When growing plants there are two important nutrients that often we forget: calcium and magnesium. If we provide plants correct doses of both nutrients, we get better results.

CALCIUM

Calcium builds strong stems and leaves. When calcium is taken up by the plant it forms pectin, the glue that binds cell walls together, so a steady supply of calcium is necessary throughout the plants life cycle to strengthen its vascular system. If the plant has a healthy vascular system, it is also able to take up water and all the other essential minerals more efficiently, resulting in a stronger, more disease –resistant plant. 

MAGNESIUM

Maintaining adequate levels of magnesium throughout the crop cycle is also essential. Magnesium is the central element in chlorophyll, essential for absorbing light energy and converting it to high-energy sugars. Magnesium also activates more than 300 known enzymes in plant cells, including the enzymes that load sugars for transport throughout the plant. It is especially important when the energy need of the plant are highest, such as during periods of rapid vegetative growth or during heavy fruiting and flowering.

DEFICIENCIES

When plants are suffering a deficiency of either of these two nutrients, there are some symptoms that appear in plants. A Calcium deficiency normally shows up in new growth at the growing tips of the plant, causing deformed leaves and reduced root growth. If there is a magnesium deficiency, part of the leaves will turn yellow, because of the lack of chlorophyll, the green pigment in plant leaves and the central element of magnesium. Magnesium deficiencies are fairly common in indoor gardens, due to the powerful HID grow lamps that indoor gardeners often use. As the light become more intense, plants need more magnesium to efficiently use the light energy.

CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENTS FOR PLANTS

There are different kinds of calcium and magnesium supplements for our plants. If we add these products, we will give plants the nutrients they need for growing healthier and to the max. Calcium and magnesium supplements may be derived from carbonates, nitrates or sulfates, and it can be added in standard concentrates, powdered supplements or organic supplements.

It is important to be careful with supplements derived from nitrates during flowering, because an excess of nitrates during this stage may delay or event prevent flowering. That’s what happens with standard concentrates, derived from nitrates.

Calcium and magnesium are 98% water soluble and available to the plant, just make sure the powdered supplement is thoroughly diluted with water and mixed well. They should be added to water before any other fertilizers or additives. Powdered supplements contain some nitrates, but not nearly as much as liquid concentrates.

Organic supplements are derived from calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. One of the benefits of calcium and magnesium carbonate is that they contain no nitrate. Therefore, it won’t interfere with flowering. The down side of going organic is that calcium and magnesium carbonate are only sparingly soluble, so in some ways, organic calcium and magnesium may actually change clean water into hard water. The result is the potential for limescale in the root stem. To avoid this, if you choose to use an organic calcium or magnesium product, always use an amino acid supplement with it.

DOSE OF CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM IN PLANTS

However, added high doses of calcium and magnesium supplements can cause deficiencies too in our plants, like limescale in the root stem, damaging roots and avoiding the plant capacity to absorb necessary nutrients. So it’s important to quantify the doses of nutrients we added to our plants, according to the type of plant or growing stage.

Saturation of calcium and magnesium happens when we add these supplements to water without knowing the exact doses of calcium and magnesium that our water already contains. We can use our EC meter to measure the total quantity of dissolved mineral salts in our water but that still will not tell us what the percentage of calcium and magnesium are.

To simplify this process, most growers prefer to use Reverse Osmosis water (RO). That way, they can start to irrigate with pure water (0,0 EC), without dissolved salts, that means without calcium and magnesium. By starting with pure water, growers can then add the exact quantities of nutrients and supplements their plants really need. Learn more about reverse osmosis.

Grow it to the Max, with GrowMax Water!

Water quality and water hardness varies all over Europe, from Country to Country and even from city to city, town to town. It is important to convert hard water into soft water to be able irrigate your plants with the best quality water possible.

What is hard water?

Hard water is the one that concentrates a high volume of dissolved mineral salts, especially calcium and magnesium. The hardness is measured in milligrams of calcium carbonate per liter (mg /l). Depending on the concentration of magnesium and calcium in the water, we can talk about four types of water:

• Soft water (concentration of less than 150 mg / L of calcium carbonate)
• Semi Soft water (concentration between 150-200 mg / L calcium carbonate)
• Hard water (concentration between 200 and 400 mg / l of calcium carbonate)
• Very hard water (concentration between 400 and 550 mg / l of calcium carbonate.

Hard water can produce problems in the plants, like limescale precipitated in the root stem. When this happens, the plant cannot absorb the necessary nutrients, so if you add doses of nutrient solutions to the plant, they won’t have any effect on it. Moreover, if you want to add nutrient solutions of calcium and magnesium, you have to be careful with hard water, because you can cause a Nutrient Lock out: high amounts of these minerals in water, together with added doses of nutrients, can BLOCK or saturate plants roots, prohibiting them from absorbing the added nutrients.

Depending where you live, the water you receive at home has different dissolved salt levels. Living near mountains, near the sea or big cities are factors that affect the water quality. For example, take a look to this map of the water hardness at British islands:

London area has hard water, while Edinburgh appears as a soft water area. The most important thing is that wherever you live, you can improve the water quality, lower the EC level and change it into soft water. If you irrigate your plants with the best water quality, they will be healthier and faster growing. And this process is possible with RO systems.

Reverse osmosis (RO) to lower EC

A high amount of calcium and magnesium in the water we are using to irrigate can cause deficiencies in our plants. The only reliable way to remove dissolved salts in the water, or what is the same, lower the EC, is a Reverse Osmosis System.

What are the benefits of lowering the EC?

• First of all, you will get plants with healthier and stronger roots that absorb 100% of all the nutrients you add, avoiding dissolved mineral salt accumulation in the roots, such as limescale.
• You will guarantee more food for your plants, because when your water EC levels are low or even 0.0 (pure water) you can add the nutrients the plants really need, without worries about excess or lack of nutrients.
• Fertilizers you add will also be more effective, and ultimately, your plants will grow better and healthier, which means better results and therefore better quality and more profits.

GrowMax Water has designed a complete range of Reverse Osmosis Systems for hydroponics, starting at 20 L/h of pure water, and designed to minimize the waste water, with only (aprox.) a 2:1 (bad/good) ratio. All units include an installation kit for easy connection indoors or outdoor. These systems reduce up to 95% of dissolved salts in your water, lowering the EC in addition to removing chlorine.

Converting your hard water into pure water will provide your plants the quality water they deserve.

Visit our website and take a look of the range of reverse osmosis systems, and discover which one best suits your needs irrigation.

There are several reasons to lower the EC and eliminate chlorine from your water. If your plants could talk, they would ask you for quality water, and we explain you why.

1. MORE NUTRIENTS FOR OUR PLANTS

What is hard water? Hard water is that which has a high concentration of the mineral salts calcium and magnesium, also called “limescale”. The formation of limescale is a problem for our plants and our plants roots.Calcium phosphate is what our bones are made of and it is 95% water insoluble. The calcium phosphate often falls out of the nutrient solution as lime scale. Once lime scale is formed both the calcium and phosphorus become unavailable to the plant.

We can use our EC meter to measure the total quantity of dissolved mineral salts in our water but that still will not tell us what percentage of those salts are hard water minerals. 

 To compensate for excess minerals, hard water nutrient formulas are usually lower in calcium and magnesium, with reduced levels of sulfates, so a hard water nutrient formula complements the minerals already present in the water. 

Also, if water is excessively hard, or an analysis shows  toxic levels of trace elements such as sodium or boron, the water should be filtered or processed.

HOWEVER, most growers will simplify water quality management by using only reverse osmosis water. RO removes all (90-95%) of the mineral ions, so the grower starts with clean, pure water. Therefore, if you use RO water all of the essential elements will come from your nutrient solution, not from the source water, creating the perfect mineral balance for plant growth. 

RO is definitely recommended for any applications where a water softener is in place. A water softener does not remove the calcium and magnesium from the hard water, rather is replaces them with sodium ions, often at toxic levels. If sodium exceeds 50ppm the plants may not be able to reach their true genetic potential. 

RO water is also perfect for topping off your reservoir between nutrient changes, replacing water lost to evaporation without adding any unwanted minerals.

Experts say that if an analysis shows that even one element is approaching toxic levels an RO system is definitely needed.