Fertilizer vs. Hydroponic Nutrients In order to begin a discussion on hydroponic nutrients, it’s important to first distinguish the difference between the terms fertilizer and hydroponic nutrient. Fertilizer is intended to feed the microorganisms in the soil, such as...
A quick answer to why we should use EC instead of TDS The debate over EC and TDS has been an ongoing issue for a long time. These two measurements are used to determine the strength of hydroponic solution. Although they are widely used they should only be used as a...
Many people believe that organic produce does not contain pesticides, which is a common misconception. In order to become certified organic, 95% of the chemicals a farm uses must be certified organic. This means that 5% of the pesticides, fertilizer, or herbicides...
Nutrients play an important role in many plant processes. Nitrogen, for example, is a component of both amino acids (the building blocks of protein) and chlorophyll (the green pigment present in all plants). Phosphorous is essential to the formation of a plant’s DNA...
Welcome back! Let’s keep discussing the different categories of hydroponics. If you haven’t read our Foundation of Hydroponics article, check it out first, then meet back here. Just to recap, the first category that is used to classify hydroponic systems is called...
There are a few different ways to classify hydroponic systems, and one way is to determine where in the world the nutrients come from. The category, “Nutrient Derivations” includes three sources of nutrients that may be used in a hydroponic system: Hydroponic,...