[Scrappy-doo]

First time using this as a fertilizer. 6 tsp added to 5 gal rainwater. My soil is peat/compost/castings and have lime added. I know ph isn't supposed to matter, but damn 2.7? Looking for some reassurance before using this if anyone can lend me a little.

[St. Phatty]

It sounds like Molecular Acid.

I admit, that comment doesn't really help you.


Is pH a Log scale ?

So if you have 5 gallons with a pH of 2.7, if you take 1/2 a gallon of it and mix that with 4.5 more gallons (to reduce concentration by a factor of 10), does it raise pH to 3.7 ?


I would calibrate my pH meter.

[RoostaPhish]

No surprise really, the rain water has little buffering capacity. I would adjust it. Or use tap water. Same thing happens alot with ro.

[Granger2]

Scrappy,
I grow without chem nutes. Lotsa teas. I've found that maybe you don't need to worry about pH, but I've had problems associated with pH when I don't address it.

Yes, calibrate pH meter. I have started with low pH many times with Earth Juice nutes or MO that's preserved with acids. A local bottler/marketer of organic products told me that they had to drop the pH with phosphoric acid or the bottles would swell up and some would pop on the shelves. What a mess, pissed off retailers.

I start with my high pH, high lime tap, dechlorinated. After adding EWC, MO, nutes de jure, the pH is usually around 4.4. I brew till the pH rises to the desired level [5.5 to 6.2], then apply. Nothing but green. Good luck. -granger

[Easy7]

Since when did ph not matter?

ph matters a great deal with bottled nutrients. Bottled products are acidic to preserve. People don't usually ph with guano because it's more basic. Most raw bagged natural/organic nutrients are not acidic.

[MedResearcher]

They add Phosphoric Acid to the fish emulsion to keep it stable, that is where most of the P in the fertilizer comes from.

Kelp is alkaline, could add some Kelp to balance it out a bit. Kelp + Fish is a nice combo anyways.

Oyster shell is also alkaline, adds precious calcium.

Either go through the hassle of trying to balance it out with something else, well water, calcium, kelp, or use a little on a test plant as is and see the results.

I think if you used tons of it, constantly without adding something to buffer the soil, at some point the soil will be to acidic. Peat slowly becomes acidic as well. Such an easy fix though, Oyster Shell Powder, or Lime.

If you only want calcium use Oyster, if you can use Cal and Mag, use dolomite lime.


We use fish more as a supplement not a fertilizer. It does add some nutrients, and promotes fungal growth. The fish makes a good foliar spray as well. 2 oz fish + 2 oz kelp in 1 gallon of water, foliar'd once a week is pretty amazing to green up a plant.

If we need a good fertilizing, we top dress. Hard to beat bat guano, and compost. The seabird pellets are very cost efficient.

Last ramble, could brew compost tea, and use the fish in the tea as well. Pretty amazing stuff.

Gl,
Mr^^

[farmerlion]

Scrappy doo, I use the same products. You really have to shake the shit out of those products. They settle quickly. I use rain and well water with the Alaskan nutrients. You may need to try a different bottle. That one may have been poorly mixed??? I haven't had any problems with the Alaskan nutrients. My water sources are 6.4 and higher. I have to be careful and test soil regularly. Overall I have very good results and will continue to use them. Peace

[Scrappy-doo]

Are you saying that your ph doesn't drop like mine did, or that you don't adjust ph afterwards and have no problems? What makes you think I got a poorly mixed bottle?

[farmerlion]

I have had a bottle or two that were very difficult to get mixed well. The solids separate out and stick to the bottom. The fish emulsions more so than the morebloom in my experiences. My ph doesn't drop in mixing mutes with my water supply. My well water is very high at 8.0 I realize I had stated rain and well in my first post. I actually use rain and lake water. The lake source is 6.2 to 6.7 on average. Why I suggested that the bottle may be poorly mixed . Either an oddity from the factory or the suspending particles have settled and the liquid emulsion left is very acidic. I do like the product but it's not perfect in practical use.
It's not a truly organic product. I thought it was when I started using it. It has an acid added to it that doesn't occur naturally in fish. I don't have a bottle of it on hand or I could tell you what it is. You could test the ph of the bottle and compare it to the label or website information. I'm from a smaller community, what I purchased may have been on the shelf many years.
I hope this helps clarify what I was trying to explain. Peace. Sorry if I did a crappy job of

[Scrappy-doo]

Thanks farmerlion, that was very helpful!

I'll have to take a look and see if that's the case with my bottle.