Did my first runoff pH test

[Proud Marine Dad]

I did my first ever runoff pH test the other day on one of my pepper plants and it was 7.0 pH
Minus about .4 as they say puts it at about 6.6 pH so I guess it is doing fine.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Sweet

 

[Proud Marine Dad]

Thanks Rich.
That and testing the water/fertilizer solution is the only way I can test as soil pH meters are very expensive for a reliable one and I don't have $200 to drop on one.
I have a cheapo Rapid-Test one but it's probably about as accurate as drawing a pH number from a hat.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

The CHEAP non battery ones with three prongs work great! Just another option for ya!

 

[Proud Marine Dad]

The CHEAP non battery ones with three prongs work great! Just another option for ya!

They are not accurate though just as mine is not real accurate from what I have researched. I am sure they are about as accurate as those crappy soil test kits they sell at Home Depot and Lowe's but they can be off a lot as well.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

I bought a 3 dollar ferry Morse just for kicks, and its damn close surprisingly. It won't last long and it will lose calibration almost surely, but for a quick three dollar reading once in a while it can be ok for most intentions expected at that price. Compared it to my 60 dollar tester.

 

[scratchzilla]

Please explain the theory of testing runoff? Sounds like fun science.

 

[Proud Marine Dad]

Please explain the theory of testing runoff? Sounds like fun science.

Start with some water pH adjusted to say 7.0 (neutral) and slowly pour it around into your container.
When the drain holes on the plant container begin to drip catch the first 3-4 oz. of runoff and measure it with a pH probe or in my case I use a pH test kit with drops and a color chart from General Hydroponics.
Subtract about .4 pH from the reading on a runoff test to be more accurate.
So if your runoff for instance reads 7.0 pH minus the .4 pH tells you that the root zone is roughly 6.6 pH.