New Grower what is best to use for pH correction if pH is too high?

[greenjeans]

actualy both .. just want to know what substances i can use .. for instance what substanse is that pH-down solution you mention made of? what kinds of acids can i use and what is better not to use

Well I am a new grower, but my suggestion to you would be not to over think this. PH down is not expensive, and is specifically designed for this application. The very last thing that I would do, or suggest to anyone would be to start dumping muriatic acid(or whatever) into their water instead of simply buying a tried and true product that can be had for 10 bucks. I'm not sure exactly what my PH down is made of, but I know that it works, and the plants don't react badly to it. I do not know this to be true for any home remedies. I have seen folks talk about vinegar and lemon juice, but unless there comes a time when I just have no other choice, I won't be using it. Much in the same way that I won't be trying to cure myself of an infection by rubbing garlic on it rather than just buying some 4 dollar antibiotic ointment.

That is just my 2 cents on it. Good luck!

*edit*
I have seen people talk about vinegar and lemon juice, but I have ALSO seen people talk about pissing in the reservoir, and putting a plant in the oven to cure mold, and have watched someone completely ruin their plant by putting it in the bathtub and washing all of the dirt out, thinking that they were "flushing" it. So If I were you, I would take great care to verify and re verify any and all information people give you on internet forums.

 

[MisterHarpy]

hmmm lemon juice ok if that works good then also citric acid wich is extracted from citrus fruits should be ok right?.. maybe even better if its clean acid.. guess id have to make a solution then and only use a drop or 2 on a gallon, should be fine then

thanks for the input all

Hmm I think it'll work, idk if it'll have a effect on the soil though, the following information is from a canning website, where they substitute citric acid for lemon juice and it works so theoretically it should work.


Citric Acid can be substituted*– it will adjust the acidity (lower the pH) of the fruit, which is what you want to do. 1/4 teaspoon powdered Citric Acid is equivalent to 1 Tablespoon lemon juice. 1*teaspoon powdered Citric Acid is equivalent to ¼ cup lemon juice (4 Tablespoons). Citric Acid lowers pH and imparts tartness to the fruit mixture, but it doesn’t add a particular flavor.

Ascorbic Acid cannot be substituted*for lemon or lime juice or vinegar in a Pomona's recipe. It is simply Vitamin C powder. It will not lower the pH of the fruit. It is commonly used to prevent browning in cut fresh fruit or fruit that will be canned.

Citric Acid and Ascorbic Acid are two different acids, with different chemical compositions. Both are present in lemon juice.

 

[HD Grower]

Now I have another question..I've never had a problem with the PH being high.What is the cause of that..???? I know alot of tap/city water is high PH..But most of the nutes when added lowers it way more than it was high..

Thanks

 

[MisterHarpy]

Now I have another question..I've never had a problem with the PH being high.What is the cause of that..???? I know alot of tap/city water is high PH..But most of the nutes when added lowers it way more than it was high..

Thanks[emoji14]eace:

What meter are you using?, I had a cheap pH meter at a point and everything read high, I would lower it till the meter read a good pH after awhile plant had so many deficiencies, bought a new good ph meter and turns out I was watering at 4.5ph the whole time my meter just read high. Just a thought.

 

[HD Grower]

I have a SunLeaves...I feel its reading good..My gal's are looking health..I also use the PH papers to double cheak..

 

[gmgeoff]

I use G H PH down (powder) because of R O water. Works good. Cheap, For 2lbs. less than $15 dollars on the buy/ auction site. probably will last me forever.
I also have high PH well water, I started to blend with, so I usually don't need any. A tiny thumb full makes a big difference in as little as 15 gallons (I'm doing hydro),so add slowly!

 

[Alaskan1]

White vinegar works great. So you said this is in soil, yes? How large of pot? I do 3 gallon pots, and water with tap water that's been set out over night, or a day or two. It's PH is high, so I drop it with white vinegar. When I've had PH issues develop in the soil, I use ph 6.5 water and rinse the soil with a couple gallons, topping off with a ph/nute watering. Also, when you water, always let about 20% drain out of the bottom of the pot to flush excess salt/mineral build up. So the question is, why is your soil PH high. Figure that out, and correct it. Good luck!