When growing your own foods in an indoor hydroponic garden, it is important to maximize the effectiveness of your nutrients.  The water that you use for your reservoir of nutrients is one of the main sources of problems for pH and conductivity variation.

Another potential problem when growing hydroponically is that the popular growing mediums, such as rockwool and gravel, can be very high in pH causing your nutrient pH to rise to detrimental levels.  Coconut fiber or coir, another popular medium for growing hydroponically, is typically high in sodium levels due to the close proximity of coconut trees to the ocean.  One of the main ways to prevent this from happening is to use a reverse osmosis filter.  This will rid the water of any salts.

Hydroponics is susceptible to a variety of diseases when things go wrong.  With the regards to the nutrient solution, if it gets too warm it’s ability to hold dissolved oxygen is reduced drastically.  This creates an invitation for many diseases to be born in a hydroponic garden.

If you do find a plant that is infected with some type of pathogen or disease, it is important to remove it from the garden as quickly as possible.  It is much better to lose a plant or two than loosing your whole crop.  If a diseased plant is found it is important to flush the nutrient system with a flushing solution.  Good flushing solutions will leach the mediums of any undesired salts as well as clean your hydroponic system.

Article by, Brett McCormick, co-founder of Good Green Builders.  Good Green Builders is a hydroponic grow room contractor in Oakland, Ca.  For a free consultation call today, (415) 246-8055.

Source: UrbanGardenMagazine.com