Optimum PH.....

[sopappy]

Found this on another board...seems like a petty good read. snipped----

I'm surprised anything grows at all.

 

[trainfriend]

i find that 5.8 is the magic number

Funny you should mention that exact pH of 5.8. In our earlier hydro days I chose 5.8 as my "perfect pH" number too AND STUCK TO IT. Bad choice!!! We suffered a manganese deficiency because, in hydro, manganese is taken up by the plant at pH levels up to 5.7. We lost the entire crop because I misdiagnosed the problem as a Phosphorous deficiency. It started to happen again in our next crop before my local hydro guy helped me discover the true cause of the problem. That's when he taught us the importance of "riding the scale" from around 5.5 to 6.5 or so. (I realize this range is always open to debate) We learned that "riding the scale" allows critical nutrients to be absorbed at the various pH levels. It was a tough lesson for us because prior to that it was looking like a bumper crop of Kosher Kush. To make matters worse, we didn't realize we could have possibly turned that lost crop around with a foliar feed of epsom salts or a similar nutrient rich foliar application.

Now we know..now we know. LOL

 

[Kraven]

I agree TF, my pH runs a ramp of 5.7-6.2 over about 10 days then a 20% add back will drop the pH again to around 5.8-5.9 and I let that ramp to 6.3 before a full rez change. A constant pH of 5.8 your gonna miss nutes simply because your out of the pH range that will allow the plant access to it. It is the hardest concept to ingrain in new hydro farmers, and sadly why many fail or do not get the explosive results they expect.

 

[trainfriend]

I agree TF, my pH runs a ramp of 5.7-6.2 over about 10 days then a 20% add back will drop the pH again to around 5.8-5.9 and I let that ramp to 6.3 before a full rez change. A constant pH of 5.8 your gonna miss nutes simply because your out of the pH range that will allow the plant access to it. It is the hardest concept to ingrain in new hydro farmers, and sadly why many fail or do not get the explosive results they expect.

True dat Kraven! Like most lessons in my, and perhaps our, lives is that we rarely learn anything from having everything go smoothly. We learn from our mistakes and get past it. I sure am glad to be past that one. LOL

 

[JimmyDozen]

I add nutes and then Ph. More cost effective.

Yeah best to mix nutrients separately then balance