Calcium EDTA and its problems in hydroponics
Calcium is mainly used in hydroponics as calcium nitrate, given that this is a very soluble and abundant form of calcium. However this is not the only way calcium can…
Read More
How to prepare a low cost chelated micronutrient solution
Micronutrients constitute only a small portion of a plant’s nutritional requirements but are still vital to growth and development. They are mainly comprised of heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu,…
Read More
How to prepare pH 4 and 7 buffers from scratch without using a pH meter
I wrote a post in the past about how you could prepare pH buffers in order to calibrate your pH meter if you happen to already have a calibrated pH…
Read More
Why TDS is NOT equal to Total Dissolved Solids in hydroponics
Electrical conductivity is a very commonly used measurement in hydroponics, yet a very poorly understood one. I have written several posts about conductivity in the past (1,2,3) and today I…
Read More
Understanding the carbonic acid/bicarbonate buffer in hydroponics
I have written several articles before about pH and it’s importance in hydroponic culture (1, 2, 3, 4). However I have yet to write a detailed explanation of one of…
Read More
Hydroponics nutrients and microgreens
One of the most important goals in microgreens is to maximize the amount of weight gained by shoots from seed to harvest. Since the entire upper body of the plant…
Read More
Is my water source good for hydroponics?
Before starting your hydroponic project it is important to know whether your local water source can actually be used to water plants. Not all water sources are compatible with plants…
Read More
A guide to different pH down options in hydroponics
The control of pH in hydroponic nutrient solutions is important. Plants will tend to increase the pH of solutions in most cases – as nitrate uptake tends to dominate over…
Read More
Nutrient solution conductivity estimates in Hydrobuddy
People who use Hydrobuddy can be confused by its conductivity estimates, especially because its values can often mismatch the readings of conductivity meters in real life. This confusion can stem…
Read More
Sugars in hydroponic nutrient solutions
Carbohydrates are an integral part of plants. They produce them from carbon dioxide, requiring no additional external carbon inputs for the process. However, since plants can absorb molecules through their…
Read More