True Living Organics - The Ultimate Guide to Growing All-Natural Marijuana Indoors (2012)

Now, every grower likes to tell you that they have no problems with aphids, or grey mold, or
humidity in their grow room. This just isn’t true; all growers find themselves stumbling over one
problem or another, no matter how fantastic they are at what they do. With that in mind, I advise all of
you to read this troubleshooting section well. This is the section in which I will cram a ton of
preventative measures that will save you time, money, and frustrations. First, we are going to discuss
some pH meters. I highly recommend you get a decent soil testing pH meter. It doesn’t have to be a
top of the line type, but it shouldn’t be the cheapo version either. For troubleshooting, a soil testing
pH meter is your best friend, because if your soil mix gets way out of range for some reason, and you
learn that from your meter, then you can fix it. If you don’t have a meter, you have to play a guessing
game that often makes things even worse.
Soil Testing pH Meters
I like my meter with a longer probe so that I can test pH at deeper levels, and this one has a 12-inch
probe—big enough for anyone! This comes in pretty handy especially if you recycle soil, because
once the raw organic matter has been broken down in the recycled mix the pH will rise. If I am in a
hurry to use some soil mix that is still cooking, I will check the pH and once it gets up above 6.0 I feel
it is fine to use it. I have had a few great growers tell me about how worthless soil testing pH meters
are, and now that I have had mine for several years, I think I understand their opinions—though I do
not agree. PH metering requires some skill, both to use and maintain properly. Never ever use steel
wool on a pH meter; always use those plastic scrub pads and clean paper towels. You must
thoroughly clean and wipe down the meter probe before and after using, every time.
I use a Control Wizard soil pH testing meter and I love it!