For the nutrient solution, it’s all about ppm. We know you’re all dying of curiosity: what is ppm?

What Is PPM?

Good question! It stands for “parts per million” and it’s a unit of measure for the concentration of one substance dissolved in another substance – like the concentration of salt in the ocean. One ppm is one part by weight of a mineral in one million parts of solution. Here’s how it works: the concentration of salt in the ocean is 35,000 ppm by weight. So if you have 1 million tons of seawater, salt accounts for 35,000 tons of that weight.

What Does This Have To Do With My Grow?

Now that we’ve recapped the technical definition of ppm, it’s time to put it to use.

The whole point of hydroponics is growing plants with a nutrient solution rather than in mineral soil. Unfortunately, water does not come out of the tap pre-loaded with the right nutrients. So, we add  nutrient concentrates to the water to make sure we’re giving our plants what they crave (which is not Brawndo, although plants do need electrolytes). These nutrients are necessary for the creation of plant cells and management of plant metabolism – water and light alone just don’t do the trick.

There are several types of essential elements that plants need to grow, which are split into two categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are nutrients that plants need in larger quantities and include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. Micronutrients are needed in smaller amounts but are still important for plant growth, and include elements like boron, manganese, iron, zinc, and copper. Plants that are grown in mineral soil are able to pull some elements from the earth directly, but in hydroponics all the essential nutrients need to be added to water in order for plants to thrive.

Without those nutrients, plants can’t grow. But if that’s what plants need, can we just dunk them into a nutrient concentrate  and sit back while they turn into Jack’s beanstalk? Nope! While that kind of fairy tale would probably be hilarious, it’s not gonna happen. Too low of a nutrient solution concentration, and plants may run into nutrient deficiencies and poor growth. Too high a concentration of nutrients is just as bad as too low. Some types of nutrients can actually cause toxic effects when too much is available to plants in a nutrient solution.  And for the record, if someone hands you magic beans, those probably also need the right concentration of nutrients to grow.

How do you get the right concentration? Start by figuring out what your plants need. That’s right – get on the Google (we know that’s your favorite thing) and get a sense of what types and concentrations of nutrients are best for your grow. Young, tender plants need lower amounts of nutrients while more mature plants need greater amounts. Generally speaking, leafy vegetative types of plants like lettuce and herbs need a lower concentration of nutrients compared to fruiting or flowering plants like tomatoes and peppers.

Once you get a feel for what your plants need, find a nutrient program that fits . Now, let’s talk about how to measure the concentration of your nutrient solution. That’s where a TDS meter and ppm comes into play.

Put A TDS Meter On Your Shopping List

A TDS (total dissolved solids) meter will give you a measurement of the concentration of total nutrients, measured in ppm. Most TDS meters work by measuring the electrical conductivity (EC) of the nutrient solution. The conductivity of water increases as salts and minerals (aka nutrients) are added. So, the higher the nutrient concentration, the higher the EC. Seawater, for example, conducts electricity better than freshwater (if for some reason you need to choose between those two during a thunderstorm, in which case we wish you the best of luck and we thank you for your contribution to science). EC is measured in  milliSiemens per centimeter, for the record.

A TDS meter converts mS/cm to ppm for you, which saves you calculator time. There are also EC meters that measure just in mS/cm and combo TDS/EC meters that do both ppm and mS/cm. So many choices! Depending on your nutrient program, it may reference a target concentration in either ppm, EC, or both. So (obviously), choose a meter that meets your needs.

Before you even think of using your new TDS or EC meter, it needs to be calibrated with standard reference solutions – like zero-ing out a scale in order to make sure you’re getting an accurate weight. Different models may require different standards, so make sure you’re getting the right ones. A meter is only as good as its calibration – you can’t trust the numbers from a non-calibrated meter. That’s a waste of time and a threat to your plants, so don’t skip this step! There are no shortcuts in science, folks.

Once you have your fancy new meter calibrated, you’re ready to start using it. Go ahead and test your nutrient solution. Now, compare that measurement with the target concentration you found when you were doing your homework about what your plants need. Too high? Add some more water. Too low? Add some more nutrients. Rinse and repeat until you hit the Goldilocks zone. By the way, you should always stir your nutrient solution when you measure it – those minerals may sink to the bottom or rise to the top and give you a goofy measurement.

For the record, this is also a good time to check your pH and make sure that it’s in the right range. The pH of the nutrient solution will impact what nutrients are available to the plant. So even if the concentration is spot-on, the wrong pH may mean your plant can’t absorb some of those nutrients. For most plants, a nutrient solution pH of 5.5 to 6.5 is recommended and can be measured with a pH meter.

Black Magic Takes Science (So Quit Complaining)

If you’re going to go to the trouble of managing a grow, you might as well do it right! Give your plants the healthy diet they need so that your grow is as happy and healthy as possible. And if that means getting a little technical, it’s totally worth it! Besides, science is totally in right now.

It’s not likely that they will need to do these conversions

I included it as part of the general primer on the idea, but we can cut it or cut it down. Maybe just “Heads up – you may occasionally run into something measured in ppb (parts per billion) or ppt (parts per thousand). It’s the same idea and you can pull up a calculator online to do the conversions.”

The post Grab Your Lab Coats: What Is PPM? appeared first on Black Magic.

So are we all on board with science-ing up our hydroponic gardens? Cool. Let’s start with the basics (and the acids): the pH scale.

How Does Hydroponics Work?

To understand what on earth the pH scale has to do with hydro, you need to know some of the fundamentals of hydroponics and plant growth. For those of you that are new to the game, let’s start with a quick refresher.  (You should totally still read this section because knowing is half the battle, but we won’t hold it against you if you skip on down to the next one.)

Even the newbies probably know that hydroponics is the process of growing plants in a liquid nutrient solution. Some hydro systems use just the nutrient solution and others use a growing medium like potting soil or coco coir to support the roots of the plants and provide a buffer.

Which brings us to the plants. That’s why we’re all here. If you are not here for plants, please feel free to keep reading and gain some knowledge but consider yourself warned as far as the topic goes. We don’t want you to keep reading hoping to learn about the latest skin care trend and be disappointed because you are in the wrong place. Anyway, all plants need a few basic things to get growing: light, water, a support to keep them upright, and a source of nutrients. In addition to those simple ingredients, plants need the right environment. Cacti like things dry and sunny, orchids like things more humid with lots of air flow… you get the idea. One of the conditions that can seriously affect a plant is pH. That could be the pH of soil or, in the case of hydroponics, a nutrient solution or a combination of a nutrient solution and a growing medium.

What The Hell Is The pH Scale?

If you were paying attention in high school chemistry (we don’t hold it against you if you weren’t), you may have some recollection of what exactly the pH scale is. Most simply, it’s a way to measure how acidic or basic (also known as alkaline) something is. The pH scale runs from 0 to 14; everything under 7 is acidic and everything over 7 is basic. A 7 is neutral – like pure water. A 0 is basically Xenomorph blood and a 14 is a skinny soy latte pre-ordered on a pink iPhone by someone wearing Ugg boots. If you want (boring) real-world examples, hydrochloric acid is a 0 and sodium hydroxide (also known as lye, a crucial ingredient for making Fight Club-style soap) is a 14.

For an extra science-y explanation about how pH is determined by the concentration of hydrogen ions, Google “pH scale.”

So Why Do We Care?

So, you wouldn’t want to stick your hand in a bucket of Xenomorph blood (Is there a bucket that could hold it? Someone should check with Ridley Scott.) or a bucket of lye. Plants feel the same way – if their environment is too acidic or too basic, they just can’t survive. Most importantly, the pH level determines whether the plants can absorb nutrients in the soil or liquid nutrient solution. Plants can only absorb nutrients that are in solution and in a usable form to the plant. We’re back to that damn high school chem class – that means the nutrients are absorbed in water. It the environment has the wrong pH, some macronutrients (like NPK) won’t dissolve (it’s that whole hydrogen ion thing we told you to Google) and aren’t available to the plant. In other words, the wrong pH can basically starve your garden to death and that is obviously a bad thing. On the flip side, having too low or too high of a pH can make some micronutrients more available to the plant, meaning toxic levels – also a bad thing.

Not all plants are the same – different types like different soil or nutrient liquid pHs. Whatever you’re growing, do some research into what pH is best for that particular plant. For most types of plants, a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5 is the sweet spot. Broccoli, for example, grows best at a pH between 6 and 7. On the other hand, green velvet boxwood (which we know you are all growing) is good to go up to a pH of around 8.

TL;DR; — Wrong pH = starving, sad, low-yield plants. Bad news.

Ok, You’ve Convinced Us, What Do We Do About It?

Glad you asked! Obviously, managing the pH of your hydro system is crucial to the success of your plants. That means you’re going to need a way to measure it. A pH meter is a good option – it’s like a thermometer for the pH scale. We recommend a handheld meter that measures both pH and EC (a Science topic for another day). The sophistication of the meter is going to vary with the price, so shop around and decide what fits your needs. Also super important: make sure you also get pH standards (usually pH of 4, 7, and 10), so you can calibrate it for accuracy. You know what they say – for good plant vibrations, do the calibrations!

Now, do some research and figure out what pH range you’re aiming for. Does your nutrient solution fall within that range? If not, don’t panic – there are ways to bump your pH level back into the sweet spot. The easiest way is to simply use a hydroponic pH balancer . Those are additives that are formulated to gently ease your nutrient solution up or down the pH scale to your plants’ happy place. See? Science is awesome. Especially when it’s mixed with a little Black Magic.

The post The pH Scale – Science Meets Black Magic appeared first on Black Magic.

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