Sphagnum Moss and PH of Watering

[kmccormic]

Hey Guys:

Does Sphagnum moss start looking differently if your water PH is off? And does it have a different appearance if you have too acidic vs too alkaline ph in your water?

I'm trying to adjust my water for PH levels, but I'm finding citric acid to be really tricky.

Regards,
Kara

[Ray]

Hi Kara,

I have never seen any short-term, apparent changes in moss based upon the pH.

Citric acid is a very weak acid, so while it may cause an apparently large swing in the pH of the water, anything else you may add to it - fertilizer, stimulants, etc. - are likely to have a greater influence than the citric acid.

If you want the acid adjustments to be "less delicate", try keeping a citric acid solution in a bottle, and use that, rather than the powder directly.

[Subrosa]

Mineral content is more important than the pH for sphagnum, and can definitely interfere with pH adjustment. It doesn't take much to drop the pH of ro or distilled water, as opposed to hard water. Often in hard water you can add acid and drop the pH, only to have it "bounce" back up.