Using a pH meter and lowest pH to kill botulism
cabrita
14 years ago
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ksrogers
14 years agolast modified: 9 years agodigdirt2
14 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Water, pH, fertilizer
Comments (12)Hi, Jane. What Bill Argo says is: "Larry Metcoff and I designed two fertilizer formulas to be used with the two types of irrigation water found at MSU.... The formula for pure water (13-3-15) was designed to be used with reverse osmosis purified water. Specifically, the 13-3-15 contains very low ammoniacal nitrogen (acetic nitrogen) to match the very low alkalinity of RO water...." So it sounds like they mainly wanted to keep the alkalinity low while supplying a complete spectrum of nutrients. Which basically (pardon the pun) is the same as saying that the fertilizer would contain no buffering agents, which by definition are alkaline. I think that's half your question answered. As to what's pulling it down - I haven't a clue. Also, the pH of RO or rainwater can vary. "F.R." states that RO water has a pH of 7.0. Period. Bill Argo (one of the designers) states that RO purified water or rain water can have a pH range of 4.0 to 5.5. That's a big discrepancy between opinions there! I took my measurements today after recalibrating my meter. Water our of my tap was 7.2. My MSU fertilizer solution at 1/2 tsp. per gallon was 6.1. Since you use twice as much, my drop of about one point coincides with your drop of about two. I'll also say that I tested my former fertilizer (18-18-18) that contained practically all ammoniacal nitrogen. My turn to be shocked when the pH solution only dropped half a point when used at the same rate as I'm presently using with the MSU. But I am using tapwater, which may be more buffered. Finally, one of my articles gives the following equivalences for MSU pure water formula: 1/2 tsp. (slightly heaping) gives 103 ppm of nitrogen. 1 tsp. gives 172 ppm of nitrogen. Recommendation from Bill Argo article is 125 ppm with every irrigation. BUT, this was not designed with orchids in mind. So I wonder if that dosage is more than needed. I think I'll stick with my half tsp. For articles about MSU fertilzer, in addition to the Argo article "Understanding pH Management and Plant Nutrition", see: http://orchidweb.org/aos/orchids/withouthighphosphorus.htm For the proportion I referenced, and others, see www.growinhydro.com/21332.html HTH, John :>)...See Morequestion about pH for a Master Preserver...
Comments (6)Hi Cathy - while testing your own pH isn't recommended by the USDA guidelines the FDA does approve the use of litmus and pH meters, with some attached provisions, (edited to add - for acidic foods, low-acid and/or mixtures of low-acid foods are not included) for commercial sales. Your state and county guidelines for commercial sales should provide the rules applicable to you as they vary from state to state.. That said, for non-commercial use with Apple-Pear Butter (assuming no windfalls or Asian Pears were used) pH isn't normally a concern as the only risks are molds and yeasts. Many fruit products are canned without the addition of lemon or sugar and often the lemon called for is for color preservation only. Otherwise the fruits themselves provide the proper level of acidity for safe canning. Reduced Sugar or sugar supplement Apple Butter does call for a little longer processing time - 1/2 pints or pints for 15 min. in a BWB with the time adjusted for altitude. Hope this answers your question. If not let us know. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Reduced Sugar Apple Butter This post was edited by digdirt on Wed, Oct 2, 13 at 16:33...See MoreRoses & plants in heavy clay, pH 8, zone 5a, 38" rain and 23" snow
Comments (58)Just thought I'd post the results I had in one garden bed that's clay-loam. Last year I had amended this bed with home-made compost. Everything did well last year as first year plantings. This year they suffered from too little light. (I just put the roses there to get them through the winter and hoping they might like the eastern exposure. Heathcliff, Sugar Moon and Falstaff like sun in my neck of the woods, it seems. I'll probably be moving the viking Queen next Spring as she's a fraction of the size of her sister in full sun, and hasn't bloomed since Spring while her sister would be non-stop if not for the midge.) Anyway, the soil was very dry even with rain. I thought the heavy leaf layer prevented water. I stuffed the empty holes with alfalfa hay, compost and leaf mold until I decided what to plant. I also put the alfalfa under the leaves in the rest of the bed and gave it additional compost. Wow, when I went to plant Lavender Lassie and two hydrangeas, all the soil was so soft and fluffy and moist, even though we had less rain that earlier. I'm now prepping my holes in advance of next Spring and filling them with the same and covering the entire bed with alfalfa hay, etc. The new plantings have taken off even in the reduced light of late summer. I repeated this in another new bed and Mme Alfred Carriere and Awakening seem to love it even in their NE exposure. (Of course, they could just be responding to being in the ground vs. in pots. : ) ) Lesson learned. : ) I'm also trying gypsum on some new beds I'm prepping since they're on an incline. I'll report back....See MoreBest soil and pH for different roses & plants & your goals and plans
Comments (32)Just went out to check all my leaves. The disease-resistant roses with glossy foliage all have 7-leafets: Kordes Flower Carpet, Pat Austin and Tchaikovsky. Kordes Flower Carpet doesn't have mildew in shade, but Knock-out (5-leaflet) has mildew. Other DISEASE-RESISTANT with 7-leaflets: William Shakespeare 2000, Duchess de Rohan, Excellenz von Schubert, Annie L. McDowell, Blue Mist, Poseidon, Cloudert Soupert, and Crown Princess Mag. ... all have leaves in set of 7. These can take wet soil well, like multiflora rose thriving in wet lands. But the blackspot-prone roses: Comte de Chambord and hybrid teas have leaves in set of 5, and much larger & round leaves. These prefer well-drained soil, and tend to blackspot with prolonged wetness & acidic rain. Multiflora-leaves are clearly a set of 7, see below pic: http://na.fs.fed.us/spfo/invasiveplants/factsheets/pdf/multiflora-rose.pdf "Each multiflora leaf as 5 to 11 one inch-long oval leaflets with toothed margins. The undersides of the leaflets have tiny hairs and are paler than the upper surface. The base of each leaf stalk has a characteristic stipule (green, leafy structure) with hairs or a comb-like fringe along its margins. Flowers. As indicated by its scientific name Rosa multiflora, this plant has abundant, showy clusters of flowers which typically are white, though sometimes slightly pink." Below is Austin rose William Morris, which did terrible in slightly acidic wet & peaty potting soil, then finally died when I put in my wet clay made acidic with cracked corn. Note the leaves are in a set of 5, which means it prefer well-drained & loamy soil, and CANNOT take acid & wetness like those of set-7 leaves. Folks complain about WM being stingy and rust-fungal-prone. The drought-tolerant & disease-resistant Rugosa has rounder leaves in set of 9, plus very bristly canes full of thistles, see below:...See MoreLinda_Lou
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