Compared to soil, most nutrient solutions are relatively sterile. Most plants are accustomed to growing in an environment that is rich in organic material and beneficial bacteria. For this reason, it can benefit a lot of growers to introduce these kinds of bacteria into their hydroponic system, so that the root zone of the plants more closely imitates the benefits of a soil environment. Most people choose to do this by using a high quality rooting enhancer, which can provide many specially chosen and designed bacteria that can root size and plant health. Here are a few measures you should take to get the most out of your root booster.
Use an Unobstructed Medium – If your roots are going to grow stronger, bigger and thicker, you need to make certain that your medium can accommodate these kinds of roots. To make sure that your roots have all of the room that they need to grow to their potential, thoroughly clean or completely replace your growing medium after every growing season. This will remove any old debris, which might affect oxygen uptake and root development.
Combine with Beneficial Fungi – Certain highly advanced rooting enhancers contain strains of bacteria that can encourage the germination and growth of beneficial bacteria. These fungi can protect your plant from mold and mildew, in additional to strengthening the defenses of your plants against several strains of harmful bacteria. In additional, they even break down old organic material in your medium and make more of the nutrients in your nutrient solution. But your rooting enhancer can only help these fungi if they are present in your hydroponics system in the first place. So to take advantage of everything that these kinds of supplements have to offer, you should find another plant supplement that contains these fungi, and use them simultaneously.
Combine with Nitrogen Fertilizers – One of the most profound benefits of rooting enhancers is how they can affect nitrogen uptake. Most quality rooting enhancers have plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, or PGPR. A study performed in 2000 on rice crops showed that the combination of PGPR and nitrogen fertilizers could significantly increase yield. Even though nitrogen is plentiful in the atmosphere, plants don’t have the ability to convert most atmospheric nitrogen into something they can actually use. The bacteria found in root enhancers takes this nitrogen and converts it into something beneficial to plants.
Adjust Your Environmental Factors – Supplements like rooting enhancer always work best when you have every other condition of your grow room perfectly adjusted. Make sure that the pH of your nutrient solution is at 5.6 to ensure optimum nutrient uptake. The temperatures should be tropical, but not so warm that it causes your leaves to transpire too much or your nutrient solution to evaporate quickly. A properly balanced nutrient solution will work in conjunction with a rooting enhancer to provide the ideal amount of nutrients to your roots. You should also regularly check to make sure your plants are receiving enough light, but without placing the lights so close to the plants that it might cause them heat damage.
