NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT

Meters, Buffers & Calibration Equipment, pH Adjustment and sundries

The strength of your nutrient solution can be measured by its electrical conductivity (EC) and is of vital importance.

Too high an EC results in vegetative growth at the expense of fruit or flower production and too low EC produces fragile unproductive plants.

CF or EC is simply a measure of electrical conductivity through the nutrient.

Too much nutrient element in the water gives a higher CF reading - Too little and the EC reading drops.

pH is a measure of how alkaline or acidic your nutrient solution is.  The pH scale runs from 0 to 14, with 0 to 7 being acidic and 7 to 14 being alkaline.

pH 7 is neutral, being neither acid or alkaline. 

The majority of plants prefer the ph between 5.5 and 7.5, beyond this range some nutrient elements will be unavailable to the plants, the optimum pH being between 5.8 and 6.3.

Most tap waters are between pH 7 and 8, So you see monitoring the pH is critical to ensuring robust, healthy plants which are utilising all the goodness from your nutrient solution.

When growing using active systems the strength of the nutrient should always be monitored.  It is usually checked by the attentive grower when the pH is checked.

NORFOLK LIGHTS & HYDROPONICS CENTRE have all the equipment and additives so you are able to monitor your garden and optimise your ability to produce a satisfactory harvest.