Prime Agra, Phrags and PH

[smokinjoe52]

I watched the Jason Fischer Phrag video on the AOS site. He mentioned that hydroton had a PH of around 8 or even 8+. He noted that was too high. He recommended a 2 day soak in PH 6 - 6.5 water. He did not say how to do this, but I assume adjusting your soak water to the proper PH with something like PH down would be the answer.

Is this something that any of you using Prima Agra do prior to planting? Phrags, or really any other orchids in S/H?

Has anybody actually tested the PH of non-PH adjusted Prime Agra? This seems like it might be somewhat important, although my OB searches turned up nothing on the subject.

I really do hope that it is something else I DON'T have to worry about, although, you know, Jason Fischer...

Thanks,
Joe

[WhiteRabbit]

[Ray]

The pH of the substrate is controlled by the chemistry of the clay. "Treating" it will be temporary, if effective at all.

However, if what was reported was the pH of the solution used as the initial soak - i.e., removing the manufacturing residues - then I can say "who cares?"

ALL LECA products have manufacturing residues that will affect the pH of the solutions you soak them in. Once they're extracted, the clay chemistry rules. In the case of PrimeAgra, once fully cleaned, it is absolutely pH neutral.

I once placed some PrimeAgra in a jar of RO water, with no air, and sealed it up. When I opened the container over a year later, the pH was 7. - hard to read, but that was the result with both a chemical company lab meter and pH strips.

[smokinjoe52]

Ray,

Thanks for the clarification. What you say makes absolute sense. I was also thinking that the chemical composition of the material determined long term PH.

I will assume Jason was referring to the pre-soaked PH of the material.

Joe