Will lowering the (pH) acidity of the soil make nutrients more available? I know too low of a PH will cause toxicity, but Dr Bugbee uses a peat and vermiculite blend with a little d-lime and the pH comes out to 5.5. He said this was optimum. All of the bro science on the web says 6.5 to 6.8.
DGC for life.
PS – I’m looking at DGC tattoos, did you mention an HLG contest?
your friend
E R B – O G
With that inert blend he is basically growing hydroponically and probably feeding daily. 5.8 PH is a bench mark for hydroponics and 6.5 PH is a bench mark for soilless mixes. Not sure about DWC but my fish tanks like it about 7 so not sure how that works with cannabis. I would assume aeroponics has a similar PH to hydroponics but also not totally sure. Never used aero or DWC.
I believe the preferred pH is going to be More in the 63 range? However we start low because it will raise On its own accord? So we are hoping to grasp a little of each Range maybe? Does anyone know for sure for sure? Because I know that low will lock out the magnesium right? So
I have noticed that I have the happiest plants when I do a soil sample and it comes out in the 65 range. Very specifically close to that.
It’s all about cec, cation exchange capacity. These allow the medium to hold nutrients in a plant available form. Soil which contains lots of carbon sources and other substrates that are high in cec. Other mediums like water, coco, perlite and other more inert types don’t have a high cec so they require a more acidic nutrient solution to maintain the nutrients in a plant available form. Lowering the ph will make certain nutrients more available while making the others less available. In soil at around 6.5 things are balanced, 5.8ph would be for inert mediums to maintain a balance.
Justincool, ty for the thorough answer