Hydroponic Nutrients

The nutrients are a basic fundamental element of the Hydroponic system, without them the plants will simply die. In order for a fertilizer to be incorporated into a hydroponic system it must be soluble in water. They need to completely dissolve in the water because the plants cannot uptake a solid. Plants receive their nutrients by drinking up water and whatever nutrients are in it, in solid form the plant cannot absorb them through the roots.

The nutrient solution is the only source of nutrition for the plants in a Hydroponic system. This makes it passable for the grower to have complete control over the implementation of fertilizer, with regards to the type and concentration of them that is available to the plants. With experience this control over plant nutrition can produce much larger and more productive crops.

With Hydroponic gardening the grower also has the ability to immediately monitor and maintain a relative consistency (provided a nutrient meter is available). Though most backyard Hydroponic gardeners simply just change the nutrients often enough to ensure the right balance of elements is being supplied to the plants.

Even though a proper balance of elements is needed to be maintain healthy plants, there is some room for adjustments. If doing this, it is important for the grower to know what you are supplying plants with and what can go wrong.

With any nutrient solution there are some things to keep in mind. First, the composition of your nutrient – does it contain all of the elements required for plant growth in the correct ratios? Most home hydroponic gardeners use pre-formulated commercial nutrient and don't need to worry about this.

Then with your balanced and complete nutrient solution, you will want to know at what strength (EC or ppm) should it be running for your particular crop, the stage of growth it is in and for the type of hydroponic system you are using. With experience these things will become second nature and can even be fun to experiment with.

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