Ok so last grow I phd my water to 6.8 everytime using RO water. This grow in using tap water I let sit out for atleast 24 hours and I have not been phing the water. Everything seems fine I'm using ffof soil and I'm about to start on nutes I have the nutes pictures below. Should I ph the water after I add the nutes or will the soil maintain correct ph as long as I don't over water or over feed? Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
Many will say yes. I say no. Hydroponics and soil do not share the same chemical mechanisms for delivering nutrients to plants, nor the natural buffering capabilities necessary to handle the free hydrogen ions that are created by plant roots and microbes during normal nutrient cycling and uptake. Run a control test with at least two plants. Same clones preferably, or at the very least the same strain. Water one with pH corrected water, the other with plain tap that you've let sit for 24 hours. As you've already stated, don't over water or over feed. Make the determination yourself. Personal experience is worth way more than the majority of advice given on weed forums. Side by side, YOU can see the difference...
I haven't ph'd a soil grow in years personally. It is good to know the ph of your tap water, but unless it is extremely out of whack you should be fine. If I'm doing soil I run ocean forest, or happy frog with 20% perlite and one cup of lime per 5g pot. Decent soil will balance itself as long as you aren't badly over feeding. Running water only every second or third watering will also help make sure you don't have any salt build up with Chem nutes.
Can it really do any harm to check the pH after you've added the nutes the first time just so you know what you are working with?
Make sure it is not acidic going in I see most tap at 7.0 to 7.6 The soil will even that out for u Sent from my iPod touch using Grasscity Forum
In my experience using those nutes your ph will be around 4.8 after adding the nutes. Just make sure your runnoff is in line. Before I started going organic I used to have to put my water at about 8.6 in just to get 6.7 out. Now I just add water and forget about it.
I've been using ro filtered water with organic soil. I have checked my ph yet and everything is fine. Might change once I start adding nutes. So far so good. I say your fine just pay attention.
Set the pH after adding the nutes. My tap run about 7.4 after adding all the nutes, fox farm, my ph would be about 6.5 Paging Dr. Green Thumb
