Tag: safe gardening

Choose Forgiving Nutrients in a New Hydroponic System

When you buy a new hydroponic system or build your own, you have to be careful and observant the first time you use it.  Since you are not familiar with how your plants will grow in your new system you have to be extra careful to make sure you do not push them too hard.  Many things come into play when trying to figure out how much to feed your plants.  The first season you have with your system will most likely be the worst one.  Once you get a feel for your system you realize where you can make adjustments.  The next season will be much better because you already know what to expect.  Nutrient burns and salt lock ups are very common mistakes made by new indoor gardeners trying to push their plants too hard before finding out what they are actually using.  In my opinion, it is safer to diminish your overall harvest weight for the sake of quality.  If you cut back on the feeding regimen before there is salt lock up or over fertilization, you will end up with a better quality food product.

You should always stay on the light side of a nutrient solution when using a hydroponic system for the first time.  To dilute your solution you just add plain water.  Use hydroponic fertilizers that are water soluble so the nutrients will soak into the water in your reservoir.  When oxygen is being delivered to the reservoir you will get much better results with your nutrients.  The aerated nutrient delivery is a much more efficient way to feed plants over traditional watering practices.  Usually OMRI listed nutrients are safer and more forgiving.  If you have questions about a specific bottle just ask the person working at the hydroponics shop.  They will be more than happy to show you which nutrients are more forgiving.  I suggest using only half what the bottle recommends for the first run.  When you start to see signs of over fertilization you know your solution is too strong.  If your plants are showing signs of nutrient deficiencies you may need to strengthen your nutrient solution. PH and Electrical Conductivity (EC) meters can help keep you in the safe range, but they are not always necessary if you can’t afford them.  Of course there is much much more to nutrient solutions, but it cannot be covered in one post.  These guidelines will help you stay out of trouble and keep your plants healthy until you fully understand YOUR hydroponic system.

Confusion about Food Grade Plastics

Food grade plastics should be a minimum requirement in all hydroponic systems. When designing a home hydroponics set up or buying one from the local hydro shop, check the labels and do your research. If you don’t demand food grade plastics you could be digesting harmful chemicals and toxins with every harvest. It may also be beneficial to your plants to use food grade plastics so they don’t absorb deadly contaminants.

I use plastics with a Number 2 or Number 5 on them for the parts in my own hydroponic setup. Reservoirs, flood trays in a recirculating system, and plant containers are all possible examples of things that require these type of plastics. To find out if your drip lines, water pumps, and emitters are food grade plastic you may have to contact the manufacture. If you are unsure of a product’s quality I would stay away from it until you can do further research. High grade food plastics can also have an FDA approval which should be easy to research.

Remember: Always check the quality of the plastics you are using and double check their qualifications. To clarify the information here I have provided a link to The Daily Green which has an outstanding explanation of the 7 types of plastics.