What is pH and how does it apply to hydroponic growing?
pH is a term used to describe the measurement of how alkaline or acidic something is. In the case of hydroponic gardening, it means how acidic or alkaline the nutrient solution or growing medium is. Plant nutrient uptake is what nutrients the plant takes up. How much plants take up is dependent on the solution being within a certain pH range. Most pH ranges are often around 5.5 to 6.2. Hydroponic nutrients developed for the hobbiest are pH buffered for excellent nutrient uptake over a wide pH range, so exact pH control is not critical. However, your plants will grow faster and be healthier if you keep your solution’s pH close to the recommended range, 5.5 to 6.2. With some nutrients, you will find that your pH range is automatically where it needs to be with no adjustment necessary. If you discover you need to adjust the pH of your nutrient solution, you may do so by adding a few drops of pH up or down, then re-testing to make sure the adjustment is complete. Remember, pH adjustment so
