Lowering the PH in my plant soil with PH solution Help!

[eascusa]

Does anyone know about hydrophonics? I am not sure if that is even what it would be called. It just says that on the solution bottle I just bought. My indoor plants for as long as I can remember have always had very high alkaline soil. But since most of them were doing o.k. and I didn't have the time, money or desire to do anything, I did nothing. Until my favorite ferns started dying and would keep dying on me every time, I got one. As well as my African Violets. I just can't keep them alive. This brought me back into checking the PH along with a host of other things. Nothing was helping my ferns. But again, I never did anything to lower the PH either not knowing how important it was. So, when I finally realized the importance of PH, I started doing small things the internet would say to do like putting peat moss on top, but it changed nothing. Of course, I used plant food/fertilizers, better soils, different pots, bought plant meters and lights, etc. Recently, after much research I decided to change the soil of some of my plants to almost pure coconut fiber so I can have complete control over it. But not my ferns or violets because they have all died but one fern and I didn't want to change anything yet. So far however, I am not sure if that was a good move or bad one. And now it's winter and all my plants are not happy with the lack of sun and heat so I can't tell what is causing what. And now my last fern is dying too. I did get a plant light for it and some of my other plants because it is so dark in my house even next to the windows.
Anyways, I finally decided to get some PH down solution to give to my plants for a quicker response. I have plant meters that show PH and the PH on all of my plants according to many different meters is all the way to the Alkaline side and can't go any further. So, I guess they are definitely drowning in Alkaline so to speak. And this is why I decided to buy the PH down solution. It really doesn't say though how to go about giving it to my plants or how much to give them. Does anyone know anything about giving PH down solution to high alkaline plants indoors?

 

[Meadowlark]

Houseplants can tolerate pH down solutions, but it is important to use the right amount and concentration of the solution.

Different plants have different pH requirements, and some may not tolerate a pH down solution....so I would go slow with it using small amounts at a time testing as you go.

Ideally, the ph of the soil for the house plant would be between 6 and 7.

Organic solutions include Sulphur, vinegar, citric acid, etc. all will lower ph.

Proceed with caution and test the solution on a few plants as you go.

 

[YumYum]

So you are growing these things in a type of soil? With hydroponics you grow in nutrient rich water, no soil.

With hydroponics you have to keep the pH lower than you do when growing the same thing in the ground. If you use straight peat moss or coconut fiber, you should follow the pH guidelines for hydroponics. I have also ran into some potting mixes that you have to run the pH lower than the dirt pH chart or the iron gets locked out.

Here is the pH chart for stuff grown in dirt:

Here is the pH chart for hydroponics:

 

[YumYum]

Also straight peat moss or coconut coir has no nutrients so you have to add them all which will affect the pH of the water if you use water soluble fertilizer.

Get some of this stuff (since it has a wide range) and test your water/fertilizer solution to see what kind of pH you are watering with. Also you should do the pour through method to test the soils pH with this.

There are other things you can test the pH with. I have used a pool pH test kit for alkaline water or to see if it is basic or acid. I've also used bromothymol blue.

 

[YumYum]

PH down is phosphoric acid. It will also add phosphorus.

Sulfur is organic and takes a good while to break down and change the soils pH level. It depends on microbes to convert it to sulfuric acid. Not really going to help you in your situation.

Vinegar and citric acid can be used to lower the pH of the water you water with and probably cheaper than the pH Down product. Just add some and test with that pH test solution to see where it lands and record the amount.