How do you balance , lower or raise ph in soil

Soil Building Organic Soil
#1

If my Ph is my organic super soil is 6.5 and I want to lower it to 6.3 how do I fix that ? Do I flush and feed with 6.3 ph water or do I just feed with 6.0 ph water in hopes to lower ???

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#2

you NEVER flush SUPER SOIL to attain desired Ph levels, it just ruins the SUPER part of it. The only reason to flush would be a slat buildup / liquid nutes. To change Ph substrate, molasses and vinegar…molasses to lower, vinegar to raise

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#3

@Mrb53004, welcome back!

But isn’t it the opposite? I’ve never used either, so I don’t know the effect. But vinegar is acidic, and should lower pH. Unsulfered molasses is alkaline and should raise it.

Traditionally garden lime is used to raise pH and elemental sulfur is used to lower it - iron sulfate or aluminum sulfate.

http://rocklandcce.org/resources/correcting-soil-ph

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#4

I use day old coffee quite a bit as ph down. It has tons of tannins too. I have also used apple juice and orange juice quite a few times in the past. Coffee, OJ, and AJ all have a ph of about 4.0.

I like to use the juice over the vinegar because the juice still has all the sugars. I like my soil microbes to eat the sugars instead of the microbes that converted the fruit juice to alcohol and then the microbes that convert that to vinegar.

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#5

And to all of this do you add these to the soil itself or do you lower or increase ph in the water itself then in soil ???

Example if my ph now Is 6.0 how exactly do I raise it to 6.3

#6

oops, but in opposite world! That is what my kids tell me all the time. I got it, even if it is backwards

#7

I would not really try to change soil ph as it is self correcting in living and organic soils. Control what goes in to effect what comes out. When making substrates, if coco or peat are the 75% foundation, that can be different

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#8

I adjust the water I use to feed and nurture with as close to 6.3 as possible. I use the PH Down liquid. A little goes a long way. So slowly lower the PH then water.

#9

You can raise with your ph with lime and lower with compost or molasses @Cannaman22

#10

Vinager will.lower your pH.if u.wsnt.to.raise.it.use lime.water.tsp lime. In half.gallon.wwter.will.bring.it.back.up.

#11

I just ph all water to 5.6-6.5 and if your plants are happy and healthy, don’t change a thing.
You don’t need your ph to be at one constant number because the girls like to take in different nutrients at different ph levels. So it good to have a range. If you’re ever below or above those numbers, then you need to adjust

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#13

pH is the NEGATIVE logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration. So yes it seems backwards. As a respiratory therapist I work with this foremost in my mind daily. We persons like to be 7.35 to 7.45. Plants like more acid.

But like people you sometimes have to step back and ask how your plants are doing. Just like a person in kidney failure can become accustomed to lower pHs–is it not feasible that some plants may do so too? Does this mean they are sick or stressed.

I’m growing a Deelite and a White Widow together (couldn’t tell you which is which any more) a few weeks ago I discovered one pot to be over 8.0 but the plant looks fine. I flushed it for two days and adjusted with pH down. Still looks fine. PH is back down to 6.8.

I guess the proof will be in the smoke. I have no idea how they became so far apart. Same soil, conditions and feeding/watering.

Dys

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