Sometimes PH matters

[Jrmcmich]

So been reading more on water lately especially after seeing @cmeg1 setup with RO and hydroponics growing which is impressive. So I decided to test rain water collected today since have not checked before compared to my city water.

Rain water: PH 7.89, TDS (total dissolved solids) 5
City water: PH ~8.5, TDS (total dissolved solids) ~650 +

Added a water hose filter and still as high as 400+ TDS which is high from what I’ve read. Not sure if I can do more other than a RO system or try to collect rain water but past wet season now.

 

[cmeg1]

So been reading more on water lately especially after seeing @cmeg1 setup with RO and hydroponics growing which is impressive. So I decided to test rain water collected today since have not checked before compared to my city water.

Rain water: PH 7.89, TDS (total dissolved solids) 5
City water: PH ~8.5, TDS (total dissolved solids) ~650 +

Added a water hose filter and still as high as 400+ TDS which is high from what I’ve read. Not sure if I can do more other than a RO system or try to collect rain water but past wet season now.

Yes thats a high tds…….that salt level is actually veg strength!!
So to get to a 1.0 ec strength is like having a very water uptake constrictive 1.4 ec
This might be good for ripening vegetables,but is somewhat useless for trees……the higher salt makes water uptake less and is good for terpenes and oil producfion,but I am always an advocate of less salt and more hydration in bonsai plants

 

[cmeg1]

In Hydroponics…..ph being off is nearly instant plant deterioration….namely iron and magnesium get off very quickly and will curl and blacken leaves and totally deform growth……a total setback on productivity if not corrected in the first week and a half

 

[R0b]

So been reading more on water lately especially after seeing @cmeg1 setup with RO and hydroponics growing which is impressive. So I decided to test rain water collected today since have not checked before compared to my city water.

Rain water: PH 7.89, TDS (total dissolved solids) 5
City water: PH ~8.5, TDS (total dissolved solids) ~650 +

Added a water hose filter and still as high as 400+ TDS which is high from what I’ve read. Not sure if I can do more other than a RO system or try to collect rain water but past wet season now.

If your rainwater’s pH is 7,89 your device needs calibration.

 

[Jrmcmich]

If your rainwater’s pH is 7,89 your device needs calibration.

Yeah I thought that was high as well. It did come with some product to calibrate so will see if I can do that

 

[Jrmcmich]

If your rainwater’s pH is 7,89 your device needs calibration.

Of course tap water was about 8.5 or so so assumed that was likely normal? So not sure what to think.

 

[R0b]

Of course tap water was about 8.5 or so so assumed that was likely normal? So not sure what to thin

Yes within the range although on the higher end.

 

[shohin_branches]

Of course tap water was about 8.5 or so so assumed that was likely normal? So not sure what to think.

Pure water is a ph of 7 wich is neutral. 8.5 is typical for municipal water but too alkaline for use on plants long term.

Rain water should be 7 or less depending on air pollution levels in your area.

 

[turnyface]

It is illegal for a municipal water supply to have a pH lower than about 8, since most municipalities have old lead pipes, and the alkaline water will not corrode the lead and poison the water supply. That means most of us are watering our trees with bad water. I use Holly Tone on all of my trees for that reason. Trees that don't need a lower pH still don't seem to mind it, and trees that hate a higher pH become sickly without it.

Do you put Holly Tone in tea bags? How do you prevent it from clogging the soil? And how much do you use?

 

[Joe Dupre']

I posted this on my "Hawthorn slowly fading" thread.

"Sobering update. Hawthorn was still fading. I didn't put it together, but a 6 year old azalea was fading too. The azalea was dying from the roots and trunk going UP and not from the leaves going down. A post-mortem on the azalea revealed that the root ball was about a low to mid 4 ph. I did this by soaking the root ball in a bout a quart of 7.5 ph tap water. Even with the buffering of the higher ph, the numbers were very low.

Seeing this, I submerged the hawthorn, pot and all, in a big plastic tote of water. The soil was acidic enough that it brought the 7.5ph tap water down to the low 6's. After exchanging out the water twice, it stabilized at a neutral 7 ph. Fingers crossed.

I blame all of this on the "better" ph vinegar/water solution I used just a few times. Evidently, I was too clever by half."

Moral of story. Just be careful about using anything new or different or "better".

For me, I'm going back to my old way of doing things.......ie, 50/50 Napa 8822 and pine bark, Miracle Gro for deciduous and Miracid for conifers. I KNOW that has worked for 9 years.

 

[RoadManDenDron]

I know when I use vinegar to clean moss from trunks and deadwood I have always been advised to take care to avoid dripping into the soil.

I adjust my PH if necessary with nitric acid, there is also a phosphoric acid available but I prefer N as P can lock up calcium in the soil.

 

[Jrmcmich]

I got my rain barrel (275 gal) hooked up amd now is full with all rain we’ve had so I hope To use only rain water other than vacation when I will Use automatic watering system. I never Tried vinegar but only citric acid which seemed to be ok this summer although couple of Japanese maples have struggled which is why I was wanting rain water.