Maintaining Ph Levels: Super Easy Yet Extremely Important
Maintaining pH level plays vital role in a plants growth. Growing beginners might be wondering what pH is, so Ill start from the beginning.
pH is basically a measure of the activity of hydrogen ion present in the growing medium or substrate and nutrient solution. pH of 7 is considered neutral, a solution containing pH less than 7 is acidic, while more than 7 is alkaline. For hydroponic growing the desired pH level ranges between 5.5 and 6.8.
Importance of pH
pH varies from plant to plant. If the pH of the plant is off it cant absorb the nutrients required for its growth. For example, pH of cucumbers ranges from 5.8 to 6.0 while pH of carrots ranges between 5.8 and 6.4. Know your plants pH and be sure to work around it.
pH levels of your plant depends on various factors:
Water: Know the pH of the water you start growing with. If youre using pure or distilled water the pH level is 7, or neutral. Distilled water absorbs CO2 so the pH may change within few hours of preparation. Its even tougher to predict the pH of tap water as it contains calcium and/or magnesium salts. Use of RO water is one of the best and safest ways of growing hydroponically.
Nutrient Absorption: When a plant absorbs nutrient solutions it leads to changes in pH level. For example, if a lot of potassium ions are absorbed it gives out hydrogen ions which decrease the pH. If excessive nitrate is absorbed it gives out hydroxyl ions which increases the pH. The higher the absorption rate is, the higher the possibility of pH change.
Bacteria: Bacterial infection causes variations in pH. Dead roots of your plants are the main reasons for the infection. Make sure you remove the dead roots and keep your plants clean.
The pH of a plant must be checked regularly. Here are few methods of testing:
pH level Testing
The most commonly used method of pH testing is liquid pH test kit. Drops of the liquid are added to a small sample of nutrient solution and the changes in color are compared with the color chart. This is an accurate and convenient technique used for testing.
Digital pens are another reliable way of pH testing, but are a bit expensive. You simply dip the tip of the pen in the nutrient solution and the readings are displayed on the screen. The values displayed are 100% accurate. These digital meters require proper care, especially the electrodes, as they are very sensitive.
Now when you have couple of methods to calculate the pH level of the plant, the next step is to adjust it according to the needs of the plant. Baking soda and vinegar are used to change the pH by most gardeners. However, theyre not very effective. Plenty of specialized products are available in the market, such as Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect, which maintains the pH of your plants for a week and saves the daily testing time.
If gardening is your hobby then growing a plant is like playing a game that you always intend to win but knowing the rules is essential. Maintaining pH is one of the key rules. Its an easy task and all you need is vigilance and understanding towards the needs of your plant.
pH is basically a measure of the activity of hydrogen ion present in the growing medium or substrate and nutrient solution. pH of 7 is considered neutral, a solution containing pH less than 7 is acidic, while more than 7 is alkaline. For hydroponic growing the desired pH level ranges between 5.5 and 6.8.
Importance of pH
pH varies from plant to plant. If the pH of the plant is off it cant absorb the nutrients required for its growth. For example, pH of cucumbers ranges from 5.8 to 6.0 while pH of carrots ranges between 5.8 and 6.4. Know your plants pH and be sure to work around it.
pH levels of your plant depends on various factors:
Water: Know the pH of the water you start growing with. If youre using pure or distilled water the pH level is 7, or neutral. Distilled water absorbs CO2 so the pH may change within few hours of preparation. Its even tougher to predict the pH of tap water as it contains calcium and/or magnesium salts. Use of RO water is one of the best and safest ways of growing hydroponically.
Nutrient Absorption: When a plant absorbs nutrient solutions it leads to changes in pH level. For example, if a lot of potassium ions are absorbed it gives out hydrogen ions which decrease the pH. If excessive nitrate is absorbed it gives out hydroxyl ions which increases the pH. The higher the absorption rate is, the higher the possibility of pH change.
Bacteria: Bacterial infection causes variations in pH. Dead roots of your plants are the main reasons for the infection. Make sure you remove the dead roots and keep your plants clean.
The pH of a plant must be checked regularly. Here are few methods of testing:
pH level Testing
The most commonly used method of pH testing is liquid pH test kit. Drops of the liquid are added to a small sample of nutrient solution and the changes in color are compared with the color chart. This is an accurate and convenient technique used for testing.
Digital pens are another reliable way of pH testing, but are a bit expensive. You simply dip the tip of the pen in the nutrient solution and the readings are displayed on the screen. The values displayed are 100% accurate. These digital meters require proper care, especially the electrodes, as they are very sensitive.
Now when you have couple of methods to calculate the pH level of the plant, the next step is to adjust it according to the needs of the plant. Baking soda and vinegar are used to change the pH by most gardeners. However, theyre not very effective. Plenty of specialized products are available in the market, such as Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect, which maintains the pH of your plants for a week and saves the daily testing time.
If gardening is your hobby then growing a plant is like playing a game that you always intend to win but knowing the rules is essential. Maintaining pH is one of the key rules. Its an easy task and all you need is vigilance and understanding towards the needs of your plant.
