Beneficial Microbes - How to Help them Thrive in Hydroponics Growing

One of the single most potent supplements that hydroponics gardeners use today are beneficial microbes. In soil gardens, countless helpful bacteria work symbiotically with the plants, helping increase the size of their roots and helping your plants use their nutrients to their fullest abilities.

But having a culture of beneficial microbes is not as simple as just throwing a bunch of microbe-based supplements into your nutrient solution. You have to work hard to make sure that the beneficial microbes thrive and survive in the nutrient solution.

Here are some important things to keep in mind when you are using beneficial microbes.

Do not use Hydrogen Peroxide - Hydrogen peroxide actually has a number of uses to hydroponic growers. For example, if you discover that your roots are suffering from root rot, you might use hydrogen peroxide to help oxygenate your nutrient solution. Or if you have been having trouble with bacterial or fungal diseases, you might use it to kill off harmful organic material. But if you plan on using beneficial bacteria, you are going to have to stop using this substance. This is because hydrogen peroxide kills all microbes, whether they are harmful or helpful, so they can render any attempts to use beneficial microbes useless.

Regulate Nutrient Temperature - One of the most commonly neglected factors in your hydroponic garden is the nutrient temperature. If the solution gets too cold, it can actually prevent certain nutrients from being absorbed in the roots.

The reason that refrigerating food preserves it is because it slows down the duplication and reproduction of microbes. The slower that these microbes reproduce, the longer it takes for food to spoil. But if you are operating a hydroponics system that takes advantage of beneficial microbes, you want these to be reproduced as quickly as possible. This is why you should make certain that the temperature stays between the range of sixty seven and seventy one degrees.

Use Organic Products - Beneficial microbes thrive when used in conjunction with organic supplements and nutrients. You don't have to use only organic nutrients, but even some can help the microbes colonize and reproduce. For example, you might consider using some bat guano, a potent organic fertilizer that can especially help your plants to flower. Or you might consider using kelp based plant food, which has a lot of vitamins and natural hormones to help plant growth.

One of the best ways to get organic nutrients is through organic nutrient teas. These combine some of the most powerful organic nutrients into single, potent supplements.

Try using Coco Coir - If you really want to give your beneficial microbes every opportunity to grow and thrive, you might try using coco coir. Coco coir is the only one hundred percent organic medium, being made from the husks of coconuts. It contains a lot of compounds that helps organic material thrive. If you choose to use this medium, you should definitely stick to nutrients designed specifically for coco coir, however.

But using beneficial microbes in hydroponics is not as simple as just mixing them in with your nutrient solution. You also have to work to ensure their survival and do what you can to ensure that they thrive. Without tending to your beneficial bacteria, they might die off, or at least not populate your roots as quickly as you might hope.

To find out more about the smartest ways you can ensure the survival of your beneficial microbes, read the article Beneficial Microbes-How to Encourage Their Growth in Your Hydroponics Garden.