PH in soil

pablohernandez · Nov 22, 2020

Hi guys, so when i test my water for PH with test strips it's between 6 and 7 but when i test the soil with a soil PH meter the soil is 8, how can this be, which is right and which is wrong???

Wizzlebiz · Nov 23, 2020

Your soil pH is going to be different than the water pH.

Some soils are pH balanced and buffered some aren't. For those that aren't just focus on the water pH.

SimonD · Nov 23, 2020

I've been growing commercially for 17 years and have never measured pH. Not once. I use a pH balanced medium and a pH balanced fertilizer. Water from the tap. It's that easy. You can see examples of my plants in the Free Seed thread linked below. Good luck.

Simon

BBQtoast · Nov 23, 2020

pH meters are not going to read soil ph well, meters and tests only read certain things and won't account for the organic side or the ability to buffer.

pablohernandez · Nov 23, 2020

Thanks everyone, so i guess i won't stress too much about it

twentyeight.threefive · Nov 23, 2020

pablohernandez said:
Thanks everyone, so i guess i won't stress too much about it

More than likely you are testing the soil with one of those cheap 3-in-1 meters. Only thing those might be good for are shish kabobs or maybe roasting marshmallows.

In soil water at 6.5 pH and don't worry about the soil pH.

pablohernandez · Nov 23, 2020

twentyeight.threefive said:
More than likely you are testing the soil with one of those cheap 3-in-1 meters. Only thing those might be good for are shish kabobs or maybe roasting marshmallows.

you nailed it !!

twentyeight.threefive · Nov 23, 2020

pablohernandez said:
you nailed it !!

I bought one for my first grow. Wasn't long before it was literally thrown in the trash.

BBQtoast · Nov 23, 2020

With the buffering capacity of soil and the larger and different pH nutrient availability range in soil environment, pH adjustment of any water or feed solutions is not necessary and only adds un-necessary elements to the water and feed.

cody.young11 · Jan 7, 2021

SimonD said:
I've been growing commercially for 17 years and have never measured pH. Not once. I use a pH balanced medium and a pH balanced fertilizer. Water from the tap. It's that easy. You can see examples of my plants in the Free Seed thread linked below. Good luck.

Simon

So you use tap water and don't ph balance it? What is the natural PH of your tap water?

PH in soil

pablohernandez

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Wizzlebiz

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SimonD

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BBQtoast

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pablohernandez

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twentyeight.threefive

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pablohernandez

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twentyeight.threefive

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BBQtoast

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cody.young11

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