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Issue #54 - Sunday, April 28, 2013

Dear Fellow Grower,

In today's issue...

• You'll learn which pH testers will treat you and your buds the kindest. Remember, correct pH = better yields!
  
• Get access to some of the most popular growing articles and reviews from a source you trust...us!
  
• Check out a print-worthy shot of a fattening bud sent in by a reader!
  

Happy Growing!
Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside (founders of GrowWeedEasy.com)

"A garden is always a series of losses set against a few triumphs, like life itself."

The pH of the area around your plant's roots (called the "root zone") is what determines which nutrients your plants are able to uptake.

If the pH of the root zone is too high or too low, your marijuana will not be able to take in certain nutrients. As a result, your marijuana plants will show signs of a nutrient deficiency even if that nutrient is present. This causes many growers to mistakenly over-feed their cannabis with too many nutrients, when the real problem is an incorrect root pH.

However, being armed with this knowledge and checking your root pH won't help you at all if you're using a pH testing system that doesn't provide accurate results!

For you to be able to take care of your plants properly, you will need pH-testing tools that provide you with correct, useful information.

With this in mind, we've tested quite a few of the popular pH testing kits/tools, and we're bringing you a list of the best (and worst) pH testers based on accuracy, price, and ease of use. We'll show you which testers work (and don't) so you can accurately test your pH and keep your cannabis producing frosty buds.

Read below to see which testers were spot-on accurate, and which ones were so bad we had to mention it to protect our readers!

Quick Review: How to Test your pH

You can test the pH of a water sample using a pH Kit or a pH Meter. If you're growing your weed hydroponically, with the roots directly in water, you can test the pH by taking a sample of the water and then test the pH of your sample. The steps you take to test your sample will vary between testing methods, so make sure to read the instructions that come with your pH tester.

You can assume that the pH of the water that runs out the bottom of your plant is about halfway between the pH of the water you put in and of the pH of the root zone.

For example, if you give your plants water that has been pH'ed to 6.0, and the water that comes out the bottom has a pH of 6.5, you can assume the pH of your root zone must be around 7.0, because the water that came out was 6.5, which is halfway between 6.0 and 7.0.

There are 3 main types of pH testing kits that people use:

• testing strips
• dropper kits
• electronic testers (pH meters)

At GrowWeedEasy.com, we don't recommend pH testing strips for those who haven't used them since the pH test drops are close in price and much easier to use.

All the testers we used were tested against 4.01 and 7.01 buffer solution from 2 different companies. Let's see which pH tester performed the best...

Best manual pH testing kit: General Hydroponics pH Test Kit

We've used other General Hydroponics products for years, so it was absolutely no surprise to see that their pH testing kit holds up to their already trustworthy name.

In all fairness, most of the dropper kits we used had results with accuracy on par with the General Hydroponics tester, so there aren't many companies you would need to avoid. However, we picked the General Hydroponics Test Kit for its amazing price, ease of use, and high availability.

Click here to get the General Hydroponics pH Test Kit!

Best electronic pH tester: Hanna Instruments HI99104 Educational pH Tester

After some painstaking, costly, and patience-crushing testing, we're naming the Hanna HI99104 the winner. The cost of electronic pH testers range from as little as $35 for entry level testers, to as much as $430!

Despite the fact that this tester - unlike some of the higher grade testers - makes you use dials to calibrate it, I was able to do so easily within a couple minutes having never done it before. In addition, it tested just as accurate as other (more expensive) testers, and that fact that it's only $35 made this feel like a steal!

In this case, all the testers we purchased were within an acceptable range when pitted against each other, but the Hanna HI99104 stands out due to its crazy low price (which makes it easily replaceable), and ease of use in addition to its high level of accuracy. 

Click Here to get the Hanna HI99104 Electronic pH Tester!

Important Note: Electronic testers require buffer solutions, storage solution, and cleaning solution. Plan on your first electronic tester purchase costing a bit more to obtain these solutions since you will definitely need them.

Although we like to keep everything on a positive note, this was the one pH tester that performed so poorly that we felt obligated to share it with you!

We tested 3 separate bottles of the Sunleaves pH Test kit, and each one showed the pH has 1.0 higher than the sample really was. This means that had I used this pH test kit, I could be giving my plants water with nutrients in it that they can't eat.

I can't attest to Sunleaves quality elsewhere, and they do seem to have favorable reviews for some of their other products. However, until they make a major change, I'd steer clear of their pH test kit!

Do not get this pH test kit for now!

Now that you know who you can trust for accurate pH results, make sure you're testing your plants pH regularly. A random test can help you spot a problem that you might not have known about, and help prevent your plant from suffering unneeded nutrient deficiencies.

A plant that receives good light, air, nutrients and the right pH will pay you back in healthy, sticky buds!

Bonus:

Not sure what pH range your plants should be in? We've got you covered! Check out the charts below for information on the acceptable pH ranges for Soil and Hydroponic growing. (Click for full sized chart!)

Remember, sharing is caring!

Copyright (c) 2013 GrowWeedEasy.com

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Disclaimer: Grow Weed Easy only recommends products that we've either personally checked out ourselves, or that come from people we know and trust. For doing so, we may receive a commission. 

Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized Financial, Legal, or any other kind of Advice. The contributors to this magazine grow legally under their local laws. If you cannot legally grow where you live, we DO NOT recommend that you start growing marijuana, as you can be arrested, put in prison, or worse! 

Any decision to grow marijuana should only be made after consulting with an experienced lawyer or other legal adviser. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular investment or legal situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized Financial or Legal Advice. Any investments and steps recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your lawyer or other legal or investment adviser. 

Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized Health Care Advice. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed health care professionals. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized Health Care Advice. Any Health Care recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your Doctor and licensed Health Care Advisor.