or raked in the surface) will start bringing it down. But someone else will
have to chime in on how much to use for the desired shift. Are you checking the pH of the water (and nutrients) you're
giving it? It may be the case that you're watering it with high pH water and that's what's keeping it up there....

Good Luck!

 

[jokidd]

yeh my soil meter isnt digital my digital is etekcity reviews were good so i bought it i cant really remember the soil name brand i got it at lowes. it looked like good soil it was black as coal when i poured it out.

 

[jokidd]

Ultimately, you want it around 6.2 to 6.7 for proper uptake of the macro and micro nutrients through the root system.
Unless I'm mistaken, Epsom salts in solution (or raked in the surface) will start bringing it down. But someone else will
have to chime in on how much to use for the desired shift. Are you checking the pH of the water (and nutrients) you're
giving it? It may be the case that you're watering it with high pH water and that's what's keeping it up there....

Good Luck!

so do i get my water to 6.3-6.5 every time i water. no matter if the plain water is low or high?

 

[Trapper]

Depends on whether or not you're adding nutrients...most nutrients will have an acidifying effect...make the pH go down.
You want to measure the pH of the solution after everything is mixed in...the "final pH" of the solution...

But yes, you generally are looking to feed/water with the pH you desire...except in cases where you are trying to CORRECT
pH issues (such as your 7.8 pH) at which point you can adjust to UNDER the desired range to have more effect, like feeding/watering
it with 5.7 pH or 5.8 pH to bring it down into the range you're looking for.

In general, you want a "sweep through the range" of 6.2 to 6.7 between wet and dry...dry will be your high point in the sweep and wet should
be your lowest pH in the range. That way you guarantee that there will be a pH present in the soil at some point during that wet/dry
cycle that is wheelhouse for each particular nutrient's best uptake.

 

[jokidd]

Depends on whether or not you're adding nutrients...most nutrients will have an acidifying effect...make the pH go down.
You want to measure the pH of the solution after everything is mixed in...the "final pH" of the solution...

But yes, you generally are looking to feed/water with the pH you desire...except in cases where you are trying to CORRECT
pH issues (such as your 7.8 pH) at which point you can adjust to UNDER the desired range to have more effect, like feeding/watering
it with 5.7 pH or 5.8 pH to bring it down into the range you're looking for.

In general, you want a "sweep through the range" of 6.2 to 6.7 between wet and dry...dry will be your high point in the sweep and wet should
be your lowest pH in the range. That way you guarantee that there will be a pH present in the soil at some point during that wet/dry
cycle that is wheelhouse for each particular nutrient's best uptake.

thanx ok should i do that now. im asking because i dont want to over water. i watered it 3 days ago

 

[Muddy]

Is your soil meter one of those $20 ones you find at Lowes and Home Depot? If so, I wouldn't trust the readings from it. Those cheap ones are very inaccurate. You would be better served to water your plants until water is coming out the bottom of the pot. Capture that run off and use your digital meter to measure it. Most bagged soil of the type you find at the big box stores is usually a neutral pH of 7 or there about. I would be very surprised to find one with a starting pH of 7.8. If it turns out that it is indeed that high, just lowering the pH of your feeds won't be enough to lower it to the desired range and keep it there. More than likely you will need to add something like aluminum sulfate to get it to the proper range.