Is it completely necessary to have your pH balanced?

Yes. If you don't you run the risk of locking out certain nutrients. Plant can eventually die. I think ph is one of the most important aspects to growing next to light, and water.

 

@ less than $20.00, why not? PH Test kit

 

It's been grown for thousands of years without but definitely helps

 

outside yes but not inside under man made lights ,
if your ph is off you can lock out inportant nutes and thats not good for any plant.
Middy

 

ive never checked my pH ever except for with one of those electronic probe things and that just always says 7 no matter what the substance

 

It depends on the medium you're running. Hydro is a MUST to check PH at least daily. You should always be checking PH on soiless (cocoa coir and others) as well. You can get away without PH ing potting soil, depending on water quality. They add lime and other stuff to balance PH in the potting soil.

If you're using tap water, make sure to at least let it set out for 24-48 hours before watering with it. This allows the chlorine to dissipate, lowering PH naturally. Then add more PH down if necessary.

Soil and hydro require different PH. Which one are you running?

 

It all depends on your style of growing. If you are using bottled nutrients, then yes you need to be checking ph. if you wanna get rid of your ph meter, switch over to organics. The beneficial microbes and bacterias that are created with compost and earthworm castings will balance your Ph for you. So you do not have to check it. That is why MIDLIFE ( from above) says that you do not have to check it out doors. Because mother nature provides the microbes that wld ph balance your water for you. Also, every chemical nutrient that you put on them kills those microbes. It is totally possible to grow those microbes indoors under fake lighting just not with bottle chemical nutrients. Also, many of the bottle organic nutrients are lying to you. They will still kill your microbes

 

i use a external fish tank filter with the little stars and sub-culture for my good microbes but still check ph twice a day
Middy

 

PH is everything. Unless you can keep a steady PH and balance the food just right, your plants won't thrive. The majority of sick plant's problems can be fixed by adjusting ph usually.

Also, look how unhappy these ph unbalanced leaves are:

 

Lol "pH balanced" is a phrase used for feminine products. Seems to be really catching on.

It is important to have the pH in the correct range for the plants & growing techniques you're using because outside of that range, certain nutrients become unuseable. Here's a pH lockout chart depicting the pH ranges that each nutrient is available or unavailable in. Notice the green band on the pH levels where the most nutrients are the most useable. It'll move a little depending on what grow method you use (soil/soilless, etc.)

 

what can one do as far as checking and balancing ph if they are unable to gain access to a ph testing kit?

 

take a sample to the local aquatic shop and say please or while your there buy one .
Middy