Nutrient management can be a hard task to master however once you are dialed in; you will reap the benefits of enhanced plant growth, higher yields, and higher overall crop quality.   It is all bout understanding your equipment and your grow room environment.  It all starts with the water.  You need to know what is in your water.  Water with high levels of conductivity, or high salt levels, is not ideal for hydroponic cultivation.  It is important to constantly check your water source with a dissolved solids meter, also called an electrical conductivity (EC) or parts per million (ppm) meter.  By doing this you will be able to tell if your water source is consistent.  Consistency and keeping all grow factors in proper balance is key in an indoor grow environment.

Your nutrient solution temperature should remain in the 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.  Also it is good to remember that plants roots evolved in soil where soil temperatures are slow to change.  With this in mind, extreme changes in temperature in the root zone can cause shock or invite root disease.  The next topic for maximizing your nutrient environment is maintaining your nutrient solution’s pH between 5.5 and 6.8.  You want to adjust your pH to remain in this range, checking it periodically.  But there is fine line that you don’t want to cross, maintaining a perfect balance of 6.2 can actually do damage.  A fluctuating pH is common and this just means that your plants are absorbing the nutrients from your solution.

Another important aspect in nutrient management is changing your nutrient solution.  The common question is when do you change the solution, but there isn’t a common answer.  When you top off your reservoir you should make note of how much water was added.  Top off the reservoir as needed and make sure you make a note as to how much water you are adding each time.  Once the amount of water added equals the total reservoir volume, it is time to drain and replace the nutrient solution.

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