| |
 |
Browse by Category |
 |
| | |
| |
 |
Browse by Brand |
 |
| | |
| |  | |  |
| |  |
|
 |
| | | Home»Know your nutrients - II |
| |  |
|
 |
| | Know your nutrients - II
It is important to note that your plants will begin to show signs of nutrient deficiency even though they will have an excess if the nutrient EC reaches 3,000 PPM (or the meter reads over 4.0mS). Basically it is because the chemicals dissolved in the solution are competing for the available water and the stronger ones are blocking out some of the weaker ones. Thus the roots work harder to absorb the nutrient. By working harder they have to spend more energy at the expense of growth. If at this time the temperature rises and the water level drops, due to evaporation, your plants will, very probably, die.
Probably pH is the most important factor that will affect your plant growth in relation to nutrient uptake. Different types of plant prefer different pH values and it is important to ascertain which the optimum for the species you are growing is. The medium in which you are growing will affect the cation exchange capacity of the plant. Normal soil has a high cation exchange rate (CEC) of between 100 and 200 equivalent units. A number of growing mediums and of course water cultures have a CEC of 0. This means that once a nutrient has passed the roots it cannot be taken up by the plant, and neither will it have any buffering effect. The water, the nutrients, the gasses, the trace elements and the growing medium all have differing electrical charges and are all exchanging positive and negative charges around the roots of the plant. This ionic battle enables the roots to absorb the nutrients it needs to sustain the plant. If the pH is incorrect it stops the particle exchange because the shapes and sizes of the charged particles will be different from the spaces available. The pH can be looked at a bit like a Yale lock and key. If all is correct the lock opens if the plant pH and the surrounding pH differ then the lock cannot open.
If your plants are not thriving look at the pH as the primary cause and try to work out which of the nutrients is not being absorbed and why.
The nutrients have different charges and so in order to get the greatest nutrient uptake the pH must be closely monitored. If in doubt about the requirements of your plant try asking the manufacturer of your nutrients for help. After all he made the mix in the first place and so should know all there is to know about it.
|
|
|
|
|
