The Grow Awards 2026 🏆

pH buffer organic nutrient mix

Captain_7
Captain_7started grow question 7h ago
What's everyones opinion on measuring the pH of organic fertilizer solutions? They have a very low pH after mixing. Are you using a pH up product or leaving it up to the soil to buffer the solution. What pH up products are you using? interested to see what others are do
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Green_claws
Green_clawsanswered grow question 3h ago
The acidic environment serves as a natural preservative. If the pH rises above 3.8 or 4.0, the beneficial microbes may begin to die off, and the solution can become vulnerable to putrefaction or contamination by pathogens. Don't pH perfect the whole bottle just pH after adding all feeds to water, using base to ballance out will help to a certain point I just use pH UP from Growth Technology it contains/is potassium hydroxide (KOH).. I use citrus acid to lower ph.
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00110001001001111O
00110001001001111Oanswered grow question 5h ago
ph-balance before you add it. That's the smart thing to do. If it's a consistent pH, then you can add a predictable amount of a base to correct it. Find a base that isn't going to release a bunch of Na+ ions. Sodium bicarbonate is fine to use "once or twice" but don't make a grow-long habit of it. I've never had to ph-up, so i'm more familar with cheap acid options like 5% white distilled vinegar (acetic acid). Just look at the ingredients of a "ph-up" product, then buy "that" base instead of the priced-up garbage pH-up/down products that marijuana companies sell you. the soil may or may not mitigate it to some extent, even if it can that will have limitations - in scale and possibly duration. If it's loaded with garden lime, for example, that'll help balance it out. To learn that you'd have to do some trial and error and see how it plays out - not just overnight.. potentially weeks to know the impact of not ph-balancing.
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