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  • From: Allan Balliett <allan.balliett AT gmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] pH adjustment for irrigating tomatoes with high pH well water.
  • Date: Sun, 1 May 2011 06:48:47 -0400

Just for the record, our water pH runs 8+ (we have limestone protruding from the ground in our fields) but I don't have gray wall problems with tomatoes but I'll have to admit that the last several seasons (well, me and most everyone else in the region) we haven't had a good tomato crop. I've been told that with adequate organic matter in the soil plants will control the pH within their own root balls (through microbial symbiosis) and be able to overcome pH problems like this. You, of course, need the right N-P-K-trace minerals ratios within your soils, which I imagine you have, to allow this to be productive.

Have you done tissue tests on your tomato leaves? I'm just curious.

Andy, isn't the citric acid really really expensive?

It is the situation here that EVERYTHING grows better with rain water (well, this spring is an extreme in the mid-Atlantic!) We say 'irrigation keeps our plant alive but it takes rain to make them actually grow!"

Amazingly, for us, this doesn't apply in the hoophouse where everything seems to grow very well with the same irrigation water the fields get. The greenhouse, though, has always been composted as heavily as Coleman suggests (and double dug with regularity ) Oh, I'm talking in ground plantings in the house, though.

Just my experience.

-Allan in WV



On Sat, Apr 30, 2011 at 11:26 PM, Andy Fellenz <artisanfarms AT gmail.com> wrote:
I use an OMRI approved food grade citric acid injected with a Chemilizer to manage my greenhouse water.  I'll be going to the same system in my high tunnels this year.

Andy

On Sat, Apr 30, 2011 at 10:48 PM, Marlin & Christine Burkholder <burkholders AT glenecofarm.com> wrote:

For the past few seasons I have been running into difficulties with irrigating hoophouse tomatoes from our well.  Last summer we did not have tomatoes in a hoophouse but there was a drought  and all tomatoes had to be irrigated.  The problem is that our well water is above 7 pH and irrigation raises the soil pH in the root zone too high for good tomato production.  This results in interference with adequate uptake of potassium (even though soil K levels are in the very high range) and causes greywall, a nutritional deficiency that damages marketability of the crop.  I have tried foliar feeding with potassium but this is still not adequate.

 

My question is, what is the better product to add acid to the irrigation water to lower pH?  I have heard that some use battery acid (not very appealing to me) or vinegar (maybe I could handle that).  I have bought something called “Boraplex” but haven’t used it yet and wonder what experiences others have had with it.

 

The other question relates to the tools used to meter the material into the water.  I have several Syphonjects (gotten very economically at an auction) that might work if I can figure out the proper dilution.  Other wise I am considering either Mazzie, Ez-Flo, or Dosatron systems, (more expensive but possibly easier to control) options.  Again I am interested in other’s experiences.  I have about  38 PSI at water hydrants and run water through 12 PSI pressure regulators at my irrigation header lines.

 

Marlin Burkholder

Virginia

 




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