Proper pH water

[OlderStoner]

It's been about 24 months since my last grow so I'm researching all that I've learned over the years. Namely about the ph level of the water I use for my plants. Several years ago I purchased a ph meter and was quite surprised to find that most of the water that came into my home was on the alkali side with ph levels of 8.0 and higher. It was not uncommon to see above 9 as well. Even when I collected rain water the ph was high, usually higher than 8. Okay so here I am 7 years later at the same house buying water from the same municipality, at least I think. I have tested several tap water specimens here in the last 48 hours all of which the ph level is well below 7.0. Some of it was 5.5, but most of it is anywhere from 6.1 to 6.6, or just about perfect for cannabis in soil in a pot.

So I'm curious how others find the ph level in their sources for water. I've brought in bottled water from time to time but even that is on the high scale, above 7.0. It's a curious thing that depending not only where one lives, but the time of day or season means that tap water ph level changes so.

Now to reinforce basic advice about growing cannabis in soil I have a single plant growing now. It comes from good genetics so I'm watching it closely. It came up okay but then went to yellow like crazy. The soil I'm using is from a compost pile I've been feeding with vegetable scraps for several years so I was thinking it was good source for the plant. But apparently something wasn't right. I mixed a very weak solution of FF Grow Big and by weak I mean only a few drops in an 8 oz cup of water with a ph of 5.5. For insurance I sprinkled the topsoil with a little organic fert and a pinch of blood meal. After 4 days it was completely green and growing nice leaves. As I learned early on, when it comes to those solubles in the FF line, less is more. So here's hoping it turns out female.

 

[Pbass]

I used a pool tester on the winter sale rack from walmart for 2 bucks last year after one of the girls in my first grow went south...maybe I better check again!

Mine was high, 7.5-7.8. I use 4tsp of vinegar in every jug of water I serve, haven't had a problem since...well I've overcome some problems, that's a unknown I should probably know again! CHeers mate, thanks for the reminder and gl to your grow!

 

[Steelbuds89]

I have several grows in the books and to be totally honest with you, I've never ph but that's only because I'm sticking to powder nutes ( which I personally had great results) and it's always filtered water from culligan or I'll buy bottled water. But Im quite sure that if your using bottled nutes...ph the water is pretty much..a must.

 

[BakedARea]

Water utilities are regulated to ensure a high enough pH is getting to customers. Typically they are using Sodium Hydroxide (caustic soda) to treat the water before it enters the distribution system. Last year was my first time growing. I purchased a good pH meter and had to bring the levels down at every watering. I hooked up a budget friendly hose filter that RV folks use. It definitely helped clean up the water and saved lots of money. I see no need to use bottled water personally because most modern cities have water utilities that are heavily regulated and require monthly reporting and compliance. If you can, calibrate your pH meter and be sure you are seeing accurate numbers. You can request a water quality sample from your water company if needed. Best of luck on your grow.

 

[bobrown14]

I used a pool tester on the winter sale rack from walmart for 2 bucks last year after one of the girls in my first grow went south...maybe I better check again!

Mine was high, 7.5-7.8. I use 4tsp of vinegar in every jug of water I serve, haven't had a problem since...well I've overcome some problems, that's a unknown I should probably know again! CHeers mate, thanks for the reminder and gl to your grow!

I'd use something other than vinegar. Thats an organic herbicide brother. Acetic Acid.

I'd suggest something like vitamin C AKA ascorbic acid - it will be more healthy for your plants roots also the Vitamin C can help with the removal of chlorine in your tap water.

I'm sure its working cause of the solution you're using but I'm suggesting something better for your plants.

@OlderStoner - have you calibrated your pH pen?? A few years is pretty long. They suggest calibration every few weeks.

Water pH IN SOIL has a pretty large range that will work for plants. Say 5pH-8pH you should be ok as long as your soil medium has the proper pH. Problems come in play when the soil pH is off. Water really has a very small play if it does then look to your soil.

Usually the soil pH will creep up over time if you're re-using it. That is natural from the break down (composting) of SOM over time in a container.

Now if you use bottled nutrients then just follow the label recommendations.

EDIT: also letting your water sit out in a bucket over night and re-testing your pH should gleen you some interesting results.

This points to what pH really is a measure of. Letting tap water sit out does several good things.

 

[BakedARea]

@OlderStoner - have you calibrated your pH pen?? A few years is pretty long. They suggest calibration every few weeks.

I agree! You should ensure you pH pen is calibrated often. They are notorious for drift from all the research I have done. I put a reminder on my phone for a calibration at the end of the month.

 

[bobrown14]

lol yeah I spent a good deal of money on a pH pen and used it for a few weeks till I went with RO water filtration. Tested that and it was the same every time and put the meter on the shelf.

Fast forward we moved to the country and well water. Installed RO filter but my pH is different now and since i tossed the pH pen and calibration solution during packing for the move. I just ordered a new pH pen. I bought a cheepy $15 one this time.

I do use one of those RV carbon filters as a pre-filter for my RO system. Keeps any larger particles out of the RO membrane and helps with the filtering. I replace that every year as I only use that RO filter for my indoor plants in containers.

 

[BakedARea]

Raw well water will have a variable pH depending on the static or pumping water levels. I would recommend keeping track of the various pH readings you get and log the depth of the well at that specific time and start building a data chart. You may end up finding your sweet spot at a specific time that way. Just a thought.

 

[Pbass]

I'd use something other than vinegar. Thats an organic herbicide brother. Acetic Acid.

I'd suggest something like vitamin C AKA ascorbic acid - it will be more healthy for your plants roots also the Vitamin C can help with the removal of chlorine in your tap water.

I'm sure its working cause of the solution you're using but I'm suggesting something better for your plants.

Thanks for the tip, I certainly won't argue with something I don't know about, however I have well so no chlorine to deal with and based on the results I receive from my current nutrient mix I am quite confident the vinegar does a fine job and is not at all detrimental to my plants, in fact is quite the opposite. It's actually quite mild compared to outright acid.

Not sure on the cost of citric acid, but ph Down is 19 bucks a jug, white vinegar is $1.49. It's a cost/benefit thing for me. It's certainly possible I could get a better yield with other methods but I get a good result now at a fraction of the cost.

 

[bobrown14]

ascorbic acid is vitamin c - and organic. Citric Acid is man made. They both are pretty cheap at ~$25 for 2 pounds of the powder probably enough to last several years.

Not arguing with results at all I'm results oriented just saying that vinegar is an organic herbicide is all. Vitamin C on the other hand is not and is good at neutralizing chlorine in water. Saying that for anyone using tap water.

I got my new pH pen yesterday and my RO water from both filters is 8.9pH. My soil that I use over and over the soil pH tested last fall was 7pH this is on the high side. It started out at 5.8pH several years ago. So it was at the edge 7pH is on the high side for soil and then I'm adding in water with an even higher pH. I started getting lockouts which I've never gotten before.

I added in some Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) from some capsules we had laying around for hoo-man consumption and also made a foliar with Horsetail Fern tea and the water with ascorbic acid to it and brought the pH of the water and the foliar down in the 5.5pH range and the plants look GREAT today.

I have was 50 gal water res that I can treat with the vitamin c, 1 capsule gets the pH down to ~6pH which is good enough.

EDIT: I wood never use pH down or pH up on my organic soil. It will mess with the micro-organisms. That I wood not be able to fix.

 

[Hash Hound]

from wiki how

2
Drop lemon juice in your watering can for a natural fix. If you put 1⁄8 tsp (0.62 mL) of lemon juice in 1 US gal (3,800 mL) of water, you can lower the pH by about 1.5 points. The lemon juice can be either freshly-squeezed or bottled, but be sure it's 100% pure.[8]

• You can also use citric acid instead, but you may need to dissolve it in a little water first.
• If you're planning to test the water again, stir in the lemon juice and wait about 5 minutes to ensure it disperses evenly throughout the water.

• 
  
  3
  Add vinegar to the water for an inexpensive fix. Measure 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of plain white vinegar and pour it into 1 US gal (3,800 mL) of water. The natural acidity of the vinegar will help neutralize the alkalinity in the water, bringing a pH of 7.5-7.7 down to about 5.8-6.0.[9]
  • Vinegar has a pH of 2-3 and lemon juice has a pH of 2, so their effect on water is similar.[10]

 

[Hash Hound]

I just got a sample of new fish based nutes in the mail, I put two mills in a half gallon and it brought the ph from 8.5 to 6.5. I might just start adding this every watering, it's not that strong.

 

[bobrown14]

Citric acid is man made use the lemon/vinegar (go easy)/ascorbic acid (vitamin C and go easy).