New Grower Placement of Accurate8 probe for "Accurate" pH Reading?

[olderthandirt]

I'm using the Wizard Accurate8 to see what's going on in my soil and I'm having difficulty in probe placement.

S'posed to check at the "root zone".
With the probe tip approx. 5 inches in I get reading of 6.7
With the probe tip approx. 12 inches in I get reading of 5.0

Is this a common scenario and, how does one determine the root zone of a plant in soil?

Thankee!

 

[Chester]

Not uncommon ... I believe it is evidence of the pot being too wet as you go deeper ... your roots probably go all the way to the bottom with the roots in the lower ph soil absorbing different nutrients than the ones higher up ....

 

[olderthandirt]

... your roots probably go all the way to the bottom with the roots in the lower ph soil absorbing different nutrients than the ones higher up ....

Very interesting food for thought @Chester .

I know for a fact I had been underwatering earlier, mayhaps I'm over correcting?
That said, the plants actually look the picture of health so I s'pose my best course of action is to not take any action, other than continue to observe, ponder and make sure and ask questions here on AFN!

Thankee!!

 

[Chester]

As long as they're healthy ...

 

[Chester]

I helped a friend w/ a grow in a 3 gal pot once that had a similar problem ... at about 1" deep the accurate 8 read 6.5 and near the bottom of the pot the reading was a low 4 ... plant was very healthy ...

 

[Eyes on Fire]

water.excess water and lack of drainage. problem with them even though they are killer cetainly, it has to be an ideal and even moistness through the entire pot to get a truly accurate ,accurate 8 reading thats constant and unwavering. and moving it disturbs it too. but thats usually what does it from my experience dealing with various meters and watching them perform and so on.

better drainage would improve the grow prolly. but if it aint broke LOL

 

[HashMaster]

Check out the thread that tells you how to check pH of runoff

 

[Eyes on Fire]

yeah I never used that with organics especially. last i read on it ,it was a somewhat flawed system that does give a simplistic idea as to where things are close to,but its certainly not exact but when I grew chems a handful of times I did use it and it was helpful. but things got even easier

 

[olderthandirt]

Learned sumpin' new and now it's reinforced.
Variation in pH dependent on depth accentuated by excess moisture.

Like I said I know I was under watering early on in the season but I am also realizing soil compaction.
I'm pretty sure this is a result of too much EWC and dairy manure. Drainage is not bad but should be looser than it is just now.

I may well take a shot at run off testing, I was really wanting to avoid that and rely strictly on the Accurate 8.

With all I've learned this season, next year otter be amazing!

 

[Eyes on Fire]

yeah but if there is not any issues leave it be. maybe put them on risers to help dry out the pot on the bottom. i used to do that Outdoors,and even inside too. but your chem atm too..? so that plays a bigger role than is necessary. but if it aint broke.LOL! good luck brother!


the accurate 8 is a good piece imo. as long as mid way down the pot if drainage is decent or drier should be fine within organics. chem is a different varied world or numbers and maintaining that. more work than needed imo.