Don't know what more I can add, but to agree with Rob. But I have read that
apple cider vinegar has some micronutrients as well as the acid. The vinegar
I buy says it's 5% acid.

On 1/30/03 10:38 AM, in article , "Rob
Halgren" wrote:

Wendy wrote:

So if I wanted to try this, I would first check to see what the pH is. Would
I do this after adding the fertilizer?
Is 6 a good number for orchids? Cheers Wendy


Always check the pH both before you add acids (or bases), and after.
pH test strips or a cheap meter are a necessity for growing orchids. I
wouldn't ever rely on set amount of acid, it depends on the
concentration and composition of the fertilizer and the water. Check
before - so you have an idea of how much to add. Check after - so you
know if you over or under corrected.

For what it is worth, vinegar (If I recall about 8% acetic acid) is
fine to lower pH. White or cider makes no difference. Lemon juice
(containing citric acid) works fine too, and smells nice. You need more
lemon juice... Muriatic (hydrochloric) acid is fine but a little too
concentrated to be safe. You can safely drink or touch vinegar and
lemon juice (although you should probably not bathe in it or spend too
much time soaking in it...).

When I used Dynagro, I always had raise my pH. I used 10N NaOH
(sodium hydroxide) - but it didn't take much. Most people probably
don't have access to pure NaOH, but lye would work. Or you can just buy
the various 'pH-up' and 'pH-down' products on the market.