Super Soil and PH

@woodi2 Adding dolomite lime is usually a good way to keep pH in balance i think mate, but best to get an answer from TG as its his recipe

@macky, lol yeah I just mixed it according to his recipe so I don't want to mess it up now, I've got too much of it to fuck it up now. lol I'll be patient for sure. But I don't want to use it if it's not right and I want to be sure I'm testing it properly. There's a question for the next show. Testing?  Thanks. 

@woodi2 Those test kits can absolutely work but they can be tedious and suffer from very small sample sizes. Before changing anything, if it were me, I would try and replicate the results with another sample in each batch.  If it is in fact that pH, it is high, but workable.  One can acidify soil either with working in more peat moss or by applying sulphur/sulfur, but you have to get over the buffering action in the soil, so it takes some time. I would also consider maybe upping the dosage of LAB slightly since it is pretty acidic.

Yes I tested it 3 x, on both the PH and the nitrogen, just to be sure. That's why I tested the fresh batch of soil that I just mixed, and the PH was the same but the nitrogen was higher in the satisfactory range on the newer batch. The LAB may help, this could be a hail Mary shot.    

Oh hello there.

This is an interesting question! It's been so long since I actually tested the pH of my own soil I can't even remember what its base pH is, haha. I will do some tests in the next few days and get back to you.

If you've followed the recipe exactly you shouldn't have an issue, though I do use homemade compost from my own bins and 'craft' worm castings in my personal soil mix, so maybe they're the secret magical ingredients that somehow make it all work. Maybe not, lol.

I am very careful with my water though - it always goes in at 6.3-6.6 and only ever would potentially contain epsom salts, fish hydrolysate, liquid kelp (either from Macrocystis integrifolia or Ascophyllum nodosum, aka brown seaweed) and/or compost tea. Especially compost tea. Only if needed though. Except the tea - that's every 3ish weeks. Gotta be careful though as some of those can really jank the pH around, mainly the fish, and probably your LAB too.

I use bone meal as a bit of a proxy for the pH as well... the P in bone meal is generally only available in soils with a pH of 7 or less, and so unless I start seeing any real deficiencies, especially with phosphorus, I don't worry too much about the specific values re: pH and/or TDS (PPM). Not very scientific of me but hey, the plant don't lie! 🤑 

It also should be said that the base soil I use is made from composted wood bark and peat and the base pH of that would be influential in the overall mix's pH, both in buffering capacity and its own inherent levels. I've never actually looked at that either so, more testing! Interesting question for sure.. 🧐 

If our soils alive eg castings, microbes etc no need adjust the ph ever.  I would still check your run off but it should self regulate.  I still have a worm bin and when used on anything in a living soil all is well.

@mattuk, This is my second soil grow, I hail from the land of Hydro, lovely place. So I'm use to checking everything (in hydro) and everything has some sort of a numerical value, that satisfies my curiosity. So when I have to do some Leap of Faith or "trust it" everything will be fine, that just gives me the Heebie-Jeebies!! lol But when a plant is having problems the first thing you check is PH, well I do. lol

I've been reading on the subject, and I agree with what your saying.

PS- I not suppose to have run-off with soil from what I've been told, and yes I did check it when it when did happen and it was off the charts. Then everyone said I can't test soil run-off. And soil test kits do test the PH. 

Thanks man!! 🖐️