Selection of nutrient solutions – Hydroponics

Selection of nutrient solutions

The composition of the nutrient solution is extremely important when growing a plant on artificial substrates. When choosing a nutrient solution, you must adhere to the following principles:

  1. The nutrient solution must contain all those nutrients necessary for plant growth, without which plants cannot develop normally (macro- and microelements).
  2. The ratio of nutrients for the preparation of a nutrient solution is selected according to the actual content of salts in plant ash and the rate of their absorption from the solution at different periods of plant life.
  3. It is important to choose not only the ratio of nutrients, but also the total concentration of the solution. It should be high enough and at the same time not toxic to plants.
  4. It is necessary to select such mixtures of salts in which there would be no sharp difference in the absorption of cations and anions, otherwise strong acidification or alkalinization of the solution may occur.
  5. Salts containing essential plant nutrients should be selected with particular care, since some accompanying cations and anions (for example, Na+ и Cl) adversely affect the growth and development of plants in large quantities.
  6. When preparing nutrient solutions, the quality of the water used must also be taken into account.
  7. The optimal ratio of nutrients and concentration of the solution may depend on the season, weather, etc.

 

Applications of organic additives

An “organic” nutrient, by its very nature, cannot be directly absorbed by the plant, and they are often slightly water soluble. Organic nutrients must be processed by bacteria and only then will they take on a form that can be absorbed by plants. The introduction of organic additives and bacteria to process them into hydroponic systems has created the science of bioponics.

Hydroponic nutrients must completely dissolve and remain in solution. Our recommendation is to use organic nutrients in soil where bacteria are available and time to process.

 

 

Literature

  1. Growing plants without soil / V.A. Chesnokov, E.N.Bazyrina, T.M. Bushueva and N.L. Ilinskaya – Leningrad: Leningrad University Publishing House, 1960. – 170 p.

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Anna Evans

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