So no more than 72-96hrs after finally ending procrastination / documentation (as well as get the aphids under control) we did a routine nutrient change in the hydro system. Maybe it was the surplus of nutrients ? Our meter clocked the nutrient level at 40% lower than optimum levels, & funny because this was the outcome of the directed additions via the label. So we kept adding and checking the ppm (parts per million) until we reached desired #’s. Adjusted the ph & thought we were good. We don’t know what happened, but over the next 3 days the ph just kept rising. Adding acid to lower it was resulting in no change in the climbing ph. Algae was forming ( not something new) so we added normal combating amounts of hydrogen peroxide. The algae subsided but the ph did not. We slowly lost the crop plant by plant, and by the time we salvaged the couple heads of lettuce, they were going soft. The volatility of the ph was always a concern, and it seemed reasonable to check and adjust daily (vs adding upfront cost of a automated controller ) It remains a delicate process to behave and compensate for soil, but it was a small experiment that once some time frees up we will be doing again. It also was funny to hear about the out of control algae plumes in Florida caused in part by nitrogen based fertilizer going on almost in tandem with our small 9 -10gallon system. Maybe if we all took more of a moment and invested ourselves into cultivating our own food, and dealing with these common threats in-between the sprout to harvest; those plumes wouldn’t have gotten as big? Maybe not, either way it was interesting to see & experience that on a small level and then see what can happen in a several square mile freshwater source.
In the meantime we’ve swapped our veggies for wild flowers. Ditching the hydroponics for now and using pumps/irrigation with soil.
