Any body use citrus juice to adjust ph and add flavor?

Discussion in 'Advanced Growing Techniques' started by Finallylegal, Nov 21, 2011.

  1. I've heard a few people in the last year or so claiming that they lower their ph and as an added benefit it also adds a citrus flavor. Is there any truth to this? I've always just used ph up or down but would be interested in using fresh grapefruit juice if it wouldn't screw with anything.
     
  2. I'm interested too. Sounds like a hard thing to figure out correct ratios for though. I.e. brand , how much per gallon of water etc
     
  3. Can't really see it adding flavor though
     
  4. It will not affect flavor. I will lower pH, but it tends not to last -- you can get your runoff pH in range using lemon juice but then the next day your pH is back up too high.
     
  5. Makes sense, thanks for the input.
     
  6. Before I went to a R/O system I would use lemon juice to lower Ph ... It didn't last long at all....then I started using vinegar ... It held the ph a little better but there was no difference in taste
     
  7. The biggest reason people don't use these to control their ph is because of the pests it draws. Seems to be the main reason I read all the time.
     
  8. GH down is citric acid....and it's the most common adjuster on the market so most people use it...Just saying most people adjust their ph down useing lemon juice essentially. If your ph is spiking then you have bacteria in the water like pytheim. That will eventually cause root rot. I suggest you don't add your micro or enzymes until your ready to feed. Keep them out of a sitting res. Use physan20 at 1tsp/gal to sterilize your Rez. That should stabilize things. There is a couple other factors it could be, but I'm guessing it's that.
     
  9. ^No, PH Down is not citric acid, it's sulfuric acid. Not at all like using lemon juice.
     
  10. Lemon juice will make your res smell like absolute shit and it makes it extremly cloudy and gross. Thats what i have found.
     
  11. Ph down is nitric acid
     
  12. ^I guess it depends what brand, the stuff I have says sulfuric on the label.

    Whatever kind of acid is in a given brand, it is strong and concentrated, definitely not lemon juice!
     
  13. ok its not good for water based systems. how bout soil?
     
  14. I, for one, was talking about soil...
     

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