From the different nutrients that are needed by plants we have known for more than 4 decades that potassium is of critical importance to flowering/fruiting plants. Potassium is one of the most highly limited nutrients in soil due to its high mobility and great increases in yields have been achieved with both potassium fertilization in…
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Five reasons why a dedicated hydroponic testing room is a great idea
Most commercial hydroponic setups completely lack testing environments. The most common reason for this is that commercial crops are meant to produce revenue and a testing environment means dedicating space, time and money into something that might not be as productive as the rest of the production facility. Furthermore a testing room implies that you…
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Humic acids in hydroponics: What is their effect?
Plants and microorganisms affect the substrates in which they grow in many ways. If you start growing plants in an inert substrate - with nutrient applications of course - you will notice that the substrate's chemical composition will start to change with time and it will start to get enriched in carbon containing substances. As…
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Phosphorous toxicity and concentration in higher plants
If you search the web for symptoms of nutrient toxicities you will often find clear pictures and descriptions for most elements. Feed a plant too much nitrogen and it will grow leggy and weak, with dark leaves and long stems, feed it too much boron and you will see yellowing and tissue necrosis. However you…
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What is the effect of amino acids in hydroponics?
It is very common for hydroponic nutrient manufacturers to add amino acids to their products. They often mention significant benefits that range from strengthening plants to greatly increasing yields or product quality but they rarely mention any peer reviewed evidence studying these effects. Today we are going to look at the use of amino acid applications…
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Instrument Precision : Its Importance in the Preparation of Hydroponic Nutrient Solutions
One of the most overlooked aspects when preparing hydroponic nutrient solutions is the actual precision of the instruments used to measure the salt or liquid reagent additions. People who are not familiarized with the preparation of solutions usually underestimate the importance of this aspect of solution making - both concentrated and final - which is…
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Understanding Reagent Purity and Its Importance in Hydroponics
When making hydroponic nutrient solutions one of the most important concepts we need to understand is "reagent purity" and how this affects the overall quality and composition of our hydroponic nutrient solutions. People who have not been academically trained in science usually do not have a very good understanding of this concept and its implications…
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Making Isotonic Solutions For Draining : Preparing Your Own – and better – Clearex
When growing hydroponic products it is common in the industry to do a final treatment before picking up the crop in which nutrients are removed from the hydroponic solutions. While in most cases this is achieved by passing RO water through the system it is true that passing water with a very low osmotic pressure…
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Completely Passive, Non-Recirculating Hydroponic Systems : Yes, Its Possible
Generally when we think about growing plants hydroponically we think about complex setups with water pumps, air pumps, artificial lights, environmental control and greenhouses. However, it has been shown through many controlled experiments and experiences that hydroponics can be made in a much less fancy way, so simple in fact that pumps and other such…
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Improving Seed Germination : The Science of Seed Priming
When we want to produce large amounts of plants or simply when we want to start our gardens fast and get the most out of our purchases improving seed germination becomes a large priority. One of the largest concerns of world agriculture as well as the home grower is the decrease in germination time and…
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