Frequently Asked Questions

1. Q: If the pH of the irrigation water is high or low, why do my chemicals react like they do?
  A: Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen. Two hydrogen and one oxygen and that is where we get H2O. However, when the water is out of balance and there are an abundance of OH- molecules, when the water is alkali, then the chemicals react differently because there aren’t enough of the proper electrons to work with the chemical’s properties. On the other hand, if there are too many H+ molecules, when the pH is acidic, the chemicals again have too many positive electrons to react. It revolves around the chemistry law that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When water is high in pH it tends to let particles in the water fall out of suspension and causes scaling, whereas if the water is acidic it tends to be corrosive.

Solution: Inject an acid or a base to balance the water to a pH of 7, so there are equal number of hydrogen and oxygen atoms to react properly with the chemicals used, whether they are fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, etc.. Some chemicals have taken this into account and have added buffers to help make their products work better in a wide range of pH scenarios.

2. Q: Our source of water is from a well and the pH is at 7.4, but over time the pH of the soil media rises. Why would the pH rise if the water pH is at a normal level?
  A: The bicarbonates in the water cause the problem. The calcium and magnesium bicarbonates are hardness minerals and the alkalinity is high even with the pH being in the normal range. With a slight rise in temperature the soluble bicarbonates revert back to insoluble carbonates and get trapped in the soil from watering, thus raising the pH.

Solution: Injecting acid to bring down the alkalinity will help reduce this problem or using soil medias that are available to help adjust the pH. By injecting acid this also help keep these carbonates in suspension and can help reduce them from scaling pipes or staining plants.

3. Q: Our well water is clear, but it stains our plants brown (like rust) when we do overhead watering. Why does this happen?
  A: Soluble iron or Ferrous Iron (Fe+++) is in the water. This clear water iron becomes visible when it oxidizes and reverts to Ferric Iron (Fe++) from oxygen as it is sprayed. It only takes .3 ppm or mg/l to cause staining. A black stain is caused from manganese or hydrogen sulfide. Very low levels of either of these contaminants can cause problems. Tannins (organics) can also cause a yellowish stain that resembles iron staining.

Solution: An oxidizing filter is needed to revert the iron, manganese, or hydrogen sulfide into precipitates that can be filtered by mechanical filtration. Simple cartridge filters do not work effectively, because these type of contaminants are soluble and the micron ratings for cartridge filters are not small enough to trap the particles.

4. Q: We are using a municipal water source and still have problems with algae. Wouldn’t the chlorine used in the water help reduce this problem?
  A: Municipal water sources use sequestering agents that keep hardness minerals and iron in suspension. These agents coat the pipes in the distribution system with a glass like substance that keeps the pipes from scaling, however, the agents are polyphosphates and they can cause microbial growth.

Solution: There is no real good solution. Phosphates are hard to remove from water once they are added. The best solution would be to use copper ionization to help control algae growth by applying enough copper to keep the algae in a controlled state. Spraying affected areas with an ozone disinfection spray would also help control the algae, mold, mildew, and fungus.