How to Maintain a Reservoir using Organic Nutrients

In some ways, growing a hydroponics garden requires less work than a traditional soil garden because there is no dirt to contend with. In other ways, it actually requires more care and more work because you have to very carefully create and monitor the organic nutrients you use. If things go too out of whack in your reservoir, it could spell disaster for you entire crop. Here are few things to consider while maintaining your hydroponic reservoir:

Avoid Using Untreated Tap Water - Most hydroponics growers use tap water to blend their organic nutrients. And that is fine, so long as you stay aware of the condition of tap water before you use it. The pH of tap water can vary wildly depending upon part of the country you live in, so you may need to use a pharmaceutical grade pH adjuster to get your pH to the optimal level of 5.6. In addition, tap water can often have chemicals such as chlorine, and though they may be completely harmless for humans in small amounts, they may seriously hurt your plants' health and eventual yield.

Use an Air Pump - One of the most critical elements to the health of your roots is oxygen. Without enough oxygen, nutrient uptake will be significantly stunted. If you are using a reservoir that holds water very well, but may not hold air adequately, you need to make sure that your nutrient solution is adequately oxygenated. There are really only two ways of doing this. Many hydroponic growers simply add a little bit of hydrogen peroxide to their solution. But if you want a way that does not involve adding chemicals, you should add an air pump to your reservoir. These can often be found at aquarium supply stores, and they deliver a steady stream of oxygen to your organic nutrient solution. Moreover, the hydrogen peroxide will kill any beneficial fungi or bacteria that you might have added to your reservoir to increase plant growth and nutrient absorption by the roots.

Error on the Side of Underfeeding - When first deciding how concentrated your organic nutrients should be in your nutrient solution, it can sometimes be tempting to mix in a very high concentration, believing that this will cause increased nutrient uptake and bigger yields. However, most plants can more easily adapt to a slight underfeeding of organic nutrients than a slight overfeeding. If you begin overfeeding consistently, it might cause very fast and very significant harm to your plants. If you begin underfeeding, it may cause your plants to grow slowly or become weak but it creates an easily correctable situation. Start with the low side of a nutrient concentration first, and gradually work your way up to find the concentration that best benefits your plants.

Monitor pH carefully - pH is not just something that you should measure once you mix your organic nutrient solution, it should be something you constantly monitor throughout the development of your plants. In hydroponics, the ideal pH level is about 5.6. You should use a pH test kit daily to make sure that it does not deviate too much for this. If it does, your plants will not get the organic nutrients that they need to grow.