Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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You where true, I always think my water is at 7'4 but this is the water where it's collect.I do not adjust my pH, my pH runs 8.3. My tds is only 225 ppm, and my total Alkalinity is only 179 to 189 mg/liter as calcium carbonate. This is low enough that my azalea are fine with my municipal water. I do get weekly rain, which helps. People worry about pH without understanding the more important feature, the minerals dissolved in their water. Total alkalinity is the important measurement.
It seems that my total alkalinity is quite high, the test strips that I have now aren’t very precise. I don’t know that this picture will help, but it definitely seems to suggest that my TA is quite high. My attempts at bringing the pH down haven’t had much of any effect on the TA. So what does one do in this situation?I do not adjust my pH, my pH runs 8.3. My tds is only 225 ppm, and my total Alkalinity is only 179 to 189 mg/liter as calcium carbonate. This is low enough that my azalea are fine with my municipal water. I do get weekly rain, which helps. People worry about pH without understanding the more important feature, the minerals dissolved in their water. Total alkalinity is the important measurement.
Yes, but it is more complicated than that. If I can find his post I will quote it here, or he can pop in and explain (again) if he wants.Really? Isn't nutrient uptake affected by pH?
One option is reverse osmosis, tends to be expensive and wastes a lot of water in comparison to the amount produced. Unless of course you have a use for the discharge waste water. The simplest may be to collect rainwater for Bonsai use unless your collection is too large or the climate not conducive.It seems that my total alkalinity is quite high, the test strips that I have now aren’t very precise. I don’t know that this picture will help, but it definitely seems to suggest that my TA is quite high. My attempts at bringing the pH down haven’t had much of any effect on the TA. So what does one do in this situation?
YesThe simplest may be to collect rainwater for Bonsai use unless your collection is too large or the climate not conducive.
Jack’s 20-20-20 up until running out. Now I’m using Jack’s 15-30-15, just because it’s what I have. It has no effect on my total alk or pHWhat fertilizer are you using for the tree?
Try testing the pH of the water draining out of the hole after watering. Turface is usually acidic therefore it might not be a pH problem. I think it may be related to the fertilizer. Did it happen after switching to 15-30-15? I'd try using osmocote plus slow release which is sold at homedepot/lowes and see if it helps.Jack’s 20-20-20 up until running out. Now I’m using Jack’s 15-30-15, just because it’s what I have. It has no effect on my total alk or pH
That’s a good idea. It seems however that total alkalinity is what I’ll be looking at.Try testing the pH of the water draining out of the hole after watering. Turface is usually acidic therefore it might not be a pH problem. I think it may be related to the fertilizer. Did it happen after switching to 15-30-15? I'd try using osmocote plus slow release which is sold at homedepot/lowes and see if it helps.
Pour-thru leachate test. The link is to measure EC after fertilizing but same process can be used to test pH or other parameter from your mix using distilled water. I’m sure it was mentioned here, but if you haven’t, send your well water off for analysis. It should be stable and you only have to test it once.I’m not sure of a way to test the soil in the pot, I only have testing strips at the moment. But I have high alkalinity anyways, pH and total alkalinity are both quite high.