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Q. Is it okay to use water from a dehumidifier to feed my
plants?
A. I would recommend No. The water that comes out of a
dehumidifier can contain many fungal spores especially if the unit is older.
The high microbial contamination is not suitable for growing plants unless
boiled first.
Q. Is there difference if I use tap water compared to
distilled? Will Tap water affect growth rate negatively?
A. Yes there is quite a difference actually. Tap water may
be suitable to drink but can contain high levels of minerals that may not be
suitable for plants. You can have your water analyzed at the local waterworks
company to find out a break down of what's in the water. Usually tap water is
usable for growing but using distilled water is much better. Distilled water is
totally pure and is the best water to use to feed your plants. Growers who use
well water will often have to use a reverse osmosis machine to clean their
water and remove almost all impurities.
Q. If I have a pythium outbreak which is killing my root
system can I use h202 to save them?
A. Using h202 in the reservoir will kill the pythium spores,
but it may also damage healthy roots that are still remaining unless given the
right dose. H202 will oxidize organic material in general, rather than only
killing the pythium. Once the damage is gotten this far it's hard to control.
When it comes to pythium the best method for control is prevention. If your
crop is close to being done then the best thing to do would be to finish it off
and after harvest sterilize everything! Try and keep on top of it this time.
Keep reservoir temperature.
Q. Should I pre-treat my water by letting it sit out for 24
hours before adding the nutrients?
A. Yes, allowing it to sit with the lid off of the container
for 24-48 hours will allow the chlorine in the water to dissipate.
Q. Can plants live in salt water?
A. Most plants do not respond well to saltwater, but
different plants have different levels of sodium tolerance. Eventually feeding
with saltwater will kill your plants, so this is not recommended.
Q. What does "PH" mean?
A. PH stands for probable hydrogen. It is a measurement of a
nutrient solution's relative concentration of positive hydrogen ions. It is
measured in a scale of 14. 0 being neutral and below 7 is acidic and above 7 is
called alkaline.
Q. Is PH really that important? What does it affect?
A. Yes it is extremely important. The PH affects the way a
plant absorbs it's nutrients. If the plants PH is too low (acidic), acid salts
bind up nutrients chemically and the roots are unable to absorb them. Too high
of a PH (alkaline) and certain nutrients become unavailable.
Q. Does a point or two really matter on the ph scale? 6 or
7, what's the big deal if I'm out a bit?
A. For every full point change in PH causes in an increase
or decrease by 10 times. For example soil with a PH of 6 is 10 times more
acidic than soil with a PH of 7Soil with a PH of 6 is 100 times more acidic
than soil with a PH of 8. So yes a point or two really does matter.
Q. What do I use to adjust my Ph levels in my nutrient
solution?
A. To adjust and make the PH lower or more acidic you can
use PH down, a pre mix concentrate which is usually phosphoric or nitric acid
but a number of acids will work to lower the PH. To raise the PH use a pre mix
concentrate which is usually potassium hydroxide.
Q. Can I adjust my PH using the chemicals from my pool to
lower the PH?
A. No. While it will lower the PH, your plants will not be
happy. It might cause a reaction with fertilizer salts in your nutrient
solution.
Q. Should I use nitric acid or phosphoric acid to lower my
PH?
A. If you are in the vegetative stage use nitric acid. It
will give your plants a small amount of nitrogen. If you are in the flowering
stage use the phosphoric acid and it will give your plants a small amount of
phosphorus.
Q. Is Ozone a good way to sterilize my water?
A. Yes, ozone is the strongest oxidant for disinfecting your
water. Use ozone prior to mixing your nutrient solution. Clean the water first
using ozone, and then add the nutrients. The ozone will not react well with the
nutrients.
Q. What I the best water source to use to germinate my
seeds?
A. The best would be distilled, and is also very readily
available. Tap water has a high chlorine content but if left out for 24 hours
it will have enough time for the chlorine to dissipate and will be suitable
swell, providing it's not well water. But distilled is definitely the way to
go.
Q. Sometimes my nutrient solution gets milky and cloudy even
though I have an air pump running all day, all night, Why is this?
A. Possibly the beginning of a certain type of algae, or
perhaps just residue from your medium. If the medium is rock wool or hydroton
it is harmless. Possibly your nutrients are precipitating in the reservoir
resulting in a cloudy deposit. If your reservoir temperature is climbing too
high this can also have a negative effect on your nutrient solution. Make sure
your reservoir temperature is running between 55 - 65 f. The warmer the
reservoir the less available oxygen is there for the roots. As temperature raises
this really slows down the growth rate and becomes prone to disease and fungal
attack.
Q. Can I add co2 to my nutrient solution Will this increase
my yield?
A. No, plants do not take c02 through the root system. This
will have no positive affect what so ever. Add Oxygen to your root system
instead to ensure an optimal growth rate. The roots combine sugars with oxygen
to produce energy for the plant. The plant breathes in C02 to produce those
sugars it needs to convert to energy. This cycle is known as Photosynthesis.
Q. How can I add Oxygen to my nutrient solution?
A. The best and most cost effective way is to use a suitable
size air pump running on a continual basis.
Q. What should my water temperature be at in a hydroponics
nutrient solution?
A. The Ideal temperature for the nutrient solution to be at
is between 55-65 F.
Q. What are some of the preventative measures I can take to
protect my water reservoir against pythium attack?
A. Some growers use chitosan or silica in the reservoir to
increases the plants natural defense system. Some also use a variety of
beneficial microbes in the nutrient solution to fight off any opposing fungi.
Keep your nutrient solution clean and at the right temperature (55 - 65 F).
Always clean and sterilize equipment between each crop.
Q. Why am I getting Algae build up on my flood table in the
corners where the water sits?
A. The algae are forming due to the light coming in contact
with the standing water in your table corners. Try and cover this some how.
Fill it with clay pellets or a piece of white poly but somehow block the light
from coming in contact with the standing water. Algae are bad and are a
breeding ground for fungus gnats.
Q. My nutrients are always cloudy in my water, even when I
mix a totally new and clean mixture?
A. If the fertilizer is granular (dry) then this is very
common and is usually caused by a protective coating that is applied to it
while being manufactured. If you are using liquid fertilizer and clouding still
occurs on a regular basis you should contact the manufacturer of the fertilizer
and find out why. Make sure you mix your fertilizer in the specified order.
Often times manufacturers require there fertilizer be mixed in a certain order.
Q. Should I use H2o2 on my seedlings in rock wool?
A. No it is not needed this young in the plants early stage.
At this stage there will be hardly any organic matter for the h202 to attack
therefore it will attack fragile little root hairs. Older root systems are
stronger and more resistant to h202 damage unless extremely high doses occur.
Q. How do I lower my PPM in my nutrient solution?
A. Just add water until PPM reaches desired level. Only do
this once. After one time the nutrient tank should be drained and replaced with
a fresh new mixture. Always monitor your nutrient solution for drastic changes
in ppm.
Q. Why does my PH change so much?
A. In the bloom stage the plants use allot of potassium
which naturally acidifies the nutrient solution.
Q. If I use Styrofoam as my medium will this affect the PH?
A. Certain types of Styrofoam and polystyrene can have
toxicity problems with plants. Certain type's work fine for growers and I will
do more research into which ones work okay. Commercial lettuce operations are
often run in Styrofoam. I will definitely get back to you on this one. Great
question!
Q. What does NFT stand for?
A. Nutrient film Technique. It works by running a thin film
of nutrient solution over the plants root system usually in a flood or trough
system. This very old method and is very effective for high yields.
Q. My Reservoir temperature is high, how can I lower the
temperature economically?
A. First thing is to get your reservoir out of to your grow
room or as far away from the lights as possible. If you can possibly dig a
whole deep in the ground and drop your reservoir beneath surface level this
will also help allot. A cheap but real pain in the ass method is to freeze 2
liter bottles of water and constantly add one to the reservoir because they
will only last a couple of hours. If you want to go high tech then you can
invest in a reservoir chiller that will cool your nutrient solution by running
it through refrigerated coils set by thermostat. Unfortunately these units are
costly but are worth every penny when temperatures get too high. If the
temperature in your reservoir gets too hot growth rate will slow immediately
and you will see the effects very quickly. High reservoir temperatures leave
the nutrient solution prone to disease and fungal attacks. Keep the nutrient
solution between 55-66F for optimal growth.
Q. What should my watering cycle before a hydroponics flood
and drain system? I am using a mix of hydroton and rock wool?
A. Because the hydroton and rock wool mixture will retain
some water, watering once an hour for 2-3 minutes would be a sufficient feeding
cycle. When the plants are very young the time can be reduced to every 2 hours
instead of for every 1 hour. Watering in the night cycle can be reduced to
every 4 hours. Many of the cycle stat timers now come with photocells and a
night mode which will automatically reduce the feeding cycle for the dark
periods. They are a definite must in any indoor garden running on an automated
feeding system.
Q. Do certain plastics leach back into the nutrient solution
like Rubbermaid containers and plastic pails for example? Are these types of
products safe for use in a hydroponics system?
A. Usually products such as Rubbermaid are rate as food
grade based on the fact that food could quite possibly be stored in them.
Always look for food grade plastics when seeking out material for a hydroponics
garden. Better to be safe than sorry. Some plastics can leach back releasing
harmful toxins into the water system so be careful what you use. The safest bet
would be to purchase equipment for hydroponics growing so you know it will be
made of the correct materials. These can be purchased right here online or at
your local hydro shop.
Q. Is it good to add potassium silicate to my nutrient
solution?
A. Yes, it is very beneficial to your garden. It increases
the plants resistance to disease as well as salinity. It also increases the
pant in strength and health. Use potassium silicate in your reservoir in small
doses always to maintain a strong resistant plant.