Yup it does according to that thread I referenced and other materials I've read. But note that the peat was not tested when pre-moistened. I have some peat here and I can do a test tomorrow. I think it's important to test dry and pre-mositened to get a better picture of it's structure. If the peat was pre-moistend then the air-porosity would be a good deal lower. I attached a link for a how-to of the test I use I don't get it. There is no way peat has an air porosity of 70% in any meaningful sense of the term. It is more around 15-20% depending on the grade/freshness. Here is how I calculate porosity. It may well be true that 100% dried out peat has an air porosity of 70%, but who uses 100% dried out peat? Normally wet/moist peat will have an air porosity of 20% or less and it falls quickly throughout the season due to particle size reduction as it breaks down.

And you and ruthie are of course both right that we each need to find our own balance. That's one reason I tend to pipe up around here if someone says doing something is "not allowed" or "against the rules" or "unsafe." I repeat, there is NO home canning police, and many variations from the USDA/NHFCP/Food Canada recommendations are NOT so much known to be unsafe as not proven to be 100% risk-free, which is a VERY different thing. Yes, Zabby I know it upsets you when I say such things. ;) But if you recall, it is usually in response to a specific question from someone who has never canned before or for years. A very different situation than when talking with an experienced canner who understands the underlying principles of home food preservation. True, there is no canning police but given the amount of UNsafe canning practices out there and poor quality not to mention very unsafe info available on the web, maybe there should be at least one place where folks can count on to provide exceptionally safe info - perhaps here? That way they get both sides of the issue and can decide for themselves. There is a very real need for stressing safety when it comes to addressing inexperienced home canners - many of whom lurk here and have come to trust us over the years as a source of safe info. Harvest Forum at GW comes up as a recommended source of good info many places on the web and usually pops up first or second when anyone Googles a canning question so it would be irresponsible of us to toss off a quick "oh, sure I do that all the time" answer when it is a clearly questionable area. Of course we can all toss out shortcuts and changes we have discovered to be safe over the years, but it should be done with care as to who may be reading what we say and provide the needed disclaimers too. How many times has there been a post saying something like "I read somewhere on the web that it is safe to..." Hopefully it wasn't here that they read it. ;) Dave

While that seems to be a lot of water, you didn't mention the pool specs. or usage patterns. The square footage of the pool's surface, the length of the wall, the drop, the size of the trough, if there is an auto-filler, and the temps of the water. It is possible to evaporate that much or enough of a percentage that if it is due to a leak, it's not as big as you think. Does the pump that operates the negative edge, ever draw air from the trough? Does the catch basin ever look over full? Scott

The measurements are some shared personal tests for pH effects of different amendments used. I usually mix my own growing mediums, some are pH critical. As far as the number of measurements, just looking for a point of stabilization ( usually 3 to 4 weeks). Also many measurements over time, gives a basic release rate data of the Limestone, or other rock minerals used. The Limestone has a limited lifespan in the mixes( 6 mo to a year depending on particle sizes). The initial pH from the Bag is usually different, than the actual final pH of the mix. Pro Mix Article http://www.pthorticulture.com/en/training-center/low-ph-of-fresh-growing-media/ Note: Used Pour Thru Method, article indicates 2:1 Saturation gives more actual results. I also found that the initial pH 50/50 mix of Peat/Vermiculite was pH 5.5 compared to pH 4.1 to 4.3 of the 50/50 Peat/Perlite Mix. Another benefit of long term testing, is checking how your Fertilizer is affecting the pH of the medium. I also have used Pro Mix HP which is just a 2:1 Sphagnum Peatmoss: Perlite Mix (Pro Mix is an excellent mix with good WHC, and AHC parameters). One can add extra perlite, and Redwood shavings to lower WHC and increase AHC as desired.