Light and ph

[Freakshow68]

I'm using a 400watt HPS grow light, currently it is about 2 feet from the plants. The thing puts out a lot of heat and I don't want them to burn. Do you think this is close enough? Also, any tips and or trick to raise ph in the soil. I am using Fox Farms Ocean Forest soil, which I have heard is awesome. But, like a dumbass, I started the seed in a chia pet herb garden sponge. The ph currently reads 6.0. I'd like to get it closer to 7, obviously. Any suggestions?

[Lucian]

Do you have a fan? It will help keep temps down. Also buy a few crappy thermometers from the dollar store and either hang them or tape them to sticks you can stick in the soil so they measure the temp at the tops of the plants. You don't want the light shining flat on the face of the therm cause the light will heat it up to much. I tape mine to sticks and cut a small square from a matchbook cover to make a shade so no light shine directly on it. Without the heat of the light shining on it, it will give you the air temp.

Anyway, if the plants are two weeks old you can bring the light closer about 6" and then with the thermometers you can adjust the light closer. I have a nice fan gently blowing through thge tops to help cool so my 400w light is about 14" away.

As for pH, lime usually brings up pH but that is in soil and you would usually let the soil sit for a few weeks for the lime to work. I don't know about chia sponges but if the sponge is small hopefully it will outgrow it soon enough. I wouldn't worry much about it as my first grow was in Promix and I later tested it and it is 5.5 so it isn't a catastrophe There are a few hydro growers on here so maybe one of them can help cause they do quick ph adjustments all the time. Good luck!

[Freakshow68]

Awesome, thank you so much! I feel much more at ease
toke on....