I have been growing in hydro for quite a while and have just concluded an unintended experiment.
My data indicates that when my Ph varies from 6.5-7.0 chiles grow, flower and fruit just fine. For the last couple of months, I have been letting the Ph go to between 7.0 and 7.5 and the growth turned much worse.....nothing died, growth slowed, flowering and fruiting slowed or stopped. I have changed Ph back to 6.5-7.0 and all the chiles have recovered
I grow in a temp controlled g'house and climate/light conditions have not changed and nutrient maker and concentration have been constant....the only variable changed was Ph.
Conventional wisdom (the thing I was testing) is that Ph from 5.0 to 7.0 is good and I disagree.
Other observations.....?
I have observed similar patterns of growth behavior with Aji Cristal. When the pH is too high, even a smidgen above 7, there are little ill effects but once pH drops to a low 6, troubles begin. Crumpled leaves, slower growth, to name a few.
-Sale
Hello,
one would list those exactly says which for a material when best works!
(http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/5070/duenger002phwertca6.th.jpg) (http://img165.imageshack.us/my.php?image=duenger002phwertca6.jpg)
Many greetings Jogi
I agree willards observations. I don't own a proper pH meter, just a colour indicator and pH 6+ (green) works best for my chillies. PH under 6 or over 7 makes the plants look bad.
Got a question. I am starting with ebb&flood system, now building. And want to know: the pH is too low/high what to do, what to add? thanks
-tadytomas
Use pH-Up or pH-Down.
Not an add, just to show an ex. of the stuff:
http://www.viherpeukku.fi/catalog/index.php?cPath=104
and for example: I have 40l in reservoir, pH 7,5 and want 6,5, how much I have to add? Just to know.. how big package buy. Thanks
Try with a little at first, like 5ml of liquid ph down. Stir the solution.
Then the important thing is, DON'T start measuring it right away, instead,
wait overnight and measure again and add more PH down if needed (I presume so.)
With high a ph water, it tends to raise back up, but adding buffered ph down solution like few days in a row (if needed) will help to maintain the ph level where wanted.
Hope it helps!
well, thanks for advice. I have just one question. It is about fertilizers. I will have more chilli tribes in one system. Some has shorter and some longer growing season. Muss I quit adding fertilizers before harwest of each kind?
thanks
Well, that's something you need to decide by yourself.. of course the chiles will taste better if give them just water before harvesting but it certainly affects the growth / bloom season of the other varieties / species.
I think I'd go with at least milder solution, just use less nitrogen (floramicro for example) to avoid bad taste.
Good luck! :)
Hi all, got another problem >:( I have got 60l solution "box" for my ebb&flood, GH nutrients micro and mato, pH down GH, and I can not achieve still pH..
I add a pH down -> measure the solution some time after and the pH is between 6,5 and 7. But after 2 ar 3 days pH is back in 8 :o or so. I know, that sometimes is necessary to checked it and correct it few times. I have already did it 5 times now and it isnt still still.
Any ideas? thanks
Have you washed your medium properly? sounds like something is affecting the solution..
I usually add a little "too much" ph down liquid, and it usually sets quite nicely. You could try that.
After growing quite a few different species and varieties on hydro, I have to say that the best ph range for producing pods is pH 6.
certainly not less but not too much above, 6.5 being still acceptable but 5.5 not.
I guess this guideline is quite close to ideal showing between 6 and 6.5 is optimum, at least for chiles. :)
(http://www.fatalii.net/growing/pics/hydro/ph_kit.jpg)
Some results using pH 6 through the season:
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/dhf1alot.jpg)
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/DSCN0438.jpg)
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/turbos2232334.jpg)
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/_DSC0605.jpg)
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/caronong32254.jpg)
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/7pod4356.jpg)
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/hottest_ebb346.jpg)
And so on.
Some wild chiles really like to have completely different pH values for proper fruit set.
wow.. nice pics, hope i will have at least 10% harvest.. :D
well, a folloved the willards numbers, so between 6,5 and 7. I will try lower.. about 6.
And yes, I washed it properly in water few times, all dust is gone and the solution is clear ??? I will try some liquid pH down
edit: should be the problem in small cocentration of nutrients? 60l water, 60ml Mato and 60 micro. The next solution I will make the same (maybe littlebit stronger) and I will make it stronger and stonger each few days.
Don't make it stronger everyy few days!
Just keep as it is for like 14 days, ADD JUST WATER!
Then, completely change the solution, pour off the old solution.
New solution can be a little stonger when the plants have grown a little.
Keep in mind, always add just water after changing the solution.
yes, I know about the water, for clarification. But I thought that it si bad to change the solution for much stronger one in one step, that it is better to go in small steps each few days ??? In my case make a solution 60l water, 60ml mato and micro and each 3 or so days add another 5ml micro andd mato. And the next solution start on so much ml mato and micro which a achieved. But maybe it is all wrong.. ;D I will follow your advices.. you are so much more experienced ;)
did you see my latest plants in ebb? how many ml (mato and micro) would you add in ane litre.. thanks
You mean these?
http://chilifoorumi.fi/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5457.0;attach=474;image
At that point, I'd still be more closer to cuttings and seedlings instructions on floramato bottle. A bit stronger perhaps, after they have grown a little, go as high as medium feeders if you have plenty of light forr them.
Lainaus käyttäjältä: Fatalii - huhtikuu 17, 2009, 11:10:15 ap
Have you washed your medium properly? sounds like something is affecting the solution..
I usually add a little "too much" ph down liquid, and it usually sets quite nicely. You could try that.
After growing quite a few different species and varieties on hydro, I have to say that the best ph range for producing pods is pH 6.
certainly not less but not too much above, 6.5 being still acceptable but 5.5 not.
I guess this guideline is quite close to ideal showing between 6 and 6.5 is optimum, at least for chiles. :)
(http://www.fatalii.net/growing/pics/hydro/ph_kit.jpg)
Some results using pH 6 through the season:
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/dhf1alot.jpg)
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/DSCN0438.jpg)
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/turbos2232334.jpg)
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/_DSC0605.jpg)
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/caronong32254.jpg)
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/7pod4356.jpg)
(http://fatalii.net/chile/kuvat/hottest_ebb346.jpg)
That's what I'm talking about :). Just amazing!!
And so on.
Some wild chiles really like to have completely different pH values for proper fruit set.
Fatalii, you were talking about pH down liquid. I am going to buy some, because the pH level still raises. In my local growshop, threre are the acids: nitric acid (grow one) and orthophosphoric acid (bloom one). Do you use just one of them, or do you combine them? for growing and blooming.. thanks..
I use pH Down by GHE. It's a buffered stuff meaning that it will hold the pH levels quite well.
I had my pH down bottle since 2003 so it really lasts forever... not a good idea to save money there. :)
It works and you don't have to kill your plants with any dish washing liquids or similar emergency relief!
NO, DON'T USE THEM! :D
It is not some dish washing liquids :D Well, in my country GHe is not very popular and I cant get pH down from GHe here. I meant for exaple advanced hydroponics of holland or canna.. It is a proper stuff for lowering the pH level in hydroponics. But they make the solution in two versions (grow- nitrogen and bloom- phosphorus). I googled pH- from GHe and they make just one ;D
If you have to choose from those two. I would choose the bloom version. Reason is that the chilis are more sensitive to nitrogen than hemp or others.
well half of the chillis in hydro are actually starting to bloom, so I probably choose the bloom one.
Hello!
This thread is a bit out dated, but I guess I can provide some more info here.
I fully agree with PH 6 which is fine, more precisely 5.8 or 5.9 is even better if you can adjust and keep it over time.
Sometimes people confuse ideal uptake in SOIL with actual uptake in SOIL-LESS culture.
Both are not the same! And we have ideal PH for certain plants, as our Chili, and ideal uptake of nutrients, which isn't always the same either.
This graphic shows the clear difference between UPTAKE of nutrients in soil- and soil-less culture pretty well:
(http://chiangmai-thailand.com/images/phhydro.gif).
If you run to high, (over and even from 6.5), sooner or later you run into phosphorus deficiency, as well as Boron and Iron deficiency if climbing higher. If ever you run slightly under 5.8 you unfortunately pick the gap where Magnesium uptake is bad, hence this PH is also to avoid by all means. There are special pH indicator strips available that only cover the range between 5 and 7 (or alike), with a precision of 0.3 or even 0.1 (little more expensive). If you can find these, they even better fit the needs.
Lainaus käyttäjältä: Fatalii - huhtikuu 17, 2009, 11:10:15 ap
Some wild chilies really like to have completely different pH values for proper fruit set.
I thought so too, can you tell what PH-values are best for wild species, and have you noticed any differences (for PH optimization) in growing chinense, baccatum or others? I would also be interested in frutescens, as they grow best here in Thailand, but seem to have special needs too when grown hydroponically.
Thanks!
There are so many wild chiles and most of them seem to like different envinroment so it's practically impossible to say the exact pH values they want.
Other factors as temperature and humidity can alter their needs also.
It's complicated and so fascinating.
Overall, pH around 6 seems to work best for all of the wild species when it comes to production of the fruits.
That's very true about the difference growing with soil and hydroponics.
Hi,
Lainaus käyttäjältä: Fatalii - elokuu 02, 2009, 15:14:19 ip
There are so many wild chiles and most of them seem to like different envinroment so it's practically impossible to say the exact pH values they want.
I guessed that they may have different requirements and would prefer
individual PH. But is there anything at all you can say about PH that might be useful for growers of (certain) wild species? An example, a tendency, some particular observation from one or some species, anything....?
Would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks!