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  1. #11
    Members bcotton's Avatar
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    Apr 2011
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    dallas, tx
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    Re: Any suggestions on how to lower PH

    I am interested in your expanded shale experiment. After reading online that it was inert and then seeing that mine was not just made me think maybe it was just shipped in a truck or stored in a place that once had limestone or something with higher PH. I figured over time it would neutralize with my acid additions.


    The plants would like PH of 6 but I figure going that low would be more harm to the fish than help to the plants.

    I get some signs of what i think is iron deficiency at 7.2+ on some plants, catnip leaves turn yellowish first. But it gets green within a day of lowering my ph to 6.8-7. Which is why i found that PH range to be my desirable sweet spot.

    It also may be worth mentioning that I dont have to add acid to keep my PH if it rains enough to keep my water level up. (dallas)

    Even with this new information, I think i will continue to use expanded shale because all things considered cost, weight and porous-ness outweigh the negatives for me.

    brian

  2. #12
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
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    Sep 2010
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    Zone 9b
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    Re: Any suggestions on how to lower PH

    Quote Originally Posted by bcotton
    I am interested in your expanded shale experiment. After reading online that it was inert and then seeing that mine was not just made me think maybe it was just shipped in a truck or stored in a place that once had limestone or something with higher PH. I figured over time it would neutralize with my acid additions.


    The plants would like PH of 6 but I figure going that low would be more harm to the fish than help to the plants.

    I get some signs of what i think is iron deficiency at 7.2+ on some plants, catnip leaves turn yellowish first. But it gets green within a day of lowering my ph to 6.8-7. Which is why i found that PH range to be my desirable sweet spot.

    It also may be worth mentioning that I dont have to add acid to keep my PH if it rains enough to keep my water level up. (dallas)

    Even with this new information, I think i will continue to use expanded shale because all things considered cost, weight and porous-ness outweigh the negatives for me.

    brian
    Very good!

    Yes, the shale is made at least partially (if not wholly) of limestone. Too bad they don't tell you this upfront, huh?

    A pH of 7.2 - 7.8 is pretty darn good as far as I'm concerned. Pretty much anything in the 6 to 8 range is just fine. If it gets too low, raise it up, but in your case if it gets too high, lower it. The nice thing about your shale is it is acting as a nearly infinite buffer. You can't fight the ongoing chemical reaction in your system; so, just live with it.

    A higher pH makes the plants ugly and lowers the nutrition of leafy greens, but fruiting vegetables may or may not be significantly affected.

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