Plants in Soil
Plants in Hydroponics
Plants in Soil
Plants growing in soil are actually growing in “dirt”. The dirt contains some of the vital
minerals necessary to sustain plant life. It also contains bad bacteria, harmful
pathogens and aggressive insects.
To successfully grow plants in soil the farmer must do the following:
Cultivate either with carabao tractor
Poison weeds inherent in the soil
Irrigate
Fertilize with harmful chemicals
Employ labor to cultivate the plants
Combat Flood or Drought
Combat insects and viruses
Fertilizing without irrigation or rain will be to no effect and the plants will die.
When fertilizers are applied to plants in soil, 70% of the fertilizers leach out and away
from the plants. The leached-out fertilizers simply feed the weeds that the farmer
then has to employ people and herbicides to eradicate.
Without conducting a soil analysis at a competent soil-testing laboratory, the farmer 
has no way of knowing which minerals, both NPK and trace elements are lacking. His alternative is to “hit” the plants with an “all-purpose” fertilizer (20-20-20) and hope
that the plants will grow. This is really hit-and-miss farming and the results can be seen when examining the produce in the wet-markets. Poor quality, shriveled, insect
eaten vegetables at high prices are the result of this type of culture.
Plants in Hydroponics
Plants cultured in Hydroponics are grown without soil and all of its intrinsic
bad effects, therefore there is;
NO cultivation either with carabao or tractor
NO weeds to poison
NO need to irrigate as Irrigation is permanent & computer controlled
NO chemicals as the fertilizers are “pure minerals”
(the truest form of organics)
NO need to employ labor to cultivate the plants
NO seasons
NO flood or drought
NO insects and viruses
Hydroponics fertilizers are composed of fifteen naturally occurring minerals.
These are divided in two distinct categories, (i) Macro Elements, (ii) Micro Elements
often referred to as “trace elements.
Nutrients in General:
For the healthy development of a plant a number of nutrients are indispensable. The
following elements are necessary: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus,
sulphur, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, zinc,
molybdenum, borium and chlorine. Carbon is being absorbed through carbon
dioxide. (In carbon dioxide one particle of carbon is attached to two particles of
oxygen). Hydrogen and oxygen are mainly absorbed by means of water. (In water
two particles of hydrogen are attached to 1 particle of oxygen).
NITROGEN (N)
Nitrogen together with phosphorus and potassium are the main ingredients in normal
fertilizers. All proteins, also the ones in the plant, contain nitrogen. All enzymes
(these are matters that regulate the character and speed of the chemical reactions in
the plant) are proteins. Especially chlorophyl with which the plant produces sugars
(with the help of light, water and carbon dioxide) contain many proteins and therefore
a lot of nitrogen. From the previous you might understand why nitrogen is such an
important nutrient for the plant. When a plant receives too little it is first shown by the
color. Because so much nitrogen is needed to make chlorophyl, a shortage will be
noticed here first. The plant will become very light green. This fading starts first with
the older leaves. BUT: when there is insufficient light it is of no use for the plant to
make chlorophyl that also gives this light green color. When this is the cause
however, the leaves also tend to "reach out for the light" in their shape. With a
nitrogen shortage you don't see this. Also with a nitrogen shortage the plant becomes
more susceptible to mycosis. With too much nitrogen the opposite will happen. The
plant becomes unnaturally dark green and the growth stagnates.
PHOSPHORUS (P)
Just like nitrogen, phosphorus is important for protein chemistry of the plant,
especially in the regulation processes. A shortage of it is expressed as slow growth
and sometimes a purple coloring of the whole leaf. The chance of a phosphorus
shortage is small with the right nutrition. An excess is more likely to occur, especially
with substrate cultivation, because phosphorus can accumulate in the root
environment. When this happens the plant can't absorb enough zinc so the
symptoms are similar as with a lack of zinc. (see Zn).
POTASSIUM (K)
This nutrient is especially important in the humidity regulation. With a potassium
deficiency, symptoms of burning occur. With too much potassium there will be a
shortage of calcium and magnesium. (see Ca and Mg). During the flower period the
plant requires more potassium.
MAGNESIUM (Mg)
Magnesium is necessary for the production of chlorophyl. With a deficiency the plant
will yellow between the veins, initially in the older (strange enough not in the very
oldest) leaves. Too much would make the growth stagnate, but this is rarely the case
with proper cultivation methods.
This nutrient is "built-in" the cell walls and membranes of the plant cells. A shortage
might occur in the leaves when the relative humidity is too high (and they cannot
evaporate enough water), and with a potassium overdose. With a lack of calcium, the
young leaves and new buds die. The plant also becomes very susceptible to
mycosis. If the calcium deficiency is being caused by a too high humidity, the entire
crop can be ruined in no time through molding.
The plant uses sulphur to build up proteins. Overdoses or deficiency are unknown in
practice.
The plant uses iron in its enzymes. When growing on soil, both overdose and
deficiencies are unknown. When growing in hydroponics however, an iron deficiency
might occur as a consequence of a too high pH.
An iron deficiency is easily recognized by the chlorosis of leaf tissue on the growing
shoots. Leaves in the shoots have a network of green veins that stand out among the
yellow or white tissue between the veins.
The plant also uses this in its enzymes. Deficiencies and overdoses are both
unknown when growing on soil. A lack might occur when growing in hydroponics
because of a too high pH. This is soon recognized by a yellowing between the veins
of the new leaves.
Copper deficiencies are extremely rare. Be careful not to confuse this deficiency with
the symptoms of over-fertilization.
ZINC (Zn)
Zinc is also used in the enzymes. A zinc deficiency is usually the result of an
overdose of phosphorus. The symptoms are chlorosis of tissue between the veins of
top shoots starting at the base of the leaf. A radial or horizontal twisting of the leaf
blades in the growing shoots is a sure indication.
The plant needs boron to transport sugars. When there is a deficiency symptoms first
appear on the growing shoots that turn brown or grey and die. The shoots may look
burnt. A good indication of B deficiency is that after the top shoot dies, actively
growing side shoots start to grow but die also.
This nutrient is needed for a few important enzymes in the plant that play a role in the
manufacture of nitrogen.
Advance Hydroponics formulates the nutrients specifically for plants.
pH
The pH is a measure of the acidity or the alkalinity of the solution. Normally the pH
ranges from 0 to 14. A low pH (lower than 7) means that a solution is acidic. Pure
water has a pH of around 7 which is neutral. Higher than 7 is called alkaline. Acidic
solutions can be neutralized with alkaline solutions and vice versa. Too acidic is fatal
for any plant and so is too alkaline. One of the causes is that the nutrients change
into a non-absorbable form when the pH becomes too high or low.
The pH of the nutrient solution should be checked regularly with a pH meter.
pH too high: lower it with
Nitric acid (during the growth period)
Phosphoric acid (during the flowering period)
pH too low: increase it with
an alkaline solution (during the whole period)
ELECTRO CONDUCTIVITY
The EC is for many people just as the pH values - a twilight zone, although it is not
that complicated. EC stands for Electro Conductivity and is measured in ms;
conductivity of electricity in a liquid occurs through conductive particles. The nutrients
(elements) that are necessary for your plants become negatively and positively
charged particles as soon as they dissolve. The more of these particles present, the
better electricity is conducted, the higher the EC. Therefore the EC is a measure of
the amount of nutrient present in a solution
A too high EC will produce a too high osmotic pressure around the roots. Osmosis?
A liquid moves, according to physics, in the direction of the strongest solution. If the
solution outside the plant is stronger than inside, then the plant empties itself (simply
said). This emptying of the plant can be noticed in practice as a so called burning of
the leaves. (When leaf blades curl down they are trying to conserve water).
Generally plants require an EC reading between 5.8 and 6.0
EC & pH METERS
The digital meters used for reading the EC and pH of a nutrient solution are available
from Advance Hydroponics. These meters are most necessary for controlling mineral
levels in the nutrient solution and the acidity of the water.
