Beener

Can anyone tell me where I can find a soil pH meter thats worth a damn? My ladies started to look as if they had a Mg problem. So I checked tha pH of my soil with the piece of garbage meter I have, and it said my pH was a little high (7.1-7.2). So I added a touch of H2O2 to some H2O and adjusted the pH down around 5.75 and watered. (I always adjust my ferts pH to 6.4 - 6.5, I have a very good pH meter for liquids and I keep it calibrated with clean fresh buffer sol'ns). I checked the pH of my soil and it didn't really move. Oh and this is my 2nd different soil pH meter. So I started to drop the pH in my nutes a little lower ( 6.1-6.2) and kept using the 5.75 pH water in between... no movement in my soil pH and my Mg problem is spreading and starting to look like nute burn. I know its not the lights because I have a digital thermometer/hygrometer set-up at the plant tops and I can hold my hands there forever without a problem. Everything started to look like "lock-out" so i figured that the pH was way off. Well I decided that at this point I've over fert'd, so I started to do a small soil flush with just clear H2O. I checked the pH of the H2O that leached out of the pots and found it to be about 4.95!!! So I got pissed off and then started to leach some more. I stayed pissed off, and continued to leach until the pH of the effluent was 6.0. (it took about 2gals per 2gal pot) Seeing as I've never had to do this before, I'm not positive that a pH of 6.0 in the effluent was a good thing... but it seemed to make sense. I've got a good lose medium so I'm actually not worried about drowning the girls, but I have NO CLUE as to how I'm going to keep an eye on my soil pH. This is the first time I've use "Miracle Grow" medium before, and this is the first time I've had this problem. I know I can't flush my plants every few weeks to check and adjust my pH. So I need to find a reliable soil pH meter as soon as possible (its almost time to go to 12/12!) does anyone have a suggestion? I can hold 'em back for a little while, but...well..you know...I don't wanna

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Beener

the-Shiek

I use something like this for pH and nute levels:

store.yahoo.com/77hydro-store/soiltester.html

Color indicator tests are very reliable. I fyou just want a pH test you could go with somehting like this:

hp://store.yahoo.com/rosecare1/raphsote.html

Lowes and Home Depot carry both.

Beener

Thanks for the reply. Does this work for soil? It appears to be a colorimeter <- don't know if I spelled that right) but appears to be a test which you compare a set of colors. Its listed under "77 Hydro" and I'm wondering if soil would make the colors impossible to see correctly (at least for pH)?

Well at least the good news is none of my plants are having any signs of trouble because of the "BIG FLUSH" I gave them last night. They're still standing up straight and all thier leaves are straight out with no sagging! As a matter of fact, they grew quite a bit over night! 1 of them had some nute burn on a top leaf and I wont know if that got any better until the next set is up. These babies are growing so fast and strong, it should only be a couple of days to find out.

I've only been feeding them with a dilute solution of "Peters 20:20:20" (less than a tspn per gal) when they're dry to the bottom. I use a soil wetness meter as well as checking the wetness by sticking my finger through the hole on the bottom of the pots. I measure everything, including using a measuring cup to fill the watering can. My wife laughs because I'm so freakin' anal with everything. But regardless, Here I am with a pH problem. And nute burn

Well if this test kit really works, I may have to give it a shot. I've got a Home Depot about 10 mins away from me, But if I can find a meter that I can rely on for $50 - $75 bucks, I'ld rather go this route.

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the-Shiek

Both those tests are for soil, and only for soil. You might be thinking of the pH indicator test solution (is that what your using to test the pH of your water?) but that's only for use with water.

There are no soil electronic meters as far as i'm aware of. You get into those if you ever get into hydroponics.

Theres nothing wrong with being "anal", to her that what it may look like, but from the oppisite side it looks like your trying hard, and trying to be thorough which is the right path to great results.

I used this exact kit when i grew in soil, and i picked it up from lowes:
hp://doitbest.com/shop/product.asp?dept_id=1388&sku=764515

here's a couple other versions of the basic test kits:
hp://amos.shop.com/amos/cc/main/ccn_search/st/soil%20test/sy/productsx/ccsyn/260/prd/10135574/ccsid/321467874-23965/adtg/02050523
hp://amos.shop.com/amos/cc/main/ccn_search/st/soil%20test/sy/productsx/ccsyn/260/prd/10136079/ccsid/321467874-23965/adtg/01300523

If your wondering what the profesionals use when it comes to soil testing since there are no electronic meters check this out:
hp://www.gemplers.com/a/shop/product.asp?T1=RLM100&src=21TL002
hp://www.gemplers.com/a/shop/product.asp?T1=RLMC&src=21TL002

But if you are only growing indoors and are even considering dropping that kind of cash on a professional soil test kit, your growing the wrong way. You should be growing hydro. You'll easily get 3 times the yield of growing in soil in the same amount of time, with less plants. In my opinion unless you want pure organic bud hydro is by a long shot the best way to go, i'd personally never go back!

Beener

Well, I have both a Lowes and a Home Depot within minutes of my house. So I'll pick one of these up and try it. I have an excellent pH meter for my nutes and water. I calibrate it every time I use and It's never been more than .02 to .04 off before calibration. I use fresh pH buffers for calibration, and it reads dead nuts. So I'm very confident in that. This never would have actually happened if it weren't for the crap "soil" pH meter I was using.

Like I was saying, I started to get a little Mg problem (just a slight sign in the bottom leaves) so when I checked my soil pH it read 7.0-7.1, but not high enough to totally lock out the Mg- as it turned out the meter was garbage, and my soil pH was to low!. I was adding nutes and trying to lower the pH because thats what my soil pH meter and plants were telling me. I ended up with a soil pH so low that I had Mg lock out, and some nute burn because I fed the babies to get the Mg up when they didn't really need it. If I new the actual pH of the soil in the first place. I would have known "WHY" I wasn't getting Mg to the plants. I just woulda jacked the pH and not added any nute.

If I hadn't flushed the pots and checked the pH of the water that came back out of the bottom of the pots (which was 4.95!!!) I would still be screwed. But I just came down from checking them and they're still lookin' great. They took the flush without a problem. They're gonna take a little more lovin'. but if this soil pH indicator works that you told me about, it wont happen again...Well it wont happen again anyway, but knowing the soil pH all the time will be a great tool, thanks man. ----> Have you ever seen this meter w w w rittenhouse.ca/asp/Product.asp?PG=1703

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Beener

Beener

To anyone that might read this post... The info given by ShiekShaman was great. I went out today and bought the pH and nute testers that he recommended and the work great. Also the manager at the store I bought them at says that it's the only thing that he'll use. So a big thanks ShiekShaman. I'll sleep much easier knowing that my soil info is accurate.

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the-Shiek

thanks mate, good to hear things are working out well for you.

DrJack

I just went through the same exact problem you had except my ph was too high and I didn't know it because my meter told me it was fine. I bought the rapitest Soil Test Kit (capsules with powder in tube) and it worked great for me. I would love some sort of more reliable probe type Ph meter, but so far only the capsule tests have been reliable every time I use them.
Glad to see things are going better for you.
p.s. - the lack of extremely reliable ph soil testing equipment makes me really appreciate the convenience of being able to buy ph balanced soil (I'm now using Fox Farms Ocean Forest). I tested the FF soil with some of the extra capsules I had and it came out exactly where it was supposed to be.

Beener

I'm using Miracle Grow organic media. I ran a blank sample right out of the bag when I tested my pots. The pH was 6.0 Thats why it went acid so easy on me.

The thing is, I actually get excellent results out of this media. It breaths and drains very nicely. And my plants really seem to love it.

I supplement it with Superthrive hormons and vitamins, and I can see substantial growth from morning to night. I got pretty lucky. The flush raised the pH back to 6.0 from 4.95 with no signs of stress (like I said it drains great, and the Superthrive kicks). With the next watering I got the pH up to 6.3.

I'll just make sure to pre-adjust the pH before potting the next time.

"The bigger are the roots - the sweeter is my Fruits "

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easywynd

I think I may be haveing similar issues. Only I know i have a hard water issue. So I dont know what I should be doing to my water. The Ph is good, but the Alkaline is high. So should I soften the water?
IM at a cross road here, i have been trying to figure out this new location w/ many problems. First enough air, now im thinking i have the air figured out, but my results were lacking by both lack of yeild and stregth of Fruit. The smell of the fruit is lacking..

Anyhelp on this matter would be huge!