Return to the Container Gardening Forum | Post a Follow-Up

o
Water works

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings
Posted by gar_newbie Cincinnati (My Page) on
Fri, Apr 1, 11 at 17:03

Hi,

I called our water works to find the pH level in my tap water and they mentioned it as
River water pH is 7.7
And after adding chemicals tap water pH is 8.6 (5 years average)

Do I have to test the pH of tap water again from my end?
Do I need to concern about using this water as it is on my plants?

I don't have any knowledge on Liquid pH and related issues.

Generally I fill the buckets in previous day and keep it in sun light, and hand water the plants in next day morning.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Ganesh

Follow-Up Postings:

o
RE: Water works

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings
  • Posted by tapla z5b-6a mid-MI (My Page) on
    Sat, Apr 2, 11 at 13:39

Your tapwater pH is about the same as mine, and municipal water supplies commonly run in that pH range because of the CaHO they add so pipes don't corrode. It CAN be a problem. I have a little difficulty making Fe and Mn available because of a normal tendency for media pH to rise when water pH is that high. I combat it in 2 ways. In summer, I add Sprint 138 (an Fe chelate formulated for high pH water applications) and a Mn chelate to my fertilizer regimen, and in winter, I reduce the pH of my irrigation water by adding vinegar. It's not practical to add the vinegar in summer because I have 300+ plants & would have to do it by hand (watering can) for all those plants, so I do the chelate. If you have fewer plants & don't mind hand watering, you can simply use pH to reduce the alkalinity AND lower pH.

Buy a pond or aquarium test kit that can test pH from about 4.5-9.0. Then, determine how much white vinegar or citric acid it takes to lower the pH of a given volume of freshly drawn tap water to about 5.0 for most plants, and add that much acid each time you water.

Al

o
RE: Water works

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Thanks Tapla.

o
RE: Water works

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings
  • Posted by tapla z5b-6a mid-MI (My Page) on
    Sun, Apr 3, 11 at 15:45

Photobucket Al

o Post a Follow-Up

Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum.

    If you are a member, please log in.

    If you aren't yet a member, join now!

Return to the Container Gardening Forum

Instructions

  • You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
  • Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
  • After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
  • It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
  • HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
  • No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
  • If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
  • If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.



 
Click here to learn more about in-text links on this page.