Measuring pH

What is pH?

pH is an abbreviation for Potential of Hydrogen. It is the measure of how acidic or alkaline a solution is. 

pH is measured from 0 to 14 where 1 is the most acidic, 7 is neutral and 14 is the most alkaline. 

Most plants have an optimal pH of around 6 - 6.5

Why do we measure pH levels in hydroponics?

Plants will only uptake nutrients when the pH of the nutrient solution is within a certain range. 

The chart below shows how each element becomes more or less available to the plant as the pH changes. 

If the pH of the nutrient solution is outside of that range the nutrients will be locked out, or in other words the plant will be unable to absorb the food it needs. This could result in stunted growth or even death.

We have a range of pH pens and pH acid kits available to measure the pH value of your nutrient solution. If the pH of the of the solution is not within the desired range it can be adjusted by adding pH up or pH down.