What is in the soil media? A totally built soilless media can have a “hydroponic” pH of 5.8, however, if using a ton of “soil like” amendments, i.e. bat guano, worm castings, fish juice, etc, and a bunch of microbial inoculants, then you might want to run a “organic soil” pH like 6.5. And depending on the mix, maybe somewhere in between.
~MacG
I usually don’t have to watch it much at all with earth juice but seems quite happy at 5.8-6.1
And no soil amendments other than ew casting in tea and glomus (I’m too pore this run ) but I’d have glacial rock dust and dolamatic lime and azamite normally
As well as the innoculent
I’d run near 5.8 with most nutrients in a promix soilless mix.
I did not know that I always ran my non organics near 6.5 (it’s been close to 15 yrs tho)11 yrs organic with a 3 yr break b4 starting organics
I don’t adjust my ph either w bio canna or ej
Yeah, most of the time if you run a lot of “organics” you’d run more like soil around 6.5 pH.
Although pH monitoring isn’t as necessary in living soils, if things look off, it could indeed mean the pH at the root zone is too far off.
If running liquid nutrients in a almost entirely peat and perlite mix, I’d run at 5.8 pH.
But you might want to adjust for whatever mixture or technique you are running, the best pH that works, works.
I went out and bought some bio canna to hold me over till the ej gets here both work much better that the gen org shit I had to use for a few weeks
Tho it’s really the cal mag that seems to be ineffective
I have a saying: pH, pH, pH!
Even bio canna? It suggests not to I think EJ does as well
Actually EJ is way more microbial action going on
Always pH your mix after mixing with your water and letting it mix well. Maybe even aerate ot for at least 15 minutes before adjusting pH to the recommendation of the manufacturer or to match your system of growing.
~MacG
No, not necessarily at all.
The microbes will do best at their ideal pH. This might be different for different stains of microbes.
Whenever adjusting pH it is always best to dilute according to directions and apply to a larger amount of the nutrient mix as to keep things as dilute as possible.
Certain microbes may be able to flourish in a wide pH range, and in hydro it is known generally the bad microbes like a low pH less than the good ones, although this isn’t always true. But in general in hydro a lower pH can help with bad pathogens, within reason and the range for your medium.
~MacG
Not to be argumentative but I’d have a hard time thinking canna is wrong on usage info.
They say not to adjust unless it’s way outta wack (for bio line)
The pH is important no matter the type of nutrients.
If you are having a problem, and the pH is off, especially if it is confirming problems at high pH being less available then you will have calcium problems.
I have a problem with Advanced Nutrients Perfect pH also saying you don’t need to pH. It often just doesn’t end up the case in my years of helping people online.
And again, if you are using tap and not a nearly zero EC water to mix with your nutrients, this can cause problems with a lot of nutrients out there.
~MacG
