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 more4u2c
Mad Hatter
Registered: 07/08/14
Posts: 483
Last seen: 3 hours, 16 minutes
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 Test your PH with cabbage!!! 
#24562684 - 08/18/17 12:15 PM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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An alternative method of testing soil pH involves—believe or not—the red cabbage that’s been lurking at the rear of your refrigerator. What you do is chop the cabbage into small pieces before boiling it in a pot of distilled water (again, refrain from using tap water; the H20 used must have a neutral pH).
After about 10 minutes, the boiling water should turn violet. Remove the pot from the stove, strain out the cabbage, and pour a portion of the water into two separate containers. To one container, add a small amount of vinegar. Into the other container, sprinkle a couple of pinches of baking soda. The result, assuming no missteps, should be one container of pink (acidic) liquid, another of blue-green (alkaline).
Now pour the remaining violet water into yet another empty container, only this time add in a spoonful of soil. If the water turns pink, that means your soil is acidic; if blue-green, your soil is alkaline. The stronger the color change, the more acidic or alkaline the sample. If the liquid does not change color at all, then your soil is neutral. Science!
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Mirlin
Mkultra
 
Registered: 08/05/17
Posts: 199
Last seen: 6 years, 6 months
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: more4u2c]
#24562722 - 08/18/17 12:32 PM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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Thats a awesome tip of advice
But coir and manure is usually around 6-7p.h
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 ellomello
XP
Registered: 08/11/08
Posts: 2,426
Loc: babilonUSA
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: Mirlin]
#24562801 - 08/18/17 01:12 PM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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that is pretty cool thanks for posting!
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PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN get back to the garden
some came singing, some come to play, some come for keeping the dark away
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mynakedrat
The phantom hourglass
Registered: 02/16/17
Posts: 4,629
Loc: Inner Astral levels 
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: ellomello]
#24562807 - 08/18/17 01:14 PM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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I did this as a science experiment in 5th grade. Got some. Neat colors from just red cabbage!
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more4u2c
Mad Hatter
Registered: 07/08/14
Posts: 483
Last seen: 3 hours, 16 minutes
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: Mirlin]
#24562852 - 08/18/17 01:35 PM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
Mirlin said:
Thats a awesome tip of advice
But coir and manure is usually around 6-7p.h
True but if u add supplements like coffee then it can lower the PH also contams won't grow on base soil where as myc can it's not optional for the myc but it will grow into it where as contams won't.
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Mirlin
Mkultra
Registered: 08/05/17
Posts: 199
Last seen: 6 years, 6 months
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: more4u2c]
#24563657 - 08/18/17 06:58 PM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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Coffee + gypsum keeps the p.h neutral.
Ive been using tums lately in place of gympsum....different molecular density than horticultural grade gympsum thats primary is in compost recipes....
Hehe couldnt help myself.
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mynakedrat
The phantom hourglass
Registered: 02/16/17
Posts: 4,629
Loc: Inner Astral levels
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: Mirlin]
#24563713 - 08/18/17 07:23 PM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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Dude. Gypsum = tums haha
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Mirlin
Mkultra
Registered: 08/05/17
Posts: 199
Last seen: 6 years, 6 months
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: mynakedrat]
#24563719 - 08/18/17 07:27 PM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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Yes, i know.
Tums is food grade
Gympsum is horticultural grade for soil and compost recipes
Different molecular density
Edited by Mirlin (08/18/17 07:28 PM)
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mynakedrat
The phantom hourglass
Registered: 02/16/17
Posts: 4,629
Loc: Inner Astral levels
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: Mirlin]
#24563731 - 08/18/17 07:31 PM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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I just put a couple tabs in my water when I mist. Easy peassey
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bodhisatta  
Smurf real estate agent
Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,891
Loc: Milky way
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: mynakedrat]
#24563814 - 08/18/17 08:00 PM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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tums is calcium carbonate
gypsum is calcium sulfate dihydrate
chalk is gypsum but not tums
tums is limestone. lime raises pH
gyspum doesn't do shit to pH nor does it buffer
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Mirlin
Mkultra
Registered: 08/05/17
Posts: 199
Last seen: 6 years, 6 months
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: bodhisatta]
#24563928 - 08/18/17 08:41 PM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
bodhisatta said:
tums is calcium carbonate
gypsum is calcium sulfate dihydrate
chalk is gypsum but not tums
tums is limestone. lime raises pH
gyspum doesn't do shit to pH nor does it buffer
Very true
The tums worked well at increasing the p.h but i only used a pinch per a jar without p.h strips...helped with clumping as well.
Could have been a problem with the water source at my old place being lower than 5ph which wouldnt supprise me.
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natedawgnow
Rocky mountain hood rat
Registered: 02/09/15
Posts: 8,940
Loc: ation
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: Mirlin]
#24564111 - 08/18/17 10:26 PM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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This belongs in my life hacks thread! Cool little idea that is useful for many cultivation hobbies. Gonna give this
a try myself with some salvia and cacti soils for funsies
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mushpunx
Fungus Punk
Registered: 04/20/14
Posts: 13,394
Last seen: 2 months, 8 days
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: bodhisatta]
#24564504 - 08/19/17 08:01 AM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
bodhisatta said:
tums is calcium carbonate
gypsum is calcium sulfate dihydrate
chalk is gypsum but not tums
tums is limestone. lime raises pH
gyspum doesn't do shit to pH nor does it buffer
What does the gypsum do then?
RR says it supplies calcium + a sulfur, can help prevent PH swings in either direction as a side benefit. So you disagree? I honestly don't know 
Also says it can increase yields
I use it when I have it, easy enough to throw a handful in. I like to use it in my grain spawn, helps keep it from clumping
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Amateur Mycologists United
AMU Q&A
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Mad Season
hookers and blackjack
Registered: 09/16/12
Posts: 12,666
Loc: Canada 
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: mushpunx]
#24564522 - 08/19/17 08:18 AM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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And lots, myself included hasn't seen much of a difference using gypsum. Also gypsum is calcium sulfate dihydrate like said before. This literally has neither hydronium nor hydroxide, and therefore it is neither an acid or a base. Buffers by definition is a weak acid or base turning into its conjugate. Gypsum has neither.
Also mushrooms are a decomposer. Decomposers are supposed to take organic matter and convert it back to inorganic form so that plants can take it in. Since plants are primary producers, they thrive on inorganic materials. That means the main supply of nutrients should be organic matter for decomposers and inorganic materials for plants. Gypsum is an inorganic mineral, and therefore would be most beneficial for plants. Now I'm not saying mushrooms can't derive any energy from inorganic materials, that still hasn't been proven one way or another, but I don't think gypsum is as necessary as people claim, and I'd be willing to bet that in reality it isn't doing as much as just regular old organic materials would.
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mushpunx
Fungus Punk
Registered: 04/20/14
Posts: 13,394
Last seen: 2 months, 8 days
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Re: Test your PH with cabbage!!! [Re: Mad Season]
#24564603 - 08/19/17 09:08 AM (6 years, 7 months ago) |
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I haven't noticed any difference with gypsum vs no gypsum in my bulk substrates. But I haven't done any side by sides either.
When I have verm I usually have gypsum on hand too, so I make CVG.
But I use plain coir with nothing else in it a lot and get great results.
I do like using gypsum in my grain prep though, it really does help against clumping, that and really rinsing the grain well, gets rid of dirt and whatever else that contributes to making it sticky
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AMU Q&A
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