How to Maintain your Hydroponic Reservoir & Other Tips
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If you have already set up your system, then you are well on your way to your hydroponic adventure. To maximize your long term gains, it is still recommended to know a few tips that we will present in this article.
Whether you use the Kratky method or traditional hydroponics through a system, this article will be useful to you!
PH checking
Importance of PH in hydroponics
The importance of PH in chemistry, biology and agronomy is well known: it measures the acidity or basicity of a liquid. PH is a major element in hydroponics. Indeed, water is the main substrate of this method of cultivation, and the plant can only rely on it. It is therefore important to check the quality of the water, i.e. to make sure that it is neither too acidic nor too basic, but also to make sure that a certain balance is maintained after the Hydroponic Growing Solution has been added, as it can disturb this balance.
The higher the PH, the more basic (or alkaline) it is. The lower the PH, the more acidic it is. A PH called "neutral" is located halfway between these two opposites, that is to say - on a scale of 1 to 14 - at about 7.
Best PH for hydroponics
In Hydroponics, a basic (or alkaline) PH is to be avoided. Indeed, iron - an essential element in plant growth - can quickly become harmful with a too high PH, going from chelated iron to ferric iron. This last type of iron is not properly absorbed by plants, which could cause a bad absorption and a premature aging of your plantation. By checking the PH of your plantation - which we recommend with a PH tester.
On the contrary, an acid PH is to be preferred. However, it should not be too acidic. On a scale of 1 to 14, a PH between 5.8 and 6.5 is optimal for hydroponics (it depends on the growth phase or the flowering phase) : for the growth phase, prefer a slightly more acidic ph ; for the flowering phase, prefer a slightly more basic ph while remaining in the range quoted above. This will of course vary depending on what you are growing. Furthermore, it is recommended to have a stable PH, that is to say that you will have to avoid fluctuations, whether it is to make your water more acidic or more basic.
Whether you use the traditional method with a Grow System or the Kratky Method, we recommend testing your water.
Hydroponics Reservoir
Importance of Water Tank in Hydroponics
The water tank is an essential part of any Hydroponic Growing System. The integrated pump system allows the water to circulate more efficiently, which among other things generates oxygen, which prevents premature aging of the plants.
Water Management in Hydroponics
In hydroponics - unlike traditional gardening -, it is not necessary to take care of the water every week. Thus, the water in the tank will last for 2 to 3 weeks. After that time, we recommend that you change and/or replenish the water in the tank, remembering to dilute your Hydroponic Growing Solution in it.
Lighting
Importance of Lighting in Hydroponics
Lighting is the last point we will discuss in this article. It is a point not to be neglected if you want to have the best possible yields in hydroponics.
Indeed, Hydroponics does not use natural sunlight, unlike traditional gardening. Lamps are integrated directly into the Hydroponic Growing System, and replace natural lighting by artificial lighting.
Lighting Recommandations in Hydroponics
The different colors and light spectrums will have different effects on your plantation:
- Blue light (400-500nm, depending on models) is ideal for growing leafy vegetables.
- Red light (700-850nm, depending on models) is ideal for any type of vegetables.
There are also other modes that you can test for yourself (for example, some mix red and blue light). In any case, it is important to know the needs of your plants and to respect their life cycle: like humans, plants have needs. Therefore, it is important that you respect a rhythm of lighting and resting, these needs may vary from one plant to another. For example, lettuce will need 18 hours of light, while fruits or vegetables growing in the spring (e.g. cauliflower), will only need 12 hours.
Lighting Recommandations with the Kratky method
With the Kratky Method, it's very different: it is advisable to avoid light, not on the plant itself but on its roots. Indeed, the tank of the Hydroponic Growing System is hidden from the light thanks to its structure. With the Kratky Method, the tank is often transparent (ex: Mason jars). Therefore, it is advisable to cover your container with some kind of film that will make the base of your container opaque, without the possibility of light seeping in. Indeed, the light would cause a premature aging of the roots and consequently of the plant, since they are naturally sheltered in the ground.
We hope you now know how to maintain your Hydroponic Garden to maximize your yields!
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