woof, no not a dogs woof, just woof, what does it mean?
Blue Lab and Hanna, are top of the line pH meters. I have one of each.
pH'ing allows plants to have the maximum uptake of nutrients and it stops these nutrient from being locked out.
PH'ing is definitely needed in coco/hydro growing and it is best to pH soil grow too, although there is a little more leeway in soils, as soil acts as natural buffer but only to a certain extent. You can definitely get pH imbalance and lock in soil as well.
In hydro/coco there is no room for mistakes as there is no buffering properties in these methods due to the substrates fast nutrient mobility.
Cannabis likes slightly acidic soil but various stages of growth benefit from variations in pH spouted seeds and seedling like it a bit more acid but by the time you are in full flower, it goes ever so slightly more alkaline on the scale, due to the the plant needing to uptake different nutrients for flowering than veg.
Allowing your plants to have a wet/dry cycle allows the pH of your soil to naturally fluctuate it's pH. This makes different specific minerals to be able to be taken up by the plant.
When pH'ing nutrient solutions, it is a good idea to allow the pH to swing slightly, within the parameter of the advised mean pH of your substrate/method of growing.
Soil growing pH range is 6-7 pH with the grower aiming for and average of 6.2 – 6.9
View attachment 1380083
Soil 6-7 pH as the chart shows this allows for maximum up take of nutrients.
Hydro/coco growing pH range 5.5 - 6.5 pH with the grower aiming for an average
View attachment 1380084
With the slightly lower pH range in hydro/coco we can see a smack bang in the middle pH of 6 throughout the grow would mean the minerals such as manganese and calcium are out of range or just on the cusp for up take.
Allowing the pH levels to swing when pHing in hydro/coco, allows more uptake of these nutrients which are important for the plants health and well being.
Back to pH meters, I recently had a pH give a bad reading and my plants were far from happy turning funny colours and generally having a hissy fit.
So I went to calibrate the meter by low and behold I had run out of buffering powders.
I needed a solution ASAP my plants health depended on it, what to do buy buffering powder or a new pH pen???
Looking on the net I could get a new pH meter faster and cheaper than the pH powders, which if your going to buy them, may as well get them in bulk.
The pH pen arrived two days later and cost a measly £4.54 with free p&p/shipping.
It worked perfectly out of the box and my plants soon recovered and after a defoliation, which I do anyway, you would never know it had been sick, with lock out issues!
When funds allow I will buy more buffering powder in a bulk purchase.
To avoid nutrient build up on the probes of the pH meter, it is a good idea to rinse with de-ionized water after each use. Demonized water is cheap and can be bought fro your local auto store or motor factors.
Last thought - There are two main types of liquid nutrient pHing pens -Dry bulb and wet bulb.
Wet bulb means you have to fill the cap with a special solution to protech the bulb *probe/sensor". This is generally found on the higher end pHing pens, like my blue Lab pH pen. I however find it a PITA and an added cost but it will give very accurate readings foe a long time, however they still need to be cleaned calibrated from time to time.
Dry bulb pH meter can often be bough very cheaply. They don't need special storage solution, most budget pH meter are this style.
Rinse with De-ionized water and use some tissue to absorb the moisture left on the bulb.
Cleaning and calibration is needed from time to time.
You can buy pH buffering powders and pH buffering solutions to calibrate your meter
I use the powders for ease of accuracy, one sachet in 250ml de-ionized water.
Edit: Almost forgot a recommendation for a soil pH meter
hsoil:
View attachment 1380090Bluelab soil pH pen
Shop aroun prices vary a fair bit and you don't want to spend more than you need as they aint cheap.