Indoor ph 3 to 4 ?

[longhair]

I'm growing in soil ffof and have watered with molasses 1/2 tsp per gal.,then when dry,water with ff tiger blm.The plants are going on there 6th week in soil and have doing this sch.since week 4,some of my leaves are yellow and drooping and my soil ph is between 3 and 4. What should I do?

 

[Muddy]

Can you get some hydrated lime? It should be powdered, like flour. If so, add 1 tablespoon per gallon of water, shake it very well and feed them that. Wait 2 days and check your pH again. Then if need be, repeat again the next feeding.

How did it get so low? What is your soil mix?

 

[longhair]

Im using fox farms ocean forest, the best I could find around here. Could it be my ph meter? I just bought it. Would the yellow leaves be the result of the low ph?

 

[Muddy]

Yes, the yellow leaves could be caused from a lock out caused by low pH. Sorry, I missed the OF. I wouldn't expect it to be that low. What kind of pH meter did you get?

 

[Jackal]

I have gotten some low pH readings in straight Ocean Forrest not that low thou. It's best to add 1 tablespoon of dolomite lime per gallon of soil before planting. Just a future tip. It will stablize the pH through out the grow, from my experience.

 

[longhair]

My ph meter seems to be working ok,just stuck it in apple cider vinigar and it pegged the needle.Just checked my well water and it read 2 on the meter.Now what?

 

[AndyBotwin]

I have gotten some low pH readings in straight Ocean Forrest not that low thou. It's best to add 1 tablespoon of dolomite lime per gallon of soil before planting. Just a future tip. It will stablize the pH through out the grow, from my experience.

+1 I had problems where the pH dropped down below 5 with straight OF, but nothing in the 3s. My last grow I mixed lime into the soil like Jackal mentioned, and I had no problems keeping everything in the 6 range from beginning to end.

When I had low pH/lockout problems, I flushed the plants with pH 7 water until the runoff was back to the low 6 range. I top dressed the soil with some hydrated lime and kept a close eye on the runoff pH for the rest of the grow. Molasses and Tiger Bloom will lower your pH a significant amount so you need to test before watering and use pH up if needed. My tap water is over 8 but after adding a full dose of nutes/molasses it easily drops into the 5s.

 

[Muddy]

Hmmm. If your pH meter is one of those $20 ones they are notoriously inaccurate. But if your well water is truly that low, that would explain the low pH. Over multiple feedings it lowered the pH of the soil. You're going to need to be pHing your nutrient solution before you feed. Nutrients lower the pH of the water so you're going to need some pH up to raise it to the proper level, which should be around 6.3. In the mean time get some of the hydrated lime and feed it as I suggested. That will help to quickly raise the soil pH.

 

[AndyBotwin]

My ph meter seems to be working ok,just stuck it in apple cider vinigar and it pegged the needle.Just checked my well water and it read 2 on the meter.Now what?

I seriously doubt that your well water has a pH of 2 - that's the same acidity as lemon juice. I would try to get your hands on another meter ASAP, or at least an aquarium test kit with the drops.

 

[Jackal]

Ya that is low, I was just wondering if it was truly that low and after adding nutes that lowers it even more, would it take the pH into the negative or what? :no: