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container Container pH

The other day I posted a thread about an article by Jeff Lowenfels
A few questions were raised about the applicability to contains and mediums that are not soil
 
So, I asked the author for his opinion
 
Alex Powell <***@***.com>
May 22 (1 day ago)
to Gardenerjeff 
 
Hi Jeff, hope you're well
 
I recently read an article of yours and very much enjoyed it - it was
titled Soil Biology and pH
 
A lot of my friends and I garden in containers - we very much love
growing hot peppers! Unfortunately I live in an apartment so can only
have containers on my balcony
 
I was wondering if the rules with pH still matter in organic container
gardening? Our containers are usually a combination of compost,
vermicompost, lava rock for aeration and coco coir or peat moss.
Specifically in relation to the fungi and bacteria that balance pH
 
Peat moss has a very low pH of 4.5 which is the main reason for me
asking. Is pH adjustment required when container gardening? I'm very
interested if the microbes and bacteria mentioned in the article will
develop in containers with compost as opposed to soil and if pH
adjustment is required when the container is composted of up to 30%
peat moss
 
Kind Regards,
Alex Powell
 
Jeff Lowenfels <gardenerjeff@***.com>
2:01 PM (3 hours ago)
to me 
 
If it is a plant growing, the pH matters. No matter where the plant is growing.
 
You should be o.k. with the mix you use. You have compost in it. You can add more to make the pH go up a bit.
 
Teaming,
 
Jeff
 
I was told a long time ago not to worry about the PH of the container mix. I make my own mix and was always trying ways to adjust it while I was mixing. I was told don't worry about it. If you adjust the PH of your water, it will change the soil PH. Makes since to me. Don't know how much of it is true, but I've been doing it that way for years.
 
He added another reply:
 
Jeff Lowenfels
3:59 AM (3 hours ago)
to me 
 
You will see that the plant will adjust its pH. The idea, of course, is to not have it so far out of what that it takes forever for that to happen!
 
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