Q

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 has 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!
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 on a scale of 0-14. Zero is neutral, with 1-7 being acidic, while 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. Every full point change in PH causes 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 7, soil with a PH of 6 is 100 times more acidic than soil with a PH of 8. 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, which is 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. 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 and 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 in c02 through the root system. This will have no positive affect. 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 is forming due to the light coming in contact with the standing water in your table corners. Try and block the light with some white poly. 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 at this stage in a plants life cycle. 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 a lot 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 is very effective for high yields.
Q. My Reservoir temperature is high. How can I lower the temperature economically?
A. The first thing to do is get your reservoir as far away from your lights as possible. A cheap way to cool your reservoir is to freeze two one liter bottles of water and add one to the reservoir. This cools the temperature a little, and the bottles thaw quickly. Try to alternate throughout the day. 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 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 be for 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. Your night watering cycle can be reduced to once every four 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, such as Rubbermaid containers and plastic pails, for example? Are these types of products safe for use in a hydroponics system?
A. Products like Rubbermaid containers are usually made of food grade rated plastic. 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 harmful toxins into the water system, so be careful what you use. The safest bet is to purchase equipment from a hydroponics store, this way you are certain it is safe. Reservoirs and flood trays can be purchased at our online store or at our retail location.
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 its salinity. It also increases the plant in strength and health. Use potassium silicate in your reservoir in small doses to maintain a strong resistant plant.