Botanicare pH balances itself?

[AGrow]

I am growing in Soil and using: Grow, Bloom, Aqua Shield, Liquid Karma, Cal-Mag, Silica Blast, Sweet and hydroplex (all at half the recomended dosage).

My question is that my local hydro store claims that Botanicare products pH balance themselves, thus I am supposed to pH balance my water prior to adding the nutrients, which is in my case from 8.1 down to 7ish. However, I find it hard to believe that I should be lowering my pH since the nutrients often lower it down to 4.5 just by themselves.
Is it truely necessary to lower my pH prior to adding nutes?

Thanks for the help guys! I've emailed botanicare 3 times now, and will post it if they ever respond.

 

[slackx]

Only one way to find out...mix some and test

 

[tokinafaty420]

When I used botanicare in "hydro", the pH was very stable. It would climb about .2 over a 3-4 day period. I was also aerating the rez 24/7 which will also add to pH drift. So in my experience botanicare products used together were well matched. You did have to pH adjust from the start though.

 

[supermanlives]

i have never had to check. but my soil is organic and has lime

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

Are you using Pure Blend Pro?

If you are then the guys at your hydro shop are idiots. I've been using pbp for years and (although it's great stuff) it's acidic. Mix you nutes THEN adjust the pH.

 

[whodair]

i have never had to check. but my soil is organic and has lime

yep. i grow in organic recycled soil, since 1992, never ph'd a thing...started using lime this year and like the results even more !!

 

[michaeljordan]

Are you using Pure Blend Pro?

If you are then the guys at your hydro shop are idiots. I've been using pbp for years and (although it's great stuff) it's acidic. Mix you nutes THEN adjust the pH.

Mj

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

Hey man, no offense but you are in the organic soil section. Nothing that you are using is organic. You'll have better luck posting elsewhere.

Most of us organic guys simply laugh at the thought of pHing anything.

 

[FunkBomb]

If your soil has dolomite lime mixed into it, then you don't have to worry about pH. I've been using Botanicare products for years and it's always smooth sailing.

-Funk

 

[KONY]

If your soil has dolomite lime mixed into it, then you don't have to worry about pH. I've been using Botanicare products for years and it's always smooth sailing.

-Funk

Saying you dont need to worry about ph because you have lime in your soil is completely wrong. Sure it will buffer it out a few times, but if u constantly feed ur plants very low or high ph food, bad things are going to happen to your soil.

 

[AGrow]

Lloyd: Yes I do use pure blend pro.

I use fox farm soil, so I'm sure theres some lime mixed into it. What about Humic Acid as a pH down and then what could I use as a beneficial pH up?

 

[FrameOMind]

Lloyd: Yes I do use pure blend pro.

I use fox farm soil, so I'm sure theres some lime mixed into it. What about Humic Acid as a pH down and then what could I use as a beneficial pH up?

You can use a silicon additive (like dynagro protekt) to raise pH.

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

All ya noobs need to do some reading.

Maybe start with the Virtues of Dolomite Lime sticky.

I don't feel like arguing with any of ya.

 

[ShroomDr]

Are you using Pure Blend Pro?

If you are then the guys at your hydro shop are idiots. I've been using pbp for years and (although it's great stuff) it's acidic. Mix you nutes THEN adjust the pH.

Mj

 

[FirstTimer76]

Add nutes, check pH, adjust, check pH, & feed. In that order.

And if you really wanna get technical, after you feed check the pH of the runoff. Gives ya a general idea of your soil pH. Or you can do like Rocky & FunkBomb suggests & add some dolomite lime, about 1 1/2-2tbsp/gallon of soil, & just mix & feed. That's what I do & i haven't had a problem.

Just my .02.....PEACE

 

[Dignan]

Saying you dont need to worry about ph because you have lime in your soil is completely wrong. Sure it will buffer it out a few times, but if u constantly feed ur plants very low or high ph food, bad things are going to happen to your soil.

See, KONY and I agree on something.

 

[Iron_Lion]

Hey man, no offense but you are in the organic soil section. Nothing that you are using is organic. You'll have better luck posting elsewhere.

Most of us organic guys simply laugh at the thought of pHing anything.

^ maybe so but I have found out in my current grow that properly pH'd water is just as important in organics. My plants were doing awesome with their organic soil and nutes til once after a watering I started having various issues with various strains simultaneously. I was like WTF they were fine up til now, one plant had necrotic brown spotting, others had leaf twisting and heavy drooping and I have been gentle as hell with EWC/kelp teas. I went to my faucet and just checked the tap water pH for shits and giggles and it was almost 8.0. I pH'd it down to 6.4, gave it 2 my plants and in 2 days all problems have magically disappeared and everything perked up again.

What Im thinking is because I have a soil well amended with dolomite lime and oyster shells adding 8.0 water on top of that was keeping soil pH levels way too high and causing lock outs. I checked my tap water pH yesterday and it was 6.5, I have well water and my tap water fluctuates after heavy rains, it gets real high then a few days later is back to 6.5ish.

From now on I will be checking the pH of every drop of water that my plants get.

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

Iron Lion- My water is tap. It's always between 7.8 and 8.3. I don't add lime to my soil until they get out of the 1 gal bags. Anyhow a pH discussion isn't what I want to get into that's already been done a million times around here.

The guy has spider mites so no matter what ya tell him it ain't gonna help till he gets rid of em.