ph fluctuation please help...!

andy s

andy s

Well-Known Member
ok so the issue im having is when i mix up water in a bucket, (yes its a clean bucket), i ph the bucket of water, it reads say 5.4, i mix well and use a smaller cup for watering, i test the bucket each time i get a new cup and i test that cup as well as mixing up the bucket each time, the cup will always read a higher ph than the bigger container or bucket. why is that? yes the ph meter was working fine, its the same everytime i switch from the cup to the bucket 5.4 in the bucket 6.1 in the cup.. i changed the batteries as well in my digital ph meter. ive only recently switch to using a bucket compared to normally using a gallon jug and only phing the cup since the meter cant fit in the gallon jug ive never noticed. whic ph should i follow? i usually go by what the cup says.
 
andy s

andy s

Well-Known Member
also i might add that i havent really had any ph issues it just concerned me and i figured if im wrong i can change what im doing and in return have better plants
 
Dr. Who

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
You go by the bucket's pH......What is the meter? VERY odd that any quality meter would do that.....Not saying yours isn't. It just might have an issue on some level.

This meter is the most reliable "pen" style home meter I have ever used. Inexpensive and very easy to use. Accuracy has been exceptional for a "home use" meter.

https://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-PH-80-HydroTester-Resolution/dp/B0096N8OWI

Those expensive "Multi meter" pens are hard on probes and the probes cost more then the meter I showed you above.
The cheapie pens....Are just that. Don't last either....

Good luck
 
andy s

andy s

Well-Known Member
Dr. Who said:
You go by the bucket's pH......What is the meter? VERY odd that any quality meter would do that.....Not saying yours isn't. It just might have an issue on some level.

This meter is the most reliable "pen" style home meter I have ever used. Inexpensive and very easy to use. Accuracy has been exceptional for a "home use" meter.

https://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-PH-80-HydroTester-Resolution/dp/B0096N8OWI

Those expensive "Multi meter" pens are hard on probes and the probes cost more then the meter I showed you above.
The cheapie pens....Are just that. Don't last either....

Good luck
Click to expand...
alright well i hope they dont freak out on me haha bc it was low... im in soil and it read 5.2-5.4 in the bucket... i cnat recall the name of it it was one on amazon had the best reviews has been reliable, it was a yellow one for like almost 20 bucks
 
Dr. Who

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
andy s said:
alright well i hope they dont freak out on me haha bc it was low... im in soil and it read 5.2-5.4 in the bucket... i cnat recall the name of it it was one on amazon had the best reviews has been reliable, it was a yellow one for like almost 20 bucks
Click to expand...
pH of in-going in soil should be 6.5
 
Stink Bug

Stink Bug

Well-Known Member
andy s said:
alright well i hope they dont freak out on me haha bc it was low... im in soil and it read 5.2-5.4 in the bucket... i cnat recall the name of it it was one on amazon had the best reviews has been reliable, it was a yellow one for like almost 20 bucks
Click to expand...
You should be fine. The pH of the feeding solution will buufer to the medium pH witin an hour or so anyways. As you mentioned you are not having any issues.
 
andy s

andy s

Well-Known Member
Dr. Who said:
pH of in-going in soil should be 6.5
Click to expand...
at 6.5 its a bit high for my feedings, the ph of my solution goes up after sitting for a while and figured it did the same in the soil so since it raises about.5 i try and water around 6 to give it a safe zone so to speak if it rises ill be in range still.
 
andy s

andy s

Well-Known Member
Stink Bug said:
You should be fine. The pH of the feeding solution will buufer to the medium pH witin an hour or so anyways. As you mentioned you are not having any issues.
Click to expand...
does the water youre adding not change the ph of the soil over a few watering? tht is what im affraid of .. if i keep adding too low of a ph i figured itd lower the soils ph and make my plant deficient
 
Stink Bug

Stink Bug

Well-Known Member
andy s said:
does the water youre adding not change the ph of the soil over a few watering? tht is what im affraid of .. if i keep adding too low of a ph i figured itd lower the soils ph and make my plant deficient
Click to expand...
A build up of certain nutrients over time can alter a mediums pH. The pH of your solution itself has little or no effect on the mediums pH.
 
theslipperbandit

theslipperbandit

Well-Known Member
Mate ur in soil the mediums ph will lower and rise as is drys 6.5 will hit the spot off the bat and as the ph changes other nutrients will be accessible.
 
andy s

andy s

Well-Known Member
you know thats one thing i learned this current grow im doing. i let my plants dry out a little too much and had to move them to a new house, set them up literally overnight they had started to wilt and burn like crazy showing all kinds of problems and lockouts ph flux ect. it was the craziest thing ive ever seen my plants do. theyre looking fairly bad right now but have came back and recovered with a vengeance haha kept on track with budding just alot of leaf damage and probably some root damage, they went literally like 12 days no water 3 days no lights besides a cfl on the ceiling. they went through a nice shock haha
 
Dr. Who

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
andy s said:
at 6.5 its a bit high for my feedings, the ph of my solution goes up after sitting for a while and figured it did the same in the soil so since it raises about.5 i try and water around 6 to give it a safe zone so to speak if it rises ill be in range still.
Click to expand...
#1 Don't let it sit. Mix and use then.

#2 Slipper is correct.
A: The soil will drop by around a whole point. As the soil dries back out. The pH will rise back to the soils "resting" value.
B: Actually pHing the soil is not so easy...Unless you own a quality industrial soil pH meter and probe....
C: Soil self pH's! Even when running synthetics. While it's ability to, is not as good as with organic's. It still can, if properly maintained, remain "in" proper range.

The given pH value for feed/water for soil plants is 6.5
Many even increase that to 6.7 for better P availability in bloom. Example: Rare Dankness gives these values in his FAQ section on his web site.
These values are basically universally given in all MJ growing books...

NOTE: Repeated delivery of "off" pH values. Will eventually, effect the soils set or resting value. Also over-watering will do the same by having a "too low" value for extended times. This in turn effects the plants and the soils set/resting value.

I do not pH my organic watering.
Because of the nutrient I choose in my synthetic use. I must lower my feed pH.
 
andy s

andy s

Well-Known Member
Dr. Who said:
#1 Don't let it sit. Mix and use then.

#2 Slipper is correct.
A: The soil will drop by around a whole point. As the soil dries back out. The pH will rise back to the soils "resting" value.
B: Actually pHing the soil is not so easy...Unless you own a quality industrial soil pH meter and probe....
C: Soil self pH's! Even when running synthetics. While it's ability to, is not as good as with organic's. It still can, if properly maintained, remain "in" proper range.

The given pH value for feed/water for soil plants is 6.5
Many even increase that to 6.7 for better P availability in bloom. Example: Rare Dankness gives these values in his FAQ section on his web site.
These values are basically universally given in all MJ growing books...

NOTE: Repeated delivery of "off" pH values. Will eventually, effect the soils set or resting value. Also over-watering will do the same by having a "too low" value for extended times. This in turn effects the plants and the soils set/resting value.

I do not pH my organic watering.
Because of the nutrient I choose in my synthetic use. I must lower my feed pH.
Click to expand...
alright awesome thank you for explaining that. i tend to let my plants dry out more than i ever over water or overfeed.
 
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