Knowing the pH levels of your growing media is incredibly important. As any gardener or grower knows, keeping your soil or alternative medium at the appropriate pH level results in happy, healthy plants. Failing to monitor the pH level can cause stunted growth, reduced yields, and plant death if the pH level is too extreme. However, by the time plants show visible signs of distress due to improper pH level, it’s likely too late to intervene. Typically, plants do well in slightly acidic soil or growing media, though preferred pH levels will obviously vary depending on the variety of plant. Since a neutral pH reading is 7 on the 14-point scale, a slightly acidic level can be estimated as between 5.5 and 7. Generally speaking, once pH levels decline below 5, essential growth elements such as phosphorus and magnesium decline while toxic metals increase in concentration. Dr. J.B. Jones has an excellent article that explains the nuances of pH measurement and recommended pH levels in various growing media. Click here to read the article and to take a more in-depth look at what pH truly is.
So, you select a pH reader, take a reading, and discover that your soil or growing media is not properly balanced. Now what? You’ve identified that if you try to grow a crop here, there’s a very good chance that your plants will perform poorly or even die before you get any sort of yield. Do you throw everything out from scratch and start again? What happens if your pH levels take a sudden dip after you’ve already started new seedlings?
TNB Naturals has created two easy-to-use products that help you control your pH levels. TNB Naturals granular pH UP & DOWN are two separate products that allow growers to finely modulate their pH levels. As the names imply, pH UP increases alkalinity, while pH DOWN increases acidity. Both pH UP and pH DOWN are non-caustic and non-corrosive. They’ve been specifically engineered to cause no harm to the beneficial bacteria found in growing mediums, which is especially important for organic growers. Both pH adjusters are safe for use with aquaponics setups.
Unlike standard liquid pH adjusters, TNB pH UP & DOWN come as a granular powder and are added to growing media by mixing the powder with water. No dyes or filters are used in creation, and it is non-caustic, which means that you don’t have to worry about accidental skin contact when adding it to water. A detailed product demonstration can be viewed on YouTube.
TNB Naturals is committed to creating safe and sustainable all-natural products designed for the hydroponics and indoor growing community and providing the indoor growing community with outstanding customer service. You can learn more about their products at TNBNaturals.com.
Joshua Nichols is the MyGardenAndGreenhouse.com associate editor.
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