Measuring and regulating the pH level in cannabis crops makes our plants much stronger and healthier. It guarantees us crops with great harvests and higher quality, which I would say is one of the most important parts of the crop. If you are interested in this in our online grow shop we tell you all about it in detail.
What is the pH of water?
The pH of water is a numerical value that indicates the level of acidity or alkalinity of the water. Knowing the pH of the water allows us to know if the irrigation water is correct or not. In order to measure the pH of the water we need a pH meter, either manual or digital. To measure the pH we use a scale from 0 to 14, from 0 to 7 is considered acid pH, 7.0 neutral pH and from 7 to 14 alkaline pH.
Why regulate the pH of water?
It is important to regulate the pH of the water, as this is related to the assimilation of nutrients. We can add all the fertilisers we want, but if the plants cannot assimilate them, it will be of no use.
Regulating the pH of the water is very important for our plants to be able to grow healthy and strong, thus avoiding deficiencies, diseases and reducing pests.
Watering without regulating the pH of the water can have serious consequences for our plants, one of which is that our plants grow much slower and weaker, which makes them more susceptible to diseases and pests.
Another consequence is that the plants do not assimilate nutrients correctly, causing an accumulation of salts in the roots and blocking the root system, which can be easily seen in the state of the plants, we would find leaves with dry, yellow, brown and spotted tips.
How to regulate pH in cannabis soil crops?
Regulating the pH of water when growing in soil is much easier than when growing cannabis in hydroponics, aeroponics, coco or more unstable media.
The first thing to bear in mind is the type of soil you use, as it will be the base for your plants. Our advice is to use a good substrate and don’t skimp on this. A quality substrate is the key to success! A good substrate should have a pH between 6.5 and 7.0.
When growing in soil it is not necessary to add fertiliser at every watering, but it is necessary to adjust the pH of the water whether fertiliser is added or not.
Regulating the pH in water and solution
Watering with water only: Fill a container with the water that you are going to use for irrigation,
with the help of a pH meter measure the value, if the water has a high pH (above 7.5) you should use acids to reduce the pH of the water. If, when measuring the water, its value is lower than 7, then we must add products to raise the pH of the water.
Irrigation with nutrient solution: To measure the pH of the nutrient solution, first mix the water
and fertiliser, then measure the pH and adjust it to the desired value. If the pH is adjusted before the fertiliser is mixed, the value will change completely afterwards. To measure the pH of the nutrient solution it is advisable to use digital pH meters, as some fertilisers change the colour of the water and it would be impossible to do this with a manual pH meter.
To adjust the pH of the water we do not always have to use chemical products, there are brands that have biological products to treat pH of water. Even we could even reduce the pH by adding lemon drops to the water.
For soil crops the optimum pH value is between 6.0 and 7.0.
How to regulate pH in hydroponics and aeroponics cannabis crops?
Growing in hydroponics or aeroponics is much more complicated than growing in soil and requires experience and dedication. In hydroponics, the assimilation of the elements is almost instantaneous, so the effects are almost instantaneous.
When growing cannabis in hydroponics, the pH value and the EC value must be taken into account. The pH is the acidity or alkalinity of the water and the EC is the value of nutrients in the mix, these two parameters must be well regulated to obtain great results. These two parameters must be well regulated to obtain great results.
To regulate the pH of the water in hydroponics, the first thing to do is to fill the water tank and add the
fertilisers. Once the mixture has been mixed, adjust the pH of the water.
The pH and EC values will vary over the days, so it is very important to measure these values and regulate them regularly, it is very important to change the water in the tank once a week.
pH values in growth:
- Young plants or cuttings: The optimum pH value is 5.5.
- Growing plants: The optimum pH value is 5.8.
- Strecth (period of change to flowering): The optimum pH value is 5.9.
pH values in flowering:
- Flowering plants: the optimum pH value starts at 6.0 and will increase to 6.3 as the weeks go by.
- Final phase or root cleaning: The optimum pH value for this phase is 6.4.
How to regulate pH in cannabis coco crops?
As in other types of cultivation, regulating the pH of the water is very important for the plants cannabis, but if we grow in coco it is essential and we must pay a lot of attention to it.
The pH should be adjusted and kept as stable as possible.
Growth pH values:
- Young plants or cuttings: The optimum pH value is 5.5.
- Growing plants: The optimum pH value is 5.6.
- Strecth (period of change to flowering): The optimum pH value is 5.7.
pH values in bloom:
- Flowering plants: the optimum pH value starts at 5.7 and will increase to 6 as the weeks go by.
Is it necessary to regulate the pH for foliar spraying?
When spraying plants, we must be aware that assimilation by the leaves is very fast, which is why in many cases nutrients are applied by foliar spraying. Therefore, just as in irrigation the pH of the water must be balanced, for spraying our plants the ideal pH is 6.
Different types of pH meters
In the market there are several models and designs of pH meters, in our online shop you will find many of them, but our advice is to choose the one that best suits your needs.
We offer manual pH meters.
We have manual pH meters, these meters come with a test tube, a liquid and a colour chart with numerical values, we will introduce the water to be tested in the test tube a few drops of liquid into the water and in a matter of seconds the water will start to change colour, we will only need to check the colour with the colour chart and we will know the pH value. This type of meters are very precise and economical, but they are not particularly comfortable, as to correctly regulate the pH of the water we will have to take several measurements until we find the balance, and if we use biological fertilisers they will change the colour of the water and we will no longer be able to check it with the colour chart.
Digital pH meters, on the other hand, are much more convenient, as you only need to switch on the meter, insert the sensor into the water and the digital display will show the pH value. The only thing to keep in mind is the calibration of these meters, as they need to be calibrated often.
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