Using a hose end sprayer for ph adjustment

[PastryBaker]

So as I have said in some other post that the ph out here is not good.
Right now, I manually change the ph by hand using PH Down. And then watering. Not that it is hard to do it that way. I have tried changing the ph to my 5 gallon bucket, but it changes after a day or so.
I had this crazy idea.
What if I was to attach one of those canisters that gardeners use for fertilizing etc and put the acid mix in the canister and get the mix right and water with that? Right now I have to add 1/2 tsp per gallon of water to get it to 6.4-6.5.

Has anyone tried that?
If it works, it would make it easier to water in summer when I am watering 2-4 times a day. And my collection is always growing.

Thanks

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Sounds like a lot of work for questionable results... that might be difficult to measure.

I had good results in SoCal applying acid fertilizer to my trees. I was at a large nursery talking to a commercial citrus grower and asked what he used. He recommended this product:



10% iron and 8% elemental sulfur to bring down pH. They carry it at Ewing Outdoor Supply out in Cathedral City. I used this on my citrus in landscape. Needless to say, a single 50lb bag lasts a LONG TIME in a bonsai garden.

As long as you don't over-fertilize and shock the roots, you can water it into the soil and the tree will take what it needs and the rest will rinse out. Much easier (IMHO) than using a water dosing method.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I have one of those sprayers and I water with citric acid three times for a couple days in the summer.
As long as the pH slowly rises, the plants will adapt to it up until a certain point. That's when the citric acid comes in.
The cycle restarts then. After summer, the rain does the work for me.

But I've done years without a sprayer. A couple barrels of rain water do just as good of a job.
I got a nice deal, three barrels for 15 dollars, hooked them up to the roof drains.

 

[PastryBaker]

Sounds like a lot of work for questionable results... that might be difficult to measure.

I had good results in SoCal applying acid fertilizer to my trees. I was at a large nursery talking to a commercial citrus grower and asked what he used. He recommended this product:

View attachment 623781

10% iron and 8% elemental sulfur to bring down pH. They carry it at Ewing Outdoor Supply out in Cathedral City. I used this on my citrus in landscape. Needless to say, a single 50lb bag lasts a LONG TIME in a bonsai garden.

As long as you don't over-fertilize and shock the roots, you can water it into the soil and the tree will take what it needs and the rest will rinse out. Much easier (IMHO) than using a water dosing method.

I will have to try this. Thanks.

 

[PastryBaker]

I have one of those sprayers and I water with citric acid three times for a couple days in the summer.
As long as the pH slowly rises, the plants will adapt to it up until a certain point. That's when the citric acid comes in.
The cycle restarts then. After summer, the rain does the work for me.

But I've done years without a sprayer. A couple barrels of rain water do just as good of a job.
I got a nice deal, three barrels for 15 dollars, hooked them up to the roof drains.

Thank you. I would have not thought of that.