Soil PH is killing my plants

i been growing a year so far and on my third grow. So far thing are just as shitty as the last. Anyway im using fox farm happy frog soil and early like week 2 of veg my plants are already showing signs of nitrogen toxicity. Curling of the tips, purple stems, overall slow growth. I was watering at 6.5 and tested my runoff coming out at an 8.
So my roots are sitting in soaked soil at an 8 ph and basically inly absorbing NPK and killing them.
I tested the soil in a solo cup. I put in water at 4.9ph and the run off is still coming in high at a 7.5 ph. Is there anything i can do other than giving it super acidic water in hopes the soil will balance it all out. Will adding additional perlite to the soil help balance the ph? I know it doesnt add a chemical but possibly additional oxygen in the soil will help.

Chiefbongwater said:

i been growing a year so far and on my third grow. So far thing are just as shitty as the last. Anyway im using fox farm happy frog soil and early like week 2 of veg my plants are already showing signs of nitrogen toxicity. Curling of the tips, purple stems, overall slow growth. I was watering at 6.5 and tested my runoff coming out at an 8.
So my roots are sitting in soaked soil at an 8 ph and basically inly absorbing NPK and killing them.
I tested the soil in a solo cup. I put in water at 4.9ph and the run off is still coming in high at a 7.5 ph. Is there anything i can do other than giving it super acidic water in hopes the soil will balance it all out. Will adding additional perlite to the soil help balance the ph? I know it doesnt add a chemical but possibly additional oxygen in the soil will help.

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Have you considered changing your substrate?

So how much fertilizer are you giving your plants?

Sounds like the soil has too much lime in it. I would switch to something else.

Personally I like a soiless mix like Berger BM6 HP. The 6 stands for a pH of right about 6. HP = High Porosity. I use it right out of the bag and get great results.

Are those ph readings from a cheap probe? Sounds strange for happy frog, but maybe a weird bag? Assuming you have an accurate measurement, which you should verify with a second test using different method, you will not have good luck trying to quickly change the ph of your soil with low ph water, it would take many months. I would cut your feed rate but not do anything with ph until you know it is an accurate measurement. I have multiple probes for soil ph and don't really trust them so much. I pay for lab results when I really want to know soil ph. Going off runoff is pretty dicey too.

I use a Bluelab Leap probe to check my soil PH,( mostly FFHF by the way), and I have yet to find a sample out of the bag that was over 6.3...… That's after a wetdown with 7.5 tap water and a 24 hour rest... Most cases it comes in right at 6....FFOF has been even lower on average....Never once had a soil of any sort come out at 8.
Bugeye mentioned PH runoff being pretty dicey.... its more than dicey, its flat out misleading.
What device was used to get said reading?

Chiefbongwater said:

i been growing a year so far and on my third grow. So far thing are just as shitty as the last. Anyway im using fox farm happy frog soil and early like week 2 of veg my plants are already showing signs of nitrogen toxicity. Curling of the tips, purple stems, overall slow growth. I was watering at 6.5 and tested my runoff coming out at an 8.
So my roots are sitting in soaked soil at an 8 ph and basically inly absorbing NPK and killing them.
I tested the soil in a solo cup. I put in water at 4.9ph and the run off is still coming in high at a 7.5 ph. Is there anything i can do other than giving it super acidic water in hopes the soil will balance it all out. Will adding additional perlite to the soil help balance the ph? I know it doesnt add a chemical but possibly additional oxygen in the soil will help.

Click to expand...

First off no pics second slow growth could be anything with the little info you provided.

Stop checking ph run off for starters.

Stop watering in anything at 4.9 thats silly water in at 6.5. You water in at 4.9 the plant is going to absorb that water, whatever hits the roots at 4.9.

Purple stems = low on mag or genetics and its too cold


Is there anything i can do other than giving it super acidic water in hopes the soil will balance it all out. yes get some microbes rocking in there.

Chip Green said:

I use a Bluelab Leap probe to check my soil PH,( mostly FFHF by the way), and I have yet to find a sample out of the bag that was over 6.3...… That's after a wetdown with 7.5 tap water and a 24 hour rest... Most cases it comes in right at 6....FFOF has been even lower on average....Never once had a soil of any sort come out at 8.
Bugeye mentioned PH runoff being pretty dicey.... its more than dicey, its flat out misleading.
What device was used to get said reading?

Click to expand...

You are very lucky, wanna met up in Vegas?


Seriously, I've heard from a couple soil growers that FF soils are all over the map pH wise. I have no clue but it seemed like something I could talk shit over ;D

curious2garden said:

FF soils are all over the map pH wise

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I don't doubt that at all.... Seems to me it would be impossible to have consistency with the massive amounts of mixes that company is producing...in completely different regions, with entirely different base ingredients.

First don't test run off pH. Mix equal parts soil to deionized water and test slurry.

Next, why are they sitting in water? Soil pH swings as it dries.

If you know you are in a hot soil it helps to keep them on the dry side.

You can trim back damaged growth and let them grow back out as you let the soil dry. This will burn through some more of the N.

Maybe check out the organics section and build a good soil.

Well without pictures this is all total speculation. But based on your post and the way you are describing everything. I really bet you are just over watering them and it's causing ph/nutrient uptake issues. Your roots shouldn't be sitting soaked. That will suffocate them.

Oh. I've also read and heard from numerous people that fox farm got to be so big that thier soils are made regionally and vary wildly.

Coloradoclear said:

So how much fertilizer are you giving your plants?

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Started with 1/3 dosage following foxfarm chart. I figured it was not the nutrients more the ph range because the soil being that high the roots are only absorbing the main nutrients

Bugeye said:

Are those ph readings from a cheap probe? Sounds strange for happy frog, but maybe a weird bag? Assuming you have an accurate measurement, which you should verify with a second test using different method, you will not have good luck trying to quickly change the ph of your soil with low ph water, it would take many months. I would cut your feed rate but not do anything with ph until you know it is an accurate measurement. I have multiple probes for soil ph and don't really trust them so much. I pay for lab results when I really want to know soil ph. Going off runoff is pretty dicey too.

Click to expand...

I kinda hope its my tester. It was cheap and the batteries were dying this time. But like i said this is a recurring issue i been having. And not much experience i though i was missing something.

Chip Green said:

I use a Bluelab Leap probe to check my soil PH,( mostly FFHF by the way), and I have yet to find a sample out of the bag that was over 6.3...… That's after a wetdown with 7.5 tap water and a 24 hour rest... Most cases it comes in right at 6....FFOF has been even lower on average....Never once had a soil of any sort come out at 8.
Bugeye mentioned PH runoff being pretty dicey.... its more than dicey, its flat out misleading.
What device was used to get said reading?

Click to expand...

The yellow and black meter on amazon. Not sure of the brand. But im sure it has alot to do with it not being calibrated correctly. Again im pretty new snd been having this issue. Im worried im missing something and want to correct it asap

Bernie420 said:

First off no pics second slow growth could be anything with the little info you provided.

Stop checking ph run off for starters.

Stop watering in anything at 4.9 thats silly water in at 6.5. You water in at 4.9 the plant is going to absorb that water, whatever hits the roots at 4.9.

Purple stems = low on mag or genetics and its too cold


Is there anything i can do other than giving it super acidic water in hopes the soil will balance it all out. yes get some microbes rocking in there.

Click to expand...

Ok well i said in the post last night that i did it as a basic test just to see how much my soil was effecting the ph of the water. I just wanted an acidic solution to run through and see what was going on.
Do you have any suggestions on what microbes work best?

Bernie420 said:

First off no pics second slow growth could be anything with the little info you provided.

Stop checking ph run off for starters.

Stop watering in anything at 4.9 thats silly water in at 6.5. You water in at 4.9 the plant is going to absorb that water, whatever hits the roots at 4.9.

Purple stems = low on mag or genetics and its too cold


Is there anything i can do other than giving it super acidic water in hopes the soil will balance it all out. yes get some microbes rocking in there.

Click to expand...

Also why stop checking run off? The Soul is mixing in with the water and Raisingthe ph. If the water is adjusted to an 8 then the roots wont absorb anything except NPK.

Chiefbongwater said:

The yellow and black meter on amazon. Not sure of the brand. But im sure it has alot to do with it not being calibrated correctly. Again im pretty new snd been having this issue. Im worried im missing something and want to correct it asap

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Change the batteries as soon as you get a yellow meter. AG13 batteries. (Hearing aid battery)

#Random

I your soil is staying to wet they won't absorb anything at all......

Watering in at 4.9 probably the issue. Cooking your roots and substrate making dead matter which is lifting your runoff pH. Stop trying to be edgy and cool. Just go down the middle, plants like boring owners... Keep the nutes simple and the water wet.