Nutrients PH UP/Down. Mostly down.

[GreenBean]

I’ve been using GH PH UP/DOWN for the longest time. Mostly down. I like to mix a couple days ahead on my nutes, but it seems like there’s a lot of drift with the GH. I know that it’s predicated on some other factors, but I’ve read that Advanced Nutrients PH solutions hold a lot longer. Just curious if anyone has any input.

 

[Autofire]

I’ve been using GH PH UP/DOWN for the longest time. Mostly down. I like to mix a couple days ahead on my nutes, but it seems like there’s a lot of drift with the GH. I know that it’s predicated on some other factors, but I’ve read that Advanced Nutrients PH solutions hold a lot longer. Just curious if anyone has any input.

I heard somewhere that GH are well aware of this problem but the owner is not wanting to fix the issue because it would chew into his bottom line.

 

[Bruce Campbell]

PH Down products are basically either phosphoric acid or vitamin C (ascorbic acid) - here's the MSDS for both GH PH Down and AN PH Down.

You'll have some drift over time with either of those. They have such low equilibrium pH that they provide limited buffering when used to adjust to an intermediate pH.

Advanced Nutrients puts a lot of marketing into their "pH-perfect technology" but just be aware that it's only in their nutrient solutions, not their pH up/down products. The basic principle is that they have other non-nutrients in those products that provide an equilibrium pH near what is needed for growing and, therefore, can provide some extra buffering to resist pH changes. I can't speak to how true / well that works - but you should have more pH stability from those than from an adjustment product alone.

 

[GreenBean]

PH Down products are basically either phosphoric acid or vitamin C (ascorbic acid) - here's the MSDS for both GH PH Down and AN PH Down.

You'll have some drift over time with either of those. They have such low equilibrium pH that they provide limited buffering when used to adjust to an intermediate pH.

Advanced Nutrients puts a lot of marketing into their "pH-perfect technology" but just be aware that it's only in their nutrient solutions, not their pH up/down products. The basic principle is that they have other non-nutrients in those products that provide an equilibrium pH near what is needed for growing and, therefore, can provide some extra buffering to resist pH changes. I can't speak to how true / well that works - but you should have more pH stability from those than from an adjustment product alone.

Thank you for the information. Yeah I’m not switching to their nutes as I’m involved in quite the love affair with Floraflex right now. Like any other human being thing, PH’ing can become tiresome. I notice a fairly large drift with GH in my nutes bucket. I suppose some of that may be due to heat? As the weather here cools, I suppose I’ll monitor to see if there’s more stability. I have a decent amount of GH left, so I figured I’d ask some questions before the time comes to replenish.

Doing my little “research thing” I had read that a) their PH solution doesn’t drift as much. And b) although more expensive up front, it is a higher concentration and ends up being cheaper.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Water is not stable as the chemistry is constantly changing when exposed to air. The processes that are going on can be different for different mineral contents or temperature as well as other variables. It is my personal experience the water in a holding tank with aeration for a day or two will stabilize a bit and then will remain a bit more constant when mixed with nutrients in my reservoir. The thing is the elements I mix in to the res changes the water and reactions start again. So I PH test my res many times a day and consider it part of the farming job I work at.

 

[Animatey]

I've personally found that using gh trio with gh pH down can be very stable.

When using tap water, I've had my rez with gh nutes stay the same pH for 5+ days. Usually this means the EC is also stable.

I'm currently using advanced Sensi Bloom and the pH climbs .1-.2 a day in RO water. The EC in this case is not stable, as the plant I have feeding out of the rez is just not eating much.

In a recirculating system, feed strength seems to be a determining factor in pH stability.

 

[GreenBean]

Water is not stable as the chemistry is constantly changing when exposed to air. The processes that are going on can be different for different mineral contents or temperature as well as other variables. It is my personal experience the water in a holding tank with aeration for a day or two will stabilize a bit and then will remain a bit more constant when mixed with nutrients in my reservoir. The thing is the elements I mix in to the res changes the water and reactions start again. So I PH test my res many times a day and consider it part of the farming job I work at.

Thanks for the information folks. For the record I’m not running hydro. I just mix my nutes in buckets and was hoping that there was an easier way to keep the ph a bit more stable, as I like to mix a couple days worth at a time. I do try to stagger my ph between 5.9 to 6.3 ish, and if I ph to 5.9, sometimes I can get lucky and it’ll be 6.2 or 6.3 the next day. It seems like flower nutes stay more stable. And veg nutes can shoot up.

I don’t necessarily mind doing it. I had just read that AN’s PH stuff, not their actual nutes, was more stable. You guys know more about it than me, so thank you for the information. I’ll continue doing what I do. I am using FloraFlex nutes by the way. Think I already mentioned that. But that is what I am using and thoroughly enjoying.