Are you wondering how to acidify water for your plants? If yes, then this article is for you.
Acidifying the water you give to your plants maximises nutrient availability. Maximum nutrient availabilityy means your plants can easily access the necessary nutrients they need, allowing them to grow faster and more significant in the UK. If you’ve been struggling to grow your plants, acidified water might be the solution you’re looking for.
Tips on How to Acidify Water for Your Plants
Tip #1: Learn everything you need to know about pH levels
The pH value of a solution indicates its acidity or alkalinity. The pH value usually ranges between 0-14. If a solution has a pH value between 0-7, it’s acidic.
However, if it has a pH value between 7-14, then it’s basic. A solution with a pH value of 7 is considered neutral.
Cola and vinegar have a pH value of 3; therefore, they’re acidic. Soap has a pH value of 8, which means it’s basic. To successfully acidify the water you give to your plants, you need to know the right pH level beneficial to them.
Plants prefer mildly acidic water. Mildly acidic water means that the water must have a pH value of between 5 and 6.5. However, because a pH level of 5.5 occurs commonly in nature, many plant experts consider it neutral.
Tip #2: Know the right amount of acidity that is beneficial for your plants
Acidity plays a vital role in the breakdown of organic substances in the ground. It also influences how food elements, pesticides, heavy metals, and other micro-organisms in the growing mechanism cleansed from the ground.
If the pH value of your water is too high or too low, it can damage your plants. So, it’s essential to know the right amount of acidity that is good for your plants and get it right.
However, how do you know you’re on the right track? It would help if you familiarised yourself with the symptoms you should look out for that signify your water is too acidic or too basic.
For example, the signs of high pH in plants include poor soil quality, poor soil life, and leaves that turn yellow-white. On the other hand, the signs of low pH in plants are wilting leaves, stunted growth, ruined leaf tips, poor stem development, and leaf discolouration.
Tip #3: Consider the pH value of the growing medium around your plants
Whether you’re growing your plants hydroponically or not, it’s essential to consider the pH value of the ever-increasing medium surrounding your plants. Generally, plants prosper when the pH value is around 5.5 or 6.5.
Anything below that or above that can significantly affect their growth. If you found that the pH level of your growing tool is not correct, there are several things you can do to fix it:
Use fertilisers or nutrients that you’re familiar with. For plants grown hydroponically, you need to wait for an hour before making the next move. But if you’re developing on soil, wait for 24 hours.
Check your growing tool using a pH test strip or a computerised test kit. Make sure to read the directions behind the kit first before doing it.
Insert the test strip and then read the pH value and see if it’s the ideal value for the kind of plant you’re growing. Knowledge of the value will help you identify if you need to increase or reduce the pH of your growing tool.
Depending on the material you’re going to use to alter your pH value, fill a gallon of a container with clean water. Follow directions carefully to ensure the correct water-to-substance ratio. It might ask you to use a different amount of water.
Add wood ash, lime, or a mainly developed solution to the water to alter its pH value. You can also add pH-lowering substances like phosphoric acid or sulfur.
If you’re adding solid material to your mixture, make sure to soak the solid material first in the water. Soaking the solid material will allow it to infuse with your mixture. Sprinkle your plants using the mixture.
Recheck the pH to determine if you got it right. If you didn’t, you might need to create another mixture until you get it right. It’s best to wait around 30 mins before testing hydroponically grown plants and 24 hours for grown plants in soil.
Why Should You Grow Your Plants in a Mini Greenhouse?
Pests like caterpillars, snails, rats, and other animals can destroy your plants. Blights can also infect and spread to your other plants. Make sure to protect your plants from damage.
Consider building a polytunnel to successfully and efficiently grow your plants. You might think that polytunnel takes too much space and is too expensive to build.
But greenhouses come in different sizes. It does not need to be big and spacious. It only needs to be as big as you need it to be.
If you have limited garden space in the UK, you can build a mini polytunnel instead. It still offers the same benefits as regular greenhouses do, except it’s smaller in size. You can place it in balconies, decks, backyards, and even patios.
A mini polytunnel is excellent for growing plants before the cold season starts. Once the weather gets warmer and better, you can now transplant your healthy plants into your British garden!
It’s also helpful in growing tender perennial plants. The mini polytunnel can preserve them from the snow and frost during the winter season.
Final Thoughts on How to Acidify Water
Knowing how to acidify water for your plants can be very beneficial. It can help your plants grow faster and larger! Make sure to test your solution with a pH test to know how you need to treat it to achieve your desired acidity.