Author Topic: Well water test results  (Read 5059 times)

Vernmented

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Well water test results
« on: December 07, 2016, 03:34:43 PM »
Here are my test results from Ward Lab on my well water. I am in north Sarasota just east of I-75. I was told by my father that he paid for an extra deep well but beyond that I don't have any more information on it.

I am planning on acidifying the well water with sulfuric acid when I run out of rain water.

If anyone has experience reading text results feel free to chime in. I figured this could help out some other people around me that may have similar ground water.

From what I can tell the salt levels are very low and the pH is pretty high. If there is anything alarming on here please let me know.



-Josh

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2016, 04:16:35 PM »
It could be easier to just chuck some Tiger 90 sulfur on the ground once a year. From memory, 1 part sulfur will convert something like 3 parts calcium carbonate into gypsum. So, 50 pounds of Tiger 90 would eat up over 100 pounds of calcium carbonate.
Jeff  :-)

nullzero

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2016, 04:22:42 PM »
TDS is on the high side with a lot of calcium. Besides that looks good. Adding sulfur like cookie monster said seems to be the way to go.

I use to do groundwater testing, would use TDS, pH, D.O., and conductivity sensors testing many wells in SoCal. From what I recall not many had tds over 300 and most had pH around 6.5 to 7.5
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Vernmented

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2016, 04:40:16 PM »
It could be easier to just chuck some Tiger 90 sulfur on the ground once a year. From memory, 1 part sulfur will convert something like 3 parts calcium carbonate into gypsum. So, 50 pounds of Tiger 90 would eat up over 100 pounds of calcium carbonate.

I have been using quite a bit of sulfur and digging it into the ground as I amend the soil. I have a lot of potted plants here and I am trying to start a small boutique nursery so I think the acidified water will work better to keep those happy.
-Josh

Vernmented

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2016, 04:45:23 PM »
TDS is on the high side with a lot of calcium. Besides that looks good. Adding sulfur like cookie monster said seems to be the way to go.

I use to do groundwater testing, would use TDS, pH, D.O., and conductivity sensors testing many wells in SoCal. From what I recall not many had tds over 300 and most had pH around 6.5 to 7.5

What can I do about the TDS? Would it be mostly calcium carbonate coming from the aquifer? Calcium carbonate is limestone right? If I acidify it with sulfuric acid what does nutrients or off gasses would I create?
-Josh

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2016, 05:20:03 PM »
You actually don't need to dig in the sulfur. Just chucking it on top of the soil works just as well.

For potted plants, you can also just sprinkle some Tiger 90 pellets on top once a year. And if you're using a peat based potting medium, you probably don't even need to worry about sulfur or sulfuric acid. Peat has an extremely high CEC and can absorb a huge quantity of ca carbonate ions before the pH rises above neutral.

From memory, sulfur / sulfuric acid will convert calcium carbonate to gypsum and water.

Pretty sure your high TDS is due to ca carbonate.
Jeff  :-)

nullzero

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2016, 06:13:48 PM »
TDS has to do with particles in water. Usually caused by high mineral content in water.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Vernmented

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2016, 07:34:28 PM »
Is there any reason to use Tiger besides the organic certification? I have been using this stuff which is elemental sulfur and bentonite clay. I would think it would work the same right? It seems like a very basic product. I have about 300 lbs sitting in my garage.

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-Josh

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2016, 07:39:08 PM »
Looks identical to Tiger 90. I think Southern Ag re-labels products from other manufacturers. While it may not have OMRI certification, I believe pelletized sulfur is NOP-compliant.

Is there any reason to use Tiger besides the organic certification? I have been using this stuff which is elemental sulfur and bentonite clay. I would think it would work the same right? It seems like a very basic product. I have about 300 lbs sitting in my garage.

[/url]
Jeff  :-)

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #9 on: December 07, 2016, 08:39:00 PM »
I do believe Tiger makes an OMRI version.
- Marley

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #10 on: December 08, 2016, 07:47:53 AM »
I hate to tell you this, but sulfur is not acidic.
Putting in your water then watering will not change the pH.

What it does do, is get eaten by certain bacteria that then release sulfuric acid which will lower your pH.
That can take months to occur.  I'm not saying don't sulfur, but it won't fix your well water pH.



Vernmented

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #11 on: December 08, 2016, 08:15:54 AM »
I am going to use sulfuric acid in the water. The pelletized sulfur is for soil application. I have this compressed layer of silt under my topsoil that tested at 7.2 that I am busting up and augering the pelletized sulfur into. Thanks for the warning though.
-Josh

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #12 on: December 08, 2016, 09:18:09 AM »
As for my experience your water analysis is absolutely normal and the quality is very OK for watering.
The only very little issue could be chlorides but just for very sensitive species.
On the positive side, there is a quite uncommonly high concentration of magnesium  and that's definitely very good.

Everybody looked very concerned about pH but for me this is NOT a problem for 2 reasons:
1- 7.7 is an absolutely normal pH even for a drinking water.
2- this alcalinity is mainly to be attributed to the bicarbonates so it really won't affect the soil pH during watering. The buffering power of soil is thousands of times higher than water so the pH of water will have a very slight effect on the global soil pH.

In case you stil want to "correct" your water pH  you can use sulfuric or even nitric acid.
Because of the low buffer power of water a very little amount will be required.
keep in mind thatthe 36N sulfuric acid is a CONCENTRATED acid so it's a dense and oily colorless liquid HIGHLY corrosive and causitc so definitely dangerous to handle.
Use appropriate protection for eyes/hands and skin and remember, always pour the acid into the water and never the contrary.
The whole process is highly exothermic so a remarkable amounf of heat will develop and the water temperature will rise.
I hope it helps

Lorenzo

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #13 on: December 08, 2016, 10:20:08 AM »
A simple fact sheet on lowering soil ph, from Perdue university:
https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ho/ho-241-w.pdf

Mark in Texas

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #14 on: December 08, 2016, 05:30:44 PM »
I hate to tell you this, but sulfur is not acidic.
Putting in your water then watering will not change the pH.

What it does do, is get eaten by certain bacteria that then release sulfuric acid which will lower your pH.
That can take months to occur.  I'm not saying don't sulfur, but it won't fix your well water pH.

True and if you have the least amount of Ca carbs or bicarbs in your soil it will quickly buffer the affects of sulfur.

His sample really isn't all that bad, at least not compared to mine in which the bicarbs are way up there having percolated miles thru limestone caverns aka my aquifer. pH is a bit high for tropicals.

I'd inject sulfuric acid like most hill country growers do who use well water irrigating large acreage.  I buy it 5 gals. at a time from an auto parts store.  Even a cheap Hozon syphonex works great. I'd drop it to 6.0 - 6.5 depending on what you're growing.
« Last Edit: December 08, 2016, 05:35:10 PM by Mark in Texas »

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #15 on: December 08, 2016, 07:56:26 PM »
As long as the soil isn't above about 1% calcium carbonate, sulfur is very effective; it just might take a little more than traditional amendment guides would suggest. I have 1/4 acre of soil with a ph of about 3.5 to a foot depth (from a pH of 7.5 originally, with a decent amount of ca carbonate). I laid down too much apparently -- about one ton over the 1/4 acre.

For potted plants, peat can absorb a boatload of ca carbonate. The CEC of peat is in the hundreds, compared with about 10 for sand and maybe 20 - 25 for highly organic soil. I've used canal water (ph in the mid 8's and laden with ca carbonate) for years to water my potted plants via a drip irrigation, and pH is still in the 5's on the pots with peat based mixes.

Not sure about calcium bicarbonate. I don't think we deal with that much here.

True and if you have the least amount of Ca carbs or bicarbs in your soil it will quickly buffer the affects of sulfur.

His sample really isn't all that bad, at least not compared to mine in which the bicarbs are way up there having percolated miles thru limestone caverns aka my aquifer. pH is a bit high for tropicals.

I'd inject sulfuric acid like most hill country growers do who use well water irrigating large acreage.  I buy it 5 gals. at a time from an auto parts store.  Even a cheap Hozon syphonex works great. I'd drop it to 6.0 - 6.5 depending on what you're growing.
Jeff  :-)

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #16 on: December 08, 2016, 09:12:50 PM »
This is the soil test from the compressed silt layer. I have nice rich topsoil with plenty of earth worms, then 2' - 3' (yes that is feet) layer of black compacted swamp bed that doesn't drain, then light coarse sand underneath. Once auger through with my 8" gas auger with the extension bit it drains nicely. The last 20% of the trees I planted I dug out massive pits like I was burying a body and amended them and built a small mound and that stuff is doing great.



Last spring my jackfruit was starting to decline due to root rot or phytophthora and I dug two pits under about 40% of the rootball and then connected them and then amended the holes with biochar, sulfur, pine fines, and some other amendments as well as linking a 4" socked french drain pipe in a U shape connecting the two pits. I also built a 1/2" pvc deep watering pipe/hole blaster/aerator that hooks up to my hose to drop the top rootzone a little ways down into soil pits I built. All of the chlorosis cleared up and it has the healthiest leaves of anything I have. I'll try to find some pics because it was a weird experiment.

-Josh

Mark in Texas

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #17 on: December 09, 2016, 10:11:18 AM »
This is the soil test from the compressed silt layer. I have nice rich topsoil with plenty of earth worms, then 2' - 3' (yes that is feet) layer of black compacted swamp bed that doesn't drain, then light coarse sand underneath. Once auger through with my 8" gas auger with the extension bit it drains nicely. The last 20% of the trees I planted I dug out massive pits like I was burying a body and amended them and built a small mound and that stuff is doing great.



Last spring my jackfruit was starting to decline due to root rot or phytophthora and I dug two pits under about 40% of the rootball and then connected them and then amended the holes with biochar, sulfur, pine fines, and some other amendments as well as linking a 4" socked french drain pipe in a U shape connecting the two pits. I also built a 1/2" pvc deep watering pipe/hole blaster/aerator that hooks up to my hose to drop the top rootzone a little ways down into soil pits I built. All of the chlorosis cleared up and it has the healthiest leaves of anything I have. I'll try to find some pics because it was a weird experiment.

Not a bad pH which helps trace element uptake.  Like many soils it needs N.  Earthworms is a great sign that your soil is healthy.  I have millions on my farm, clay loam.  FWIW, MagnaBon, OMRI certified, is a preventative and curative for phytophthora.  After a rain:



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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #18 on: December 09, 2016, 10:56:52 AM »
Worm castings! Yah, you definitely got a boatload of earthworms.

Not a bad pH which helps trace element uptake.  Like many soils it needs N.  Earthworms is a great sign that your soil is healthy.  I have millions on my farm, clay loam.  FWIW, MagnaBon, OMRI certified, is a preventative and curative for phytophthora.  After a rain:


Jeff  :-)

Mark in Texas

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Re: Well water test results
« Reply #19 on: December 09, 2016, 12:57:02 PM »
Worm castings! Yah, you definitely got a boatload of earthworms.

Crazy huh?  I bet there are 20 castings mounds per s.f.  This used to be a hay field and then I planted 3 successive years of green manure crops....for a pretty penny I might add.  I figured it was easier than hauling in compost/manure.

My "paw paw" in young elbon rye.   :D