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Advice for PH testing/testers.

HostileBuddha

HostileBuddha

I'm on a budget and don't want to spend too much but I'm in need of a soil PH tester. Any recommendations for something <$50?

I'm thinking of buying a digital tester but wondering if I'd be better off with a reagent test. Reagent seems more reliable, cheap in the short run but more money in the long run.

This is the one I was thinking if ordering today:

ed51fa6fa07526c91b8afe51cf891fc4.jpg


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I have one I found at Lowe's that measures light, ph, and moisture. I haven't really played with it yet, but it less than 15 dollars. I will get a picture of it when I go to my grow room.

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mikeyd1016 said:
I have one I found at Lowe's that measures light, ph, and moisture. I haven't really played with it yet, but it less than 15 dollars. I will get a picture of it when I go to my grow room.

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Make sure you test that meter. Moisture, Light, and Ph Meter

User Review:
I bought this specifically to test soil pH. I brought it home and tested it in several spots in the garden but the reading never changed. I cleaned the probes to ensure good conductivity and retested in several locations, but the reading remained at 7.0 (neutral) no matter what I tested, which led me to question whether it was really working. Finally, I inserted the probes into a lemon. Same result - 7.0 neutral. I'll be returning this for a refund.
 
The_NorthEast_ChileMan said:
 
Make sure you test that meter. Moisture, Light, and Ph Meter
User Review:
I bought this specifically to test soil pH. I brought it home and tested it in several spots in the garden but the reading never changed. I cleaned the probes to ensure good conductivity and retested in several locations, but the reading remained at 7.0 (neutral) no matter what I tested, which led me to question whether it was really working. Finally, I inserted the probes into a lemon. Same result - 7.0 neutral. I'll be returning this for a refund.
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Good eye and great advice ChileMan, ty!

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mikeyd1016 said:
d94aba2c128f90bb15938e6b0f66f8b5.jpg

Here is the one I have

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Nice! They have one just like it for under 15 on Amazon, might pick it up. Hope is works well!

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HostileBuddha said:
Nice! They have one just like it for under 15 on Amazon, might pick it up. Hope is works well!

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Moisture function seems to work fine, went into the green (I gave them a little drink this morning). I will have to test the ph function on things that are high and low in ph(as chileman suggested).

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If you plan to make sauce at the end of the season its worth it to invest in a quality ph pen IMO. You can use it thru the season to test nutes, then when you harvest pods you can use it to test your sauce (a must if you wanna share safe sauce with friends). Being used dual purpose I just test a shot glass worth of sauce and pitch it. Look to bluelab or oakton for quality pens or if you go cheaper look for something with temp compensation and simple calibrating instructions.
 
Happy Growin'   :P
 
hogleg said:
If you plan to make sauce at the end of the season its worth it to invest in a quality ph pen IMO. You can use it thru the season to test nutes, then when you harvest pods you can use it to test your sauce (a must if you wanna share safe sauce with friends). Being used dual purpose I just test a shot glass worth of sauce and pitch it. Look to bluelab or oakton for quality pens or if you go cheaper look for something with temp compensation and simple calibrating instructions.
 
Happy Growin'   :P
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I will look into it. This is the first time growing so I just want the plants to produce. If all goes well, I would be happy to spend more money on better equipment.

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hogleg said:
If you plan to make sauce at the end of the season its worth it to invest in a quality ph pen IMO. You can use it thru the season to test nutes, then when you harvest pods you can use it to test your sauce (a must if you wanna share safe sauce with friends). Being used dual purpose I just test a shot glass worth of sauce and pitch it. Look to bluelab or oakton for quality pens or if you go cheaper look for something with temp compensation and simple calibrating instructions.
 
Happy Growin'   :P
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This...I use my pH pen every time I feed. Of course I also use it when I make sauce or ferment. 
 
hogleg said:
If you plan to make sauce at the end of the season its worth it to invest in a quality ph pen IMO. You can use it thru the season to test nutes, then when you harvest pods you can use it to test your sauce (a must if you wanna share safe sauce with friends). Being used dual purpose I just test a shot glass worth of sauce and pitch it. Look to bluelab or oakton for quality pens or if you go cheaper look for something with temp compensation and simple calibrating instructions.
 
Happy Growin'   :P
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Hi Hogleg, not trying to be dense but could you elaborate more on using a PH tester for sauce? Is the hot sauce bad if too alkaline?

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HostileBuddha said:
Is the hot sauce bad if too alkaline?

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For (short term) fridge storage it's ok, but if you plan on canning/bottling any of it, a pH of 4.6 or below is generally considered "safe." Most hobby sauce makers aim to get to 4.0 or less though. Anything above 4.6 has the potential for "nasties" to grow and get people sick

Maybe someone with some more experience can elaborate more than that
 
hogleg said:
Yea as Mike said a ph of 4.0 or less is best. It provides a long shelf life and safe from nasties that can make you sick.
 
Spend some time reading this sticky, there is lots of great info
 
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/29501-making-hot-sauce-101/
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Thanks for the info! I'm planning on canning (making jellies and chutneys this year) and now have a heads up and won't be poisoning anyone. I'll be studying that stick thoroughly.

Quick question, I saw some PH sticks that are primarily for water, liquid, etc. I assume this is sort of what you're talking about:

e47f5c0626816d535c14c52ab677f7f8.jpg


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HostileBuddha said:
Thanks for the info! I'm planning on canning (making jellies and chutneys this year) and now have a heads up and won't be poisoning anyone. I'll be studying that stick thoroughly.

Quick question, I saw some PH sticks that are primarily for water, liquid, etc. I assume this is sort of what you're talking about:

e47f5c0626816d535c14c52ab677f7f8.jpg


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I cant see your pics, so not sure what you are showing? for some reason I cant see pics from tapatalk.
 
I meant a digital ph pen. There are plenty in the $20 range. This is the one I own, its pricey but super simple to calibrate, making it worth it to me.
 
Bluelab-pH-Pen-tester.2.jpg
 
hogleg said:
 
I cant see your pics, so not sure what you are showing? for some reason I cant see pics from tapatalk.
 
I meant a digital ph pen. There are plenty in the $20 range. This is the one I own, its pricey but super simple to calibrate, making it worth it to me.
 
Bluelab-pH-Pen-tester.2.jpg
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tips! The one I posted is just like it except on $25.

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