i got a soil ph meter. it always wants to read about 6.8 it almost seems like this ph meter was a waste of a purchase. im using ffof with big bloom, grow big, and tiger bloom. i use them as directed except a bit less than normal so i dont burn them. i use RO water. i know they say like 6.2 - 6.8 for soil. should i lower it a tad and if so whats the best way? can i ad a little vinegar or lemon juice to the next watering? i dont want to do anything to fuck it up since they are doing awesome but wouldnt it be better to have a ph closer to the middle of whats recommended rather than borderline too basic?
It could be broken, but that could be your PH. 6.8 is a perfectly fine pH. If you want to know if your meter works, drop it in your nutrient solution. It should swing heavily to one side or the other. Mine swing acid, but I've been told foxfarm nutes are basic.
i had baught a soil ph meter for like 20$....waste of money, it always read 7ph...my guess is you got the same piece of BS...sorry you wasted your$$
yea i got one from lowes for 9 bucks. it shows moisture levels, ph, and the amount of light. pretty sure its a POS.
well i got the receipt so i may just return it. i also paid about $20, could put that towards something useful in the garden. i dont think its broke. i put the probe in vinegar and it swings acidic, i wanna say like 4ish. i also tested a friend's that uses miracle grow soil. his ph was like 6.2 or 3. i dunno, maybe i'll keep it for the hell of it. just test different things like my neglected lawn and house plants. its weird how simple this thing is. it's analog not digital. i took it apart and the 2 wires from the probe simply hook up to each terminal on the meter. there is no battery. anyone got anything else worth mentioning? thanks all!
i put my meter in my ph4 buffer solution and it never moved from 7, so i knoe mine is just a piece of shit
did you use it properly like read the instructions exactly? mine takes about a minute for the meter to finish moving after putting it in soil. although it took no time when in vinegar. i dunno, just a thought. otherwise sorry man, always sucks when i hear of a fellow gardener getting fucked because some companies lack quality control. let me guess, made in china?
It works by forming a circuit between the two terminals of the probe which are isolated by a plastic seal, using the voltage potential of the nutrient solution across the terminals to swing the arm. The polarity of the current determines which way the arm swings. Sounds like it's working fine. It's a useful tool to have. pH problems get ugly fast.
hey just wanted to let you know i tried it and the fox farm nutes are acidic. tiger bloom and grow big were off the charts acidic according to my meter. big bloom was slightly acidic, like 6.2 i wanna say. thanks tho
i had to use one of those one time we had the same issue until we figured out the deceptively disguised cap on the end of the probe then no problem.
dudes, i got a milwaukee pH600. It seems to be working OK. It fluctuates with my water as it "ages" in my closet, which is what it should do - the water changes pH over time. It gets much more alkaline, the longer it sits. This one cost me 35 locally, but I see online oyu can get one for around 25 then you pay the shipping. Seems to work good so far and I feel confident it is giving me accurate readings, which only my plants will tell me.
I called Milwaukee on my pH600 which came with crap instructions. I called the tech support guys and they said the following: 1) it is a single point calibration device 2) use 7.0 calibration solution, no need to use the 4.0 with that 3) calibrate at least once every 2 weeks to a month 4) leave in a cup of solution that covers the probe, but not over the top of where the cap snaps on ALL THE TIME