NUTRIENT & pH CONTROL
Overview
The strength of a nutrient solution is measured by its electrical
conductivity (EC) and is of critical importance. Too high an EC results
in vegetative growth at the expense of fruit or flower production and
too low EC produces weak unproductive plants. CF or EC is simply a
measure of electrical conductivity through the nutrient, the more
nutrient elements in the water gives a higher CF or EC reading and vice
versa. When growing using active systems the strength of the nutrient
should be monitored. This is normally done at the same time as the pH is
checked.
pH is a measure of how alkaline or acidic the nutrient solution is.
The pH scale runs from 0 to 14, with 0 to7 being acidic and 7 to 14
being alkaline. pH 7 is neutral, being neither acid or alkaline.
The
majority of plants prefer the ph between 5.5 and 7.5, beyond this range
some nutrient elements will be unavailable to the plants, the optimum pH
being between 5.8 and 6.3. Most tap waters are between pH 7 and 8.
Monitoring the pH is essential to ensure that the plants have the
optimum nutrient mix available to them.
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