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Thread: Hydroponics - Hard water Area

  1. #1

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    Default Hydroponics - Hard water Area

    Hi Folks,

    Thought I would write a quick post about a problem that I have had over my last 3 grows, that I have finally managed to solve. Hopefully it may help someone else

    My problem was this, I live in a hard water area, and the baseline EC of my tap water, is generally around 0.5 or 0.6. My last few grows which have been in coco, I kept getting a calcium defiency.

    So this made no sense to me, I live in a hard water area, and water is very high in calcium, grow nutrients are also high in calcium and magnesium, so it made no sense why I kept getting this problem. But like most of us, my way round this was to add even more calcium, usually in the form of a foliar spray, which would help.

    So anyway after my last grow, I was cleaning out my reservoir and noticed a huge amount of lime scale, it had even blocked up my halo drippers.

    After some research and reading, I found out that lime scale is a type of calcium, but a type of calcium that plants can not use or take up. So my problem was not being caused by a lack of calcium in the feed, but by the plants ability to take up that calcium.

    So after more research I found the answer, adding amino acids to your feed schedule

    I have put a link below for those of you interested in exactly what the amino acids do, but basically they stop the calcium from forming lime scale and keep it in a form that the plant can use. They also improve the plants ability to uptake calcium as well, which makes for stronger more resilient plants.

    http://www.npk-university.com/plant_...mino_acid.html

    So if you have to clean your kettle where you live, due to lime scale, and you grow hydroponically, this could potentially be an issue for you

    Hope this helps someone
    Last edited by Samwise Gamgee; 15-12-15 at 03:19 PM.


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    Seaweed! I don't live in a hard water area but i'm sure seaweed has amino acids in!

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    Quote Originally Posted by dick turpin View Post
    Seaweed! I don't live in a hard water area but i'm sure seaweed has amino acids in!
    It does have some, but generally seaweed or kelp can be very hot, if your not careful

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    Glad i dont live in a hard water area, my tap water is 0.2 and it is beautifull straight out of the tap!
    I hate going places you get all that limescale in the kettle and it gives me the runs!

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    Calcium and magnesium have fairly large molecules that are difficult to pass through the plants roots membranes, particularly when the plants are small and still developing their root system ...Aminos help to make the molecules more soluble, the aminos also act as a chelating agent they bind to the calcium & magnesium and facilitate the transportation, It's not just cal-mag either aminos chelete other important elements too...

    Regards BL

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bud Lightyear View Post
    Calcium and magnesium have fairly large molecules that are difficult to pass through the plants roots membranes, particularly when the plants are small and still developing their root system ...Aminos help to make the molecules more soluble, the aminos also act as a chelating agent they bind to the calcium & magnesium and facilitate the transportation, It's not just cal-mag either aminos chelete other important elements too...

    Regards BL
    Its you I have to thank Bud, as you posted the link to the video's that allowed the penny to finally drop

    I have been using the Amino acids at 3tsp to a 50 litre reservoir for the last week, and have noticed an explosion of new growth, and all signs of the calcium defiency have disappeared

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    Here are a couple of pictures to you show you the difference in a week, remember that I have not added any more calcium or magnesium to the feed, only amino acids:

    Before



    After



    The first photo was taken on the 11/12, the second on 15/12

    Loads of new growth and the leaves are looking a lovely dark green

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    Go to fish store and ask for liquid for hard water???

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Weeds View Post
    Go to fish store and ask for liquid for hard water???
    He's talking about the ability of utilizing amino acids to move the dissolved cal-mag from the water into the plants along with the other benefits of aminos, not just making the water soft...

    Regards BL
    Last edited by Bud Lightyear; 16-12-15 at 08:25 PM.

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    Very interseting lads thanks for sharing Sam.

    This is why im seriously thinking of doing a run with advanced nutrients and using there b52

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