Folks, is there an opinion available on using spa (swimming pool) Ph Decreaser to lower the water Ph? I'm using good organic soil mixture and my Ph, as measured with a garden Ph meter-reader, keeps hovering above 7.5. Will this spa decreaser stuff work without harming my plants? Thnx in advance
What's keeping you from buying regular Ph down from a hydroponic store or online? I wouldn't give my babies pool chemicals TBH. Doesn't sound good.
If you are going organic, why use pool chemicals to adjust your PH? I've only used it a couple of times myself, but I've heard good things about using apple cider vinegar to lower ph organically in soil, and it worked well when I used it.
This is a great question. Thanks for asking. What about aquarium ph up and down? If it's good enough for fish then is it good enough for plants?
I don't think spa ph will harm the plants any more than miracle grow or other chemical nutrients won't harm the plants. They will just suffer from not being all they can be with better, quality, made-for-plant stuff. Just my opinion and I have nothing to back it up.
Thanks all. I respect the opinions. I'm 60 miles from anywhere so the closest thing to a town near me has a big box hardware retail. They have nothing in the organic line so I'm limited to alternatives. I'm thinking hydrochloric acid is the same for pool water as is hydrochloric acid for hydro growing. Right/Wrong? I've read up on the vinegar method and I might try that. It seems some say it doesn't last?
If your going organic keep it that way man. Vinger lowers baking soda raises. Dont use spa shit your going to kill the plant.
Spa shit is basically the same stuff that you would get at the hydro store. Humans go into the spa, it doesnt kill us right?
We don't go in the spa to drink the water though...and if we did (and it was a public spa), it probably would kill you! I've heard it was bad to use the Spa PH up and down products. I have no info to back that, just what I've always heard. I've owned the Spa products, but opted to never use them.
Profs to all and thanks for candid feedback. I tried apple cider vinegar and it worked remarkably well. NO spa chemicals for me! In a fairly non-scientific test I used 3 tsp in a gallon of water. Starting ph was 7.8 +/- (.2) and 3 hours after the vinegar I seem to settle out at around 5.5. This I can work with by using less measured doses at the outset. Cool!
I agree. We as humans have got to be more sensitive to chemicals like that. If it doesn't hurt us then why would it hurt plants? We(plants and humans) are both organic, carbon life forms.
Glad it worked for ya! I have read that it doesn't last and that pH levels can skyrocket after a few days if not kept in check. So just stay on the pH and you should b fine!
I would be more worried about Chlorine levels than pH chemicals if I was ingesting spa water. Also, since this country is so obsessed with protecting and coddling children, if it could not be swallowed then children would never be allowed into pools.