cycl
dissolved oxygen
DEFEND
YOUR
R
TS
Dissolved Oxygen
by Eric Hopper | Maintaining a high level of dissolved oxygen
in a hydroponic nutrient solution is one of the most important
steps an indoor gardener can take. After all, it is the dissolved
oxygen that determines the health and vitality of the beneficial
microorganisms living in and around the plant’s root zone.
D
issolved oxygen is the molecular oxygen found in between water
molecules. It is used by both aquatic creatures and the aerobic organisms
living in and around a plant’s rhizosphere. When the dissolved oxygen content
of a river or stream decreases, the health of all aquatic creatures in those
waterways is negatively impacted. Likewise, when the dissolved oxygen
content of a hydroponic nutrient solution decreases, the microorganisms
living in and around a plant’s root system are negatively impacted.
A reduction in dissolved oxygen also creates an anaerobic environment,
which is the perfect breeding ground for pathogenic organisms such as
pythium (root rot). Most pathogenic microorganisms that plague a plant’s
root system are unable to exist in an environment rich in dissolved oxygen.
This is why it is absolutely crucial for indoor horticulturists to maximize the
dissolved oxygen content in the nutrient solution at all times. In fact, many
hydroponic growers have equipment in their gardens to specifically increase
and maintain a high level of dissolved oxygen in the nutrient solution.
64
grow cycle