In this article, we will explain what pH levels is and EC as well as how to maintain it for your garden.
A common question our customers ask is if they need to maintain the pH levels and EC to grow plants. The answer is generally no, your garden will self maintain the pH and EC levels. However, knowing pH and EC levels can bring your gardening experience to the next level.
If you are on well water or you see stunted growth, burnt leaf ends or yellowing you will want to take a deeper look at your pH and EC levels as it is different from city levels that are common water for growth.
If your seedlings are running into growing problems despite having the suitable temperature
and airflow, then it may be that your pH levels and EC are hindering the growth.
To start, we suggest to use tap water for your water reservoir as the pH is generally neutral at a 7. However, don't worry if you are using another water source, you can adjust it to the optimal growth range (more details below).
The pH is the potential hydrogen. For our garden, pH levels indicates the acidity of the water reservoir. The pH level controls the different minerals that your plants will uptake. Most plants prefer a pH range between 5.5 to 6.5. If the pH level is too low, drops below 5.5, it can cause copper and iron toxicity or magnesium and calcium deficiencies where you will see burnt leaf tips, leaf cupping and/or yellowing between leaf veins. If pH level is too high, it can cause iron deficiencies where you will see yellowing leaves.
EC is electrical conductivity. For our garden, EC indicates the presence of macronutrients in the growing water reservoir. Most plants prefer a growing medium EC of 1.3 to 2.5 mS/cm. If the EC is too high, then you will see burnt leaf tips and/or slow growth. If the EC is too low, then you will see yellowing or browning of leaves and/or stunted growth as they won't be getting enough nutrients.
To measure the pH levels and EC of your water reservoir, you can purchase our handheld pH and EC meters.
Maintain your Garden's pH levels and EC:
A high pH indicates that there is less nutrients than normal. To fix this and to decrease the pH, you can add in more nutrients to the water reservoir. A low pH indicates the opposite and to fix it, you can add more water or reduce the nutrients when you refill/top up the water reservoir.
A high EC indicates that there is more nutrients in the reservoir than normal. To reduce the EC, you can add more water or reduce the nutrients when you refill/top up the water reservoir. A low EC indicates the opposite and to fix it, you can add in more nutrients to increase the EC.