Vinegar ok to drop PH with?

I am about to germ a few snow white seeds and I need to drop my tap water from 7.0 to 5.5. Can I use vinegar to do this? Will the vinegar hurt my expensive seeds?

I am going to just germ in a coffee cup of water. Should the water in the cup be 5.5 as well as the water I soak the rockwool in?

Any help is appreciated. This is my first time. Thanks.

Absolutely- Mandala Seeds suggests distilled white vinegar to lower pH. I use it, works great. Go easy- it can drop quickly. I don't usually worry about pH for germ. water, but it can't hurt!

Awesome!! Time to get started then!

Its fine for this purpose... but vinegar breaks down fast. You wouldn't want to use it for pH control for general growing, unless maybe you are growing in soil.

Sorry folks, vinegar is not really the best thing for dropping pH, at least not in hydro systems. It is a product of fermentation and the only thing that keeps it from fermenting further in the bottle is the acid content. Dilute it and it can begin to ferment again. You can test this by putting some vinegar in clean, sterile water (non-chlorinated) in a sealed jar at room temp. Check this in 3-4 days; you will likely see some gelatinous gack forming in the water.

pHDown is one of the very cheapest sauces in a hydro shop, a few bucks a litre. Too cheap to use substitutes that have the potential to cause probs. .

I use it in Hempy buckets with excellent results, perhaps because Hempies are self-flushing.

Thanks Al. Good to hear your input on this.

I am just using it to get my rockwool soaking solution to 5.5. I have my RW in it now, and my snow white seed in a cup of untreated tap water (7.0).

I will be using pH down from my hydro shop once I start with my rez. I just dont have any available tonight. Still need pH down and some veg nutes. Any suggestions on some good veg nutes for my mothers? Other than those 2 things, I think I have everything.

Barrelhse said:

I use it in Hempy buckets with excellent results, perhaps because Hempies are self-flushing.

Click to expand...

Really? How does this self-flushing mechanism in the Hempy work?

A2 Burnout said:

Thanks Al. Good to hear your input on this.

Click to expand...

no worries

I am just using it to get my rockwool soaking solution to 5.5. I have my RW in it now, and my snow white seed in a cup of untreated tap water (7.0).

Click to expand...

Got any H2O2? If the vinegar brought any pathogens or organic matter with it, H2O2 50% grade @ 1ml/L used in your clone watering soln will nuke them.

I will be using pH down from my hydro shop once I start with my rez. I just dont have any available tonight.

Click to expand...

bummer, hope it goes OK anyway.

Any suggestions on some good veg nutes for my mothers?

Click to expand...

Funny thing about nutes is that they're mostly the same behind the label, no matter how fancy that may be. What you get from name-brand makers is high volume production, which means there's less variability between jugs of the stuff, though I have seen hydro shop backroom-mixed house-brand nutes raise very fine plants.

I use Canna nutes; 2 part, dead simple, has been solidly consistent for me for 8+ years, but I'd suggest any 2-part nutrient from a large maker.

You have a wealth of info Al. So happy your helping out here.

This is my first run, so I'm only germing one of the seeds to test it out. I did germ 5 or 6 bag seeds the same way, this is just the first run with the expensive snow whites (the real mothers).

I know I need to get some H2O2, but where do I get that? Hydro shop as well?

Thanks for the advice on the nutes too. Will look for Canna at my shop, and if not, will try for any 2-part as suggested.

I'll update this post tomarrow night when I see a taproot and move the seed to RW. Check back if ya have the time.

Have to work in 4 hours so I think I should get some sleep now. I could read up on this all night. (which is what I've been doing for the past few weeks)

Also, on page 23 of your 2 week thread. Trying to read the whole thing, but DAMN its long. lol.

A2 Burnout said:

You have a wealth of info Al. So happy your helping out here.

Click to expand...

no worries

I know I need to get some H2O2, but where do I get that? Hydro shop as well?

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the easiest place to get some, but when you get into the swing of things you may want to buy 25L bulk containers from a chem sply house.

I'll update this post tomarrow night when I see a taproot and move the seed to RW. Check back if ya have the time.

Click to expand...

cool, will try to have a look in.

Have to work in 4 hours so I think I should get some sleep now. I could read up on this all night. (which is what I've been doing for the past few weeks)

Click to expand...

oh man, poor you, can't be treating yourself like that.... but I know what you mean...

I'm up and heading to work. lol. Going to be another fun day. Hopefully everything goes well with my seed and mother nature is on my side today while I'm gone.

Maybe starting a grow journal would be a good idea. I'll be back tonight with an update.

Rather than Vinegar, you can use Acetic Acid which is refined Vinegar. Acetic Acid has the benefit of being organic, rather than in-organic like Hydrochloric Acid. This means that it will not to the conductivity of your nute mix.

Al- I guess you know shit about hempy buckets. There is a drain hole drilled in the side of the bucket about 2" up from the bottom. When the bucket is watered the overflow pours from the hole and flushes the "reservoir" on the bottom. Any questions?

ManOnFire said:

Rather than Vinegar, you can use Acetic Acid which is refined Vinegar. Acetic Acid has the benefit of being organic, rather than in-organic like Hydrochloric Acid. This means that it will not to the conductivity of your nute mix.

Click to expand...

Someone's done a pretty good sales job on you with regard to the term 'organic.'

First of all, 'organic' doesn't mean 'good', 'better' or 'safe'. It means 'sourced from organic matter or processes.' All organic molecules are made from inorganic molecules.

Second, there's nothing in acetic acid which becomes a nutrient when it breaks down.

Third, nobody uses hydrochloric acid for pH control!

Fourth, the tiny amounts of pHDown used to shift the pH of a tank is of little to no influence on the EC of the soln. 15ml of pHDown shifts my 125L tanks from 6.2 to 5.8 without moving the EC of the soln at all.

pHDown as you find it in hydro shops is either a phosphoric acid or nitric acid solution. The phosphoric acid version is preferred for flowering plants because the plants will love the phosphorus. Vegging plants will love the nitrogen in nitric acid, but the P based sort will do for any purpose.

pHDown is usually the very cheapest sauce in the shop. There's no economic motivation to use improper substitutes. Save the acetic acid for your photo darkroom.

Barrelhse said:

Al- I guess you know shit about hempy buckets. There is a drain hole drilled in the side of the bucket about 2" up from the bottom. When the bucket is watered the overflow pours from the hole and flushes the "reservoir" on the bottom. Any questions?

Click to expand...

I guess you'd rather be a little hairless cunt who wants to pick a fight rather than spread your wealth of knowledge. Loosen your bra straps and come back when you've found your cool.

Any questions?

Al B. Fuct said:

I guess you'd rather be a little hairless cunt who wants to pick a fight rather than spread your wealth of knowledge. Loosen your bra straps and come back when you've found your cool.

Any questions?

Click to expand...

Al- if you didn't originally give me an attitude then I apologize. You sounded as if you were questioning my knowledge, and that is something I resent.
I only post what I know from experience, not what some kid said he heard somewhere. My info is all good- I"m almost 60 and I have no intention of taking any shit from youngsters.

You had no idea how old I am- but if 48 ever qualifies as a 'youngster,' I'd like my solid gold skateboard delivered in a purple velvet gift box, please. If your life revolves around taking no shit, you have no life.

Apology accepted.

Tsk, tsk, tsk! Are we done fighting, little ones?

J/K

Taproot has appeared and has been transplanted into my RW cube. I think the move was a little clumsy but only time will tell.

As soon as I grab my camera from my "old man", I'll start posting pics!!

yeah, mind that 'old man' stuff.