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Canada

Just wondering how many of you are using untreated tap water in patch and what have your results been? My city water PH is high I treated to lower ph last year not sure if it made any difference or not I was 150 lbs bigger then year before but I had also reworked my soil and did a few things different so my question is how important is it to treat the tap water to bring down ph and remove chlorine before applying to patch? This year I'm running drip tape off timer direct off tap so its gonna be harder to treat unless I put it into storage tank first then pump from there. Thanks Dave

2/28/2012 3:17:45 PM

Joliet, IL

Dave, I also have high ph tap water about 8. There are many limestone quarry pits around here and the underlying limestone around here is why the ph is higher. So I have Googled "ph of tap water and soil ph". From what I read the water is fine as is but it will cause your soil ph to rise with usage. Therefore I use garden sulfur to help keep it down. 40 or 50 bags of garden sulfur can be hard to find. You might try talking with a golf course coarse greenskeeper and they should help you find it locally. I purchase mine from Greensmiths and also get my humic acid and K Mag from them too. Good products.

2/28/2012 5:16:50 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I have never thought to test the ph of our well water, but it sure is high in lime. Most of the wells in this part of the state are drilled into limestone aquifers. I haven't had to water very much at the the past few years. Biggest problem has been way too much rain.

2/28/2012 5:34:06 PM

Joliet, IL

That should read 40 or 50 pound bags

2/28/2012 6:14:29 PM

Canada

Thanks guys Shazzy. Ya I add 50 lbs Sulphur every fall and around 25 lbs in the spring pending on soil test results. Thanks again Dave

2/28/2012 9:24:18 PM

President - GPC

Yes, Too much sulphur can be toxic, slow and steady winZ the race, Temp and biology along with sulphur alters the Ph,
Test first, then add ammendmants, if not you are doing so blindly...Know before your Grow....

2/29/2012 10:09:39 AM

Colorado

We have 7.6 ph tap here low in mineral.I let my water set in tanks for the cl to escape and warm up.I use elemental sulfur to bring ph down otherwise I'd be at 7.8.

2/29/2012 12:47:43 PM

Cduross1@rochester.rr.com

My ph goes back up every Fall consistenly to 7.5 or 7.6 so I add sulfur to the patch according to soil samples. With the sulfur it usually drops down to 7.2-7.4 range which is about where I need to be.

I should probably consider a water test as I am on a well. I know my water is extremely hard and does do some damage to some of my appliances in the house. Wonder what it does to a pumpkin patch ph levels.

2/29/2012 1:32:19 PM

Johnston, R.I.

I put a filter in hose to try to deplete chlorine..Never gave the ph of city water a thought.. Time to call the Mad Scientist..

3/1/2012 8:10:33 AM

President - GPC

I will be getting a spring time soil test here real quick from Western Labs from the home WiZ patch. Many yearZ of ammendments...last Ph test had my soil 7.2. Not bad since I started like at 7.8. CoJoe is right, our water Ph is way high, but slow and steady on the elemental sulphur has brought me down....I expect to do well this year in the WiZ patch...diary material...

3/1/2012 10:38:53 AM