Besides cost, there are also some practical considerations when you are working with thousands of gallons
in a hydroponic reservoir versus 100L Reservoirs like
you might be at home in a spare room:
-time it takes to drain and fill a reservoir
-the number of plants at any given moment
that are depending on a stable and consistent solution
-the cost of water
-availability of water for commercial crop
production
-water quality, and treatment (scale of and
equipment)
-the cost, time and potential for error in
mixing a fresh batch of hydroponics fertilizer solution
In short, the goal is to keep a long
working life per hydroponics reservoir
mixed from “empty”.
Through experience and research, American Hydroponics
has some great growing tips to share on the subject
of managing and maintain hydroponics reservoirs for
optimal crop growth while keeping in budget.
Examine the water quality. Water tests are
easy, affordable and typically accurate. There
can be fundamental differences in how a fertilizer formula will perform in one source water
over another*
Source fertilizers that are stable, ie “clean”
synthetic fertilizers. An abundance of organic
materials may cause instability in things like pH,
affecting nutrient ability and creating stresses
that can lead to crop troubles.
Select a fertilizer blend that is intended for
your plant type and season-look for formulas
that provide good results consistently and that
come with information on what type of water
quality is recommended, ie upper and lower
limits.
Determine how the level of pH adjuster (ie
Phosphoric Acid or Potassium Hydroxide) will
contribute to the elemental value of the fertilizer solution over time-because it will.
Keep the reservoir topped up with fresh
water. The reservoir may be purged by as much
as 50% and remixed-often up to 3 or 4 times to
extend the life of the nutrient solution while not
compromising cropping performance.
Using accurate monitoring equipment for EC, temperature and pH
in the nutrient solution, and by developing a basic understanding
of how plants use fertilizers, growers are able to run for several
months in instances without completely draining and changing
the hydroponics reservoir.
When you understand plant fertility, and more recently, have access
to ion-specific nutrient monitoring equipment, you can add individual
fertilizer components as needed to “bump” individual mineral values
(for example, Calcium) to replace what has been taken up by the crop
more rapidly over others due to seasonal conditions or the working
life and maintenance of the fertilizer solution.
All this adds up to better “fuel economy” and less issues associated
with redirecting spent nutrient solutions and mixing fresh batches to
the tune of thousands of litres of water and a respectable dollar value
in good quality fertilizers.
Above:
Commercial growers resources via
American Hydroponics
VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 12
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