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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Other Sciences Question Forum => Topic started by: djlaw on April 21, 2020, 05:03:40 PM

Title: pH buffering liquid plant nutrients.
Post by: djlaw on April 21, 2020, 05:03:40 PM

I'm making my own inorganic liquid fertilizers from scratch but I keep having pH drift issues. These fertilizers are made of traditional ag inputs (calcium nitrate, potassium phospahte, etc) and follow the tradtional 3-part Grow/Bloom/Calcium-input formulation. The fertilizers have a pH of 3.5, 3.5, and 5.5. I've looking to buffering inputs in that range a little bit and its seems citrate or an acetate buffer could be the best route to go. Are these good options or should I look at other buffers?

Title: Re: pH buffering liquid plant nutrients.
Post by: AWK on April 21, 2020, 05:52:29 PM

Your information on the pH of fertilizer salt solutions is unreliable. In addition, fertilizers have a specific composition (ratio of NPK and other components). Only with a known composition can you say anything about the pH of the solution. You can probably create a fertilizer with a specific composition and pH without the need to add a buffer because phosphates allow you to create a buffer with a pH close to neutral.

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