[jonhova]

Originally Posted by VortexPower420

Use citric acid to lower water to your liking.

Do it Everytime, you will not be disappointed.

In the winter my water changes and bicarbonates go up. Citric solves the issue.

Is Phosphoric Acid ok? I have it laying around already.

Is Citric acid preferred?

[MedResearcher]

Good topic, sad its such an old thread. Maybe some new life will be pumped into it. Slownickel has a lot of information on a similar subject, some data from golf courses and gypsum use.

Our well water is pretty damn hard, a lot of calcium in it. Enough to to fill a hot water heater a foot or two with chunks of calcium once a year.


For years I used Earth Juice, to bring the PH down. Really struggled, because our mixing tank was 300 gallons, but I could easily use 1,000 gallons on a July day. Eventually I noticed none of my neighbors, similar water table, added nothing and had great gardens. So I stopped.


We do use compost, and compost tea. I have been avoiding coco as well, figure the peat decomposing helps to bring the ph down, so choose it over coco. So far has worked well, and no PH tinkering. The sulfur leaches out easily also, so needs to be watched since it does bring the PH back down. Last year we didn't need to add elemental sulfur, got it all from sulfates that we needed anyways.


Not sure I have any answers, mostly just stuff I have noticed. Earth Juice is very acidic, so for a small garden a tiny amount in the water will do the trick. Think it was like 1/2 tsp apx. Its good stuff anyways, the grow/bloom/catalyst all nice organic stuff.

Was told for a large irrigation system, industrial strength vinegar in a dosotron style in line passive tank is the organic route if you must lower the PH in the source water.

One year I may try that out, don't think it will be this one though.

Also read somewhere, bacterial dominate vs fungal dominate. One lowers the PH the other raises it a bit. So imagine if you4 fighting one way you could try to use teas or specific compost to shift it back. Mushroom compost vs green waste.

Mr^^

[jonhova]

Originally Posted by MedResearcher

Good topic, sad its such an old thread. Maybe some new life will be pumped into it. Slownickel has a lot of information on a similar subject, some data from golf courses and gypsum use.

Our well water is pretty damn hard, a lot of calcium in it. Enough to to fill a hot water heater a foot or two with chunks of calcium once a year.


For years I used Earth Juice, to bring the PH down. Really struggled, because our mixing tank was 300 gallons, but I could easily use 1,000 gallons on a July day. Eventually I noticed none of my neighbors, similar water table, added nothing and had great gardens. So I stopped.


We do use compost, and compost tea. I have been avoiding coco as well, figure the peat decomposing helps to bring the ph down, so choose it over coco. So far has worked well, and no PH tinkering. The sulfur leaches out easily also, so needs to be watched since it does bring the PH back down. Last year we didn't need to add elemental sulfur, got it all from sulfates that we needed anyways.


Not sure I have any answers, mostly just stuff I have noticed. Earth Juice is very acidic, so for a small garden a tiny amount in the water will do the trick. Think it was like 1/2 tsp apx. Its good stuff anyways, the grow/bloom/catalyst all nice organic stuff.

Was told for a large irrigation system, industrial strength vinegar in a dosotron style in line passive tank is the organic route if you must lower the PH in the source water.

One year I may try that out, don't think it will be this one though.

Also read somewhere, bacterial dominate vs fungal dominate. One lowers the PH the other raises it a bit. So imagine if you4 fighting one way you could try to use teas or specific compost to shift it back. Mushroom compost vs green waste.

Mr^^

did you ever use lime as a buffering agent in your original mixes and if not did you substitute extra oyster shell or crab shell to buffer your soil from ph fluctuations?

[VortexPower420]

EJ is just over priced citric acid. You can get it in bulk of very very cheap and 1/8tsp will drop a 7 gal bucket to where I want it.