water ph

[VickiC]

I didn't know positively which forum I should ask my question in, so I apologize if this is not the correct one. If it's not, would someone please direct me to where I should be?

My question is:

I water with our home tap water, which has a ph of 7.29. I understand that this ph is too high for the majority of my collection (catts, phals and oncidiums). I don't have a water source in my greenhouse so for orchid watering, I collect tap water in gallon jugs from a water hose connected to a hydrant outside our house. I fertilize weakly weekly with MSU Fertilizer for Well Water. What should I do to adjust the ph down....add something to each gallon of water? If so, what and how much? Change to a different type of fertilizer? Advice, please.....I would appreciate your help.
Vicki

[trdyl]

There is a product called pH down. It is available on-line. If you have any Hydoponics Supply stores locally they should have it.

As far as knowing how much. This is were a pH meter comes in.

As for changing your fertilizer it might already be bringing it down for you. Again you will need to check it with a pH meter.

[PaphMadMan]

Your tap water is almost neutral (pH 7), so the MSU fertilizer plus the acidic organic materials in most orchid media (bark, sphagnum moss) should be keeping the overall pH of the media in a desirable slightly acidic range (below pH 7). If you are having good results I wouldn't change a thing.

[slipperfreak]

I agree with PaphMadMan. I use tap water exclusively for all my orchids except Phrags, and have for years. It has a pH slightly higher than yours, and it has still worked fine for me. If you have moss in your mixes, it definitely helps keep the pH down.