When I first started gardening hydroponically, it took me a while to get used to the idea of closely monitoring pH levels. I was used to traditional gardening, where you slowly adjust the pH level of your soil as needed.
In soil gardening, you use soil amendments to adjust pH or add needed nutrients and there is always room for error. It is a relatively slow process, involving soil testing, finding the right amendments, mixing them into the soil and testing again.
In hydroponics, pH is a whole different ballgame. Nutrient solution is much more sensitive than soil and pH levels can change from day to day, even hour to hour if you are changing fertilizers. In order to have healthy plants you need to really be on top of it.
It can seem daunting and intimidating at first but with time, practice and the right materials, adjusting the pH in your hydroponic garden becomes an easy part of your garden maintenance routine. In my article about monitoring pH levels, I recommend that beginners start off by checking their nutrient solution pH every day. This gets you in the habit and gives you a good baseline knowledge of what to expect out of your garden.
Do you have any tips, tricks or favorite products related to pH levels? Let me know in the comments!