PH questions

[TexasGrows]

Hi everybody!!! First post in the infirmary, If this is not the right place for this please move it where it should go. I don't have sick plants so much as I have under performing plants. Some have done great others only OK, some not so good at all. All could have been much better. And I think PH is my issue.

I have completed five or six grows with decent results. However I think I'm not getting the results I could because I have not been considering PH at all.

I knew my water was around 8 but had no idea what it was after adding my nutrients of choice.

I'm ready now to go down the PH rabbit hole. I'm tired of plants just making it to harvest. I want them to make it there as healthy as the can be. I think that's key to getting my quality up.

I have a PH meter and tested my water it came in at 8.2, this is what I thought based on a previous water quality test kit I used.

After adding nutrients the PH went down to 7.1.

First question

Is 7.1 ok? (Pretty sure its not but had to ask) I read that ideal PH should be 6 - 6.5.

I don't have any store bought PH down so as an experiment I used organic apple cider vinegar. It required 2.5 teaspoons to bring PH down to 6.3.(didn't feed with this wanted ask here first)

Second Question
Is it ok to use apple cider vinegar?

I read yes use it, works great. But I also read that vinegar can be used as an herbicide. I'm confused

Third question

Does 2.5 teaspoons of ACV to go from 7.1 down to 6.3 seem right?

I read where people say it only took them a hand full of drops to lower it around the same amount.

Fourth question

Is citric acid crystals a good PH down to use?

I read that a lot of commercially sold organic ph down is citric acid. But again I also read it can be used as an herbicide. I'm really confused now

Soil is a locally sourced OMRI certified organic soil.

 

[St. Tom]

Hi everybody!!! First post in the infirmary, If this is not the right place for this please move it where it should go. I don't have sick plants so much as I have under performing plants. Some have done great others only OK, some not so good at all. All could have been much better. And I think PH is my issue.

I have completed five or six grows with decent results. However I think I'm not getting the results I could because I have not been considering PH at all.

I knew my water was around 8 but had no idea what it was after adding my nutrients of choice.

I'm ready now to go down the PH rabbit hole. I'm tired of plants just making it to harvest. I want them to make it there as healthy as the can be. I think that's key to getting my quality up.

I have a PH meter and tested my water it came in at 8.2, this is what I thought based on a previous water quality test kit I used.

After adding nutrients the PH went down to 7.1.

First question

Is 7.1 ok? (Pretty sure its not but had to ask) I read that ideal PH should be 6 - 6.5.

I don't have any store bought PH down so as an experiment I used organic apple cider vinegar. It required 2.5 teaspoons to bring PH down to 6.3.(didn't feed with this wanted ask here first)

Second Question
Is it ok to use apple cider vinegar?

I read yes use it, works great. But I also read that vinegar can be used as an herbicide. I'm confused

Third question

Does 2.5 teaspoons of ACV to go from 7.1 down to 6.3 seem right?

I read where people say it only took them a hand full of drops to lower it around the same amount.

Fourth question

Is citric acid crystals a good PH down to use?

I read that a lot of commercially sold organic ph down is citric acid. But again I also read it can be used as an herbicide. I'm really confused now

Soil is a locally sourced OMRI certified organic soil.

I know there are home stuff that works for pH but for the price of it I just buy the up and down as pH is so important and I can see you want to take your plants to the next level also @Mañ'O'Green should be more help hes full of knowledge

 

[Proph]

Hi everybody!!! First post in the infirmary, If this is not the right place for this please move it where it should go. I don't have sick plants so much as I have under performing plants. Some have done great others only OK, some not so good at all. All could have been much better. And I think PH is my issue.

I have completed five or six grows with decent results. However I think I'm not getting the results I could because I have not been considering PH at all.

I knew my water was around 8 but had no idea what it was after adding my nutrients of choice.

I'm ready now to go down the PH rabbit hole. I'm tired of plants just making it to harvest. I want them to make it there as healthy as the can be. I think that's key to getting my quality up.

I have a PH meter and tested my water it came in at 8.2, this is what I thought based on a previous water quality test kit I used.

After adding nutrients the PH went down to 7.1.

First question

Is 7.1 ok? (Pretty sure its not but had to ask) I read that ideal PH should be 6 - 6.5.

I don't have any store bought PH down so as an experiment I used organic apple cider vinegar. It required 2.5 teaspoons to bring PH down to 6.3.(didn't feed with this wanted ask here first)

Second Question
Is it ok to use apple cider vinegar?

I read yes use it, works great. But I also read that vinegar can be used as an herbicide. I'm confused

Third question

Does 2.5 teaspoons of ACV to go from 7.1 down to 6.3 seem right?

I read where people say it only took them a hand full of drops to lower it around the same amount.

Fourth question

Is citric acid crystals a good PH down to use?

I read that a lot of commercially sold organic ph down is citric acid. But again I also read it can be used as an herbicide. I'm really confused now

Soil is a locally sourced OMRI certified organic soil.

*preface... My answers are based only on the questions.. There are many variables at play and a few have not been mentioned yet.. I think your confusion may be a result of combing two different grow styles.

1. In general, no, 7.1 is not ok. But this is dependent on your grow style and medium.

2. Using vinegar as a ph down works on plain water, but it's only temporary. It's not stable or buffered and doesn't hold long..

3. Yes, 2.5 teaspoons of anything sounds like a lot to me.. The more important question is how will apple cider vinegar effect and interact with your bottled nutes.. I haven't used bottles in a long time but, usually when people are using organics to lower the ph of water, it's usually just plain water, and they are also usually growing organically. I wouldn't recommend adding any kind of vinegar to any nutrient mix.. That's probably why it required so much vinegar to lower..

4. This is a yes and no answer.. Yes, citric acid will lower the ph of water. In crystal form or liquid form.. In its raw form it is not stable or buffered and will break down and stop working.. Would I recommend the crystals or liquid? Not really. The ph up and down that you buy in bottles have elements in them that stabilize the mix.. Even then it still takes time to get a proper ph reading.. I'd say an 30 mins to an hour in general with most nutrient mixes.

Hope that helps a little.. You say the soil is organic.. Are your growing organically? If so, why are you mixing nutrients, and what nutrients are you using?

 

[TexasGrows]

Thanks for the replies everyone it helps more than a little. I have already learned some stuff and will not be using vinegar or citric acid. I will purchase ph down from one of the name brands. Thanks for stealing me in the right direction.

Good tip also on waiting 30 minutes before testing. That's the kinda stuff I'm trying to figure out. I have known my plants ain't quite right by the growth I get and the leaf issues I see.

I wouldn't call myself organic but I do use organic labeled products.

The nutrient I use is an organic 6-12-6 it is also a local product. It's got soil activator with humates , kelp extract etc... I mix it 1/4 strength.

 

[DCLXVI]

pH down is usually phosphoric acid from what I've noticed. Mix your nutrients into your water, then test pH, then adjust as needed. The pH down products are quite strong so be careful and just add a couple drops at a time. If you mix and leave it overnight, check it again the next day before using. It can change significantly. Best of luck!

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

The other PH- Down is nitric acid based. When you mix an acid into the water the acid reacts with the calcium carbonate and changes some of it to something else. Less calcium carbonate = lower PH. The Phosphoric Acid reacts to make phosphorus something the plants need more of in bloom. The nitric acid reacts to make nitrogen something the plant can use in veg.

For all of the other reasons correctly pointed out by the members above . I highly recommend commercial products

 

[automan2]

If 'Texasgrows' moniker mean you grow in Texas, then yes, you should be adjusting ph, if not more.....As an industrial chemical consultant before retiring, we KNEW exactly what was in the water our chems used as vehicle.....AND we also knew how OUR chems changed it...I've seen thousands of gallons of hazardous waste dumped into texas rivers by unscrupulous companies....We couldn't even make coffee with it below the trinity......

 

[TexasGrows]

Thanks @Mañ'O'Green !!!! I'm convinced no playing around with home made stuff. I'm going to order some GH PH Down.

I want to get this right. I'm tired of plants that are not at their best. The issues seem to really show towards the end. I had thought deficiency in nutrients etc... But soon realized that changes to the nutrients wasn't making much difference.

From reading posts here in the Infirmary I knew I needed to get a handle on this PH business.

 

[TexasGrows]

@automan2 yes indeed I'm in Texas and on well water. From looking at avatars and screen names I think there's a few Texas folks on here.

I have tested my well water for drinking quality and it's good no chemicals, bacteria etc... But the PH is high at ~8.2 and its a bit on the hard side ~200 ppm.

 

[CoviklaFlaire]

Hi everybody!!! First post in the infirmary, If this is not the right place for this please move it where it should go. I don't have sick plants so much as I have under performing plants. Some have done great others only OK, some not so good at all. All could have been much better. And I think PH is my issue.

I have completed five or six grows with decent results. However I think I'm not getting the results I could because I have not been considering PH at all.

I knew my water was around 8 but had no idea what it was after adding my nutrients of choice.

I'm ready now to go down the PH rabbit hole. I'm tired of plants just making it to harvest. I want them to make it there as healthy as the can be. I think that's key to getting my quality up.

I have a PH meter and tested my water it came in at 8.2, this is what I thought based on a previous water quality test kit I used.

After adding nutrients the PH went down to 7.1.

First question

Is 7.1 ok? (Pretty sure its not but had to ask) I read that ideal PH should be 6 - 6.5.

I don't have any store bought PH down so as an experiment I used organic apple cider vinegar. It required 2.5 teaspoons to bring PH down to 6.3.(didn't feed with this wanted ask here first)

Second Question
Is it ok to use apple cider vinegar?

I read yes use it, works great. But I also read that vinegar can be used as an herbicide. I'm confused

Third question

Does 2.5 teaspoons of ACV to go from 7.1 down to 6.3 seem right?

I read where people say it only took them a hand full of drops to lower it around the same amount.

Fourth question

Is citric acid crystals a good PH down to use?

I read that a lot of commercially sold organic ph down is citric acid. But again I also read it can be used as an herbicide. I'm really confused now

Soil is a locally sourced OMRI certified organic soil.

Dude you didnt mention most important things. What nutes do you use, and grow medium..