# am I going about Ph right way?



## DankHobbyist (Dec 6, 2014)

So my potted outdoor grow when I watered/fed I did soil slurry test and Ph would be 7  I wanted it at 6.3 so I watered fed at 5.9  I went about Ph this way or the times I didn't Ph I gave it watered I gave it what I had previously.  Is this right way?  I used nectar nutrients and it's a different the way calcium is used.


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## Hushpuppy (Dec 6, 2014)

Not sure what a soil slurry test is but checking the water runoff after watering the plants is one way to check pH. However it is not the most reliable way to get an accurate pH reading because there is so much in soil that can affect the pH of the water that comes out. If the medium has certain chemicals that more easily come out with the run off than other chemicals, then that can falsely  skew the pH one direction or other. I try to go in at the pH that I want to stay at and then watch the plants for any issues. If the plants begin showing problems that look like a deficiency, then I will water with a certain pH that has little nutrients or other chems and then check the runoff and compare the 2 numbers. If you are in organic soil and the plants seem to be fine, then I make sure my microbe herd is healthy and then water with solutions at about 6.5 to 6.7 until I see any issues arise.


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## DankHobbyist (Dec 7, 2014)

How do you check micro herd's health?


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## DankHobbyist (Dec 7, 2014)

Slurry test:  shot glass distilled water and shot glass of soil shake together  wait 10 minutes and take ppm / Ph measurement.  Try and get by root zone.


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## Hushpuppy (Dec 7, 2014)

That sounds like a very reliable test. If you are growing in organic soil and feeding with organic nutrients, and the plants are growing healthy then the microbe herd is healthy. It is difficult to "test" for microbes but there are ways to supplement and feed them.

Now if you are not using organic methods and you are feeding with synthetic nutrients, then there are few if any microbes in the soil as there is not enough for them to live on. But in that case you just make sure to ffeed/water with solution that is set to around 6.3-6.5 and they should be fine. One ffly in this ointment though is rain water. It can be any pH value depending on what's in the rain. Rain can be anywhere from acidic to alkaline. If you are using chemical nutrients (synthetic) then you should cover the soil with something to keep rain water out, that way you are able to control the pH easier.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Dec 7, 2014)

Acxtually I think that you are making it more of an issue than it is.  If you add lime to the soil before you plant, you really should have to worry about pH much, if at all outdoors.  Especially if you are growing organic.


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## DankHobbyist (Dec 7, 2014)

This is for indoors.  So is lots of line like a bandaid?  I don't want Ph 7 soil I want Ph 6.2-6.8 depending.  So how do I go about this in a Ph 7 soil do I feed at 6 every time?  Water at 6?  Is all this limestone in my soil good or limiting?  Is this good for a healthy Ph swing if I feed low?


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## DankHobbyist (Dec 7, 2014)

So I just read an article on Ph.  Soil needs to be 6.5-7.  Is this because you need to feed at lower Ph to get this.Ph swing?  Also I know .1 change day is better.  Is t possible or likely to get soil to stabilize and be able to feed at same Ph like 6.5 soil feed 6.5 never have problem?  Then when you want to change Ph what do you do.  Is there a book  that deals with Ph cannabis only?  I feel like I am the only person in room who don't get it.


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## DankHobbyist (Dec 7, 2014)

As far as I can see if someone can line me out on this it could possibly be most important help from forum possible.


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## Locked (Dec 7, 2014)

DankHobbyist said:


> So I just read an article on Ph.  Soil needs to be 6.5-7.  Is this because you need to feed at lower Ph to get this.Ph swing?  Also I know .1 change day is better.  Is t possible or likely to get soil to stabilize and be able to feed at same Ph like 6.5 soil feed 6.5 never have problem?  Then when you want to change Ph what do you do.  Is there a book  that deals with Ph cannabis only?  I feel like I am the only person in room who don't get it.



If you are doing a true all organic grow than you do not need a ph between 6.3-6.8 like in a chemical nutrient grow. The reason the ph needs to be in a certain range during a chemical nutrient grow is because there is No Micro Herd present to make the nutrients available to the plant. So we need a certain ph range. When growing Organic you have a Micro Herd that does the work for you. It breaks down the Organic Nutrients in the soil and makes them available to the plant. I hope that makes sense because it is important to understand.   I grow with Chemical Nutrients so for me it is imperative that everything I use to feed and water have a ph between 6.3 and 6.8. I ph everything to 6.5 so that i am near the middle of that range.   I never test the ph of my run off. I use Sweet lime in my soil mix to help stabilize the ph and add some nutrients as well.


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## DankHobbyist (Dec 7, 2014)

How do I get Ph 7 soil to stabilize at 6.6?  It says this is where my soil needs to be for best results.  Then says to feed with 5.8 to 6.2 for veg.
Why so low?  Then it changes to 6.2 to 6.8 for flower.  Is this just broad statement?  How do I know to feed at 5.8 or 6.2?


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## DankHobbyist (Dec 7, 2014)

I am using nectar  for the gods organic nutrient line.  I have micro herd + nutes already broke n down for the plant.  Also organic soil.


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## Wetdog (Dec 7, 2014)

DankHobbyist said:


> How do I get Ph 7 soil to stabilize at 6.6?  It says this is where my soil needs to be for best results.  Then says to feed with 5.8 to 6.2 for veg.
> Why so low?  Then it changes to 6.2 to 6.8 for flower.  Is this just broad statement?  How do I know to feed at 5.8 or 6.2?



Broad statement and blowing smoke.

First off your soil is not going to stabilize at a specific pH. It changes from hour to hour and indeed from different locations within the mix. That's nature.

The lime buffers the soil into a range from say 6.5 to 7.0, but it doesn't stay at any particular point for any length of time. Again, that's nature.

Anyone who gives specific pH readings for soil or food or the like for organic soils is probably just trying to sell you something.

I don't use bottled nutes at all, but make my mixes using dry amendments. Most are on the acidic side and that varies as the microbes are breaking them down. Think of stomach acids with food you eat. Some need a lot of breaking down, some digest very easily. It's the same with plants and microbes.

Short story is, get the lime, use the lime, and don't concern yourself any further.

If you want to go crazy, research C.E.C. (Ciation(?) Exchange Capacity), and pH. Makes my brane hurt!

Wet


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## Hushpuppy (Dec 9, 2014)

As said above, when growing in organics (with organic soil and organic nutrients), trying to allow for pH drift is not necessary. The reason is that you have microscopic helpers in the soil that take care off that for you. For those of us who use synthetic nutrients, we have to monitor the pH and allow it to drift and then readjust as that is the best way to get the results as Hammy said.

If the nutrients that you are using say to set the pH at 6.2-6.5 then do that with organic adjusters if you can fine them and set to that. I have to assume that they are either assuming that you are using lime in your soil or have instructions to use lime. The lime is very helpful in the soil as it not only helps to balance the pH but it provides magnesium and calcium when it breaks down. 

For synthetic nutrient/medium grows, the nutrients are absorbed better at different levels of pH, therefore we have to adjust the pH lower and allow it to drift to get the best results. But in organics, pH is not as important to the plants absorbing nutrients because the microbes actually "feed" the roots the nutrients that the plant needs. This is a symbiotic relationship. The microbes get the nutrients and deliver them to the plants and the plants excrete carbohydrates that the microbes eat. They feed each other. Because the microbes feed the plants, pH only needs to be at a place that is comfortable for the microbes to live in. That is the mid range between 6.0 and 7.0  You shouldn't have to adjust your water to 6.0 to bring the pH down. Just set it about 6.3 (if the Nectar instructions say to go with 6.3, but you can allow it to go between 6.3 and 6.5 and the soil/microbes will do the rest.


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## DankHobbyist (Dec 9, 2014)

Cool.  So if nutrient company says soil should be under 400 ppm and 6.5 to 7.0 and veg is 5.8 to 6.2 nutrient mix and flower 6.4 - 6.8  then having good lime in soil and following aiming Ph of nutrients to middle of what is suggested should be fine long as I don't over fertilize yes?


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## umbra (Dec 9, 2014)

Yes to your question. There will always be some shift in ph in an organic medium, it is an indication of microbial activity. However, most microbes will only thrive in between 5.5 and 8.5 ph. PH is more than an indication of acidity/alkalinity it was about potential hydrogen. After all that is what ph stands for. It act much the way potential energy works.


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## pcduck (Dec 9, 2014)

umbra said:


> Yes to your question. There will always be some shift in ph in an organic medium, it is an indication of microbial activity. However, most microbes will only thrive in between 5.5 and 8.5 ph. PH is more than an indication of acidity/alkalinity it was about potential hydrogen. After all that is what ph stands for. It act much the way potential energy works.



:yeahthat:


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## DankHobbyist (Dec 11, 2014)

What about fully amended soiless Pete coco perlite? Treat as organic ? Has life in it.


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## Hushpuppy (Dec 11, 2014)

If you put in everything that the plants need, including some beneficial microbes, then it should do fine


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