The pH level of your water is extremely important while growing different plants with hydroponics. Using the proper type of water quality will greatly effect your plant’s outcome. The nutrients in the water are equally as important for maintaining proper growth.
Many beginner’s like to use tap water from their sink or tub to fill their hydroponic tubs. This is because the water is cheap to supply and it comes out of the faucet at a rapid rate. In order for this type of water to work with your hydroponics project, it must be tested for the right ppm levels. A 300 ppm level or higher means that the water has too many harmful particles in it. Distilling tap water is a common method to use to make sure that the water is good enough to use. Before any nutrients are added to your water, make sure the ppm levels are between 0-50 ppm. Staying under 100 usually means that your water will be safe to use for your plants.
For maintaining proper nutrient levels, make sure the nutrients are run through your reservoir several times. Two complete cycles is usually enough to make sure that all of the nutrients are cycled through. Once you test your nutrient levels each day, jot them down in a notebook. This way you will know where the levels were at previously. If the pH levels are too high, you can use pH Down from your kit to lower the levels. If the levels are too low, use pH Up. It is wise to never go over a 6.5 pH level and never go under a 5.5 pH level. Staying within the 5.5-6.2 range works well for all types of vegetables.
Tomatoes are a relatively easy plant to start out with. They grow at an incredible rate when using hydroponics. Putting in your nutrients needs to be on a strict schedule. The environment can change the level of nutrients in the water while growing tomato plants. It is important to check the nutrient level often enough to avoid them dropping too low. A drip irrigation system is usually used to grow tomato plants indoors. Starting from a seedling will help you get a jump-start on growing your tomato. Just place it in a rockwool medium and it will be growing new leaves before you know it. The nutrients need to be added on a schedule because they are not re-used during the growth stages. They are being cycled in and out of the plant.
© 2017
Recent Reviews