The Best Soil Ph meter?

I'm using a $12. ph meter (looks like the same aluminum rod with green analog sweep-needle as a mositure meter) to get 5. to 6. ph readings from my (7) plants. The plant that had a 5. ph began suffering from potassium burn, so I flushed it with filtered water and revived the girl.
Now I need an electronic meter that will do the job by simply pushing the probe down to root level and leaving it until a reading levels-off. I don't want to pay $350. if there's another reliable one available for soil.
Thanks!

I first started out trying to adjust my soil PH like that, but over the years I found that I get better results by just adjusting my nutrient solution to around 6.4 to 6.6 before application. Soil is a WONDERFUL natural buffer, so you can be off a bit without any real negative effects (of course dependent on the strain too). I got lazy and went for a long time not even checking my PH and didn't have any problems at all with the strains I was growing at the time, but now since I've focused in on trying to maximize one particular strain (Kurple Fantasy from Imperial Genetics) I'm checking/adjusting EVERYTHING again.

Hanna makes a good ph meter that won't break the bank. Very easy to celebrate. I've had mine for about 4 years now

hydra-glide said:

I'm using a $12. ph meter (looks like the same aluminum rod with green analog sweep-needle as a mositure meter) to get 5. to 6. ph readings from my (7) plants. The plant that had a 5. ph began suffering from potassium burn, so I flushed it with filtered water and revived the girl.
Now I need an electronic meter that will do the job by simply pushing the probe down to root level and leaving it until a reading levels-off. I don't want to pay $350. if there's another reliable one available for soil.
Thanks!

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Nice bike dude!

MA MED Grower said:

Hanna makes a good ph meter that won't break the bank. Very easy to celebrate. I've had mine for about 4 years now

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I looked at the Hanna meters and read the reviews. It seems like a lot of people think the the $18. Electcity probe meters do about as good a job. Mine reads ok, from 5. to 6. so I guess I'll stick with it until it breaks. I did read on another post, that some growers (that's us mates!) collect run-off water from their flushed pots during watering and test that. Does anyone catch run-off water exiting the bottom of the pot to test? Inquiring minds need to know.

A.K.A. Overgrowem said:

Nice bike dude!

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Thank you!!

hydra-glide said:

I looked at the Hanna meters and read the reviews. It seems like a lot of people think the the $18. Electcity probe meters do about as good a job. Mine reads ok, from 5. to 6. so I guess I'll stick with it until it breaks. I did read on another post, that some growers (that's us mates!) collect run-off water from their flushed pots during watering and test that. Does anyone catch run-off water exiting the bottom of the pot to test? Inquiring minds need to know.

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I drench my freshly filled pots to check how they will drain, (I already know because I have done a soil profile), to firm up the soil some, the local compost + perlite is pretty airy, and to test the ph. of the run-off. Sometimes the mix is more acid than I want. Flooding and draining a couple of times has always brought the soil close to where I want it.

A.K.A. Overgrowem said:

Flooding and draining a couple of times has always brought the soil close to where I want it.

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Interesting. I'm still on "nutrients-inside" Happy Frog, and so, because Happy Frog requires only filtered water for two weeks. After two weeks when I begin applying my nute mix: Silica, Biotannicals Veg., SuperThrive, Epsom Salt, HumboltSnowUltra, and Cal-Mag - then a week later I'll test the water run-off and see what the reading is. In summary: Happy Frog and filtered water for two weeks. Don't test ph until 3-weeks after nutes have soaked-in to the root zone. How's that sound?
•••
Side note of Halloween terror: I think my plants are going into bloom. I've been giving them 12-1/2 hours of daylight and LED white lite at nite until 9 pm.
Wat to see the pic. Tell me the un-sugared truth now....am I a daddy? They're still in 1-gal pots for cry-yi. Tell me this is just new growth. I've just finished the 5x5x80 nursery's clip-fan venting system. Pics posted over there, Under Indoor Growing
Thanks for reminding me....I've got to hit them with Spinocide today.

This is the one I've been using. It is accurate as any maybe. The needle swings up and then settles to a reading after a minute. I've drench-watered until water leaves the bottom of a (1) gal. plastic pot (once I've made the entire watering circuit of (7) 1-gal. plants and return to the first one, there will be water leaving the bottom drain holes). I've recorded readings between 5.1 and 6. Three were the same 5.1 reading, the others were different.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RG8M72S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
So happens, the plants didn't get enough light hours and went to flower. I'm bringing them back to veg. - should take ten days of 24/7, using daylight and a 40W, T-12 at night to keep them awake.

Check out the ROLS thread in the organic section, don't need ph adjustment or any meters ............just need clean water and non salt based ferts, can reuse your soil over and over and over too........maybe some media restructuring every now and then, tilling is optional ( I recommend it)

nice nextlight fixture btw

hydra-glide said:

Does anyone catch run-off water exiting the bottom of the pot to test? Inquiring minds need to know.

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I do check my run off when there is a problem.

hydra-glide said:

So happens, the plants didn't get enough light hours and went to flower. I'm bringing them back to veg. - should take ten days of 24/7, using daylight and a 40W, T-12 at night to keep them awake.

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Gone to flowers every one. Now I can't fert for two weeks, because I'm using Happy Frog media and they come chocked-full. I am adding Silica, Thrive, Humboldt Ultra, Cal-Mag, and Epsom salt though. Those aren't ferts!

PSUAGRO. said:

nice nextlight fixture btw

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Thanks! So far I'm happy with it. It's not so bright that it blinds your eyes. Color is white-light.

MA MED Grower said:

I do check my run off when there is a problem.

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Thanks Ma!....I'll do the same!

Why would any budding grower willfully volunteer for such a crutch

understand the art of growing any plant

and you will note that

reading a stable level of 'potential hydrogen' in soil is impossible

as its in constant motion

time for a re-think

good luck

for solving your ph problems, i have 2 words for you: Bluelab! is that 1 word or 2? anyway, it;s bluelab, you get what you pay for, their soil meter in the 200s judging from my water ph pen i trust them

LOL,,,,,I never attempt pHing any potted plant soil!

Never pH any organic run.

The only REAL quality soil pHing meters are going to cost you around 500 for the meter and another 300+ for the probe!
I have portables for farming and ONLY buy HANNA !!! After years in the greenhouse and field growing industry....HANNA rules...

BUT,,unless you farm...NO need for a soil meter!!!

You shouldn't have to adjust soil pH. Controlling your solutions pH with synthetic use is all you need.. 6.5 for veg and 6.7 for bloom!!

Soil, no matter organic feed or synthetic feed will drop in pH about a whole point when you water. As the soil dries out, it rises back to the normal pH set by the plant. That's right. the plant helps set the soils "home" pH to it's needs (unless your soil is pretty bad).

pHing the run off is simply the run off pH! NOT near the soils actual pH "resting" value....

Soaking a plants soil regularly. Can throw the pH out of wack and actually bring on pH related uptake problems...

Um, I gotta ask. How are you using Epson and why?

I use worms and castings in my mix. They adjust the soil to a pH they like (6.5-7) as it passes thru their intestine. At first I thought my pH meter was broken or I was to dumb to use it correctly. Actually, went and bought a second one. I dont check pH, ppm, TDS anymore unless their is a serious problem with a plant.

Dr. Who said:

How are you using Epson and why?

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I....don't....know. Back then (November of last year) I was a different person. No one in their right mind would use Epsom during Veggin'. Epsom Salt is for popping big blooms. Says so on the side of the carton "makes flowers pop!". Plus during bloom I use SnowStorm Ultra and Budswel. My Tokyo plants turned out to be gummy and strong, and they only flowered for 47-days, not the 62-days that they should'a got.