Switching to a digital meter

Today I made the leap and bought a Hanna digital meter that measures pH, Dissolved Solids and temperature. Up until now I have been monitoring pH levels using an inexpensive color-changing chemical kit. I have not been monitoring dissolved solids at all.

After just one use I'm sure that buying the digital meter was a wise decision. Being able to precisely measure pH and TDS gives me peace of mind.

Today I filled two fresh buckets with four gallons of water, then mixed in five teaspoons (the usual dose for my peppers) of Maxi-Bloom. I let the buckets sit for two hours and then sampled them:

pH : 4.2 (A bit low- I was surprised)
TDS: 1268 (PPM - a good, hefty supply of solvent nutrients)

A pH of 4.2 is too low for peppers, which prefer to be in the 5.5 - 6.5 range. I figured now that I have a digital meter, I can measure precisely how much pH buffer solution to add in order to get the results I want.

By slowly adding pH UP and re-testing the water in the buckets, I was able to determine that 1 1/4 teaspoons of pH UP brings the solution to a pH of almost exactly 6.0, which is perfect for the peppers. So now I know that when I draw a fresh four-gallon reservoir and add five teaspoons of Maxi-Bloom, I can add 1 1/4 tsp of pH UP at the same time and end up with a perfect batch of solution for peppers.