soil runoff ppm

hi
do you think it's helpful to test soil runoff for EC?
I've done this, and it has shown all my plants to be seriously nute-poisoned (2800!), which they indeed seem to be from the looks of them. I thought this was good and an indication of my mistreatment, but then I tested new potting soil from my sack (soilless mix!!) for EC, and it showed more than 3000!

Can this be? I checked soil from another sack of dirt, and it showed "only" 1400. how is it possible that a soiless mix comes with such high ppm? or is it simply because testing soil runoff for ppm is not a good indication of anything? or of something? It does seem to be working for my tap water, which is pretty hard indeed, and shows ~700 EC to begin with. (I also balance pH which is 7.8 for my tap water)

I washed the soil with much water for all plants to reach ppm 1500~. But I don't wanna do it for every plant I germinate. I would love some light on this subject, thanks!

i always check my run off once a week.. i keep it 6.5. your 7.8 is to high bring it down

mygirls said:

i always check my run off once a week.. i keep it 6.5. your 7.8 is to high bring it down

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easier said than done mate, i always water with the right pH and it just goes back up again

You can't check run off for ppms because you are dissolving soil and other solids as the water pours through. As the previous poster said, you check your run off for PH, and yours is too high.

You don't water with 6.5 water if you soil run off is 7.8! You have to adjust your water to bring your soil PH down... Try watering with PH 4.5 and check that run off.

i've tried it mate
maybe you can help, please
The thing is, after i put the ph down to 5 or even 4.5 it still goes right back up after a couple of hours, even without watering it to the soil! So i imagine the same happens in the soil too. There is no buffering, and the ph is unstable even with the acid. I don't know any solution to this except hydroponics maybe. what do you think? in the place where I live, water comes out of the tap 7-7.5 pH.

Please, any advice

As to what you say - I realize that, but still, I went and bought the damn thing, so there must be a use for it. I did see that after washing the soil thoroughly - the runoff ppm could go as low as 1000 (perhaps even more).
Given that my device checks for electrical conductivity of metals/B] dissolved from the soil, that must be an indication of something to do with the amount of nutrients the soil currently holds, no?

Trying to use just the PH of your water to adjust soil Ph, funny and useless..... Here, check this out http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/how-lower-your-soil-ph

cowboylogic said:

Trying to use just the PH of your water to adjust soil Ph, funny and useless..... Here, check this out http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/how-lower-your-soil-ph

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that seems like the most to-the-point informative piece of article i've gotten so far. it may look like simple stuff to you but it's not, and i have never been able to obtain this information, till you came along.

they also say that it's quite hard, and if you live in an arid climate where soil is so high ph and lime, you might as well give it up.

what do you say??

Outdoor in mineral soil it is a challenge. With most indoor container mixes though its a bit easier. but yes thats a good article and a great place to begin researching.

i grow in pots
the thing is, what i basically need here is all kinds of chemicals like hydrochloric acid or sulfur. I don't have access to these. perhaps the best way is to go with hydroponics. but then, i will have problems on account of high temps. growing in the middle east is hard.

well anyway, most of the information i can find offers none but temporary solutions, similar to those i have used.

Should I put the shell of a lemon in the soil?

Useless? I think not. You certainly can swing a soil's PH with your water, I've done it growing for years. As far as stabilizing and using lime and other soil sweeteners, that is an advanced discussion that I just don't start out of the blue due to the detail and the science behind it. If you have good soil, adjusting water PH to fluctuate soil Ph is a common and widespread practice. To say it is useless is useless in it's self....

cowboylogic said:

Trying to use just the PH of your water to adjust soil Ph, funny and useless..... Here, check this out http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/how-lower-your-soil-ph

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Dude, what are you growing in? dirt from the street curb? Your soil can't be that bad. If it is, go buy some premium potting soil and perlite.

asaph said:

Should I put the shell of a lemon in the soil?

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Hey I'm gonna say yes it is helpful to check soil container runoff for pH as well as ppm. The first thing you need is accurate tools. I personally prefer blue lab since it is widely held in high regard and because they have served me well. Of course it's key that you know the ppm and pH of everything going in, (including water) and that the runoff is collected in a clean container (not a saucer with condensed dried salts in it right).
If nothing else it gives more information to the puzzle of what is happening under the soil surface.