Jun 10
22
Water quality is very important in hydroponics. Ideally, distilled water should be used as a hydroponic base, but obtaining adequate quantities of such water is usually impractical or economically unfeasible. If well water or city water is used, a water analysis should be performed by your local municipal water company or by a private lab. If city water is used, sodium chloride levels should not exceed 50 parts per million. Filtering systems, such as reverse osmosis systems, can significantly improve the quality of either city or well water.
If “hard water” is used, make sure that bicarbonate levels (HCO3-) don’t get too high. As bicarbonate levels increase, so does pH. pH (potential hydrogen) is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. If pH is too high, certain elements, such as iron, become unavailable to the plant. Phosphoric acid can be used to reduce the pH of hard water, but too much phosphorous can also be detrimental to plants, hindering the availability of other essential elements, such as zinc. Nitric acid can be used as a substitute for phosphoric acid, but it is more hazardous to handle.
