Vinegar for PH adjustment?

[Biggdogg]

Hey guys was wondering if using vinegar to adjust soil/water PH is good/bad for plants/seedlings??

 

I haven't got around to getting my PH up and down yet

[sols]

I just follow instructions on nutrient bottle, never checked ph in 20 years of indoor/outdoor/hydro/and soil. never had problem. personally I would not add an acid to my plants.

[MediKat]

Most soils are acidic and liquid ferts only add to that over time. Eco flow lime is what i use to adjust ph up in soil and i don't adjust or test my water/feed.

  Starting of with amended or a correct phed soil to start with and pretty much the soil will buffer itself and i just do one more test before flower to raise if needed from salt build up.

Just my two bobs worth. Im sure others will have better info than i, good luck Biggdogg

Edited November 27, 2014 by Katton

[Naycha]

I have used vinegar in a hydroponic res and I don't recommend it. It caused nutrient salts to fall out of suspension.

 

 

I just follow instructions on nutrient bottle, never checked ph in 20 years of indoor/outdoor/hydro/and soil. never had problem. personally I would not add an acid to my plants.

 

Believe it or not pH is very important to nutrient availability.

 

[Knarfman]

I have tried vinegar to PH down before cause my proper bottle leaked, and it worked for about 1 day. When I researched further it turns out that the vinegar does the job while in suspension but it doesn't stay in suspension very long before it separates and evaporates. I also tried Lemon Juice but the amount necessary to lower from 7.2 to 5.8 I may as well have bought shares in a lemon farm.

I get my PH down from an aquarium supplier on eBay and the 10ml bottle of PH up has remained unopened since the day I bought it 2 years ago. MOST tap water is kept as close to neutral as possible by the water board so you should only ever need Down.

 

Hope this helps

 

PS. when I used to grow outside (Queensland) in the 80's all I did was bung them in the first bit of safe soil I could find and fed them all sorts of water (both clean and dirty, full of salts and minerals and on a "when I could get to them" timetable) and they still grew into trees. They are a hardy plant and sometimes I think we fuss too much. BUT then again maybe im just getting old. 

 

 

[Biggdogg]

thanks for the replies/info, much appreciated, ill wait til I get some proper Ph + & -

[The Green Goblin]

I've used Ph down a lot and had no issues but I know Apple cider vinegar works well too... Possibly a little more natural, too