pH, EC, nutrient mixes, and water quality. The beginner-friendly guides that actually work.
Nutrients and water are where most small setups go wrong, and they are also the easiest part to get right once you know the three things to watch. New to hydroponics altogether? The Start Here page lays out the whole path.
Read these first
Beginner nutrients guideWhat to buy, how to mix it and a simple feeding schedule for a jar or a small tank.
EC and nutrient strengthThe one number that tells you whether your plants are underfed, overfed or right on target.
The 2-week water ruleWhen to top off, when to change everything, and why Kratky jars work differently.Gear and tools
Browse by question
When your meter shows a number you did not expect.
When you mix a new batch or the numbers look off.
Before you fill a new reservoir.
When the water smells, turns green or the leaves change color.
Short on time
5.5 to 6.5 for almost every herb and green. Watercress sits higher at 6.5 to 7.0, and cilantro and chives do best in the upper half, 6.0 to 6.5. If a plant looks hungry, check pH before you add more nutrients, because the wrong pH locks nutrients out even when they are in the water. Why pH drifts, and how to calm it down.
A full reservoir change every 2 weeks. In between, top off with plain pH-adjusted water, never with more nutrient solution. Kratky jars work differently: the level is meant to fall as the plant drinks, so you never refill them to the brim. The 2-week rule in detail.
Usually, yes. Test its EC before you add any nutrients, and let it sit uncovered for 24 to 48 hours so the chlorine can escape. If your tap water starts above EC 0.6, cut it with distilled water. How to check and treat tap water.
Replace about 30 percent of the water with plain pH-adjusted water, then measure again. Fix EC first and adjust pH last, never the other way around. Lowering EC step by step.
If you grow with RO or distilled water, almost always, because that water has almost no calcium or magnesium left in it. Tap water users usually do not. How to tell, and how much to add.
Everything in this category
Newest first.
Organic hydroponic nutrients for herbs are possible, but they are not a straight swap for the bottle of mineral nutrient that comes with most kits. Organic fertilizers are made for soil, where bacteria and fungi break them down into the simple minerals roots can drink. A jar of water has none of that life. So
Organic Hydroponic Nutrients for Herbs: What Works in Water Read More »
Are hydroponic nutrients safe for pets? The honest answer has two halves. Nutrient bottles are not: nutrient concentrates, pH Up and pH Down belong in the same category as cleaning products, and a chewed bottle is a trip to the vet. The water in your jars is a different thing. It is mostly water, but
Hydroponic Nutrients and Pets: How to Keep Cats and Dogs Safe Read More »
You can reuse clay pebbles crop after crop, because the fired clay itself barely wears out. What wears people down is the cleanup: roots woven through the pebbles, gray grit that heads straight for the sink drain, and old nutrient salts that quietly push the next reservoir off target. This guide is a kitchen-sink routine
How to Reuse Clay Pebbles: Rinse, Sanitize and Store Read More »
You can replace AeroGarden pods with two cheaper pieces: an empty seed pod kit for the seeds you actually want, and a bottle of hydroponic nutrient for the tank. The branded pods bundle both jobs together. That’s convenient until the kit runs out, or until the herb you want simply isn’t sold as a pod.
Replace AeroGarden Pods With Your Own Seeds and Nutrients Read More »
A hydroponic feeding schedule for travelers is what lets you pack a bag on Friday afternoon without worrying that the basil will die of thirst by Sunday night. The classic failure is a Kratky quart jar left with the water line already an inch below the net cup: two nights away is enough to come
Apartment Hydroponic Feeding Schedule for People Who Travel on Weekends Read More »
Working out your hydroponic basil cost per harvest takes nothing more than the back of an envelope, and it is the quickest answer to anyone who thinks the jars on the kitchen shelf are a money pit. Take eight jars, one 24 watt light strip and a bottle of two part nutrient: the number comes
Exact Cost Per Harvest For Apartment Basil And Lettuce Read More »
When your hydroponic water smells bad, the scent usually hits you the moment you walk through your apartment door. Picture a Thai basil in a 32-ounce mason jar on a kitchen island, left for a long weekend. The door opens on a stench like old gym socks mixed with swamp mud, the water in the
What To Do When Your Apartment Hydroponic Water Smells Bad Read More »
Choosing between spring water, distilled and RO water for hydroponics often starts with whatever is on sale at the corner store. Standard bottled water poured into a tiny countertop system looks pure enough, yet within two weeks the basil leaves can turn pale yellow while the roots develop a slimy brown film, because hidden minerals
Spring Water vs Distilled vs RO Water for Hydroponics Read More »
Figuring out how to mix two part hydroponic nutrients in a small apartment jar feels needlessly complicated until you understand one rule: never let Part A and Part B touch each other before they are both diluted in water. Pour both parts into an empty jar at the same time and the liquid turns cloudy
How to Mix Two Part Hydroponic Nutrients in Small Jars Read More »
Basil on reverse osmosis water and a basic nutrient formula can grow beautifully for two weeks. Then the leaf tips start turning brown and curling inward, and testing pH, adjusting EC and flushing the reservoir twice changes nothing. The beginner hydroponics guide has the answer: RO water strips out calcium and magnesium, so the nutrients
Do You Need Cal-Mag in a Small Hydroponic System? Read More »
