There are various different methods of Hydroponic gardening but regardless of which system you are using you always need a nutrient solution. For the total
newbies among us, in simple terms nutrient solution is simply water with added nutrients and enzymes and that’s about it, just because you are growing with
Hydroponics doesn’t mean it has to be over complicated. The nutrient solution is either pumped or delivered by hand to the plants depending on what system
and grow medium is used.
Water Quality
There are a few important things to consider when preparing a nutrient solution; water quality varies greatly depending on where you are in the world so one of
the first things you need to consider is whether you are using hard water or soft water, a rule of thumb is that if you find it hard to get lather when using soaps or
washing up liquids then you most likely have hard water. Usually your local authority will have advice on water quality or search online to determine which type
you have. Many good hydro shops will be able to carry out a simple test to determine the acidity/alkalinity of your local water.
It’s important to find out which water you have as this will decide which type of nutrient you need to be adding, many nutrient companies supply both hard and
soft water versions but it is also possible to buy universal nutrients but I wouldn’t advise it, putting a little effort in to determine which water you have will make
balancing your CF and PH levels within your final solution easier so it’s worth the effort.
Using fresh clean tap water as a base for a nutrient solution is nearly always best; using filtered or bottled water is usually not necessary and can in fact cause a
nutrient deficiency in plants. There is an exception to this rule, if your water is so hard or so soft that it is not possible to get a steady PH or CF reading then it is
worth considering a reverse osmosis sy