DIY PH Up (K2CO3 aka Potassium Carbonate or Potash)

Advanced Techniques
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#1

A very good (and inexpensive) PH up is food grade K2CO3 aka Potassium Carbonate or commonly known as potash or pearl ash. You can get a pound of it for around $10, and due to it’s high concentration will be enough to last you a very long time.

Potassium carbonate, K2CO3, is a standard ingredient in the wine industry. It may be also be used in pharmaceutical labs as a drying agent or to make soap, to make glass, and to soften water. Many growers also amend their soil with potash to help stabilize the ph.

Potassium carbonate is a very fine powder that instantly dissolves in water. You just need a few grains, literally a pinch of it, to significantly raise the ph.

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Ph fluctuation
Why is it so hard to adjust the PH?
#2

I always love it when they come dropping that science! :nerd_face::lab_coat::sunglasses:

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#3

I used it to ph up for a while until I ran out, now I use potassium silica to PH up if I go to far ph ing down.

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#4

That is a good alternative also, and your plants benefit from the added silica in potassium silicate.

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#5

Also U can just dump some calcium carbonate into the res it will desolve until pH is around 6
And start desolving again once it goes below

Not perfect but it auto pH for ya

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#6

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Does anyone know a mix ratio for the powder, I just ordered some because I’m tired of paying high prices and eating though PH up.

I was thinking of making something similar to GH Ph Up, where it’s already mixed in some distilled water.

Just don’t know if I need to add 0.1g of powder to 1 gal of water, or what would be a good ratio?

#7

I use Baking Soda for ph up works great dont need much👍

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