March 2010 #1 - Issue Forty Four

 
Article # 1 - Think beyond the pH of your reservoir

There are actually three things to consider when determining the proper pH for your hydroponic growing:

1. The nutrient reservoir
2. The water you are using
3. Your growing medium

Article # 2 - Misconceptions about water

One of the major culprits that can affect your success is water. That’s because most water is alkaline.

Actually, water is seldom just water. It contains a lot of stuff such as calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. These come in forms of carbonates and bicarbonates with the bicarbonates being the worst offender.

Alkalinity in your water can cause your growing medium pH to zoom faster than a rocket and add all sorts of stability problems to your reservoir. Remember, pH levels should be kept between 5.8 and 6.3 for best results in hydroponic growing. Allowing it to drift too far above or below these levels will reduce the quality and quantity of your harvest. It can even kill your plants.

Click the above image for the world's first hydroponics encyclopedia. We call it Advancedepedia, and it's brimming with hot information you'll use to amplify your garden's growth and give you Bigger Yields.

Article # 3 - Don’t rely on water softeners

Water softeners only displace calcium and magnesium ions. That leaves behind both carbonates and bicarbonates. That does nothing to change the alkalinity of the water.

Water softeners also add a lot of unwanted sodium to your water. So by trying to fix one problem, you create another which can greatly decrease your yields.

Also remember, if you’re using well water, it’s almost guaranteed to have alkalinity problems. Even city water is often of poor quality.

How do you fix this? Invest in a reverse osmosis system. They are relatively inexpensive and will take the alkalinity out of your water along with other impurities.

Article # 4 - What’s the best tool for measuring pH?

Use a meter that measures EC (Electrical Conductivity). This type of meter was made specifically for measuring nutrient solutions.

Here’s something else to keep in mind. Taking pH readings during the light cycle will give you a different result than when you take pH readings at night.

Here’s the reason between light and dark readings. During dark periods, both microbes and the plants are resting and giving off alkaline molecules. This tends to make the pH go up.

During the day, the plant and microbes are active and tend to give off acid molecules. This makes the pH go down.

Article # 5 - The importance of your medium

Consider this. A plant root system is actually a pH excreting machine. It manufactures and pumps hydrogen ions (pH down) or hydroxide ions (pH up) directly into your growing medium. This can directly change the pH of the growing medium.

To assure the greatest success with your hydroponic growing, your plants must have an acidic pH growing medium.

And, of course, the water, the growing medium and the nutrients should all be working in perfect harmony. But it’s the roots in the growing medium that drive the pH chemical reactions.

This is very important because the pH in the root zone is going to determine the availability of nutrients to the plant. And this, in turn, has a direct effect on the quality of your crop.

So how often should you check your growing medium pH? I recommend once a week.

Article # 6 - It’s the ‘little guys’ that do a lot of the work

You have probably heard the term ‘beneficial microbes’. These are bacteria that colonize within the growing medium and on the root system that help to create outstanding harvests.

But here’s something many growers and hobbyists don’t realize. These bacteria help to keep your pH stable and your growing medium more acidic.

How do you introduce beneficial microbes into your medium? Some will develop naturally. But the best and most efficient way of making certain your plants have the beneficial microbes they need to grow and remain healthy is by introducing them in specially formulated hydroponic products.

However, this is one area where you don’t want to go cheap. The products you choose should contain active microbes that are ready to multiply and colonize the root systems.

Also, look for products that have a balanced microbial interaction with each other. This helps the growing medium hold its pH. And buying products from a company that breeds and produces its own beneficial microbes in house will help assure that you’re getting healthy active bacteria.

Leaving you with a little humor

A woman went into a pet store and immediately spotted a large, beautiful parrot. The sign on the cage read, “Special…only $50”.

“Why so cheap?” she asked the store keeper.

The owner looked a bit sheepish and replied, “To tell you the truth, this bird used to live in a brothel. He picked up some pretty vulgar language.”

The woman decided she could live with that, took the bird home and hung the cage in her living room. The bird looked around his new surroundings and back to her. Then he said, “New house…new madam.”

The woman giggled at the implication but decided to pretend she didn’t hear it.

Then her two daughters arrived home from school. The parrot looked at them and squawked, “New house…new madam…new girls.”

The girls and their mother were a bit offended but laughed it off, considering the parrot’s background.

A few moments later, the woman’s husband came home from work. The parrot looked at him and said, “Hi, Keith!”

 
As always... dedicated to helping you produce BIGGER YIELDS with every harvest!

- Big Mike

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