Using fabric pots

[Stonecrusher]

I have been using the pH kits with the drops for a long time. They seem to be just as accurate as any other option. When I first started aquariums I would take my sample to the tropical fish store as mentioned earlier and would have the same number as they came up with. And, if I tested 3 or 4 times in a half hour or so with one sample kept giving me the same number then I started to understand how to read the colors.

Bonus was that the tropical fish were not dying off of what looked like water pH issues.

I have wondered how much more accurate a meter would be vs test kit. At least I know Im in a range with the kit. In organic soil Im not sure it needs to be perfect. At least thats what I hear from about 50% of the voices here.

 

[bluter]

Yes I have used a color test for PH. I assume this is not very accurate but until now PH wasn't really a concern.

drop and strip testers are not accurate. i used them for years and my pops had to use them for work. they're junk compared to a decent brand ph tester. a lot of cheap testers aren't a pile better. use decent gear if you are serious.

I understand that this is part of improving quality, but I have also heard a lot of opinions that say ph doesn't matter when growing in soil.

it depends on many factors. if you build a water only soil or grow in closed loop organics it becomes less of an issue. if you feed anything from a bag or bottle or use a commercial soil it is a primary concern.

I personally would prefer not to add yet another layer of complexity to watering, but I may try it and see for myself what effect it has versus prior experience.

then grow in a style it is not required. lots of folk go this way.

Howdy i have a BIG fabric container and my experience,In organic soil i disagree not to ph water Bio life likes a certain ph and if it fluctuates to much itll slow the biological cycle and over time it'll change the soil biology bacteria likes 7.0 or just above and fungi is a below 7.0 ph so like my water is ph of 8 coming out of the tap i wouldn't want to use that at that range if i can simply adjust it in 2 minutes to 6.8. Where my soul ph is.
To get that in range with a little citric acid and 2 minutes of my time idk its worth it to especially if i run into problems like you got now. I somewhat confident that my soil ph is good because i haven't added that extra equation to the mix. Just my opinion

this makes sense in a container grow. you reuse the soil over and over which makes it a good practice. balanced commercial soils are only good for a run or two. yours will last forever.

I have to first say that they seem to be liking the lower light. I need a couple more days to see how they go under reduced light, but I think this may have been the problem.

it's not the problem but will help them in the short term. stressed plants will always do better under lower light but you're not going to get much out of it if you leave under weak light for the whole grow. your potency and yield are directly tied to how much light they consume.

I have wondered how much more accurate a meter would be vs test kit. At least I know Im in a range with the kit. In organic soil Im not sure it needs to be perfect. At least thats what I hear from about 50% of the voices here.

a lot of drops and kits can be a whole point out one way or the other. they also depend on how the grower reads them. meters eliminate the guesswork.

 

[SmokingWings]

I have wondered how much more accurate a meter would be vs test kit. At least I know Im in a range with the kit. In organic soil Im not sure it needs to be perfect. At least thats what I hear from about 50% of the voices here.

A quality meter, like a Blue Lab, will beat out the drop or paper strips. But, with practice they will get you into the ballpark.

A lot of soil growers do seem to end up not bothering with most of the pH testing that is required for successful hydroponic style growing. But, soil growers, like other gardeners, should have an idea of the pH of their water as it goes in. That is the water that will be used when the soil is getting dry or will be mixed with fertilizers. The run-through or run-off numbers mean little since the soil takes over and controls the water pH.

 

[bluter]

A quality meter, like a Blue Lab, will beat out the drop or paper strips. But, with practice they will get you into the ballpark.

it's super subjective. my pops had to do water tests for engineering firms over decades before there were meters. the testers overhauled the industry in less than 2 yrs when they became consistently available.

A lot of soil growers do seem to end up not bothering with most of the pH testing that is required for successful hydroponic style growing. But, soil growers, like other gardeners, should have an idea of the pH of their water as it goes in. That is the water that will be used when the soil is getting dry or will be mixed with fertilizers. The run-through or run-off numbers mean little since the soil takes over and controls the water pH.

i have a lot of issues with commercial media suppliers that do not include ph information on their products. very few give any direction at all.

any media in a container can get ph drift over time. hp promix bales will change ph even sitting in storage. suppliers can't plan for all circumstances and conditions, so they simply get vague when approached on the issue.

following ph rules in most media is a good idea. otherwise you don't know what you don't know.

 

[Sueet]

Fyi I asked about pHing the water simply because your soil mix looks very woody. I was just wondering if you are ending up too low or something. I didn't mean to open pandora's box