Technical Reference

In hydroponic growing, nutrients are primarily supplied to plant roots through the nutrient solution. Managing that solution means understanding three key parameters: pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature.

Continuous hydroponic nutrient monitoring is challenging because a nutrient solution is constantly changing. Plants take up water and nutrients at different rates, pH can rise or fall, EC can become more or less concentrated, and source water and environmental conditions can influence your readings.

To accurately measure pH in a hydroponic nutrient solution, you can use pH test strips, a liquid test kit or a digital pH meter. For growers who need precise, repeatable readings, a digital pH meter provides a numerical result and makes it easier to track small changes over time.

Unstable pH readings can happen for two main reasons: the pH of your nutrient solution is genuinely changing, or your pH probe is not producing a reliable measurement.