High tap water ph for supersoil

_EQ

Well-Known Member
i have recently made my first super soil batch, the soil ph is about 7. My tap water after being put through a carbon filter for Chlorine/chloramines comes out at 7.9-8.5 depending. Should I be PHing my water? Or should I be trusting the microbes in the root zone to be buffering to the proper range? I’ve seen a few things about citric acid as a ph down that’s organic, I also read it doesn’t effect beneficial bacteria like phosphoric based ph downs. What is the consensus on what the I’ve read? So far I have one tester clone in a 2 gal pot coming up on 2 weeks with no visible issues. I’m sure if I run into issues they would start to show up soon? Any kind of insight or opinion helps thanks!
 

green_machine_two9er

Well-Known Member
i have recently made my first super soil batch, the soil ph is about 7. My tap water after being put through a carbon filter for Chlorine/chloramines comes out at 7.9-8.5 depending. Should I be PHing my water? Or should I be trusting the microbes in the root zone to be buffering to the proper range? I’ve seen a few things about citric acid as a ph down that’s organic, I also read it doesn’t effect beneficial bacteria like phosphoric based ph downs. What is the consensus on what the I’ve read? So far I have one tester clone in a 2 gal pot coming up on 2 weeks with no visible issues. I’m sure if I run into issues they would start to show up soon? Any kind of insight or opinion helps thanks!
don’t ph, I think about it as follows…. For living soil type growing…..

you more likely to change your GUTS microbe by taking a shower in PHed Water, than to change your SOIL ph by changing the ph of your water.

I only say this cause I’ve watched and tried and done lots of different things… if your medium ph is off it has to do with soil inputs. Soil is rocking 6.5- 7 don’t sweat it then. If your soil ph continues to rise then working at establishing a more bacterial dominant environment will lower ph faster than any adjustment of water…

the real magic is that the plant will regulate soil ph based on its current needs. But this only works once you’re dialed in on watering. Speaking of which under watering is the number one issue most people deal with when switching to organic soil. And under watering can promote higher soil ph and undesirable environment for your micro herd… water everyday, even if it’s just a little bit early in cycle Do a tiny bit each day instead of your “traditional” dry back technique of salt based growing
 

green_machine_two9er

Well-Known Member
i have recently made my first super soil batch, the soil ph is about 7. My tap water after being put through a carbon filter for Chlorine/chloramines comes out at 7.9-8.5 depending. Should I be PHing my water? Or should I be trusting the microbes in the root zone to be buffering to the proper range? I’ve seen a few things about citric acid as a ph down that’s organic, I also read it doesn’t effect beneficial bacteria like phosphoric based ph downs. What is the consensus on what the I’ve read? So far I have one tester clone in a 2 gal pot coming up on 2 weeks with no visible issues. I’m sure if I run into issues they would start to show up soon? Any kind of insight or opinion helps thanks!
Don’t be afraid of bigger pots and more frequent up pots with super soil? What’s your plan for final size container for flowering?
 

_EQ

Well-Known Member
If you have dolomite lime in your mix it will buffer the ph..
I do I have dolomite, and oyster shell flour along with crab meal too. But my concern is that my water ph being so high buffering it from so high up makes it difficult to get optimal ph ranges even with the ph balancing amendment
 

_EQ

Well-Known Member
Don’t be afraid of bigger pots and more frequent up pots with super soil? What’s your plan for final size container for flowering?
Yeah so this is just a test run to see how viable my soil is, I plan on going to a 7 gal indoor just to get some feedback and data on if the soil will need anything, if my tap water ph being too high will cause any issues, etc.
 

_EQ

Well-Known Member
don’t ph, I think about it as follows…. For living soil type growing…..

you more likely to change your GUTS microbe by taking a shower in PHed Water, than to change your SOIL ph by changing the ph of your water.

I only say this cause I’ve watched and tried and done lots of different things… if your medium ph is off it has to do with soil inputs. Soil is rocking 6.5- 7 don’t sweat it then. If your soil ph continues to rise then working at establishing a more bacterial dominant environment will lower ph faster than any adjustment of water…

the real magic is that the plant will regulate soil ph based on its current needs. But this only works once you’re dialed in on watering. Speaking of which under watering is the number one issue most people deal with when switching to organic soil. And under watering can promote higher soil ph and undesirable environment for your micro herd… water everyday, even if it’s just a little bit early in cycle Do a tiny bit each day instead of your “traditional” dry back technique of salt based growing
Good comparison but my worry is that because my water PH is so high, that continuously watering throughout the life cycle will drive the soil PH up. Which goes back to the having watering dialed in. Watering at 8+ ph will just make it harder on the microbes to regulate and lower ph when the plant wants to take what it needs. Atleast that is my thought,
 
Top