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PH levels

LordHill

LordHill

I have read that water PH should range from 5.5-7 ... my tap water has a PH of 7.7 .. If I am going to PH down, I might as well aim for optimal. So my question is, what is the very best PH I can shoot for when watering my peppers? Grown in containers if it matters...

Also, what is the best way to test soil PH? Am I going for a soil PH thats the same as optimal water PH?

Been growing for a few years, never put much thought into it. Just watered and they grew.
 
This is my first year starting indoors with pH adjusted 6.0 water.  My city tap water is 7.0.  The jury is still out in my case, but I know others swear by it.  It's likely a much bigger deal for hydro than my dirt cups.  
 
All of my water is at 6.5 (starting from tap water that's 9.2, using PH Down). Once I saw how the plants reacted to this stuff, I started watering everything with it, including all of the outdoor plants around my house. When mixed with organic nutrients, everything started growing like crazy once I stopped using straight tap water.
 
I also leave it sit for a few days so any chlorine that may be in the water evaporates off. It will generally get a little cloudy after 24 hours, and the plants seem to love it.
 
grover said:
All of my water is at 6.5 (starting from tap water that's 9.2, using PH Down). Once I saw how the plants reacted to this stuff, I started watering everything with it, including all of the outdoor plants around my house. When mixed with organic nutrients, everything started growing like crazy once I stopped using straight tap water.
 
I also leave it sit for a few days so any chlorine that may be in the water evaporates off. It will generally get a little cloudy after 24 hours, and the plants seem to love it.
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That's good. Just make sure that you re test the water if you add anything to it. As it might change the pH. There are those that test water pH and then add nutrients and feed the plants. Not knowing that the nutrients probably pH'd the water even lower. So if you start with 6.5 water then add nutrients you just might be in the 5.0 or lower range. And that will cause leaf burn in most cases.
 
Ok, so I see that a pH of 6.5 should be optimal but I would like advice concerning the second part of LordHill's question: what is the recommended soil pH tester? Does it have to be a kit? How effective are the dual prong devices which you stick into the soil? Recommendations???
 
Another alternative would be to amend your soil to counteract the alkalinity.  Adding sphagnum and guano should bring the soil pH down enough so you can just keep watering with the same stuff.  If it's well water (?) you've got great mineral content in your water and there shouldn't be any real reason to amend it before using it.
 
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