EC made E-Z!

Hope everyone had a great week!

Rachel here, and I realized as I was brainstorming for a new blogpost that no one has explained what the Green Team means when we use the term "EC" ... and no, it's not "extra credit" 

Our EC stands for "Electrical Conductivity," and it is a very important component to the overall health and success of your hydroponically-grown plants. (... However, I'll definitely sign for some "Extra Credit" if you already knew that!)

Joking aside, your system's EC is no laughing matter. Simply put, it is a measure of the nutrient concentration found in your growing solution. The hydroponic plants' nutrients exist as mineral salts dissolved in water. Water containing more salts is able to conduct electricity more easily, and this is a great way to test your nutrient concentration! Special meters are used to test EC, and they look similar to the picture below, which is the EC meter we use in the Grow Room.

EC is important to monitor because an excess (EC too high) can cause salt buildup in your growing media, irrigation drippers, etc. and can actually prevent the uptake of nutrients by the roots. Deficiency (EC too low) can cause plants to starve and exhibit various symptoms of sickness based on the lacking nutrient (known as deficiency symptoms).

For more information on EC, its measurement, and why it's so important, I would encourage you to check out Growth Technology's page on Electical Conductivity!

Hope this made understanding EC a little more E-Z!

Till next time,

Rachel 👩🏼‍🌾