Well GC, what is it?? I'm going out to buy a Ph Tester TODAY, (gotta get my lil green kids balanced and back to health). I got $50. What should i get?
There is nothing you can get for 50 bucks. You can go cheap and get an estimate of your pH with the test strips or the vial with the green liquid. If you want an accurate reading you need a good pH meter that will run you at least a benjie. save up a bit more, it's worth it.
I've used Digital PH Meters and they're a PAIN !!! To use them correctly and get consistent results; you have to calibrate the meter often and clean after each use. And they still get out of wack with time..... Save time and $$ and buy PH indicating fluid. Thats all I use now ! Over time when you dial in your nute recipe with your water; you'll know how to create a certain PH everytime with your water and nutes. Hope this helps. Good luck !
That is a small price to pay for an accurate reading. That indicating fluid isn't the best thing to use, is just an aproximate reading. Checking your pH from time to time is a good idea, even for experienced growers.
oops, sorry, i shoulda originally noted that i would like a Ph Tester for SOIL, not water, runoff, or hydro-nuted h2o. I have a (for swimming pools) ph kit for water. but no matter how much i lower the ph in the water, and apply the "treated" water to my plants, the actual soil is still reading WAY too high. My shitty $10 Moisture/Light/Ph Tester with the 2 metal probes is reading the soil at a ph of close to 8.0 Gotta do something fast. OK THEN..... Fine daminit! haha i'll take out another $50 towards the ph tester. WHATS THE BEST PH TESTER UNDER $100????
there you go, much better question. You check the pH through the water. You can check the water before you add to the plants. You can also water til you get a bit of run-off and check the levels as it goes through your soil. I wouldn't trust the reading of those cheap probe testers. I would find out exactly what your levels are, then work from there.
i trust the thing as much as i can trust a $10 product of that nature. I wouldnt say i DONT completely trust it either. From my best judgment, the Light and Moisture meters on it or pretty dead-on, but ph is more complex than those other 2 readings, i know. But when the things telling me ph is hovering JUST under 8?? I dont wanna say that IS reading ph levels perfectly, but EVEN if its off .5-.8 on the read out, thats still too high. Plus, my MJ is showing me sureshot signs of a ph-related deficiency. I take Distilled Water from the grocery store, leave it on a window sill, top opened on water, for 24 hours. I add a few drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide just as a saftey measure from it (h2o) being left exposed for a day, and then i run it through a Brita Filter 1-2 times, and personally boil it AGAIN. After all that shit, i DO test it with the ph "pool" kit, just to get a ballpark figure. The kit i have doesnt register any water thats been treated to have ph under 7.0 I add some acid demand drops to ensure that my h20 is low. At this point, i will add my nutes, if its time, or just straight water my MJ. i'll wait about 6-12 hours, and use my shitty ph soil tester again. STILL AT #$%^ing 8.... "Soil Mix"...... Pro-Mix BX (added)... -more perlite -High Grade EWC -Vermiculate -and i layer the top of my pots with peat to prevent superfast evaporation from my CFLs hovering right over, since this ends up being a VERY airy, drainable mix,
Hanna Gro' Check Portable pH Monitor | pH & TDS Testing= You can try that one for under a $100 it's a hanna instrument so it should be just fine. Use it to check the water before adding it to the soil.
I'm not saying it is reading wrong, just not as accurate as it could be. You really shouldn't have to do all that for your water. I agree, if your pH really is as high as 8, it needs to be lowered.
Milwaukiee makes a good basic pH meter for $30 retail and $20 from some of the larger hydro stores on eBay. Just give it a minute or two to in the runoff to stabilize and give a good reading.
When it comes down to soil, I think I am good. A nice mix with dolomite lime, also sprinkling hydrated lime every couple weeks should keep ph in check...why bother with a meter?
Nice dude. Well, if you really want to get into it. Lets. If you are only using lime to adjust the soil PH, how do you PH or adjust your water without a meter?
Real scientific. A real grower needs to know what the actual value is, not just guess and act like its the only way. You have no way of knowing if you are high or low, you are just guessing. That's fine if you have one hobby plant, but not for a real grow.
Best yet but expensive. I feel worth it though. They have pens that can read not only ph levels but also ec and ppm