Why Water Quality Is Essential For Hydroponics

Why Water Quality Is Essential For Hydroponics

The term hydroponic originates from a combination of two Latin words meaning ‘working water’—hydro means ‘water,’ and ponos means ‘labor.’ It’s a subset of hydroculture and a type of horticulture that deals with the cultivation of plants without soil.

Since the process doesn’t involve soil, water works to deliver oxygen, provide hydration, and transport nutrients to plants. Also, hydroponics uses less water, intuitive designs, and minimal space compared to traditional agriculture, helping plants grow abundantly in a shorter period.

Although the technology behind the process seems too advanced and cutting-edge, hydroponics has a rich history that dates back to the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the floating gardens of the Aztecs and Chinese.

Today, growing plants through hydroponics is one of the most innovative practices in the field of agriculture. The principle behind this gives significant insights to scientists and horticulturists regarding the future of farming and how it can save the world from hunger.

Since water plays a crucial role in hydroponics, understanding the importance of its quality may help plants grow successfully. This article discusses the importance of water quality and some tips and parameters to maintain it.

What Is The Importance Of Water Quality In Hydroponics?

Water quality is a crucial factor in hydroponics. It plays an important role in the overall cultivation process by acting as plants’ main carrier of nutrients, water, and oxygen.

Also, water helps dissolve many impurities that harm or damage plants. These include total suspended solids, biological contaminants, harmful chemicals, minerals, bacteria, viruses, etc. Most of these impurities can’t be easily seen by the naked eye. Hence, don’t assume the water is clean simply because it looks clear and foreign-matter-free.

Poor water quality can cause numerous issues in plant growth and development. These include stunted growth, deficiency symptoms, harmful element buildups, mineral toxicity, bacterial contamination, etc.

This is why clean, filtered, and purified water is essential in hydroponics. Water quality concerns are relatively easy to address as long as they’re identified correctly. You may visit https://www.filtap.com.au/ or other similar solutions for water filtration and purification services.

What Are The Water-Quality Parameters To Consider?

Below are some water-quality parameters (or contaminants) that may interfere with plant growth and development in hydroponics.

• Minerals

As a universal solvent, water is capable of dissolving a wide range of substances, including minerals. Although some are beneficial for plant growth, other minerals (e.g., sodium and boron) can be harmful.

Plants don’t need these minerals to grow. These cause serious problems, such as water recirculation issues, even in small quantities, especially sodium.

Also, high doses of minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, and nitrates can cause nutrient deficiency and toxicity. You can adjust the nutrient formulae suitable for your plants to prevent excess and toxicities.

• Chloramines And Chlorine

Local water sources often have chloramines or chlorine added to prohibit the growth of pathogens that may infiltrate the water system.

Such compounds can harm your hydroponics crops. They can damage the root system, particularly the microbiome, and remove many organic elements crucial for overall plant growth and development.

To remove chloramines and chlorine, leave the water in the open air for 24 hours. Then filter it using a charcoal filter. You may also use potassium metabisulfite to remove these harmful oxidizing agents.

• Iron

Iron is often present in water, especially groundwater filled with significant iron ores and sand deposits. Although it’s not directly harmful to plants, it can cause numerous concerns in the irrigation system.

Iron deposits in the irrigation system can encourage bacterial growth, particularly iron bacteria. This type of bacteria can absorb essential elements and nutrients plants need to grow and develop properly.

Iron bacteria and compounds can be removed through aeration, chemical-assisted flocculation, sterilization, or nutrient solution.

• Pathogens

Natural water sources, such as ponds, rivers, lakes, streams, etc., usually contain microorganisms that can be harmful to plants. The most common is pythium, a pathogen that can attack plants and cause serious growth complications.

These pathogens release ions and strong organic compounds that may harm your hydroponics. This is why it’s essential to reduce or eliminate these microorganisms as much as possible.

Is It Okay To Use Tap Water In Hydroponics?

Yes, using tap water in hydroponics is okay. But in most situations, tap water should be treated beforehand to get rid of all the contaminants that may be present, such as chlorine, pathogens, and harmful minerals.

Generally, to improve water quality, the standard practice for hydroponics enthusiasts is to use different filtration and purification systems, such as distillation and reverse osmosis,

Final Words

Water plays an important role in hydroponics. It transports nutrients, oxygen, and hydration throughout the plant system. This is why observing water quality is essential to ensure that your hydroponics culture will grow and develop properly. You may also consider water purification and filtration services to keep your water clean at all times.