Hydroponics Gardening pH Tips

The relative degree of acidity or alkalinity is called pH. pH is a very important factor in a plant’s environment. If the pH in a plant’s area changes, it can affect the ability for its roots to absorb certain nutrients. You will need to have a basic understanding of chemistry to really know why this happens and what you can do about it.

Essentially, pH is all about measuring the concentration of hydrogen ions or hydroxyl ions near the plant. Ions are an electrically charged substance. Hydrogen is a positively charged item, while hydroxyl are negatively charged.

The pH scale is from 1 -14. If the number on the scale is less than 7, you will have a more acidic or more hydrogen ions in the area. If the number of higher than 7 and more towards 15, you will have a more basic or alkaline substance containing more hydroxyl ions. If your reading is 7, then your substance is neutral where there are no ions and the balance is equal between acid and basic. If you combine the free hydrogen (H) and hydroxyl ions (OH), you will form water (H20).

If you have a hydroponically grown plant, it will do well in a neutral environment or one that is very close to being neutral. Many plants can thrive in slightly acidic soil of around 6 – 6.5. The nutrients near the roots will need to be well dissolved in water to be easily absorbed by the roots. If you have a soil environment that is very acidic or very basic, it will prohibit the material in the roots from being easily absorbed and will interfere with the roots’ absorption levels and thereby the plant’s growth success.

It’s pretty easy to control the pH in the soil. You can find a number of kits that will help the issue. You can find solutions that are liquid or powders and they can help you treat the soil. Each one has its own benefits and drawbacks.

If you have a dry powder kit, it is usually less expensive than the liquid version. They are easy to store, but they need to be sealed tightly. If you store it in a safe spot and seal the lid, the material can last a long time. However, the powder solution will need to be made up before you can feed the plants. It’s only powder concentrated and you will see better results when you make it into a liquid form. Otherwise, application to the soil will be uneven and less effective.

You can find liquid solutions that are very easy to use. Just measure out the amount you need an you are finished. However, you might have a very concentrated solution, which would require you to dilute the mixture before pouring.

You will need to know how much to put into the soil for the most effective solution. The best way to determine this is to do a pH testing of the soil with a testing kit. You can find the old testing methods with a couple of simple colored strips which will change colors based on the basic or acid nature.

         

Hydroponics How to Tips and Guide