Good afternoon gentlemen. Long time listener and first time poster from Toronto. I have a question regarding pH down products and recharge microbes. I run Stepwell organic super soil and my tap water pH is around 8.0. With running organic living super soil I wanted to get away from the commercially bottled pH solutions and use something more organic. I have been using vinegar but have come to realize that it will kill off microbes. I have switched to lemon juice for the time being and I have found out that aluminum sulfate is another option as well as lime juice. In your opinion what is the better option to use that will play well with recharge? My girls (Durban poison, Lemon kush and gorrilla zkittles) are doing well regardless however would like to use a product that will play nice with the microbes and step up my game even farther. Appreciate all you guys do and keep up the great content.
CampWhatnot
Interesting question, I’ve gone both ways. I started out with a pen stressing then I went to not giving a crap about ph, both of which can work with microbes salt or organic. Either works up to you how hard you want to try.
I started with salts, went organics, tried salts again and am now working towards another organic grow again. Really I want to learn it all and get good at most styles. Salts are not my thing it’s too much fiddly shit imho. Organics is water plus compost tea and recharge easy. I like easy.
Enough let’s get to your question. To me, recharge works. It doesn’t matter and in my experience you are wasting ph up and down chasing a number. The microbes will ph your rhizosphere to the appropriate ph for what your plant needs. I’m not saying water in at 11 or something extreme but as long as you are 6-8, Recharge will make it work. This is why you add worm to every grow as well just my experience.
What is the EC of your tap water? If it’s under 200ppm you probably don’t need to adjust for the soil you’re using.
The pH of your water and its alkalinity aren’t the same thing. The higher the EC or the more calcium in your water the more it resists changes in pH. The less minerals the less effect it will have on the pH of buffered soil.
The acid will neutralize the carbonate and lower the ph and won’t be there in the same form to kill microbes. Plus there’s way too many microbes in recharge for it to matter either way. Main thing would be like coach mentioned as not to throw off nutrient ratios with too much calcium. Also carbonate takes time to dissolve and be neutralized so let water sit 30 minutes, retest ph and act accordingly. Always add recharge right before watering in. Microbes produce their own acids but they can’t tackle mountains of carbonate. This might limit your nutrient availability that requires a lower ph like phosphorus and many micronutrients.
Before switching to a ph perfect nutrient line I used citric acid. My water is 8.5+ and 1/16tsp brings my water into the +/- 6.5. A pound will last a long time, I also mix sugar 6:1 citric acid and sprinkle it on my sour gummy’s. It’s safe, clean and efficient. Happy Growing 🙂
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I’ve had luck with lime, citric acid, or a combo. Too much lime juice is not good. I find lemon will leave a lemon flavor. Lime can leave a bitter sour taste if there isn’t sugar added as well. Too much citric + salt nutrients kill the soil. My well fluctuates between 7 and 9. If I don’t ph, the yield is impacted, and seeds have a hard time.