New to indoor gardening?  Don’t worry – we all were once!  And you know, many an experienced gardener has wished that they could travel back in time and give themselves some sound advice.

#1 Environment is Everything

Did you know that some new indoor gardeners think that all they need to do is buy a grow light and hang it above their plants?  WRONG!  These growers are underestimating the importance of environmental quality.  Just like people, plants can only perform well when they are comfortable and receiving proper atmospheric conditions.  Maintaining a proper temperature and humidity range is really critical to your success.  Many plants enjoy higher relative humidity (60-80%) in their vegetative stage and lower (40-50%) during flowering.  I try to maintain my indoor garden at 82°F (28°C) when the lights are on and 64°F (18°C) when they are off – but hey, that’s just me and my capsicums.  Different plants have different requirements.

Equally important is clean air, proper CO2 / oxygen ratio, and adequate air circulation.  You wouldn’t want to spend your life locked in a stagnant cupboard would you?  Air movement is your best defense against mould and other pathogens as well as the plants’ vehicle to remove waste products from the leaves and facilitate respiration. There is something magical about fresh air so don’t underestimate the importance of it.  Fresh air brings fresh supplies of CO2 – a crucial component of photosynthesis – your plants can’t “breathe” without it! You can bring fresh air in with an intake port, exhaust fan and timer. Another way to ensure a constant supply of fresh air is to provide a convection air leak in the enclosure. Furnish a small hole near the floor at one end and another in the ceiling at the other end. Use some kind of filter to catch bugs and dirt (at the very least a window screen or a pair of old tights if you have any spares knocking around!)  For optimum control of temperature and humidity and coordination of CO2 enrichment and ventilation, specialized environmental controls are available to automate and maintain precise atmospheric conditions.

#2 Killing with Kindness

As your plants grow their nutrient requirements increase, so it’s all too easy to get over-excited when they are young and err into over indulgence with fertilizers, plant additives, enhancers, and other stuff.  Sometimes it’s because of the old adage, “If a little is good, more must be better” or you just follow too many people’s advice.  Before you know it you got some kind of mysterious blend of chemical hocus-pocus that may not be compatible.

When you see curled leaves like claws, burnt leaf tips, slow overall growth or damaged new growth (terminal shoots) my advice is usually “go back to basics”. Flush the media with clean, pure water for a day or two, and then run half strength dose of a good quality fertilizer. Once the plants re-establish themselves and begin to show normal growth, slowly increase the nutrient concentration and eventually you can start adding other growth enhancing products again.
A reasonable amount of additives can be very advantageous. My advice is to choose a well-established manufacturer who provides a complete line of nutrients and additives and follow their program.  Always use a conductivity meter to check the strength of your nutrient solution.

#3 Watering and Transplanting

Many new growers start with hand-watering their plants in soil and pots.  It seems to be the simplest way but improper watering and transplanting is a common error.  Start off your plants in small pots and make sure you transplant your plants in graduations. Let the plants develop a solid root ball before increasing container size and then only step up a couple inches at a time. The theory here is to keep a consistent medium that the roots can dominate. Empty soil stays too wet and becomes water logged. The plant needs to generate a thick root ball mass to be healthy. Use a good quality soil mix that is light and provides good air retention. Pack the soil firmly and water immediately. Leave soil a few inches below the top of the container to hold water while it soaks in during watering. Do not water too often. It’s good to let the media dry out a little and then water completely.  Feel the weight of the pot – it’s a great indicator of how much water is in the soil.  Water lightly once to wet the substrate and break the soil tension, then come back after a minute and saturate. Let some water run out the bottom to leach out old contaminants. If you use trays under your pots do not leave standing water. Kick the bucket, or lift it a bit to judge weight. This is a good indicator of water content. Too frequent watering and over fertilizing is one of the most common mistakes new growers make. An old saying for soil growing is “fertilize weakly weekly” and there is some truth to that.

#4 Understanding pH

Besides just the addition of fertilizer, nutrient solutions require other specific properties to work effectively. pH is an important factor. This ranges between 5 and 7 in most cases but varies depending on a gamut of particulars. Such things as cultivar, plant growth stage, type of grow system, fertilizer program, water characteristics, and even environmental conditions (light, heat, etc.) to name a few. My advice to growers is let the pH run a range of about a full point. For typical plants the rule of thumb is aim for or 6.0 and let it rise (or drop as the case may be) about a point before adding adjusters. Essential elements become available at different pH values, so by letting your pH vary across the scale you have a better chance of all elements finding their optimum assimilation point. I prefer the range of 5.5 to 6.5 as a good gradient zone. Letting the pH drift alkaline (above 7.0) is more likely to stress plants than a slightly acidic pH. My main point here is that you don’t need to adjust your pH as often as you might be led to believe.  Invest in a quality, digital pH meter and calibrate it regularly.  Finally, only measure the pH of your nutrient solution once you have added all your fertilizer and additives as these can affect it too.

#5 Nutrient Temperature

Root health is vital to your garden’s success so naturally you don’t want to cook your roots or allow them to become too cold.  Nutrients are most easily absorbed when the nutrient solution is around 68°F (20°C).  Typically temperatures in your indoor garden will drop at night as much as 10°F (5°C). That is perfectly acceptable. But if your water / nutrient solution is too cool it will cause the growth rate to decrease. Cold tap water can shock roots and cause other problems. However if the solution is too hot all kind of nasty things will happen. As water becomes warmer it can hold decreasing amounts of dissolved oxygen (which is really important for root health.)  If you are using a re-circulating system pay special attention to heat as it can transfer to the solution in many ways. The most common is absorption from trays, channels, containers or plumbing. This is a result of radiant heat from sunlight or even artificial lighting. Pumps can also create heat and be a factor. Protect your solution from direct sunlight. Insulate or sink your nutrient reservoir in the ground if possible. I have run my solutions through buried hose or pipe to cool them before returning to the system. Water chillers are available for extremely warm conditions.  Nutrient heaters (with integrated thermostats) are also available at very reasonable prices to help you cope with cold conditions.

#6 Oxygen

Oxygen content in your nutrient solution is often neglected or misunderstood. Just like fish require oxygen in water, so do plants. Plant roots absorb O2 and need it for various purposes but the primary reason for keeping an oxygenated solution is to fend off anaerobic bacteria such as Phytophthora Root Rot (blight) and damping off fungus (Rhizoctonia root rot). For the same reason soil and other grow mediums must offer good aeration. As I said above, solutions can become depleted of oxygen if the water becomes too warm or stagnant. Organic solutions can easily become deficient as the culture often utilizes the oxygen. Dissolved oxygen is measured in mg/L. Typical optimum values range about 10 and 30 mg/L. Over 40 is considered saturated and under 5 is considered deficient. There are reagent kits and meters available but I hardly find them necessary. Air stones or spray nozzles generally do the trick. I often use a hose-end siphoning device designed for proportioning liquids into a hose stream and just let the intake suck air. It will induce fine bubbles into your water flow. They are cheap and widely available in garden shops. Soils should contain good porous substrates and, again, be sure to let them dry out between watering. Finally, keep your nutrient solutions agitated to prevent stagnation.

#7 Lighting

You could write a whole book on lighting an indoor garden so I’ll just try and outline some basic principles here.  Where you place your lights can dramatically influence plant growth rate and structure. If the light levels are insufficient plants will respond slowly and tend to be weak and elongated. It will be fairly obvious; you need more light. If the lights are too close to the plants the new growth will dry and curl. This will also be pretty apparent and is a more common mistake.  Place your hand at the same level as the tops of your plants.  Keep it there for a minute or so.  If your hand starts to become noticeably warm your lights may be too close.  Another good way to measure temperature is to fill a small plastic bottle with water and hang it at plant level with a mercury thermometer in it. This will provide an accurate interpretation of actual temperature. Most of the heat accumulation in an enclosure is from the lights. Air and water cooled fixtures are a very effective method to remove unwanted heat before it becomes an atmospheric concern.

#8 Know Your Limits

Many plants have a vegetative stage and a flowering stage.  Basically, the vegetative stage is when the plant builds its structure – the botanical ‘scaffolding’ to support the future harvest.  The flowering stage is when the plant stops growing and focuses its energies on producing flowers and fruit.

What makes a plant flower?  Many things can trigger it depending on the plant type.  For instance I delay my capsicums producing fruit by physically picking off the flowers.  I do this so that they first grow to a decent size before concentrating on producing a bigger harvest for me!

Plants like Poinsettia and Kalanchoe require short day lengths in order to start flowering (usually 11 hours or less).  In an indoor garden, you can control when these plants grow and flower just by changing the length of your lights on period.  If you’re growing plants like these (known as ‘photosensitive’ plants) it’s important to ensure that they enjoy complete darkness during the lights off period – so no peaking!  They require uninterrupted darkness in order to properly trigger flowering.

I’m wary of opening up a can of worms here but consider the following simple advice:  When growing plants indoors, it’s important to take the space you have available into account.  Sounds like commonsense huh?  But listen!  It’s all too easy to get carried away in the vegetative stage thinking that the bigger you grow your plants, they will automatically carry more fruit.  This is true to an extent but you have to match the size of your plants to the containers they are grown in, the space available in your indoor garden, and the amount of light available.  Also, remember that the transition from vegetative into flowering can be fairly gradual (it doesn’t happen overnight!) so growth can continue for a while even after you induce flowering with shortened days / lengthened nights.  Knowing when to induce your plants to flower is a fine art (or science, depending on how you look at it!).  Novice growers invariably grow their plants way, way too big at first.

#9 Don’t Get Bugged Out

Keep your indoor garden clean.  Don’t get lazy otherwise insects and diseases will be on you before you know it!  Insect and disease control is one of the most devastating and misunderstood hazards of hobby growers. You get bugs, or at least finally notice them, and at that point it is often too late. You spray for them any number of lethal or ineffective insecticides and that seems to help but it takes a toll on your plants, and then the bugs come back. It is frustrating and it can cost you your yields and all the time and money you have invested in your garden. Plant diseases are much the same story. But there is a rhyme and reason to this dilemma. You just need to learn the timing and lifecycles of these ailments. You need to be proactive. Take precautionary steps. Beat them to the punch. There are many methods to avoid infestation, both procedural and environmental.

Clean the grow area and all plant equipment and systems between crops. Use 10% sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) or 3% hydrogen peroxide or whatever your desired disinfectant might be. Clean and rinse well. This is the best way to avoid common plant disease. Use filters to keep outside bugs and spores out.

Healthy plants are reasonably capable of fending off disease by their own mechanisms, whereas stressed plants become susceptible to all pests and disease. Bugs and disease usually start on one plant. Closely inspect all plants frequently, especially ones which seem to be weak or ailing. Learn where they hide and the telltale signs of damage. If you find a bug act quick to reference information on the remedy. Bugs (and disease) have very definite life cycles. Don’t just spray, do your research. You have to know what, when, and how often to administer treatment. There will be a pattern of applications necessary to stop the infestation. This is the key. Believe me. You’ve got to be smarter than the bug (and that takes some effort!) but you will thank yourself many times over if you learn the fundamentals of proper insect management. Otherwise forget it. You might as well give up now and save yourself all the frustration of failure. Once you have a clean garden you might look into the application of predatory bugs, however this takes a wholly different level of skill and knowledge. There is so much more I want to tell you about this subject but … they don’t pay me enough for that.  Heheh.

#10 Be Observant!

One of the most common mistakes, if you can call it that, is just not paying attention. You need to spend time just looking closely at your plants. Get your nose dirty. Become one with them. You can actually learn to feel what they feel.  And in doing so, you can share in their triumph and trauma. Don’t be afraid to touch the plant. They like it. A healthy plant is not frail. Feel its structure and feel its life force. Look closely at your stem and sun leaves. Look for bugs or mould, injuries or deformities. Look under the leaves and on top and in the internodes. Look everyday at the new growth, the apical meristems and terminal shoots. Look for dry or curled tips, chlorosis or darkening of the stems. They should be growing constantly and look lush and bright green. Rejoice in the splendor of the tiny new leaves unfolding. Use a magnifying glass or microscope at times. Get into it. There is a lot to be learned and gained by simply being observant.

Good luck and happy growing

Harmon Davidson
Green Air Products

Thanks To Urban Garden Magazine for the Article – Original Page Here

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It can be downright frustrating when your garden gets hit with a deficiency. There can be many  elements that are missing from your nutrient solution, and for a myriad of reasons, including micro-biology, temperature fluctuations, over feeding too soon, extreme heat, and more…. I personally have been stumped a few times with plants that were showing deficiencies even when I knew they were getting everything I thought they needed. Your instincts can sometimes be way off, and when you cut back on the nutes because you thought your plants were getting burned you may find your deficiency symptoms getting worse. Often deficiencies can seem like an over fertilization issue, and sometimes an excessively high EC/PPM solution given too early in your flowering stage can lead to burn AND a deficiency, leaving even the most experienced gardeners “stumped” as to how to fix this problem.  A simple answer is to lower your normal feeding program slightly and add some ALG-A-MIC to your nutrients. ALG-A-MIC is a vitality booster made with cold pressed concentrated Norwegian seaweed. Alg-A-Mic can be taken in by the leaves through means of sprayers as well as with water directly to the roots promoting vigorous green growth. Healthy plants are also less likely to suffer from deficiency diseases and temperature fluctuations. Alg-A-Mic may be used in all stages of growth and bloom.

Simon Hart from Grotek takes a detailed look at the all-important flowering phase and deciphers what’s really going on inside those buds and blooms.

In Canada as in the UK we experience seasonal changes and many outdoor growers who get down and dirty outdoors take flowering and fruit development for granted.  It is true that photoperiod change is a major contributor to the success of most crops’ success, and full credit to the sun for helping out!  But science is giving us insight into working with light to supercharge the flowering process together with the supplements we add.

The key question is:  What is going on inside your flower crop, and how can you work with your light source to accelerate the process and achieve the best yield possible?

Although the contents of this article could apply to outdoor growing from the summer solstice through the autumn, most urban gardeners don’t have much outdoor space and have taken their activities indoors.  In an indoor setting the photoperiod is changed manually by adjusting your light timer setting and shortening the length of your light cycle.

There are many options available for flower production and the choice can be quite overwhelming in your local growshop.  First and foremost, look to the shop owner for guidance – but even after you’ve heard their advice you must test what premium products are doing for you, and whether they’re providing the benefits you’re looking for.

Techniques for triggering flowering

When triggering flower development it is important to plan for your plants’ success.  Make sure you are transitioning your fertiliser levels properly to provide your crop with the best opportunity possible.  For example, a quick foliar spray of kelp meal a week before flowering can provide key signals to developing sites increasing cell division, promoting lateral branching and relieving some of the stress associated with initiating blooming.

There is also an emerging group of products based around this transition stage meant to stimulate key reactions within the plant, forcing it to increase flower site development.  By adding these products before flowering and into the initial flowering stage you can achieve a noticeable and positive change in flower development.  I know several people that are now adding these products but are also experimenting with a more gradual photoperiod change.

Outdoors the natural cycle of seasonal change is slow and flowering is induced over several weeks.  Some experienced growers are now toying with their light cycle by adding 7 to 10 days to a plant’s flower cycle and adjusting the light cycle by an hour every couple of days.  Initial results have shown that if you have extra days to play with you can decrease the internodal stretching, keeping your plants a little more compact.  This could be a result of providing your plant the additional time to adapt and change certain chemical reactions during this transitional phase.

Primary Nutrients

Primary nutrients are essential for plant growth and development, especially during the flowering stage where plants are forced to expend a staggering amount of energy.  Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium all play a vital role in this amazing transformation.

Nitrogen

Upon entering the plant most nitrogen will be worked into the chloroplast where it is a key component to the formation of chlorophyll. Although nitrogen is exceptionally important in vegetative growth it is also a key to successful flowering at a lower level.  Nitrogen is essential in the formation of proteins and amino acids which can have serious effects on flower development.

Phosphorous

Develops a larger root system to feed flowers and is involved in the Kreb Cycle and the Calvin Benson cycle, essential for energy production and energy movement within the plant.  No phosphorous = no carbohydrates.

Potassium

Assists with chlorophyll production, starch formation and the movement of those sugars to the flowering sites.

Secondary Nutrients

Secondary Nutrients can be a lynch pin for success, as many nutrient deficiencies during a flowering period are related to the mobility of secondary elements.
Calcium is a backbone for cellular structure, and is very important for heavy flowering plants to reduce weight related stress.  Calcium is immobile once set in the plant so adding calcium throughout flowering is very important.

Magnesium is a co-factor in enzyme reactions and essential to chlorophyll production. It is a key to a flowering plant’s success.

Sulfur works to increase proteins and oil development while building vitamins and amino acids.

Micronutrients

Micronutrients are those elements required by plants in microscopic amounts.  But don’t underestimate their importance!  Many of them play a critical role in developing amino acids and propelling rapid photosynthesis.  Although these compounds are important to flowering I’ll save their discussion for a future article.  All good quality nutrients should be providing all necessary micronutrients.

Co Factor Elements

Co factor elements are a fairly new consideration in high tech flower production.  These elements are not considered essential for plant growth but they have been shown to influence reactions involving other elements, and provide additional benefits to the plants.  There are several elements that have been studied including: Cobalt (Co), Silicone (Si), Nickel (Ni) and Vanadium (V).  There are also ongoing studies on at least 10 other elements, which show some type of benefit to the plant.  There is also the concept of biological transmutation, but again, this is definitely a story for another day!

Synthetic or natural chelates?

Synthetic or natural chelates can be very important for nutrient availability and uptake within the plant.  Chelates form a bond with an element.  This bond or coating helps the molecule become more available to the plant (easier to absorb).  Synthetic chelates are generally used with micro nutrients such as iron and can be seen on the label expressed as EDTA, DPTA and others.  Caution should be used with synthetic chelates which can be phytotoxic at higher levels.  Natural chelates are found in humic acid, fulvic acid and in some forms of amino acids.  Humic and fulvic acid are both derived from leonardite coal which is a type of shale rich in hydrocarbons.  These extractions can seriously affect the rate of growth in plants and can be used in all stages of development.  A good rule of thumb is to use humic in soil and soiless situations which have a more neutral pH and fulvic acid in water culture where pH is generally slightly more acidic.  Fulvic acid is also a must for any foliar spray as it helps with nutrient rich spray being absorbed through the leaves.
Natural chelates are excellent for pumping more nutrition into your plants and stimulating microbial activity in your medium but because they are a carbon based molecule they also effectively add more carbohydrates (sugars) as they cycle through the plant.  Some veteran gardeners even recommend foliar spraying fulvic acid during late flowering on oil producing flowers to increase oil content and also induce a more fragrant aroma.  I’m not sure I endorse foliar spraying plants late in a flowering cycle but the gardener is always right!

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the basis for most life on earth and are the basis for energy in all plants.  Carbohydrates are formed from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.  The photosynthesis reaction uses the sun’s energy to bind the three elements into sugars. Monosaccharides are simple sugar for fast conversion (glucose), while disaccharides are still fairly easy to convert(sucrose).  Polysaccharides are groups of sugars that from more complex bonds such as starches and cellulose.   Adding in carbohydrates during flowering can provide critical energy for your plants to supplement internal production.. As with many other topics discussed in this article this is a vast topic that will need a closer look in future write ups.

Enzymes

Enzymes are created by nearly all living creatures, including plants, using energy reserves from metabolism.  Supplementing with a high quality enzyme can provide a great insurance policy for important crops.  Good quality enzymes can be an expensive purchase and are not for indiscriminant use but under the right circumstances they are worth their weight in gold.  During the flowering cycle the primary function of enzymes would be to “clean up” the medium by decomposing organic waste.  This reduces the likelihood of developing a root based pathogen problem (ex. Pythium).  While keeping your medium clean a quality enzyme supplement will also be breaking down cellulose (polysaccharides) from dead root material, which will decompose into useful carbohydrates (monosaccharides) these will be reabsorbed into your plant providing additional sugar energy during peak flowering.  The three broad groups of enzymes used by plants are cellulose, protease, and amylase which break down cellulose, proteins and starches.

You are at the cutting edge!

The science found in some of the products on the shelf in hobby stores is virtually on the cutting edge of technology.  As an urban gardener it is up to you to test these products in your own garden and determine whether the benefits are worth the price-tag.  Remember that every plant and every situation is different so by testing various products you are working to improve your own success.  Always return the favour to the store owner that offered advice by giving them the feedback from your trials to pass along to other curious gardeners.  Now get back to growing!

Simon Hart is the senior technical advisor for Grotek Manufacturing in Canada.  If you have any questions regarding flowering or anything else garden related you can email Simon at simonh@grotek.net

Thanks to urbangardenmagazine for the article – Original Page Here

Hey guys, hope you had a fantastic weekend and that your garden is thriving at its fullest potential. Taking EC-PPM readings of the water coming in and going out for your plants is a crucial part of getting a perfect, bountiful harvest. TDS meters, and pens, are notoriously inaccurate, and need to be calibrated often to ensure accuracy. Just ask any experienced hydroponic grower and they will tell you, taking for granted that your ppm-EC meter is still calibrated and on point can lead to disaster. The Bluelab Truncheon PPM-EC pen is the most reliable and accurate hand dip wand available. You NEVER need to calibrate it, and mine after 2 years of use still reads 1500 ppm in 1500 reference solution. I strongly suggest this amazing tool for any gardener looking to gain an edge on their numbers.

How do you make your plant nutrient solution? Chances are you pour your nutrients into your reservoir, stir them around and then measure your PPM and PH and adjust accordingly. This is the minimal one should be doing! Check out this great article from Maximum Yield and Bob Taylor. It goes into great detail on how to precisely dose your plants!

Dosing Procedures for Nutrients and Additives

Nutrient performance is far more complex than simply using a quality brand. Although growers typically blame the nutrient for poor plant performance, the failure to follow basic dosing procedures is the cause of many problems.

Step 1.

Volume of nutrient solution: As a guide, allocate at least 2.5 gallons of nutrient solution per large plant (e.g. tomato), or around a ½ gallon for smaller plants (e.g. lettuce).

This is especially important for re-circulating systems because larger nutrient volumes will undergo smaller changes in concentration (EC) and pH. In hot weather, insufficient nutrient volume could result in EC soaring to toxic levels, which could seriously damage your plants. Larger nutrient volumes will also reduce how frequently top-up water is needed.

Step 2.

Dosage rates: The dose rate depends upon your growing medium (soil, expanded clay, etc) and the phase of growth – seedling, vegetative or flowering. Refer to the manufacturer’s dosage chart.

Figure 3.1 A white precipitate forms when the separate ‘parts’ of a two or three part are combined in too little water.

Step 3.

Add the majority of water before adding nutrients and additives: Never mix nutrients and additives together in small amounts of water.

With two and three-part nutrients, the “parts” are kept separate for good reason. When these parts are mixed together in concentrated form (or in too little water), a white precipitate will form – as is often seen in nutrient reservoirs (Figure 3.6b and 3.1).

Step 4.

Thoroughly stir the nutrient: Always stir immediately after adding each nutrient and additive (or even top-up water). This eliminates regions where less soluble nutrient species are concentrated. It also removes regions of extreme pH (either high or low), thereby preventing the destabilization of nutrients that are unstable outside of the pH window of 5.0 to 6.5.
Step 5.

pH control: Do not leave pH unchecked for a long period of time. Quickly add all nutrients and additives then, after thorough mixing, immediately check pH and adjust if necessary. Allowing pH to rise above 6.5 is a common cause of white precipitate in nutrient reservoirs.

Step 6.

Maintaining nutrient concentration: (Does not apply to ‘run-to-waste’ systems). As plants grow they simultaneously remove both water and nutrients from the nutrient solution. This may cause the nutrient strength to either increase or decrease – depending on which is being consumed at the faster rate. Typically the nutrient concentration tends to increase, especially in hot weather because water loss can be excessive due to both plant uptake and evaporation. Therefore, ensure the water level is kept relatively constant. When this is done, the concentration or conductivity (EC) will be relatively predictable. (Concentration will slowly decrease as the plants consume nutrients). Check the EC about every second or third day and if necessary add sufficient nutrient to stay within the target range.

NOTE: High salinity (salty) make-up water may cause EC to increase.

Figure 3.6 This is what can happen when an undiluted, high pH additive is added to the working nutrient solution (see 3.6a). Unless pH is quickly corrected to below 6.0 – 6.5 the precipitate will remain (see 3.6b). A similar result can also be expected when other dosing techniques are not followed.

Step 7.

Further notes:
+ Beware of high pH additives: The best dosing technique to adopt with additives that increase pH significantly (silica, PK additives) is to add them to the water and adjust the pH down to 6.0 prior to adding the nutrient.

The less preferred but simplest alternative is to pre-dilute the additive in a separate volume of raw water. Then once this solution is added to the nutrient solution, quickly lower the pH to below 6.5. Note: A white cloudy precipitate (calcium sulphate) may form where the pre-diluted additive initially merges with the nutrient solution. However, because the initial particle size of the precipitate is small, it will usually re-dissolve if the pH is immediately re-adjusted (Figure 3.6a).

+ Two and three part nutrients: Avoid “roughly measuring” out the nutrient dose – always add the correct amount of each part. In the case of a two part, ‘under’ dosing part ‘B’ for example, could cause a deficiency in over half the nutrients required (i.e. P, K, S and all of the trace elements – except iron).

Happy Aloha Friday gang! Ok, we have had allot of fun this week with videos on off topics, social activism etc… Today we are going to get hardcore and talk about some seriously advanced techniques on how to approach your garden in a highly technical and scientific way. Allot of these things have not been covered in previous blog posts, so I will go slow but I will also include links to help you gain knowledge. These are all things any serious gardener should know.

Water Temperature

One of the most overlooked issues in a garden is the water temperature. Imagine how you like to bathe in water then apply that to your plants. If that water is too cold it can create stress and wilting, if its too hot you have a myriad of other issues that can arise. Also plant nutrients tend to work best at certain ranges. Be aware of how cold or how hot your plant water is. Room temp is always the best bet unless you have a really hot room Ideal temps for hydro is 18 to 27 degrees C. Try experimenting with temperatures and see for yourself the effects. Do some research, the temp. of your water greatly effects the amount of oxygen levels in your water which in turn greatly effects the amount of growth your plant has. Always try and give your plants the correct temperature water and you will see better results.

PPM / EC

If your not already using a PPM or EC measurement device on your plants water, your only guessing that you have dosed your water with the necessary amount of food. PPM stands for “parts per million” and it is a way to determine the amount of dissolved solids in a solution. EC stands for “electro conductivity” and it measures the amount of electric current the solution is capable of carrying. Both of these standards can tell you a tremendous amount about your plants and the water your feeding them. PPM is great for knowing how much nutrient is available in your solution for the plants, in general We recommend to everyone to keep your ppm below 1000ppm unless you have learned how to give your plants more then that. The EC can tell you how much nutrient is available in a solution too, but more importantly, the EC tells you something much more valuable. The EC of the water AFTER you water your plants is the telltale variable for success. If the EC of your water goes down after you water your plants, then the plants are absorbing nutrient from the solution, if the EC goes up, then you know that you are giving your plants too much food. Remember EC is measuring the amount of electricity capable of being carried in the water, the higher that number is the more nutrients are available in your water, so if the EC is fluctuating, then your know you have metabolic response occurring in your plants. A sure sign of trouble is an EC that continues to get higher and higher after each watering. The great thing about this technique is you can diagnose a serious nutrient issue and resolve it before its a problem, and it makes determining if you have nutrient burn or a deficiency an easy task. STOP GUESSING !! How many times have you just guessed at what your plants problems were and ended up overdosing or under dosing your plants?

Understanding whats going on with your plants is so crucial and so overlooked by most gardeners. So many people are happy as long as their plants are not dead and as long as they get “something”. This is fear based gardening and unfortunately too many of us suffer from it. Your afraid to give more food, in case it will burn them, and you don’t want to back off the food, because you don’t want yellowing or worse. Even EC and PPM can’t tell you everything. There are several other factors to examine in your quest to be a scientist in your garden. Take it to the next level and try everything availible to you today to make your plants better!

PH – Potential of Hydrogen

I’m sure you all know about PH, it is the amount of acid or alkalinity in your water. That is the amount of acid ( lower PH levels 5.7 – 2.0 ) and the amount of Base ( higher PH levels 6.0 – 9.0 ) your water contains. PH is super important as I’m sure you guys all know, but if your constantly adjusting your waters PH with up and down solution, you are setting yourself up for slippery slope. Ideal PH ranges in general for both hydro and soil applications are around 5.7 – 7.0. Most nutrient companies these days have buffered their food to work within a broad range of PH ranges and adding up and/or down to correct levels actually makes elements in the solution “drop out” leading to a myriad of other potential problems. Always try to resolve your PH issues with either adding more water to raise your PH or adding more nutrient to lower it. I watch people come into the store and buy bottle after bottle of PH up and down and then come in later and ask why did my crop fail? I’m not saying that you should never adjust your PH, I’m just saying avoid constantly adjusting it and when in doubt, don’t over use any chemical, restart fresh and get it right with the least amount of everything. Seriously fluctuating PH levels after watering is another sure sign of trouble down the way. You want your water to be as PH stable as possible, and by using less of everything, you will achieve this.

Now sure, PPM / EC and PH readings are all more advanced horticultural techniques, and if you have never been aware of these things then you have just received a nice amount of valuable knowledge. However, I would like to take this Aloha Friday post even further. Get ready to learn how to really understand whats going on with your plants.

Brix / Refractometers

How can you tell if a plant is truly growing to its full potential other then watching it turn green and form fruit or flowers? The answer is with a refractometer. This is a device that allows one to measure the amount of sugars in a given plant. You take a daily measure of your plants brix levels and if the sugar levels are going up then you know your plants are turning light into sugars and then into fruit, flowers or leaf. If your plant is not increasing in sugar production, then you know your need to make some adjustments. Wine and other fruit farmers use brix refractometers to measure the exact amount of sugars before a harvest, allowing them to get there product to market with the perfect amount of sweetness, not too much not too little. You too can control your harvests to this high degree of refinement. Even with crops that are concerned with essential oil and fragrance etc.. Everyone interested in growing better plants will benefit from a refractometer. I personally suggest this traditional handheld refractometer. We will have these available at our stores soon.

Basically guys, the more you educate yourself and use these tools, the better your harvests will be, both in quality and quantity. Have a fantastic weekend and try to apply some of these techniques in your garden and take it to new heights! ALOHA