> I have a question.. I read somewhere once ( I am not sure if it was
> this mailing list or not.) that a few drops of vinegar can be added
> to a gallon of water to lower the PH. I now have access to a man made
> well that I can use as water for my plants. I would like to use this
> water for my CPs but because of the area that I am now living in
> (northern Florida, USA) I suspect that this water has a high PH. I
> would like to lower this natural and free water ( I have been using
> distilled water before) as a source for my plants.
> Does anyone know anything about adding vinegar to water? And is it a
> possibility that vinegar added to the water could harm the plants?
Don't know whether it might harm the plants or not. Certainly it is
a possibility that it might. Vinegar contains acetic acid - it might
contain other things too, like sugar, or colouring.
Acetic acid is only a weak acid anyway, so you would have to add
more to get the desired effect. As well as the hydrogen ions that
we are trying to add, you would also be adding the 'other half'
of the acid - acetate ions. It is these that the plants might not
appreciate. You might be better with a 'proper' acid - perhaps
sulphuric, since hydrochloric acid would add chloride, and nitric
acid would add nitrates, neither of which sound particularly good
to me.
-- Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk)