EC value monitoring and drainage management
The electrical conductivity (EC value) of water is a meaningful indicator of the concentration of dissolved salts (ions) in a nutrient solution and is given in Siemens per meter (S/m) or, in the case of measuring devices, often in mS/cm. The conductivity of water depends on its salt content: the higher the salt concentration, the greater the conductivity. Since mineral fertilizers consist primarily of salts, their concentration in water is easy to measure, which is of great importance for plant cultivation.
For comparison: Distilled water has an EC value of 0.00005 mS/cm, while tap water is around 0.5 mS and seawater has a value of 50 mS. If the EC value of the tap water in your region is above 0.5 mS/cm, the water should be purified before use, ideally using a reverse osmosis system. These filters remove about 95% of the dissolved substances, so you can optimally adjust the composition of the salts contained in the water to the needs of your plants by adding fertilizers. Before adding fertilizer, the osmosis water should be brought to an EC value of 0.2-0.4 with tap water, as this is the ideal starting value for nutrient solutions.
To determine the EC value of the tap water in your city, you can either use measuring devices or consult the website of the responsible municipal utility company. For example, the EC value of tap water in Berlin is 0.802 mS/cm.
Electrical conductivity is temperature-dependent, but high-quality measuring instruments automatically compensate for this.
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Achieve precise measurements with the APERA Instruments EC20 and PC60-Z meters: keep an eye on the EC value in your nutrient solution and drainage and promote healthy plant growth. These meters allow you to accurately determine water values such as EC (electrical conductivity), pH and other parameters. Ideal for the clever gardener!
With APERA meters, you get reliable results, regardless of temperature fluctuations. For a wide variety of growing methods such as coco, rockwool, expanded clay or aeroponic systems, regular checking and monitoring of the EC value is essential.
While soil as a growing medium has a buffering effect and can store minerals, coco, rockwool, expanded clay or aeroponic growing methods lack this property. Therefore, regular checking of the EC value is important when growing on soil, and even essential for other growing methods!
Too low a value can cause underfertilization, while too high a value can cause overfertilization, resulting in burns, interactions and, in the worst case, death of the plant. Therefore, you should fertilize carefully, in doubt rather too little than too much.
Measuring the EC value in hydro or aeroponic systems is relatively easy, while it is more difficult in soil or coco. Too high a value can lead to salinization of the soil, which hinders the plant’s nutrient uptake.
To determine the EC value of the soil, measure the drainage water that flows out of the pot during watering. This value is set with the desired conductivity of the nutrient solution. If the value of the drainage water is higher than desired, the growing medium should be flushed with three times the amount of the pot size of unfertilized water with a pH of 6, as minerals are best dissolved at this value.
Then measure again and repeat the process if necessary.
In general, the conductivity of the drainage water should not exceed 2.5 when growing on coco or hydroponic and 2.3 when growing on soil. These values represent the maximum. Only plants that require a lot of fertilizer should be fertilized to these limits. The values can vary greatly depending on the plant species. Therefore, it is advisable to learn in detail about the particular plant.
After rinsing, the roots should recover relatively quickly, and moderate fertilization can be continued. It is important to check the EC value regularly in order to detect possible problems at an early stage and to be able to take appropriate measures. Careful control of your nutrient intake will go a long way toward promoting and maintaining the growth and health of your plants.
To get the best out of your plant breeding and to control the EC value optimally, we recommend our“DrainMaster Drip Stand with Drip Tray“. This handy helper makes collecting and measuring drainage water a breeze. The collection tray catches the excess water and allows you to determine the EC value conveniently and precisely. This allows you to specifically promote the growth and health of your plants and perfectly adjust the use of fertilizers.