Nutrients Which nutrient lines are the most pH stable?

[Bantersaurus]

I've had some good results with Mega Crop, but the pH swings and dosing difficulties (little white balls, man) make me think that I can find something more convenient to use while maintaining the same yield and quality. I've heard Dyna-gro is particularly pH stable, but I've also heard good things about the Canna CA 2 part. Any tips from people who've grown in coco?

Here's a photo of the plant I'm growing right now for no reason.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

You are growing in soil? You should not be getting PH swings from any brand of nutrients in soil that is properly buffered. So perhaps I do not understand what you are doing? I grow hydro and PH check and adjust happens at least twice a day. Most people do not understand that it is the water that is changing PH not the nutrients. As water sits (aeration speeds this up) calcium carbonate will precipitate out. This is the main driving factor in the PH change. So if you aerate your water for a day or two before mixing your nutrients this will help stabilize the PH in the solution. The rise will continue but at a slower pace.

The plants themselves can change the PH in the root zone. The roots exude carbohydrates and other substances to feed the soil microbes and coax them into making the nutrients the plant is in need. In a DWC bucket when the plants shift into high flower the PH in the bucket can change from 5.8 to 4.8 in less than 4 hours.

I am in a unique situation where I live depending on the water usage (pressure) north or south of me. I can get water from the surface water plant which is 80 PPM and PH 7.8 or from the well pumps at 160 PPM and 8.4 PH. I have a 35 gallon top-off tank that I fill and check then adjust. It aerates continually.

RO water with Advanced nutrients would be the most stable but at their prices you might as well pay someone else to grow weed for you.

 

[Garage_Grower]

I was going to say that’s it’s most likely your water that is making it swing, and not so much the nutrients! If I run MC in just RO water, the PH will stay the same for days without any adjusting. If I mix the same batch up with just my hard tap water, I’m adjusting PH swings everyday. I compromise and mix 50/50 tap and RO, and now get a nice small drift over a few days.

 

[Bantersaurus]

I'm growing in coco, and I filter my water. It's usually beneath 5 ppm. When I was using tap water, which is around 165 ppm, it was much more pH stable. Unless you guys think the cal/mag I'm using (TPS) could be doing it, I'm not sure what I could be doing wrong. I did recently buy a new bottle of pH down, but it's just the generic GH stuff that I've seen everybody use.

 

[CannaRuss]

I'm growing in coco, and I filter my water. It's usually beneath 5 ppm. When I was using tap water, which is around 165 ppm, it was much more pH stable. Unless you guys think the cal/mag I'm using (TPS) could be doing it, I'm not sure what I could be doing wrong

Is there something specific you're trying to filter out of the tap water? 165ppm is not to bad. Maybe go with 50/50 RO/Tap.

I did recently buy a new bottle of pH down, but it's just the generic GH stuff that I've seen everybody use.

What is the pH of your Nutrient mix before any adjusting?

 

[Bantersaurus]

Is there something specific you're trying to filter out of the tap water? 165ppm is not to bad. Maybe go with 50/50 RO/Tap.

What is the pH of your Nutrient mix before any adjusting?

I was under the impression that 150 was the cutoff for acceptable tap water. I did also see some odd yellowing here and there on some leaves that was pretty asymmetrical. That led to me to believe that some of the water I gave them must've been bad, probably from some kind of micro particulate left in the water. I was letting the tap water sit for 24 hours minimum, but who knows.

After adding Mega Crop, Bud Explosion, and cal/mag the water is usually 5 - 5.1 pH. I add 1 mL of pH up to get it to 5.7 - 5.9.

 

[CannaRuss]

I was under the impression that 150 was the cutoff for acceptable tap water. I did also see some odd yellowing here and there on some leaves that was pretty asymmetrical. That led to me to believe that some of the water I gave them must've been bad, probably from some kind of micro particulate left in the water. I was letting the tap water sit for 24 hours minimum, but who knows.

Consider the 50/50 water mix. Where are you measuring a pH swing?

After adding Mega Crop, Bud Explosion, and cal/mag the water is usually 5 - 5.1 pH. I add 1 mL of pH up to get it to 5.7 - 5.9.

You had posted that you had GH pH Down so I was curious.

 

[Bantersaurus]

Consider the 50/50 water mix. Where are you measuring a pH swing?


You had posted that you had GH pH Down so I was curious.

What do you mean by where? I pour a bit into a cup and measure that.

I thought RO was supposed to be the most stable, but I guess I will have to consider mixing the water. Might just go back to tap water.

 

[CannaRuss]

What do you mean by where? I pour a bit into a cup and measure that.

I thought you might be checking runoff or a slurry.

 

[Bantersaurus]

I thought you might be checking runoff or a slurry.

Oh, gotcha. I mix a gallon of nutrient water, then use it across 2 -3 days watering once a day. I noticed the swings in that gallon. I never really check the ph of my runoff, but the EC is around 200 - 350 lower than incoming water (which is what I've heard is ideal).