Can I solve my water quality problems by changing cultural and water management practices?
Increasing the amount of extra water applied to the containers (leaching fraction) will reduce buildup in the media, although it wastes more water. When salts start to build up in the substrate, applying plain water to the containers will help remove accumulated salt, if the irrigation water itself is not too salty. In some cases, running the irrigation system once weekly without injecting any fertilizer will also reduce salt buildup. Seedlings are more sensitive to high EC than established plants, so purchasing transplants or using municipal water or RO water when establishing plants may also be a useful practice. Reducing the amount of added fertilizers, especially calcium and magnesium, if these are already high in the irrigation water, will also reduce alkalinity and EC problems. If micronutrients are high in the irrigation water, be especially careful about adding any additional micronutrients to avoid toxicities. If pH is too high, acidity-forming fertilizers, such as ammonium ni
