Short answer: strips or drops are enough for most Kratky growers, because you mainly check pH at mixing time. A meter is more precise and easier to read, but it needs regular calibration and care. Test strips Pros: cheap, simple, nothing to calibrate Cons: colors can...
Short answer: not strictly. Following the label rate carefully can grow a good crop, and UF/IFAS treats a meter as optional for Kratky growing. But a meter is the only way to know the real strength of your solution, and it makes problems far easier to diagnose....
Short answer: keep light out of the solution. Algae need light to grow, so an opaque container, a covered lid and covered gaps around the net cup will stop it. Why algae is a problem It competes with your plant for nutrients. Its daytime photosynthesis can push pH up....
Short answer: look at which leaves are yellow. Yellow older leaves usually mean the plant is short of a mobile nutrient such as nitrogen. Pale new leaves usually mean an immobile nutrient such as iron is not being absorbed, often because pH is too high. Older, lower...
Short answer: yes, but tomatoes are much more demanding than lettuce. They need a stronger solution, a far larger container and regular topping up over several months. Why tomatoes are harder The Kratky method was developed with lettuce, a fast crop that finishes...
Short answer: aim for an EC around 1.2 to 1.8 mS/cm and a pH around 5.5 to 6.5. UF/IFAS suggests about 1.25 mS/cm and pH 5.5 to 6.0 for Kratky growing. What the sources say Oklahoma State University Extension: EC 1.2–1.8 mS/cm, pH 6.0–7.0 for hydroponic lettuce...
Short answer: for a head of lettuce, plan on roughly 1 to 1.5 gallons of solution from seed to harvest (UF/IFAS). Larger, longer-lived plants need much more, and fruiting crops usually need topping up along the way. Why volume matters The Kratky method works best when...
Short answer: air roots are the roots that grow in the humid space between the lid and the falling solution. They take in oxygen from the air, which is how a Kratky plant breathes without an air pump. moist air spaceNutrient solutionlevel falls as the plant drinksAir...
Short answer: mainly because plants take up nitrate, and alkaline water keeps pushing pH up. Both are normal. A gradual rise in a Kratky container is usually not a problem unless plants start showing symptoms. Nitrate uptake Most hydroponic nutrients supply nitrogen...
Short answer: add a small amount, stir, wait a few minutes and test again, repeating until pH reaches about 5.5 to 6.0. UF/IFAS notes that white vinegar typically takes around 2 teaspoons per gallon, depending on the water. Your options White distilled vinegar. Cheap...
