PH Up for Small Indoors

[TAdams]

My PH is always very low (about 3.5) after I add my nutes to my water. I have been using some stuff off Ebay to bring the PH up but it seems to be using it up pretty quick. 

 

I want to find a more affordable solution, after some research I figured these 2 products together could be OK to bring my PH up while mainly using the Calcium Hydroxide with the Potassium bicarbonate included about every 4th watering,

 

Calcium Hydroxide - builders lime - http://www.bunnings.com.au/australian-builders-3kg-hydrated-lime-_p0760379

Potassium bicarbonate http://www.bunnings.com.au/eco-organic-garden-500g-eco-fungicide_p2961113

 

any opinions on this and if you think it will work fine?

 

I use CFL with coir and perlite in pots and hand water about once a day.

Edited December 20, 2015 by TAdams

[Naycha]

I think you will probably cause more problems than you will fix.

 

Is your tap water very low pH to start with or do the nutrients lower your pH a lot? What nutrients do you use?

[budman86]

Try Epson salts

[TAdams]

I use Multicrop EcoFish and all my nutes are listed here: https://cannabis.community.forums.ozstoners.com/topic/75607-working-out-nutrient-mix-from-these-old-bottles/?do=findComment&comment=468726

 

I use the Multicrop EcoFish and sometimes add the others. the others usualy bring the PH up along with some seaweed that brings the PH up as well a lot but I don't use these excpet for about once a week.

 

As for the salt. I thought sodium is not healthy for the plants

 

 

 

 

I think you will probably cause more problems than you will fix.

 

Is your tap water very low pH to start with or do the nutrients lower your pH a lot? What nutrients do you use?

[TAdams]

sorry I forgot to say my water PH is around 6.1 to 6.3 usually and after I add nutes it drops to below 4, depending how much I use. My plants seem to be OK with the amount I give them. I bring the PH up to around 6 with PH up but it uses heaps to bring it up that much,

Edited December 20, 2015 by TAdams

[Naycha]

It might be better to use a non-hydroponic medium with those nutrients. When growing in potting mixes I have never measured pH. I do measure pH with Canna Terra but I'm assuming you don't want to spend much money.

[TAdams]

yeah i don't have any money at the moment so trying to make do with what I have and find something cheaper to bring the ph up. From my research I did yesterday on some forums and articles mainly in USA I thought these 2 were OK but maybe I'm wrong?

[Ganjatron]

If it lowers your ph too much then try using less ferts at maybe half strength. It might help and you may not notice any difference in growth. I'm a less is more kinda guy when it comes to nutes.

[TAdams]

OK I will look into that. Yeah I have been struggling to know how much to use and now I have switched to flowering for these ones I have changed nutes to use about 10 mls per litre of the Proganics Stimuliser and a tiny but of the Multicrop Ecofish although before with veg it was mainly Multicrop Ecofish and I was using maybe 10 - 20mls per litre and the ph would go to around 3.5. 

 

I'm doing some more research as I need to buy something today preferably from Bunnings as I have run out of PH up.

 

this thread here discussing the PH up chemicals I listed above and that is for fish so it should also be needed to be safe like plants. There is still some confusion though with some in favor and others warning of dangers.... 

[TAdams]

So I went to bunnings and had a look in the builders section at that builders hydrated lime but it looked to be synthetic so I instead went to the garden section and got this one: http://www.bunnings.com.au/richgro-2-5kg-natural-garden-lime_p2983303 

 

it was only about $4 so it was quite cheap. I tried some in water to see how it would change.and I did not see much change. I then added it to my low ph mix of nutes and water at below ph 4. I put a tablespoon in or more and shook it up, left it for about 2 hours then tested the ph and it was where I wanted just over 6. So if this works it will be a cheap effective solution I hope. I might have to get some of the other lime to use as well sometimes so they get all the elements they require like Calcium Hydroxide & Potassium bicarbonate .

 

This one has the following in the packet, not sure what it all means but I think it's better to have a calcium lime rather than a sodium lime,

Calcium as Calcium Carbonate 32

Naturalising Value 76%