ph proplem

[Chrisvel]

Helo

My friend has two plants one auto one not. He was ask my for nutes and i gave him liquid nute. After that the plants look very sick he call me to see them. I flused them i ckecked ph soil and was 5.5 and i add 1 teaspoon of baking soda on each to raise a little the ph
How can i save them if possiple??
Have i to change soil?

Some pics will help

 

[zepherlight]

If possible raise the ph up slowly to keep from more damage. Not sure how much a teaspoon would raise it but if it starts going to high flush some more with lower phed water. If still low Ph your water up a few tenths higher than the soils ph each time you water. Would try to get it up to 6.5 or so but just not in one jump. Gradually is always best. No nutes for a few days after you get it back up and then weak for a few days after that. If leaves are not crisp feeling and brittle you should be alright but only time will tell. Best of luck and Happy Growing

 

[Chrisvel]

Thanks for reply!!
if i change soil will they survive? The small one is the auto

 

[Waximus]

Hi, Chrisvel
The auto looks in better shape than the photo plant.
Question: Have you checked the soil pH since adding the baking soda? We need to know what effect that had from the original reading. I'd check that before attempting to transplant/repot-especially the auto, as it will likely cause more trauma.
If the soil pH is going in the right direction, and not too far, then I think you will see improvement- at least with the auto plant. The photo plant looks quite glum... But, I wouldn't give up on it just yet.
Let us know what the soil pH is, post baking soda

 

[Nuggz]

If you change the soil, you'd likely only stress out the plants further. Try to SLOWLY raise the ph instead. In my opinion, you'd be much better off using a granulated garden lime (it dissolves easily in water) to do that, rather than baking soda. Just use a teaspoon or two to a gallon of water, and water with this mix whenever your plants need a drink. When the plants start to look better, it's time to stop and go back to plain water again.

 

[Waira]

..Hmmm, I second Waxi' on this,... how did you add in the baking soda? Top dress, or dissolved in water? And how much dilution? Trouble with baking soda is, it has Sodium in it, which is toxic at fairly low levels,... combined with the trauma caused by the acidity, it can have compounding negative effects, even if it helps with the pH,... the problem with various limes is the speed at which they act, and depth penetration,.. even powdered,... dolomite is slowest of all, Ag lime/oyster shell a bit faster, but still too slow to be of needed immediate help,.. only hydrated lime will have the right now speed, and it must be used with great caution because of this,... how are you testing pH? the source of the acidity matters too,.. soil, or feeds,... need info on both, brands, NPK #'s,...

 

[Jenny1400n]

Best of luck to you and your friend, Chrisvel

I just had a mess of a grow with pH problems and baking soda. I have a few bits of advice for you, for what it's worth:
1. Put the baking soda in your fridge. It'll keep things nice and fresh in there. Keep it far away from your plants. It's evil
2. If you haven't already, get some adequate pH testing equipment. Waira was on me like this about that subject. That brings me to;
3. Ask many questions and trust these guys. They won't steer you wrong

For further info, check this out: https://www.autoflower.org/index.php?threads/something-terribly-wrong….45987/

 

[dankstyle J]

Best of luck been around awhile and never heard of baking soda used in a growing method is this info found online

 

[Jenny1400n]

Best of luck been around awhile and never heard of baking soda used in a growing method is this info found online

Long story short, I used it in an attempt to raise the pH of my nute solution. Problem was, I was trying to raise it way too high.

 

[Nuggz]

Best of luck been around awhile and never heard of baking soda used in a growing method is this info found online

I lot of people doing hydroponics use baking soda as their ph up. There are a lot better hydro ph up solutions out there, and like Jenny said, using baking soda can be fairly disastrous in soil.

Also, if the price of decent ph meters leaves you gasping for breath, you can always buy ph test strips that work in soil and water. Gardeners have been using them for years and they are cheap and reliable.

Amazon product ASIN B00XT7NL02