gorw cycle | air stones : don ' t starve your roots
WHAT HAPPENS WITHOUT OXYGEN ?
Without oxygen , the plants in your hydroponic system may not be growing to their full potential . Plant roots need oxygen for aerobic respiration , which gives the plant energy for the roots to grow and to bring in nutrients . A lack of this oxygen means that roots will be stunted and there will be a decrease in the amount of minerals and water that can be absorbed by the plants , which will , in turn , result in a lack of growth for the plant . This will signal your plants to produce ethylene , which is a stress hormone and can result in the plant being susceptible to pathogens .
WHY USE AN AIR STONE ?
An air stone is a good choice because of the small expenditure , the amount of oxygen it can produce for your system , and the ease of using it . Still , you may think , “ Why not just use some tubing and an air pump , as that will get the oxygen into the water just as well without having to deal with one more part ?” Air stones are useful because of the way they produce oxygen . An air stone creates a huge number of tiny bubbles in comparison to the slower stream of larger bubbles that just a tube alone would create . Together , the tiny bubbles have a greater surface area that can help the oxygen diffuse better into the nutrient solution . This occurs because of the porous nature of the air stone .
“ Plant roots need oxygen for aerobic
respiration which gives the plant energy for the roots to grow and to bring in nutrients .”
Air stones also come in different sizes . You can buy long , thin ones up to a foot long for your rectangular tanks , or you can buy smaller oval , cylindrical , or round ones . Your system will determine the best option for you , and since they are relatively inexpensive , you can try several set-ups before you find the one that works the best for you . It ’ s also good for the air stones to be lower in the water as the bubbles take longer to get to the surface . This gives the oxygen more time to diffuse into the nutrient solutions , giving better rates of dissolved oxygen .
86 Maximum Yield USA | February 2017