What's The Real PH Level?

Greetings Fellow Growers,

So I have two questions about my PH level. I'm Getting two different PH Values. Meaning, When I Add the DR. Meter PH reader into dry soil it reads 7.0. When I water the Pots and insert the DR.Meter into the Wet soil, It reads 5.5. My Runoff water is 7.2. My Dr meter is brand new and i dont think its malfunctioning.

1) What's my soil real PH level.
2) Why Dry and Wet soil gives two difference values.

Are you PHing your water first?

You do something wrong. Describe clearly how you check PH please.

The soil probably has some kind of ph buffers in it. Ffof will running off at 5.5 and as it dries out the ph goes up to 6.5 to 7 from what I have read it's because it's designed to allow the plants to take up a broadband of nutrients. What soil are you using.

Twizzlor said:

The soil probably has some kind of ph buffers in it. Ffof will running off at 5.5 and as it dries out the ph goes up to 6.5 to 7 from what I have read it's because it's designed to allow the plants to take up a broadband of nutrients. What soil are you using.

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I'm using FFOF.

fractalcat said:

Are you PHing your water first?

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I'm not. My tap water PH level is 7.3 constant.

Retiould said:

You do something wrong. Describe clearly how you check PH please.

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The way I check my PH is by simply inserting the DR.Meter tool half way. It suppose to give me a PH value from that.

lxrsd said:

I'm not. My tap water PH level is 7.3 constant.

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That's a little high IMO, I try for 6.2-6.5 my buddy who grows the dank diggity told me that's what he finds works best.

lxrsd said:

The way I check my PH is by simply inserting the DR.Meter tool half way. It suppose to give me a PH value from that.

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Those soil pH meters are bunk.

HYPOTHETICAL NUMBERS

If your media tends to trend upward in pH, it has a buffer in it such as soil sweetener. You need to put water in a bucket, measure pH lets say 7.8ph and 120ppm. Then add requisite amount of fertilizer, then pH again. Subtract the ppm of the tap water from the fertilizer solution, this gives you the total PPM of nutrients. This is now your base ppm/pH. Let's say 5.6 and 250ppm.

Giving plain water to your media to full saturation, measure runoff from plant. Lets say it is 180ppm and 7.8pH. Your solution will bring up the ppm from 190 to about 400-440ppm. The pH will try to stabilize, probably around 6.4pH. Allow some time for solution to absorb into media, then use a little more (100mL) water to allow for some runoff to measure again.

If you measure the soil itself it will always read inaccurate unless you take the pH at the same exact moisture level every time. The drier the media, the less electroconductivity it has.

lxrsd said:

I'm not. My tap water PH level is 7.3 constant.

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Before you dump nutrients into it. Ph the nutrient solution. Then use it.