pH, EC, TDS Levels for Hydroponic Plants

The pH scale is a way to measure the Acid or Basic (alkaline) in nutrient solution

pH is defined as a unit of measure that describes the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a liquid solution

It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14. Acids in a range from 0 to 7 and Alkaline is in the range from 7 to 14

Lower numbers being a stronger acid and a higher number being a stronger base

The pH of the nutrient solution is essential to the plants health because it will affect how well each element can pass through the root cell wall and nourish the plant

When the pH of the nutrient solution is out of balance the plants are not able uptake the nutrients in the water, basically starving them, even when there is plenty of food

The EC value describes the “Electrical Conductivity” of a solution

This gives information about the amount of dissolved salts. Nutrients break down into ions

The ions conduct electricity because of their positive and negative ions. Higher EC means more nutrients are present in the nutrient solution

Some plants prefer a high concentration of nutrients and some prefer a low one. Too many nutrients are toxic. Too few nutrients cause deficiency symptoms

EC (Electrical Conductivity) is measured in mS/cm or millisiemens per centimeter

TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids and is measured in PPM or parts per million

TDS is acquired by taking the EC value and performing a calculation to determine the TDS value

1 mS = 700ppm

Every plant has an unique pH and EC value and for it to thrive, they must be in an ideal range

You can either measure pH & EC values with test stripes or digital meter. Digital meters are preferred

Also read: How To Grow Hydroponic Cucumber